Mattel - Barbie doll “Pink Splendor” – Limited Edition - 10 000 worldwide – 1996 – USA - U.S.
07
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Current bid
€ 200
Reserve price not met
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Selected by Sean Devitt
Worked 12 years at a major UK auction house valuing and curating toys.
Estimate € 430 - € 480
 | €200 | |
|---|---|---|
 | €190 | |
 | €40 | |
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Barbie Pink Splendor – Limited Edition (10,000 worldwide) from 1996 USA, in excellent condition with original box, certificate no. 07502/10,000, never displayed.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Limited edition of 10,000 copies, created for the Barbie Collectors Club USA and launched in 1996 at a record price of USD 900, the highest ever offered by Mattel!
Iconic piece of Barbie collecting’s gold age, Pink Splendor Barbie sits at the border between haute couture design and miniature art. Its launch price makes it the most luxurious Barbie of the 20th century, a symbol of a time when Mattel elevated its creations to true museum pieces.
Powder-pink satin ball gown adorned with gold lace, hand-appliquéd embroidery, pearls, and glass sequins.
Designed by Mattel as “the most elaborate dress ever created for Barbie,” composed of more than thirty fabric elements and requiring over one hundred hours of development work.
The first doll designed to the standards inspired by haute couture, Pink Splendor marks the starting point of the Barbie Haute Couture line, predating the Dior collaborations (1997) and Bob Mackie (2000).
Each piece is numbered; certificate: No. 07502 / 10,000.
The box is very large: 37.5 × 58 cm.
Condition: excellent – never displayed – original box very well preserved.
.
Provenance & Documentation
Archive reference – Mattel press release (Los Angeles, 1996)
Official announcement presenting Pink Splendor Barbie as “the most elaborate dress ever made for Barbie, consisting of more than thirty fabric elements, handmade lace, and requiring more than one hundred hours of prototype development.”
Source: Barbie Bazaar Magazine, Vol. 8, No. 3, May–June 1996, pp. 22–27.
Barbie Bazaar Magazine (1996)
Article “A Celebration in Pink Splendor” describing couture-level execution:
“For the first time in Mattel’s history, a Barbie dress was made with real materials and sewing techniques. More than ten yards of satin were used for the skirt, finished by hand with metal lace imported from France.”
Reference: Barbie Bazaar Library Archives, Los Angeles.
Reference works
– Kristen McKernan, Barbie Collectibles: 35 Years of Fashion and Fantasy, Crown Publishers, 1998, pp. 144–145.
“Pink Splendor was designed as a showcase of couture know-how — every lace motif and every pearl was hand-applied. No production doll had previously received so much attention to fabric and finish.”
– M. Randall, Barbie: Four Decades of Fashion, Fantasy and Fun, 1999, p. 191.
“It is the first Mattel doll to blur the boundary between collection and couture. The gown was sewn using the same manual techniques employed in the Paris ateliers.”
Seller's Story
Chimay Collection House is a cultural and collecting project from Belgium, where art, history, and investment potential come together.
It was founded in Chimay (ʃi-mɛ), a historic principality in Wallonia, Belgium, within an 18th-century home that became a symbol of continuity. Just as stone preserves the passage of time, collections live on, passing from one generation to another.
The project is led by a Belgian-trained antique dealer with over 15 years of experience. At its core lies art history and a philosophy that views collecting both as cultural heritage and as a long-term value.
We have chosen two fields where passion and investment converge:
— Costume Jewelry of the 20th century — collectible pieces, many documented in major reference books and catalogues.
— Collectible Barbie Dolls — iconic editions that reflect fashion, design, and the culture of their time.
Chimay Collection House is not static — it grows and evolves. Its mission is to act as a guide for collectors worldwide, helping them to discover beauty, understand value, and shape the future through collections.
Translated by Google TranslateLimited edition of 10,000 copies, created for the Barbie Collectors Club USA and launched in 1996 at a record price of USD 900, the highest ever offered by Mattel!
Iconic piece of Barbie collecting’s gold age, Pink Splendor Barbie sits at the border between haute couture design and miniature art. Its launch price makes it the most luxurious Barbie of the 20th century, a symbol of a time when Mattel elevated its creations to true museum pieces.
Powder-pink satin ball gown adorned with gold lace, hand-appliquéd embroidery, pearls, and glass sequins.
Designed by Mattel as “the most elaborate dress ever created for Barbie,” composed of more than thirty fabric elements and requiring over one hundred hours of development work.
The first doll designed to the standards inspired by haute couture, Pink Splendor marks the starting point of the Barbie Haute Couture line, predating the Dior collaborations (1997) and Bob Mackie (2000).
Each piece is numbered; certificate: No. 07502 / 10,000.
The box is very large: 37.5 × 58 cm.
Condition: excellent – never displayed – original box very well preserved.
.
Provenance & Documentation
Archive reference – Mattel press release (Los Angeles, 1996)
Official announcement presenting Pink Splendor Barbie as “the most elaborate dress ever made for Barbie, consisting of more than thirty fabric elements, handmade lace, and requiring more than one hundred hours of prototype development.”
Source: Barbie Bazaar Magazine, Vol. 8, No. 3, May–June 1996, pp. 22–27.
Barbie Bazaar Magazine (1996)
Article “A Celebration in Pink Splendor” describing couture-level execution:
“For the first time in Mattel’s history, a Barbie dress was made with real materials and sewing techniques. More than ten yards of satin were used for the skirt, finished by hand with metal lace imported from France.”
Reference: Barbie Bazaar Library Archives, Los Angeles.
Reference works
– Kristen McKernan, Barbie Collectibles: 35 Years of Fashion and Fantasy, Crown Publishers, 1998, pp. 144–145.
“Pink Splendor was designed as a showcase of couture know-how — every lace motif and every pearl was hand-applied. No production doll had previously received so much attention to fabric and finish.”
– M. Randall, Barbie: Four Decades of Fashion, Fantasy and Fun, 1999, p. 191.
“It is the first Mattel doll to blur the boundary between collection and couture. The gown was sewn using the same manual techniques employed in the Paris ateliers.”
Seller's Story
Chimay Collection House is a cultural and collecting project from Belgium, where art, history, and investment potential come together.
It was founded in Chimay (ʃi-mɛ), a historic principality in Wallonia, Belgium, within an 18th-century home that became a symbol of continuity. Just as stone preserves the passage of time, collections live on, passing from one generation to another.
The project is led by a Belgian-trained antique dealer with over 15 years of experience. At its core lies art history and a philosophy that views collecting both as cultural heritage and as a long-term value.
We have chosen two fields where passion and investment converge:
— Costume Jewelry of the 20th century — collectible pieces, many documented in major reference books and catalogues.
— Collectible Barbie Dolls — iconic editions that reflect fashion, design, and the culture of their time.
Chimay Collection House is not static — it grows and evolves. Its mission is to act as a guide for collectors worldwide, helping them to discover beauty, understand value, and shape the future through collections.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Era
After 2000
Brand
Mattel
Model/name
“Pink Splendor” – Limited Edition - 10 000 worldwide – 1996 – USA
Country of origin
U.S.
Condition
Near mint
Packaging
with original box
Sold by
