1959 Barbie #2: The Blonde Ponytail Doll with Stand Holes in Her Feet

She is eleven and a half inches tall, has a severe blonde ponytail, wears a now-famous black and white striped swimsuit, and has tiny holes drilled into the bottoms of her feet. She is the Number Two Ponytail Barbie, produced in 1959, and she represents one of the most coveted collectible dolls in the world. While her older sister (the Number One Barbie) gets most of the headlines, the #2 is a fascinating and highly valuable collectible in her own right, with a story that begins at the most important toy show in America.

The Birth of Barbie

On March 9, 1959, Ruth Handler introduced her creation to the world at the American International Toy Fair in New York City. Handler, who co-founded Mattel with her husband Elliot, had watched her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls, giving them adult roles and imagining grown-up lives for them. Most dolls at the time were baby dolls, designed for children to practice nurturing. Handler saw an opportunity for something different: an adult-figured fashion doll that let girls imagine their own futures.

The inspiration came from a German doll called Bild Lilli, which Handler had discovered during a family trip to Switzerland in 1956. The Lilli doll was originally a novelty item based on a comic strip character, but Handler recognized its potential as a children's toy. She brought several Lilli dolls back to the United States and worked with inventor-designer Jack Ryan to create an American version.

The result was Barbie, named after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll debuted at Toy Fair to skepticism from buyers who thought parents would object to a doll with an adult figure. They were wrong. Barbie was an immediate sensation, and Mattel could barely keep up with demand.

Number One vs. Number Two: Understanding the Difference

The first Barbie dolls rolled off the production line in early 1959. Collectors have identified the earliest dolls as "Number One" Ponytails, and the slightly later production as "Number Two" Ponytails. The difference between them is remarkably subtle but critically important to collectors.

The Number One Ponytail features copper tubes embedded in the legs, with holes drilled in the bottoms of the feet. These tubes and holes accommodated a stand consisting of a round black plastic disc with two metal prongs that inserted into the feet. This allowed Barbie to stand upright on display.

The Number Two Ponytail retained the holes in the feet (this is a key identifying feature) but eliminated the copper tubes inside the legs. The stand was changed to a simpler black wire design that supported the doll without needing to insert into the feet. Despite having the holes, the #2 Barbie's stand did not use them.

Beyond this difference, the #1 and #2 are essentially identical dolls. Both feature:

• Heavy vinyl plastic bodies (which tend to turn white or pale over time)

• Blonde or brunette saran ponytail hair with tightly curled bangs

• Arched "lightning bolt" eyebrows in blonde or brown

• White irises with heavy black eyeliner

• Red lips and blush

• Body marking: "Barbie T.M. / Pats. Pend. / (c) MCMLVIII / by / Mattel / Inc."

• Gold hoop earrings

• Zebra-striped swimsuit

• Black open-toe heeled shoes

Only about 350,000 of the first Barbie dolls were produced across both the #1 and #2 runs, making them genuinely scarce compared to later production years when millions of Barbies were manufactured annually.

Value Guide by Condition

The 1959 #2 Blonde Ponytail Barbie is a high-value collectible. Condition, completeness, and originality drive prices significantly:

Condition	Description	Approximate Value
Mint in Box	Original box, stand, all accessories, doll pristine	$6,000 to $10,000
Near Mint	Unplayed appearance, all original accessories, no box	$3,500 to $6,000
Excellent	Light play wear, original swimsuit and shoes, nice hair	$2,000 to $3,500
Very Good	Moderate wear, most accessories, minor hair issues	$1,000 to $2,000
Good	Obvious play wear, missing some accessories	$500 to $1,000
Fair	Significant wear, possible body discoloration, hair issues	$200 to $500
Poor	Heavy wear, missing accessories, damage	$75 to $200

Note: The Number One Ponytail (with copper tubes) commands even higher prices, often 50 to 100 percent more than comparable #2 examples. Brunette versions of both #1 and #2 are rarer than blondes and command proportionally higher prices.

How to Identify a Genuine #2 Ponytail

The vintage Barbie market has reproduction dolls, misidentified later models, and occasionally deliberate fakes. Here is how to confirm authenticity:

Check the Feet: The #2 Ponytail has holes in the bottoms of her feet but no copper tubes inside the legs. If you insert a thin wire into the hole, it should not encounter a metal tube. If there are no holes at all, the doll is a #3 or later. If there are copper tubes, you may have the even more valuable #1.

Body Markings: Look at the back of the torso for the correct marking: "Barbie T.M. / Pats. Pend. / (c) MCMLVIII / by / Mattel / Inc." The "T.M." (trademark) designation was used on the earliest dolls. Later dolls use the registered trademark symbol.

Face Paint: The #2 has a distinctive face with white irises, heavy black eyeliner (sometimes described as having a "feline" look), and arched brows. The eyebrow paint should be blonde or brown, not black. The lip color should be a deep red.

Hair: The original ponytail should be saran (a type of synthetic fiber) with a specific texture and curl pattern. The bangs should be tightly curled. Replacement hair or re-rooted hair is detectable under close examination.

Body Color: The original body was a soft flesh tone, but the vinyl used in 1959 tends to turn white, pale green, or occasionally yellowish over decades. This discoloration is normal and expected. A doll with perfectly flesh-colored vinyl is likely either a later model or has been treated/restored.

Compare to Reproductions: In 1994, Mattel released a 35th Anniversary reproduction of the #1 Barbie. This reproduction is well-made but has several differences from the original, including different body markings, a different hair material (polyester versus saran), and a mold line on the front and back of the legs. These reproductions sell for $30 to $50 and should not be confused with originals.

The Importance of Accessories

Original accessories dramatically impact value. The 1959 #2 Ponytail came with:

• Black and white zebra-striped swimsuit

• Black open-toe heeled shoes (sometimes called "Japan" shoes for the marking on the sole)

• Gold hoop earrings

• Black wire stand

• Sunglasses (round cat-eye style)

• Wrist tag

• Original box with stand

A complete doll with all original accessories and box can be worth three to five times as much as the doll alone. Individual accessories also have value: original shoes can sell for $50 to $100, and an original wrist tag in good condition can fetch $100 to $200.

Caring for a Vintage Barbie

If you own or acquire a 1959 #2 Ponytail, proper storage is essential for preserving value:

Temperature and Humidity: Store in a climate-controlled environment. Extreme temperatures and humidity fluctuations accelerate vinyl deterioration and can cause the body to become sticky or develop "green ear" syndrome (where the metal earring posts cause green discoloration on the vinyl).

Light Exposure: Keep the doll out of direct sunlight, which fades hair color and can cause vinyl to yellow or become brittle.

Display: If displaying, use a proper doll stand and avoid touching the doll frequently. Oils from human hands can damage the vintage vinyl and face paint.

Do Not Restore: For collector-grade dolls, any restoration work (hair restyling, body cleaning with harsh chemicals, repainting) can decrease value. Collectors generally prefer original condition, even with age-appropriate wear, over restored examples.

Cultural Significance

Barbie's cultural impact is difficult to overstate. She has been called the most popular doll in history, with over a billion units sold since 1959. The 2023 Barbie film, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie, grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide and introduced the brand to a new generation while celebrating its legacy.

Owning a 1959 #2 Ponytail means owning a piece of that origin story. This is not just a doll; it is a cultural artifact from the moment when Ruth Handler changed the toy industry forever. It represents the very beginning of the most successful doll franchise ever created.

Market Outlook

The market for early vintage Barbies has been strong for decades and shows no signs of weakening. The 2023 film generated renewed interest in vintage Barbie collecting, and the oldest, rarest models continue to appreciate.

The #2 Ponytail occupies an interesting value position: more affordable than the extremely rare #1 (which can sell for $8,000 to $25,000 or more in top condition), but sharing essentially the same design, the same era of production, and the same historical significance. For collectors who want to own a piece of the very first Barbie production without paying #1 prices, the #2 Ponytail is the logical choice.

As the doll community continues to grow and vintage Barbie collecting becomes more mainstream (partly driven by social media communities and the Barbie film's cultural moment), demand for the earliest production dolls should remain robust.

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