I don't believe there is a website like the MLP wiki for Barbie. What you can find is a number of different websites that tend to break down particular years. Which can be helpful for identification and information. Just like ponies and other toys, you need to remember that with Barbie dolls the year stamped on them is not the year of production it is the year the mold was copyrighted in most cases. As far as books go, I know there were different Barbie books made over the years but I don't know that there was ever a 100% everything book made. It would be MASSIVE. If your looking for a place to get started these are a few websites. They are advertisement heavy though, so that can be annoying.
https://www.fashion-doll-guide.com/ 
https://www.dollreference.com/barbie_menu1.html 
https://barbieguide.sosugary.com/index.php

I have all four of them because they were all in a MLP carrying case I bought at a swap meet along with some other baby ponies.

My answer for places to display your ponies is "everywhere". Much the same for other things I collect. On my desk, on bookshelves, in an Ikea cabinet, on counter tops, etc. We have a very collections are everywhere house. 

So I live in a pretty dry place (SoCal) and my collection here is stored in a cabinet with UV light protected windows. But I've definitely noticed that new additions that come to me with minty soft straight hair (a Star Dancer, for e.g.) have been growing more brittle than I'd like. Obviously these toys are pushing 30 years old, but if I can receive them in pristine condition there must be a way to preserve that without locking them in a dark moisture controlled box.

Does anyone have any thoughts? I feel like the solution is probably something on the pricier side...

I live in Southern California also and have not had that experience with my G1s. My thought is could it be possible that it is because of a product that was used on the pony before it came to you. If you think about it, most G1s have been cleaned in some way. If you are buying them from someone, most likely they were cleaned at some point before being sold. Unless you found someone with a secret stash of MIB ponies to open.

For now the only goals I have are:
1) Finish cleaning the G1's I got "pre-loved" at the end of this last summer (loads of stuff happened and they got set aside)
2) Sort through my G3 collection and downsize a little bit.

My husband is very supportive.  He collects Transformers and I was a little jealous that he always got new releases and the dolls I collected were pretty much done (Jem, except for Integrity Dolls but I'll never own any of them... way too pricey) so I started to re-collect My little ponies so I could keep up with him

THIS! Exactly this! There have been sooo many retro Transformers releases in the last 2 years. OMG Hasbro! The war for the office space is at full battle mode and I am loosing ground every month.

I love Barbie, in addition to a bunch of other things. Barbie over the years is what got me collecting dolls as a hobby. I am a 1980's child and that era dolls and into the early 90's will always have a special place in my collection.  I had some Barbie dolls as a kid that I played with and then as I moved in to the teen years I still wanted the dolls and would open the box and put them on display and then later teen years I stopped opening the boxes and left them MIB. I have never really stopped buying/collecting Barbie's but I do go for long amounts of time, often years, before buying a new one. These are the ones I had from the 80's & 90's, some of the dolls I no longer have, since I started downsizing my overall collection last year and have sold quite a few of the 90's dolls that I bought as a teenager. Most of the dolls were bought on clearance and then given to me as a birthday or Christmas present (there is a pattern of 2 per year if you notice), until I got a little older and could save up to buy a 3rd doll.

1983
Great Shape Barbie - (This was my first Barbie and my mom threw her out clothes and all after my older cousin showed me how the head moved and I broke it. All I have left is her shoes and pink bag.)

1985
Dream Glow - (I love this doll, parasol is broken but she is still one of my favorites, her dress still glows in the dark)

1986
Fun Time
Jewel Secrets

1987
Sensations - (Another one I absolutely loved as a kid & adult)
California Dream Ken - (my ONLY Ken doll.... poor Barbie, had to go on dates with him wearing swim trunks.)

1988
Homecoming Queen Skipper
Feeling Fun
Fun to Dress
Teen Looks Cheerleader Jazzie

1989
Dance Club
Ice Capades

1990
Happy Birthday
Stars ‘n Stripes Navy

1991
Barbie for President Gift Set
Stars ‘n Stripes Marine Corps

1992
Cheerleading Courtney
Radiant in Red
Spring Bouquet

1993
Gymnast
Paint N Dazzle
Dolls of the World Australian Barbie

1994
Rapunzel
Bubble Angel

1995
School Spirit

1996
Olympic Gymnast

Happy Holidays Barbie
1990, 1995 - 1998

I was lucky enough that my parents (with help from my grandparents) did get me the Barbie Townhouse in either 1987 or 1988 for Christmas, and I also had the 57' Chevy from 1989 in Baby Blue (Christmas Gift, I love that car). Sadly the 1987 California Dream Beach Taxi (bike and cart) did not survive well over the years and is broken in a lot of places. I also have several sets of the Sweet Roses Furniture that my mom was able to buy on clearance or at the local thrift stores, and that was fun to have furniture for the townhouse. I have a few other random accessory sets (picnic sets, etc) that she was also able to get from either the thrift store or from Pic N Save (now Big Lots).

I know my post is getting long. One more thing though. One of the things I really liked as a kid were these little wind up accessories for Barbie. They were called "Action Accents" and later "Magic Moves" and were usually some sort of appliance and when you wound it up it did something. So for example the phone rang, the microwave turn table would rotate and the popcorn maker would "pop" popcorn. They were sold singularly for just a couple dollars each.

I posted this the other day over in the 35th Anniversary thread, so going to put it here too.

Apparently the online store The Toy Shoppe Northport had two of them in stock (Sweet Stuff & Skyrocket - or at least they did on Nov 23rd). I've never ordered from them, but the prices + shipping are probably going to be better options than Ebay for anyone who does not live near any Cracker Barrels or Meijers. I noticed they also have an email listing you can sign up for to be notified when they get them back in stock (I was looking at Gingerbread the other day - naturally was out of stock).