How to know if you've bought a REPAINTED Vintage Barbie

Can you tell if the photo above is an authentic Barbie? Or if she has been 'restored'? Buyers beware! In most cases, any reputable dealer will note if a doll has had any part of her face/head/body restored or repainted. To a trained eye, this can be easily detected as there will be small brush strokes in the paint... or the paint will just look - off. For years in the Barbie collecting world there has been a test that is referred to as "the alcohol test". With this test rubbing alcohol is placed on a Q-tip or a cotton ball and swabbed across the area in question. A note of caution here though because if the doll HAS been repainted or restored in any way (albeit the face paint or toe/finger nails), the paint will gee off. And you may have just ruined what may have been a great paint job! With Barbie sales soaring on some older more rare dolls, it might be worth doing as much research about the doll and former owner as possible before swabbing. For instance, you may want to ask the seller where the doll came from. Was it an original owner? Or purchased at a Flea Market or Garage Sale? Also, be sure to read, read, read as many books about Barbie that you can find which will help ID a doll and what it is supposed to look like. A few of my personal favorites are "The Ultimate Barbie Doll Book" by Marcie Melillo and "Barbie In Japan" by Keiko Kimura Shibano. gepare photos of other on-line dolls that might be currently up for auction or those that have sold in the past 30 days. A well informed collector is a smart collector. Don't be taken by false claims of authenticity. I know first hand that some Barbie dolls can be made to look like they are a much more rare version. The difference between an authentic doll in original condition and one that has been restored to LOOK as though it is in original condition is obviously a matter of ethics and honesty. An honest seller will let you know up front, in the auction description, that the doll has had some work done and what has been done. Don't be afraid to ask questions about an item you are interested in. By the way, I restore dolls as a hobby... the one up in the photo is a number 4
doll that I restored back to her original glory.