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London (dpa) - The world's first Barbie doll, in a zebra-print swimming costume, ponytail, hoop earrings and white-rimmed sunglasses, was sold at auction at Christie's in London for 2,880 pounds (5,470 dollars) Tuesday.
The original Barbie No 1, a brunette dating from 1959, fetched double its estimate at the opening of the world's biggest-ever auction of the iconic creations.
Charles Dupplin, head of the Art and Private Client Division at insurance firm Hiscox and an expert on doll and toy sales, said the 1959 No 1 Barbie was sold for the "highest price yet paid for a modern plastic doll at auction in the UK."
"Barbie is an icon and one of the best selling toys in the world, but dolls made in 1959, the year Barbie was launched, are rare and this is one of the reasons she's commanded twice her estimate."
The "untouched" doll was one of 4,000 Barbies offered at the special sale Tuesday, expected to yield at total of more than 100,000 pounds.
The wide range of Barbies, including limited editions, designer models by Givenchy, Dior and Versace, as well as boyfriend Ken, span Barbie's 47-year history.
They were collected by Dutch fashion designer Ietje Raebel, whose plan to set up a private museum was cut short by her death in 2002.
Raebel started collecting Barbies for her daughter, Marina, in the early 1960's and soon amassed the largest collection in private hands.
She originally bought the dolls as toys, but Marina and her friends never played with Barbies, leaving the collection in perfect condition.
The Barbie dolls offered at Christie's were "in excellent condition," Dupplin confirmed.
"To command premium prices, a doll needs to be in its original packaging and kept as new, out of direct sunlight and high humidity," he explained.
The Barbie doll was invented by Ruth Handler, co-founder of the US Mattel toy company, in 1959.
Christie's said estimates for individual dolls start at 80 pounds, but it is expected that bids will generally be much higher due to large demand.
A Christie's spokeswoman said there was "great deal of interest" in the auction room, on the telephone and via the internet.
Copyright 2006 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
