Barbie became a beloved character to little girls across America in 1959 and has remained as popular and cherished ever since. Barbies hold extra sentimental value to a lot of people, having been tiny plastic playmates limited only by their imagination, so most attics and storage spaces containing toys have at least a few old Barbie dolls.

If your home is full of vintage Barbie dolls, there’s a chance that some of your favorite ones may be valuable. Check out your doll to see if it has any of these traits:

Does the copyright stamp appear on the Barbie’s bottom?

If the answer is yes, then that little lady would have been manufactured before 1972 meaning you have a vintage Barbie on your hands! It’s hard to say which modern dolls could have value in the future, but if it is old, it’s definitely worth further inspection.

Does your Barbie have real eyelashes?

Dolls of the late 60’s and 70’s were made with real rooted eyelashes. Any dolls with real eyelashes are generally considered collectible, but keep in mind not all dolls from those decades had real eyelashes. No eyelashes does not mean no value.

Does the copyright information say ‘1963 (or 1965) Mattel Made in Japan’?

If so, you may have a Barbie family doll such as Skipper or Francie. Generally, if a vintage Barbie says, ‘Made in Japan,’ it likely has value, but the Barbie family dolls include characters that are especially sought after by collectors.

Does it have any factory defects?

Dolls that were manufactured with mistakes and made it into the hands of the public unnoticed tend to be more valuable to toy collectors for their rarity. Look for poorly placed makeup stencils, plastic mold defects and strange hair follicle placement. Unfortunately defects don’t count if you just stored it too close to the radiator.

Is it part of a limited edition or collectible set?

Every now and then, Barbie releases a collectible set. There are far fewer of these dolls manufactured in the first place, so they are more rare and should only appreciate in value.

Is it in good condition?

Just as it is in appraising anything, condition of the doll is the final determining factor of its value. The less wear and tear shows on the toy, the more valuable it is. If your vintage Barbie has never been removed from the packaging, your potential resale price has just skyrocketed.

With these helpful tips, you should have an idea of which dolls need to visit the hobby shop to be finely appraised and which ones you should let Junk It! take care of.