Table of Contents
Mattel, Inc. has always had an incredibly talented group of manufacturers working for them, and the Barbie Collection launch of March 1959 proves that.
From that day forward, Mattel has exceeded expectations, drawing buyers in from around the world to purchase both collectors’ items and everyday play toys.
The Barbie line started strictly as a toy for children to play with. However, as time passed, Mattel knew they could make a move in a different direction, breaking the stigma of Barbie.
In doing so, manufacturers created and fabricated the Silkstone Barbie collection, allowing adults to buy the same classic toy dolls, but this time for collection reasons.
Naturally, this meant that everyone interested in purchasing the collection would want to know additional details before handing over the funds. We have that covered here. Keep reading on to find out some more information about the elegant and exciting Silkstone Barbie Collection.
Are Silkstone Barbies for Collection or Play?
When people are introduced to the Silkstone Barbie Collection, they wonder if the dolls are made strictly for collectors’ markets or if they’re made for children’s entertainment.
Simply put, these elegant and beautifully created dolls are made for detailed collectors.
Specifically, vintage Barbie collectors come running to a significant group of items like the Silkstone Collection. The superior quality that these carefully curated dolls display is near impossible to resist.
Are Silkstone Barbies Discontinued?
The rising popularity of the Silkstone Barbie Collection won’t necessarily last forever, leaving the collectors’ market to ask questions like, “Are the Silkstone Barbies going to be discontinued one day?”
Unfortunately, the Silkstone Series came to an end on August 10, 2020.
After 20 incredible years producing the Silkstone Collection, Robert Best and his team decided to retire this specific line of Barbies immediately after celebrating their 20th anniversary.
The Platinum Label doll known as Gala’s Best has been labeled one of the best dolls in the 2020 year release.
The dolls are not being produced any longer, but that doesn’t mean buyers can’t find them online. Most designs are currently available on sites like Amazon, eBay, and Target.
The 11 Most Popular Silkstone Barbies
1. Best in Black Barbie
The Best in Black Barbie showcases a black mini dress with triangular sleeves, nearly see-through black stockings, and mary-jane inspired heels.
Barbie’s yellow golden hair is elegantly pulled back to show off facial features, including an innocent pout and polished black eyeliner.
To celebrate the Silkstone line’s 20th anniversary, Best in Black is one of the final four dolls, encompassing the perfect amount of charm, style, and elegance.
2. Best to A Tea
The Best to A Tea makes herself readily available for a classy cup of tea, sporting an off-white boucle suit, perfectly ruffled blouse, and secure fascinator around the waist.
Exquisite black gloves, tights, and trendy booties accompany her ensemble. Barbie’s brown hair is tightly pulled back to show off her vintage facial features and faux pearl earrings.
Colorful eyeshadow and peachy facial makeup tie the look together completely. Best to A Tea is another of the final four dolls, celebrating the Silkstone Collections’ 20th anniversary.
3. Barbie Black and White Forever Doll
The Barbie Black and White Forever Doll gracefully wears a lengthy satin ball gown, created by Best and team, inspired by the original Barbie’s black and white swimsuit.
Carefully picked-out accessories include satin opera gloves, see-through black stockings, slingback stiletto heels with pointed toes, and a vintage combination of rhinestone and faux pearl drop earrings.
Barbie wears her blonde hair tied back with an array of black streaks giving her the utmost poise.
4. Proudly Pink Doll
The Barbie Proudly Pink Doll wears an entirely pink outfit, flaunting a hot pink top belted at the waist, paired with a form-fitting pencil skirt.
The entire skirt is printed with Barbie’s original logo and the creatively designed top sports a semi-large rhinestone brooch.
Barbie’s undeniably near hot pink hair is drawn back in a tight ponytail to accentuate her exquisite facial features.
The logo printed purse with a silver chain, delicate gloves, and pink stiletto boots gives the ensemble an out-of-this-world overall look.
5. The Best Look Doll
The Best Look Doll comes with not one, but two classic ensembles, due to it being one of the last dolls ever designed and created in Best’s line of Silkstone Barbies.
Barbie can change from a smart suit during the day to a perfectly romantic outfit for evening attire.
The superb two-piece suit carries a removable faux fur collar accompanied by a subtly beautiful brooch.
Once the night approaches, Barbie can switch over to her black lace bodysuit and full petticoat trimmed with satin, sewn under a lace skirt.
Two satin opera-length gloves are included, along with a tiered pearl necklace and a satin clutch.
Tall and simple stiletto pumps bring this doll to the next level, truly marking the best celebratory ending to the Silkstone Barbie Collection.
6. The Gala’s Best Doll
The Gala’s Best Doll is a triple threat: Stunning, gorgeous, and breathtakingly elegant. Barbie wears a Dresden blue gown, designed to emphasize the upper torso with its strapless corset bodice.
The full layered tulle skirt exhibits a distinguished look while the dainty pink organza flowers sparkle the dress with flair.
Additional inclusions consist of a matching blue organza petticoat and detail-oriented, golden pearl-drop earrings. Barbie’s perfect blonde up-do frames all of her facial features for a nice finishing touch.
7. Ken 60th Anniversary Vintage Doll
The Ken 60th Anniversary Vintage Doll celebrates the original Barbie’s 60 years of existence, classically reproducing the line’s original 1961 Ken doll.
Ken wears his #1 beach look for the world to see, sporting the famous red swim trunks with a white stripe sliding down the sides. F
or shoe wear, Ken slips on some comfy beach sandals with a matching red strap. Even the hair is timeless as ever, blonde and shining bright.
Ken carries a yellow towel to bring the look full circle. Spot the “Genuine Ken” wrist tag to ensure the doll is 100% genuine.
Ken 60th Anniversary Vintage Doll can be purchased on Amazon, here.
8. Lingerie Fashion Model #6 Redhead Doll
The Lingerie Fashion Model #6 Redhead Doll is a different rendition of the original lingerie fashion models, created after both the blonde and brunette versions.
Redhead Barbie is spectacularly sexy in her silver one-piece slip-over lingerie set. Find black lace lining the satin gown, rounding the outfit in with knee-high black lace see-through stockings.
Barbie has timeless gold hoop earrings and wears her long red hair straight down her back, pulled away from her face with a silk black-trimmed ribbon.
9. Inspiring Women Series: Katherine Johnson Doll
The Inspiring Women Series created the Katherine Johnson Doll, in memory of the one and only Katherine Johnson, previously known as Katherine Coleman.
Johnson was not only fascinated with numbers, she was also a genius when it came to them. The phenomenal woman entered high school at the young and bright age of 10.
Later on, she graduated from college at the top of her class at the age of 18. In 1953, Johnson joined the NASA team to work as a human-computer, calculating trajectories for the first flights into space.
All of her hard work paid off, allowing Apollo astronauts the ability to safely land and return from the moon.
This specific Barbie honors and celebrates Katherine Johnson’s achievements, regardless of her race and gender. The Katherine Johnson Doll proudly wears one of the iconic outfits that the woman herself wore back in the day.
10. Spring in Tokyo Barbie
The Spring in Tokyo Barbie made the Silkstone City Seasons Collection that much better, created to attend the Annual Springtime Picnic in downtown Tokyo.
Tokyo Barbie looks stunning dressed in a fabulous off-white silk suit with navy trim and a dark wide-brimmed hat with a fishnet veil.
Though she does not look Asian in the least, she does carry with her a European-inspired ensemble paired with dark, straight hair, and innocent facial features.
Pumps, a navy purse with a thin chain handle, and countless neck chains tie the outfit entirely together. The look allows Barbie to come dressed incredibly fashionable to the occasion, sipping tea and nibbling on the sweetest of pastries for the day ahead.
11. Barbie Signature Pink Collection Doll
The Barbie Signature Pink Collection Doll features a pretty-in-pink look, wearing an off-the-shoulder high-low gown, flaunting bow accent accessories directly on the dress.
The ruffled layers of tulle create a flow variation unlike any other, crossing down into a jaw-droppingly awesome train. The bow-kissed sandals draw attention to the overall bow theme, while the elegant drop earrings frame Barbie’s face poetically.
Don’t forget to set your sights on the high ponytail of blonde hair, removing curly locks from Barbie’s precious face to see her stunning makeup.
The first doll in the Silkstone Pink collection gives buyers something to look forward to.
When Did Silkstone Barbie First Come Out?
Barbie launched its first doll in 1959, and since then, people all around the world have asked, “what’s next?” What will Barbie do and when will the move be made? Over the years, countless renditions were released, but in the year 2000, the Silkstone Barbie Collection made its way to U.S. markets.
What is the First Silkstone Barbie?
The first two limited edition dolls were labeled Lingerie (blonde) #1 and Lingerie (brunette) #2. Of the two, the brunette was always the hardest to find.
These Silkstone Barbies wore only a satin bra and panties, lined with delicate white lace and pink bows. White stockings and garters accompanied the look, making these dolls the most valuable of all the Lingerie Silkstone.
After the initial release of the Collection, Best and team decided to create dressed dolls, with the first being “Delphene.” This specific Barbie came along with two fashion outfits, known as the “Garden Party” and “Lunch at the Club.”
What Size Are Silkstone Barbies?
One of the most popular questions to ask about the Silkstone Barbie Collection is, “what size are they?”
Considering they are a collector’s item and aren’t meant to be played with, asking what size they are is a valid question. To be frank, they’re both taller and wider than the Ponytail Barbie.
The Silkstone Barbies do have an overall smaller dimension than the Ponytail Barbies, but a lot of their features are drastically different.
To start, Silkstone’s have a wider face mold at the temple, but their arms and legs are sculpted more meticulously than that of the Ponytails.
Silkstone’s have high-heeled feet, making their arch a little bit higher than that of the Ponytails. And, Silkstone’s are made with a twist waist, but their arms and legs are not even one bit flexible, a clear opposite of the Ponytails.
Because of these slight modifications, the Silkstone Barbies must wear their clothing differently. Strapless dresses will not fit the same way that they do on the classic Barbie; instead, the strapless attire will be loose on the torso.
Dresses with straps or armholes will likely fit the Silkstone Barbies, but still, they will be loose around the mid-region.
How Much Are Silkstone Barbies Worth?
Silkstone Barbies are collector’s items, which poses the question of how much the dolls are worth. The answer to that inquiry is not so straightforward, as it does depend on where the dolls are being purchased and sold, online or in person.
Typically, each Silkstone can be sold or purchased starting at $60, up to $2500. The details of each doll along with the ensembles and accessories each carries with them will determine their overall value.
For some recent examples, check out the table below.
Silkstone Barbie vs Regular Barbie
Silkstone Barbies and Regular Barbies were created to have differences; no two lines under the same brand should be exactly the same, after all.
The first telltale distinction between the two versions is blatantly obvious: Silkstone is a collector’s item, whereas the original Barbie is a toy for children.
Starting off the additional list of differences is the shape and size of the two variations of Barbie. Silkstone does have wider facial features, whereas Barbie has narrow cheekbones and parched lips.
Where the body is concerned, Silkstone does not fit into original Barbie clothes all that well. Anything strapless will sag off of a Silkstone, and anything with straps or armholes will still be loose around the waistline and upper chest.
As the list nears in, Silkstone Barbie is taller than Regular Barbie, especially considering her high-heeled foot arch is slightly more angled.
What’s more, is that the Silkstone’s are strategically curated to have perfectly sculpted arms and legs that are immovable, whereas Regular Barbie can move freely.
| Silkstone Barbie | Regular Barbie | |
| Type of Item | Collector’s | For Play |
| Face | Wide at Temple | Narrow |
| Height | Taller | Shorter |
| Body | Immovable | Moves Freely |
| Clothing | Loose Fit | Regular Fit |
All in all, the Silkstone Barbie Collection is a treasured collector’s item created for adults to enjoy.
The meticulous designs that Best and team made a reality are truly irreplaceable and remarkable; the fashion items and ensembles clearly project that perfectly to draw buyers in.