In Russia, they learned about Barbie dolls in the early 90s of the last century. Having a blonde beauty was every girl's dream. Not all parents could afford to buy a legendary doll for their child, let alone houses, cars, clothes and accessories for it, even more so. But in the West, Barbie is not only a toy, but also a collectible. There are several reputable collections in the world.
Barbie collection in Germany
In 2013, a new record was recorded in the Guinness Book. Bettina Dorfmann, a resident of Germany, was recognized as the owner of the largest collection of Barbie dolls. The woman not only collects dolls, but also restores, studies their history, researches the biography of the legendary doll and regularly writes articles about this in various newspapers and magazines.
For 19 years, Bettina Dorfmann has collected 15,000 different Barbie dolls. Among them are classic models like the Barbie Stewardess or Barbie Nurse, as well as vintage-style dolls released in the 1960s, and modern Barbies from Mattel. Bettina says that she fell in love with Barbie as a child and sincerely believed that her children would treat dolls with no less trepidation. But as the collector's daughter Melissa grew up, she became interested in more modern toys. The girl lost interest in Barbie, but her mother, on the contrary, began to actively expand the collection. At first, she asked her friends and acquaintances if they had dolls that could be bought or received as a gift, then she posted the corresponding requests in newspapers and on the Internet.
When there were more than 10,000 toys in the collection, Bettina converted her study, located on the second floor of the house, into a small museum. However, only one and a half thousand exhibits fit there. The rest of the dolls are scattered throughout the house. Several thousand Barbies are packed in waterproof bags and stored in the basement, and part of Bettina's collection is presented to a wide range of connoisseurs at themed exhibitions.
The most expensive doll in Bettina's collection costs over 10 thousand dollars. This is Ponytail Barbie # 1. However, the doll itself does not look as impressive as the amount that the collector paid for it.
Barbie Collection in Singapore
Jiang Yang, a resident of Singapore, has 6,000 Barbie dolls. Previously, secretly from his family and friends, he bought models of dolls he liked and hid them in the dressing room. But at one point, the shelves were not enough and I had to tell the world about my hobby. Nowadays, Barbie dolls can be seen in almost every corner of the collector's house.
Jiang Yang is a strategist at a large advertising corporation. His fascination with Barbie dolls began at the age of 13, when he saved up money and bought a Barbie in a turquoise tracksuit and striped leggings. Most of all, Young likes the fashionable dolls now, depicting the descendants of famous monsters, for example, the daughter of Count Dracula.
The Singaporean considers himself to be a true collector. If he falls into the hands of some unusual Barbie, he begins to search for all the dolls in this series. Of particular interest to him are Barbie models and pop stars. For 20 years, Young has spent about $ 400,000 on his favorite toys. He bought one of the most expensive dolls in his collection for $ 2,800.
US Barbie Collection
41-year-old American Stanley Coloright has been collecting Barbies since 1997. Then he first saw the Happy Holidays doll and just fell in love with it. Now in his collection there are more than 3000 different Barbies, as well as all kinds of outfits for them, jewelry, houses, furniture and cars.
Stanley says he spends between $ 30,000 and $ 50,000 a year to buy a particular model and accessories for it. He regularly attends all kinds of sales and auctions, buying up those Barbies that are lacking in his collection. However, he has not yet acquired a single doll more expensive than a thousand dollars. The collector's boyfriend, 61-year-old Dennis Schlicker, also collects dolls, but he is not passionate about Barbie, but Kenami. In their free time, the couple makes clothes and jewelry for the exhibits of their collection and dreams of opening a large museum someday.
