Kardashian Barbies

A few days ago, I received the following email from one of my readers. I promised I would post the photos of these super unusual Barbies, and he graciously provided his email address and the photos. I got my hands on a Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe Kardashian Barbies that were never produced. I am being told there were only 3 of each in existence because negotiations broke down with them in 2012. Do you have a idea what these would be worth? A Rep for Mattel stated: As popular as the Kardashian sisters are, at this point in time we are not manufacturing Barbie-branded Kardashian dolls. Read more: http://perezhilton.com/2012-01-21-mattel-cancels-kardashian-barbie#ixzz3Bp7XZ8RM Rare doll like this are hard to price. I tried very hard a few years ago to locate an Angela Merkel Barbie only to find out she was a custom, one type doll. Barbara Handler, the original Barbie, presented Oprah Winfrey with a custom Oprah doll a few years ago on her show. I wouldn't know how to price these. When the prototpye G.I. Joe was offerred for sale several years ago, the asking price was originally $1million. When he didn't bring that, the doll was taken off sale. He finally brought $200,000 on eBay in 2003. A Stefano Canturi Barbie with a pink diamond necklace sold for $302, 500 and benefitted cancer research. Some twenty years ago when I visited the Barbie Museum in Palo Alto, the owner pointed out a prototype box for #1 Barbie that one expert told her was worth $20,000, just for the box, because there were seven figures instead of six printed on its cover. I've not read about this box anywhere else; it could be doll legend. Prototype dolls, or dolls pulled off the shelf, are too scarce to price, normally. I don't know if there could actually be only three of each, because they are already packaged and have gone through the "mass produced" process, but then again, it isn't impossible. There are publications just for Barbie, including "Haute Doll", "The Fashion Doll Quarterly", "Miller's Barbie Doll", "Doll Reader" Magazine, "Doll Castle News" Magazine, and "Contemporary Doll Collector." Mattel is online; they might have some words of wisdom to share on thse dolls Experts on Barbie include Franklin Lim Lao in California, Everly Burkhalter in Palo Alto, CA, Zona Yeldis McDonough, who wrote a book on her. I have a section on Barbie sources in a book I compiled, "A Bibliography of Doll and Toy sources. " Also, try dollreference.com. They are fascinating; there are also places on Facbook to look, and artists that do original Barbie art, called OOAK artists. Craig Yoe is an author who wrote on The Art of Barbie, but these are Matel dolls, from what I understand, not custom made examples. Readers may remember that Kim's father, Robert Karadashian, had a million dollar + collection of baseball memorabilia and was an instrumental figure in the O.J. Simpson case twenty years ago. If anyone has information about these Kardashian dolls, you may contact Richard at rmcgee@sunsetlogisticsphx.com.