Antiques Roadshow viewers all have the same complaint as legendary first ever Barbie doll is valued
ANTIQUE Roadshow viewers all have the same complaint as a legendary Barbie doll was valued.
During an episode of the American version of the hit BBC One show viewers watched as one woman brought along a Barbie doll.
It turned out the children’s toy was actually as one of the original models manufactured.
The guest handed it over to Antiques Roadshow expert Marshall Martin to take a closer look.
She revealed her father purchased it as a present to her when she was nine years old.
The woman said: “I First got her when I was nine years old. My dad worked for a drugstore as a pharmacist.
“New toys came in and I have a feeling that he either brought her home for me because she was brand new or bought her for my birthday that year.”
The doll, which is vastly different to the modern day Barbie look, first hit shelves in 1959.
It features the iconic fictional character wearing a black and white swimsuit.
Examining the doll, Marshall said: “There are three main things that you can tell that she’s a number one Barbie.
“One is she has very arched, triangular-shaped eyebrows. They’re very distinctive compared to later Barbies.
“She also has a white iris that’s very distinctive there. Eyes always look to the side.”
However, viewers were left stunned when the expert delivered their verdict on its worth.
Marshall told the guest because it shows signs of being worn from over the years its value had decreased.
He said it was worth an estimated $3,500 – $4,500 or £2,725 – £3,503 at auction.
“If she were pristine and in the original box, the price would go up a little bit more,” said Marshall.
Taking to social media, fans reacted at the low value, with one saying: “That’s actually way less than I thought it would be worth.”
A second wrote: “I thought he was gonna say 60K or something.”
“Seriously thought it would be so much more,” said a third.
While a fourth commented: “My mom bought a mint in box #1 Barbie when I was 3 (1976) at a garage sale for $1 & put it away to pay for my wedding. Sold it for $27,000!!!”