My first clear sign that I had something worth investigating was when I was thrift store shopping with a friend of mine. She had a Barbie collector dolls hobby she did not talk about very often, and I was largely unaware of it. Nonetheless, she took me aside and whispered something in my ears as we walked down the toy aisle.

"That is one of the most valuable Barbie collector dolls I've seen in years, right there on the shelf," she said to me, pointing at a doll that I myself possessed. Before anyone else could make it there, she rushed over and grabbed it. I was baffled and intrigued. I had to see what my Barbie collector dolls were worth.