Collectibles Archives
Vintage Playing Cards Deck
I never would have guessed that vintage playing cards would be such a sought after item, but after a little research I find they are indeed a highly collectible item. eBay of course has literally hundreds of live auctions at any given time.
As of this writing there was a deck of "1810 French Playing Cards" going for almost $300 and two decks of "Vintage SBM Loews Monte Carlo Playing Cards" going for almost $200. If you are into collecting vintage playing cards then you have found the best place to start. Check out these LIVE auctions going on right now!
Vintage Playing Cards Deck
Collectors Weekly Has a Good article on the history of Playing Cards...
Playing cards originated in ancient China, and were introduced into Europe sometime in the 14th century. There are a wide variety of collectible cards today, from highly ornamented early European cards to tarot cards to 20th century decks issued by railroads, casinos, and cruise lines, or reflecting contemporary themes like war, politics and sports.
Read The Rest of the article here..........
Hard To Find Beanie Babies
If you were the parent of a young child in the late 1990's then you must remember the Beanie Baby Craze. These seemingly innocent stuffed toys turned grown women (and some men) into "warriors of retail" set to battle every department store that was fool enough to carry the Ty product line.
I happened to be working at a small retail store that carried these miniature misfits and was witness to some of the most undignified shoppers I have ever seen. I personally knew friends and relatives who would hoard these tiny teddy bears by the hundreds in the trunks of cars and secret boxes stashed deep in the bowels of their manicured sub-urban homes.
What was it that set these professional people into fits of rage when their underground network failed to turn up the names of the next retail store in line to receive a shipment of "product" in the wee hours of night.
Im sure everyone has a Beanie Baby Horror Story to tell........ So please, leave a comment here about your (ahem, I mean friends) story. In the mean time, those of you who held fast to your fluffy stuffed treasures can now sell a select few of them online at sites like ebay for thousands of dollars to someone who still hunts the elusive rare and hard to find beanie baby........
Rare and Hard to Find Beanie Babies.
 Rare First Edition Diana Beanie Baby Princess 1997  US $1,000.00
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 TY Beanie babies Retired Rare Jabber 1997 US $55.99
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 TY Beanie babies Retired Rare Scorch 1998 US $45.99
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 TY Beanie babies Retired Rare Early 1997 US $57.00
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 TY Beanie babies Retired Rare Gracie 1996 US $60.00
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 TY Beanie babies Retired Rare Mac 1998 US $45.99
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If you still collect these and want to brush up on the history (or even add to it) about ty beanie babies then here are a few links that you might find as a helpful resource
- Discover the History of Beanie Babies
- Explore the Beanie Baby Universe
- Collect and Value Beanie Babies
- Find Beanie Babies on eBay
- Buy Beanie Babies With Confidence
Here are the original nine that Ty Warner introduced and started the whole beanie baby ball 'a rollin' back in 1993.......
- Legs the Frog
- Squealer the Pig
- Brownie the Bear (later renamed Cubbie the Bear)
- Flash the Dolphin
- Splash the Whale
- Patti the Platypus
- Chocolate the Moose
- Spot the Dog
- Pinchers the Lobster
Collecting Vintage Barbie Dolls
Vintage Ponytail Barbie
Im always looking for new collectible items and just stumbled across these little treasures. Looks like I have been missing out on a hot item, there are thousands of these Vintage Barbie Dolls available on ebay. Looks like a Blonde Barbie is a bit harder to find so here are some LIVE listings to dive into.
Mattel estimates that there are well over 100,000 avid Barbie collectors. Ninety percent are women, at an average age of 40, purchasing more than twenty Barbie dolls each year. Forty-five percent of them spend upwards of $1000 a year. Vintage Barbie Dolls from the early years are the most valuable at auction, and while the original Barbie was sold for $3.00 in 1959, a mint boxed Barbie from 1959 sold for $3552.50 on eBay in October 2004.
Vintage Blonde Barbie Dolls
 Barbie Doll New Vintage Blond Hair Aqua Eyes Jointed US $14.99
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 12 INCH 1975 VINTAGE BARBIE 3903640 BLOND DOLL US $19.99
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 VINTAGE BARBIE BLONDE HAIR MIDGE DOLL 1962 MATTEL 9 US $50.30
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Different Types of Barbies Over The Years
Vintage Ponytail Barbie
While Barbie's body, with a few exceptions here and there, has not changed with respect to size and shape - always remaining at 11 1/2 - her face has been continuously changing since she was first introduced.
Vintage Barbie Ponytail dolls were issued from 1959 to 1966, with the design evolving over the years resulting in several variations in the Ponytail Barbie. These variations are known by their numbers - #1, #2, #3, #4, etc.
Vintage Bubblecut Barbie
In 1961, Barbie donned a new hair cut called the Bubblecut. The Bubblecut Barbie dolls were manufactured from 1961 to 1967 with various hair colors ranging from numerous shades of blonde, brunette & titian.
Swirl Ponytail Barbie
In 1964, Barbie replaced her curly bangs with a sleek, side swept hairstyle, known popularly by collectors as the swirl ponytail. She was available in various shades such as blonde, ash, lemon blonde, brunette, redhead and platinum.
Vintage American Girl Barbie
In 1965, Barbie changed her look once again with a brand new hair style. She was called the American Girl Barbie and came in three similar hair styles: a chin length bob with a middle part, a longer bob with a left part and turquoise hair ribbon band and a longer bob with a softer texture and middle part. She was the first Barbie doll to have legs that bent at the knee. Production of the American Girl Barbie discontinued in 1966, resulting in the dolls being highly sought after by collectors.
