Identifying a genuine Barbie doll requires being able to find the doll's trademark stamp.
Whether you are a serious doll collector or are just curious about the value of a particular doll, knowing identify a doll correctly is helpful. Sometimes identification is as simple as recognizing a trademark symbol on the doll; other times, you may need to do further research to determine what kind of doll you have. Mattel stamps trademark information on its dolls, however, identification can still be tricky with some Cabbage Patch Kid dolls and other Mattel dolls. You will need to know where to look for the Mattel trademark on the body of the doll.
Instructions
Examine the Doll Carefully
1. Examine the doll's body thoroughly while it is unclothed. You are looking for distinguishing features such as the material the doll is made of, the size of the doll, the type of hair it has, its eyelashes and eyes. Note the size of the doll, the material it is made from, and what kind of eyes and hair it has. Clothing details might help in identification of a specific doll as well.
Often dolls will have identification information marked on the torso, the back of the head, the feet or even behind an ear. Use a magnifying glass if necessary to clearly make out any letters, numbers or symbols as they may be important for further research later on. Some Mattel dolls have an artist's mark behind their ear that was done at random, however, an official company identification mark reveals more information.
Examine any boxes or packaging in which the doll was packaged for the manufacturer's name and any trademark words or symbols. For example, Mattel Cabbage Patch dolls come with a birth certificate.
2. Look on the right buttock of a doll you suspect may be a genuine Mattel Barbie doll, since that is often where the trademark symbol is found. Mattel trademarks on Barbie dolls can be confusing because the trademark often reads "©1966/Mattel, Inc./U.S. Patented/U.S. Pat. Pend./Made in/Japan," even though the 1966 trademark appears on dolls that were manufactured right up until 1976.
3. Go to dollreference.com/barbie_trademarks.html on the internet and you will find a long list of trademarks that were stamped onto Mattel Barbie dolls and related dolls such as Ken and Skipper. Barbie dolls have been made in different countries over the years including Japan, Mexico, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, so the trademark does not have to say USA to be a genuine Mattel doll.
4. Check the wording at the bottom and on the front of a Barbie doll box to see if it mentions a label color. In 2004, a color code was introduced specifically for doll collectors. The "Pink" label represents Barbie's signature color, however, the "Platinum," "Gold" and "Silver" labels are used for more valuable dolls, respectively. The Platinum label Barbies were manufactured in editions of fewer than 1,000 internationally. The Pink label includes "Keepsake" dolls which were widely sold.
5. Look on the left buttock of a doll that you suspect might be a Mattel Cabbage Patch Kid doll. A true Cabbage Patch doll should have a the signature of "Xavier Roberts" on the left buttock. Cabbage Patch Kids dolls were around for years and were manufactured by other companies, such as Coleco. It wasn't until 1994 that Mattel began producing and selling Cabbage Patch Kids. In order to identify a Mattel Cabbage Patch doll, you have to know that the dolls can have either cloth or vinyl bodies. Mattel Cabbage Patch Kids are usually 14-inches or smaller, and special models were personalized with various attributes to make them more valuable to doll collectors. Some Mattel collectible Cabbage Patch dolls could "eat food," "brush their teeth" or "swim," and eventually Mattel introduced Cabbage Patch Kids that came with birth certificates. Other versions of the dolls include "OlympiKids," in celebration of the 1996 Olympics and "Cabbage Patch Fairies," which are distinguished from other Cabbage Patch Kid dolls by their wings.
Tags: Cabbage Patch, Cabbage Patch dolls, Cabbage Patch Kids, Mattel Cabbage, Mattel Cabbage Patch, Patch dolls