"A vision of holiday perfection! 2009 Holiday™ Barbie® doll glitters as a reflection of an exhilarating year celebrating the 50th anniversary of Barbie® doll. Collect her for yourself or the little girl in your life."

This is how Barbie manufacturer Mattel, Inc. introduces the 2009 Holiday Barbie doll. The 2009 doll celebrates not only the holidays but also the 50th anniversary of her 1959 debut.

Whether you choose the African-American (AA) or Caucasian doll, you won't be disappointed. A vision in pink, the 2009 Holiday Barbie doll is the perfect gift for yourself, a relative, or friend.

The Toy Insider named the 2009 Holiday Barbie doll as one of the Best Toys for Grade School Children for the 2009 Holidays.http://www.thetoyinsider.com/best-grade-school-toys.php

The time to get the best bargain on a 2009 Holiday Barbie Doll is after the 2009 holiday season. Retailers reduce the original selling price in order to clear their inventories. The rate of sales in the post-holiday period varies. Some dolls may languish on shelves for months, while others may be gone by January. The selection also varies after the holiday period. Some stores may have only Caucasian dolls left, whereas other stores may have only African-American dolls. Ebay is another source for good buys on 2009 Holiday Barbie Dolls.

Hallmark stores throughout the country mark down their Christmas ornaments by 50% beginning on December 26. If you want a 2009 Holiday Barbie Doll ornament, be warned that these highly desirably collectibles may not last long.

2010 Update:

As of May, 2010, there are numerous 2009 Holiday Barbie dolls for sale on ebay. Both African-American and Caucasian dolls are listed. Typical "Buy It Now" prices range from $36.99 through $49.00 (not including shipping). Nude dolls and outfits only are also available. A few sellers are offering complete sets of holiday dolls from 1988 through 2009 are varying prices. Ebay sellers are also listing the 2009 Hallmark ornaments for "Buy It Now" prices ranging from $9.99 through $17.95 (not including shipping). If you regret not purchasing the 2009 holiday Barbie doll last year, there are plenty of opportunities to acquire the doll at reasonable prices on ebay.

Both the African-American and Caucasian 2009 Holiday Barbie dolls are on sale at barbiecollector.com for the low price of $25.00.

2009 Holiday Barbie doll is wearing a gorgeous pink and gold ball gown. The skirt is flounced with layers of tulle and ornamented with pink crystals. At her waist is a long, wide lame belt that ties in a bow at the back and cascades down to the floor. Above the belt is a ruffle, which keeps the dress from being too revealing. There are no straps or sleeves. Finishing off the ensemble is a pair of chandelier earrings with pink and clear crystals. It is likely that she wears open-toe gold sandals.

The pink theme is Barbie's signature color, which is remarkable because most Holiday dolls are dressed in holiday colors like red, green, black, white, gold, and silver. Only two prior Holiday Barbie dolls wore pink. The 1990 Happy Holiday Barbie doll wore an elaborate ruffled fuchsia dress and 1998 Happy Holiday Barbie doll wore a glittery black velvet dress partially covered by an elegant hot pink satin wrap. The 2009 Holiday Barbie doll is the only one to wear pastel pink.

The style of the dress is also unusual for a Holiday doll. Most Holiday Barbie dolls are dressed in wintery fashions, with fur trim, velvets, velour, jackets, wraps, and long sleeves.

Hallmark makes an annual holiday ornament to coordinate with the annual Holiday Barbie doll. This year's ornament, called Celebration Barbie Ornament (Special 2009 Edition), is the 10th ornament in Hallmark's Celebration Series.

The 2009 Holidlay Barbie doll provides the inspiration for the ornament. The ornament figure is dressed in a similar pink and gold gown. The ornament has some pink netting on the skirt and bodice that adds texture and softness to the dress. The ornament has African-American and Caucasian versions.

The MSRP for the 2009 Celebration Ornament is $16.50. The ornament comes in a keepsake box that is ideal for storage.

Collectors throughout the world proudly own all the Barbie dolls in Mattel's Christmas/Holiday series. They have already purchased, or plan to purchase, the 2009 doll.

Here are other reasons why others might be interested in owning the 2009 Holiday Barbie doll:

-- to give as a holiday gift to an adult or child Barbie doll collector.

-- to commemorate a special Christmas for yourself or another (e.g., birth of a child; wedding; college graduation)

-- to begin or add to a collection for a young relative or friend;

-- for a person who loves pink.

-- for a person who is fanatic about decorating for the holidays.

Interest in Barbie dolls is not confined to females. If you know a man who collects Barbie dolls, the 2009 Holiday Barbie doll might be the perfect holiday gift.

Since Barbie doll first appeared in 1959, Mattel has used a variety of face molds and body types for Barbie doll and her relatives and friends. The 2009 Caucasian Holiday Barbie doll uses the beautiful Mackie head mold. The mold was first used in 1992 on a doll designed by Bob Mackie. The 2009 African-American Holiday doll appears to use a relatively new head mold first used on the 2002 African-American Society Girl Barbie doll and the exotic 2002 Mbili Barbie doll designed by Byron Lars. Both 2009 Holiday Barbie dolls use the Model Muse body, with the right arm bent and the left arm straight. Model Muse Barbies http://mmbarbies.wetpaint.com/page/Model+Muse+Barbies+by+Face+Mold