Barbie has taken on many pop culture icons over the years, but perhaps the most beloved is the Barbie Wizard of Oz collection. These Wizard of Oz inspired Barbie dolls have delighted Oz fans of all ages with their bright colors, fun costumes, and sparkling ruby slippers. There have been several Barbie Wizard of Oz collections throughout the years, and this little guide will help you determine which Witch Barbie is which-pun intended!
1996: Hollywood Legends ‘Wizard of Oz Barbie Collection’
This early Wizard of Oz collection was released under the Hollywood Legends label. Traditionally, collector Barbie dolls which were themed around film, television or books were known as “Barbie as…” that character. This first set of dolls was released with silver or blue banners on the top of the packaging, and each doll included a miniature vintage movie poster for The Wizard of Oz. These dolls used the traditional Ken and Barbie face molds, with appropriate make-up or molding to create The Wizard of Oz characters. Today, these dolls are generally easy to find, and go for about $15.00 – $40.00 secondhand, with Dorothy and Glinda being the most popular dolls.
The dolls in the 1996 Wizard of Oz collection were:
Barbie as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz; included a wicker basket and Toto
Barbie as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz; included her silver wand
Ken as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz; included a ‘Courage’ badge and a green crown
Ken as the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz; included a diploma
Ken as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz; included an axe and a heart locket
1999: Barbie and Ken As… ‘The Wizard of Oz’
The 1999 set of Wizard of Oz Barbie dolls differed slightly from their 1996 counterparts. For starters, the Glinda and Dorothy Barbie dolls could talk! This was also the first time Tommy and Kelly dolls were released in a Wizard of Oz collection. There were no miniature posters or other collector’s items included in the packaging, which was open faced and featured a large Wizard of Oz banner on the bottom left-hand side. Today, these dolls are relatively easy to find, and go for about $20.00 – $50.00 secondhand, with talking Glinda and Dorothy being the most popular molds.
The dolls released in the 1999 Wizard of Oz collection were:
Barbie as Dorothy; doll talked
Barbie as Glinda; doll talked
Ken as Scarecrow; included straw rope
Ken as Tin Man; included an axe
Ken as Cowardly Lion; included a crown
Tommy as Mayor of the Munchkin City
Kelly as Lullaby Munchkin
Tommy as Lollipop Munchkin
2003: Kelly and Friends Wizard of Oz Barbie Collection
The success of the 1999 Wizard of Oz collection led to a small but popular release of Kelly and Tommy dolls as popular Wizard of Oz characters.
These dolls featured a yellow brick road banner on the bottom and a Wizard of Oz circular label on the bottom left-hand side. Each doll used a basic Kelly, Tommy or “Kelly’s Friend” mold with appropriate make-up or molding to create a Wizard of Oz character. Today, these sets are uncommon and go for about $50.00 – $80.00.
The dolls released in the 2003 Kelly and Friends Wizard of Oz collection were:
Kelly as Glinda the Good Witch and Wicked Witch of the West
Kelly and Friends as Dorothy, The Scarecrow, Tinman and the Cowardly Lion
2007: The Wizard of Oz Collection
This new 2007 Barbie Wizard of Oz collection took a departure from previous Wizard of Oz dolls by featuring unique doll molds for the characters, instead of using regular Barbie and Ken molds with different face paints. This line was also unique because it featured the first Barbie doll as the Wicked Witch of the West, excluding the earlier 2003 Kelly set. These dolls were released in Pink Label boxes. Today, they go for about $30.00 – $90.00, depending on the doll. The Wicked Witch of the West Doll is the most sought after, and sometimes reaches into the triple digits when sold on online auction sites.
The dolls released in this 2007 Wizard of Oz Barbie collection were:
The Wizard of Oz Dorothy Barbie; included a wicker basket with lining, Toto, and ruby slippers
The Wizard of Oz Glinda the Good Witch Barbie; included a glittering wand
The Wizard of Oz Kelly and Tommy as Munchkins Gift set; featured three Munchkin dolls
The Wizard of Oz Scarecrow Ken Doll; included a diploma
The Wizard of Oz Tin Man Ken Doll; included a heart locket, axe, and oil can
The Wizard of Oz Cowardly Lion Ken Doll; included a crown and courage badge
The Wizard of Oz Lullaby Munchkin Kelly Doll
The Wizard of Oz Winkie Guard Ken Doll and Winged Monkey; included a guard staff and miniature winged monkey
The Wizard of Oz Wicked Witch of the West Barbie Doll; included a broomstick
2010: The ‘Vintage’ Wizard of Oz Collection
2010 saw the release of three retro inspired Wizard of Oz Barbie dolls. These dolls featured vintage Barbie side-glancing face molds, and redesigned costumes inspired by the film costumes, using retro skirts and embroidery designs related to the character. For example, Dorothy’s skirt features embroidery of Toto and the ruby slippers. They were released in vintage inspired Wizard of Oz boxes, which featured old Wizard of Oz film art. The dolls are now out of print, and go for about $20.00 – $40.00 secondhand.
The dolls released in this 2010 Vintage Wizard of Oz Collection were:
The Wicked Witch of the West Doll
Glinda the Good Witch Doll; included a glittery wand
Dorothy Gale Doll; included a wicker basket and Toto
Other Releases
There have been a few Wizard of Oz releases which were not part of a specific collection, but deserve mention here!
The 2010 ‘Miss Dorothy Gale’ Barbie doll was a modern update on the MGM classic Dorothy doll. Her outfit has been updated by replacing the wicker basket with a chic red purse for Toto to sit in, and her quaint country dress is now a shortened petticoat dress which bares her cute white stockings and new heeled ruby shoes. This doll retails for about $30.00 – $40.00 secondhand.
The 2009 ‘Wicked Witch of the East Barbie Doll’ was a Silver Label release and was the first ever Barbie Wicked Witch of the East doll. Her face features dramatic 1930s Hollywood make-up, and her outfit is a deep burgundy, which nicely compliments her black and white stockings and famous ruby slippers. This doll retails for about $50.00 – $70.00 secondhand.
Sources
Aside from my personal research on secondhand doll prices (via Amazon.com and eBay.com) the information in this article was found on the official Barbie Collector website’s The Wizard of Oz Collection.