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Faux Number Ones
Unfortunately there are dishonest sellers (especially on online auction sites) who are out to defraud collectors by creating faux #1s and #2s -- or who try to pass off a reproduction Barbie as an original vintage!.
Below are some pictures to help educate against this fraud.
I received both dolls for restoration and I was able to take some photos comparing both the original and the new #1 tubes.
I urge everybody to make this type of investment purchase from a reputable dealer or from a seller who does not object to utilizing the services of a valid escrow service (escrow.com) or whom will allow you to pay by credit card.
Please beware of the many scams! Ask questions, and if the deal sounds too good to be true...
This first photo shows the original tubes. They have nice bronze patina and are of a certain guage.
Here is an example of new (and very pink) copper tubes! The dishonest ebay seller drilled holes into the feet of a #3 Ponytail Barbie and inserted these new tubes. Notice how they are neither the same size nor color as in the example above.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of the dolls' feet (The 'Japan' marking, however, can be found either lengthwise or horizontally).
Unfortunately this type of fraud greatly decreases the value of our collections!
For this reason I will not re-paint #3s to look like #1s or #2s. Please have your faux #1 or #2 repainted back to her original #3 features.
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Also beware of sellers who may claim that a Mattel 35th Anniversary Reproduction Barbie is genuine vintage. This doll was released in the mid 1990s. Everything about this repro Barbie looks and feels different from the 'real thing,' but a new collector may not be able to tell (until he or she becomes familiar with the original vintage):
This doll came with both brunette and sandy blond hair. The hair type, style, color, texture, and bangs are completely different from the original vintage, the vinyl is different and even the facial features are different! PLEASE don't be fooled! Please make this type of expensive purchase from a REPUTABLE Barbie dealer, preferably in PERSON at a Barbie convention or doll show. ...and if the deal online is 'too good to be true'...(Well, you know how the rest of the saying goes...)
The doll below was originally a #3. She had been re-painted as a #2 and later came to me to be correctly restored to her original beauty!
This doll is happy to have her original #3 features once again!
