Barbie first came on the scene 60 years ago, March 9, 1959. Barbie’s mom, Ruth Handler, first set her eyes on a doll named Bild Lilli while on vacation in Germany in 1956. Lilli influenced her to create a fashion doll for the American market. Back in the US, Ruth took her idea to Mattel and named her Barbie, after her daughter Barbara. Over the years she has had numerous careers, her best friend, Midge, has gotten married, she has had many cars, airplanes, campers, clothes, pets etc. While Barbie’s face and limb-abilities have changed, her body type was the same until 2016 when three new body types were revealed: curvy, petite and tall. The new dolls also had different hair types, different eye colors and various skin shades. One thing that has never changed about Barbie is that she has a beloved audience, fans and collectors.

I collect Barbies before 1980. In addition to Barbie I also collect many of her friends and family (also pre-1980). There’s Skipper, Skooter, Francie, Ken, Alan, Midge, Twiggy, Tutti, Todd, Stacey Steffie, PJ and many more! There was a time where I tried to collect her many, many, many vehicles and homes. That led to a lack of storage space and I decided to focus only on the dolls. I have received Barbies from my mom, friends, flea markets, Craigslist, Ebay, stores, thrift stores, antique shops and one very random time during a Safety Committee meeting at work. On my way to the restroom, a box full of free items contained one, lonely 1970’s PJ (Barbie’s cousin) in an oversized mumu. I also select a few non-doll Barbie items to collect. I have a few of the framed, Robert Best Barbie prints, some Enesco figurines, earrings, Christmas ornaments and paper dolls. She truly can, and does, anything.

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Some collectors are purists. Their Barbies have to be in pristine condition, their outfits have to include every last accessory and detail. Some collect MIB (Mint in Box) dolls which are extremely rare to find. Some of the early Barbies were made with certain types of vinyl that have disintegrated slowly over time to leave “sweaty faced” Barbies today. Older dolls with specific plastic-modeled bodies were also prone to cracks in the arms, legs and body. Dolls from the 60s had metal earrings that interacted with the vinyl of the dolls resulting in “green ear”. Unfortunately, this green ear has claimed many a Barbie head in my collection. And outfit. Many other dolls have succumbed to siblings, pets, hair washings, baths, markers, scissors, time and of course just being played with and loved.

My collection isn’t perfect or pristine but, I do love it!

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton