Defining NRFB – A Coup for vintage Barbie Owners
NRFB is the abbreviation that stands for “never removed from box.â€Â It intimates that human hands never touched the doll inside the box, and that the doll and its accessories are in the same condition as the day that it left the factory where it was manufactured. For vintage doll owners, this term is music to their ears, and whenever such a collector has the opportunity to procure a doll thusly advertised it is considered a coup for this vintage Barbie owner. For the seller, being able to add this abbreviation to the sales description of any vintage Barbie she or he might be attempting to pass on, this means more money will change hands.
Defining these “never removed from box†dolls is relatively easy. It means that nobody has ever opened the package, taken out the doll, and played with it. It further means that nothing has entered the box, such as insects, but that instead the doll could be considered pristine. For vintage Barbie dolls, this is a rather rare distinction. Vintage doll collectors state that the reason why they will go to great length to obtain these dolls – and why they are willing to part with large sums of money in the process – is simply the fact that each vintage doll that comes inside an original package is a little piece of history. As such, it is hard to come by, harder to preserve, and a priced addition to any collection.
Of course, this distinction also belongs to the various dresses and accessories that were manufactured for Barbie and her friends. If you peruse the various auctions available online, you will find that several outfits for vintage Barbies may also be purchased NRFB. You may now wonder why so many people will go through the hassle of weeding out pages upon pages of online listings simply to find the coveted NRFB ones. After all, you will be paying a lot more money, and you will never be able to take the doll out of its packaging, if you wish to preserve your investment. Here are some top reasons many collectors cite.
For most collectors, the hunt for a rarity is just as important as adding new dolls to their collections. Considering how many Barbie dolls are on the market, it is not surprising that the more serious collectors of vintage dolls will want to find some way of standing out from the rest of the crowd.
If you are wondering whether or not you too should chase after these precious dolls, ask yourself just how serious you want to be about your collection. Do you like collecting the dolls because you like to lovingly arrange them and display them to their best advantage? In this case you will most likely be better served with a doll that it is mint or great condition, but not one that is NRFB. Remember, you would never be able to take the doll out of the packaging, which pretty much means that you cannot go ahead and display her in a creative way!
Serious collectors who do not wish to purchase a vintage Barbie for the typical display purposes will most likely make a NRFB doll the centerpiece of their collection. While they are not able to beautifully display the doll itself, they are able to draw attention to the fact that they own a little piece of Barbie history: a doll that is in the same perfect condition as the day she was manufactured. Generally, you will be able to see such a doll displayed in a locked curio cabinet that is closely guarded from temperature changes and moisture. Additionally, sometimes the collector will also add some other information, such as the history of the doll on a neatly printed placard, and – if available – even the original receipt.
The vintage Barbie collector has little interest in the modern Barbies that are coming on the market and she or he will prefer to have a smaller collection of rare dolls, than a larger collection of easier to obtain specimens.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why a NRFB doll is indeed a coup for the vintage Barbie doll collector. Do you have what it takes?
