Hello everyone,
I have been collecting dolls and toys for just over 40 years. Barbie has been the big focus of that for most of the time. I often joke that if only my mother had spent $3.00 (or actually £2.75) in 1965, I could have saved myself thousands as an adult, because as a child I longed for a Barbie. I would pore over the little booklet that came with my older sister’s bubblecut Barbie, and study the detail of all the tiny accessories that came with the outfits in the pictures. I discovered many years later that I had memorised those names without realising – first step towards being a fanatical collector!
I began with the dolls I was familiar with as a child, that is what we call “vintage” Barbie – 1959-66. Not that I could find any to start with! No internet, no books, no magazines, no dealers, no clubs, no conventions….so it took several years before I had one of each hair colour and a few outfits, which were the start of my collection. As I was hunting around, I discovered mod dolls and outfits (1967-72) and fell in love with them – this time not from the nostalgia of my childhood, but the wild way-out colours and designs.
Above: My main display case
I did not collect anything later than 1972 for many years, until the late 1980s, when I realised there were some attractive dolls and outfits from the Superstar era, and the 80s. Even better, there were dolls in other ethnicities, not just white, blonde Barbies. African-American, Hispanic, Asian, and the many varieties in the Dolls of the World series, which I madly pursued until I had the complete collection. Speaking of collections, Mattel discovered that we could be enticed to buy every doll in a collection, and began several series such as the Happy Holidays (which started in 1988), which sold at a higher price than regular Barbies. Never missing an opportunity, Mattel began their most expensive series of dolls, designed by Bob Mackie (designer of outfits for Cher) in 1990. These were spectacular creations, with sequins and beading, embroidery and elaborate headpieces. I simply had to have them. And with their large gowns, they needed an entire shelf to themselves within a few years!
In 2000, Mattel introduced the Barbie Fashion Model Collection, in a new material called Silkstone. These dolls and their outfits recaptured the exquisite detail of the vintage era, and of course, I was hooked. Financial constraints were even more pressing than the constraints of my display space, but I still managed to collect many of this fabulous series.
Now I am looking to downsize my home, and consequently my display and storage space for Barbies and my other dolls. Which brings me to setting up this website so that the dolls and other items can find their way into the homes of other collectors. If you want to hear when I add new things to the site, please subscribe. I hope you enjoy the dolls as much as I have.
Above: Some of the storage shelves in my attic.
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