New Silkstones Available at Barbiecollector
Finally Mattel has released these beauties for purchase. They are available at your local dealers and at Barbiecollector.
Designed by: Robert Best
Release Date: 4/15/2015
Product Code: CGT26
No more than 9100 units produced worldwide.
Retail: $75.00
And….this one has earrings!!! It will be interesting to see how the hairstyle stacks up with the promo shots on this one. Will report on that once I have one in hand.
Designed by: Robert Best
Release Date: 4/15/2015
Product Code: CGT25
No more than 9700 units produced worldwide.
Retail: $100.00
Ok…looks like we sacrifice earrings for bows on the shoes ( which are really cute), necklace and gloves. No Chanel inspired purse or earrings. Now you tell me people…what Chanel fashionista is going out without a pair of earrings in this outfit. If you are going to spend the time emulating Chanel, a pair of pearl studs is MANDETORY in my opinion. Just my humble opinion. No pearl studs with this is a CRIME and charging $100 for this without the pearl stud earrings is crime with malice. Ok, maybe over the top but Chanel and pearls are synonymous in my book. We did get pearl buttons with this outfit though, nice touch, and perhaps we can snip those off and put them in her ears {Snort!} {rant over…well for now anyway} I’m going to find an extra pair of pearl studs now so this lady can be completed when she arrives. Yes, pearl studs aside, I am still buying.
The other concern here is nobody is quite sure what her hair is going to look like. These promo shots show curl in her hair whereas the 360 degree feature at BC.com and earlier promo shots show her with no curl, just straight hair. My bet is on the curl. We will just have to see.
-Rebecca
**photos used in this post are © Mattel**
The Perks of Being a Shipping Buddy
If you are a doll collector outside of the United States, it is sometimes very handy to have a shipping buddy within the U.S who can combine a bunch of your purchases and send it in one big box to help save on the shipping. If you are a BFC member that lives outside the U.S., you need a shipping buddy to receive your purchases from BarbieCollector as they do not ship outside the U.S. ( grumble, grumble…really?!!). It is also a treat when you share the same collecting habits of your shipping buddy and they allow you to photograph some of their purchases. I have to give a big shout out to my friend and fellow blogger Rogier of Dutch Barbie World for allowing me to photograph and share one of his recent OOAK purchases. She is a beauty!!
Model: Repainted and re-rooted 45th Anniversary Silkstone by Xiaolan. Here is her Facebook page. Here is her Ebay store. She does beautiful work!
Dress: Bellissima Couture. Love the little dragonflies in this print!!
Shoes: Mattel
The doll came with a certificate of authenticity. Nice touch.
The Fashion Doll Vignette
I think you can tell by now that I love collecting fashion dolls. I also love photographing my collection and sharing those photos with you all. Another thing I really enjoy doing is displaying my collection. Some of the most popular images I share either here or on my flickr page involve some kind of diorama. To me, it is infinitely more interesting to share a scene rather than just a fashion image of a doll and outfit. One is editorial, the other shares a story. The second you add items and accessories, it becomes a scene and scenes have stories. Do I have a story when I set a scene? Sometimes, yes, sometimes, no.
This vignette started with the following youtube video. This is where I imagine all of my Silkstones live LOL!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETxufpX8yFc&list=UUonF9muPaQugKknkbQfQ2iw
In this diorama there are a number of amazing pieces. First and foremost, there is this exquisite suit, hat and gloves from Matisse. It is worn by Ballgown Silkstone.
The other treasures in this diorama are the 1/6 terrarium, 1/6 garden cloche and the OOAK painted 1/6 bombe chest. The plants are all miniature scale plants found on Amazon. The picture above the chest was a find on an antiquing trip to a local shop.
I don’t know if these little terrariums are available anymore but they are too adorable.
The miniature cloches can be found in most fairy garden supply stores. I have added a link for some at Amazon. Just click on cloches.
Let’s talk about this amazing bombe chest for a moment. It started life as a plastic jewelry chest. I have dear friend ,Carolyn Grentz, who is an amazing artist and she transformed this plastic jewelry chest into a 1/6 French baroque treasure. I am trying to talk her into doing a few more to sell at Barbie Convention.
Celebrating Spring
I love Spring. In the Pacific Northwest, it means the birds start singing and the constant grey rain gives way to a few sunny days here and there. I have always thought of Spring as a beginning…and I am so ready for some new and wonderful beginnings.
My camellias are starting to bloom…
and so are my crocus.
Lilacs are starting to bud.
Forsythia is holding court in the garden. The first sentinel of Spring.
My dear friend Hilda of Bellissima Couture gifted this exquisite gown for me over a year ago and I wanted to share it. Not only is it exquisite in every way, it also incorporates some lovely lace found on our trip to Paris. It is simply too lovely for words. A treasure in my collection..and heart.
BFMC 2015 Video Shared to All
It looks like the BFMC released the video for public consumption. Yipee!! That means I can share some still shots here.
You can find the full length video here
http://www.barbiecollector.com/news/2015-bfmc-collection-debut
The lineup for 2015 looks like this:
From left to right is Boucle Beauty, Blush Beauty, Fabulously Floral, Lavender Luxe and Little Red Dress.
Boucle Beauty:
The hair is quite a departure from the original photos released of her. I wonder what the actual production doll will look like. Time will tell but I am guessing it will be more like this than the previously released photos.
Lavender Luxe:
Be still my heart and open up my wallet!!! { moment of silence as I send silent meditative thanks and praise to Robert Best for this little piece of heaven}. The scene from the old Mervin’s commercial comes to mind where the woman is glued to the store door chanting “Open, Open, Open”.
Yes…me likey and me buying.
Blush Beauty:
Perfection!
Little Red Dress:
May need multiples of this one for redressing 
It looks like the BFMC team is really feeling the Dior vibe both with clothing and set design. Too cool.
2015 BFMC Revealed to BFC
Wow!!! Today the Barbie Fan Club released a video of the 2015 Barbie Fashion Model Collection. Real life photos of 5 dolls are shown. If you are a BFC member, sign in and go to link below to get access to the video. You have to be a BFC member to see this. If you are not a member, you will not be asked to join to see content. Note**If you are a BFC member, please do not share the Youtube link with non members as it is disrespectful to the paying members of the club and in violation of your contract to do so.**
http://www.barbiecollector.com/news/2015-bfmc-collection-debut
Fashionably Floral and Boucle Beauty photos have been released.
source: www.barbiecollector.com
source: www.barbiecollector.com
The remaining dolls in the collection are a ball gown, an AA doll and the pink beauty we saw in a sketch with BFC membership signup.
source: www.barbiecollector.com
Now…all I need are some release dates, some Mattel sanctioned photos and some prices and I can start budgeting. 
Oscar Night Glamour
For the past couple of years, I have shared an elaborately styled diorama photo in honor of the academy awards season. There was the “Getting Ready for the Oscars” post. Then there was the “Presenting at the Oscar’s” post. This year, I decided to go back to simple glamour and use the newest addition to the BFMC Silkstone Barbie line. She redresses incredibly well.
This is such a Hollywood glamour shot!
For those who wanted a better look at her hair, here you go. 
BFMC Fashionably Floral Has Arrived!
Don’t walk to get this one people….RUN! For $50 this Silkstone is an absolute steal.
Fashionably Floral™ Barbie® Doll
source: www.barbiecollector.com
The liner in the box is a soft pink! Adorable.
The new tags have pink lettering instead of blue…nice touch.
Hair is slightly different than promo shots. The hair comes into a curl closer towards the face on the production doll. I advise that you be very, very careful when removing the hair net from the chignon on this one. While it is nice that the chignon is not glued into lacquer hardness, it does mean that it can be messed up fairly easily. I decided to just sacrifice the hairnet and cut it off little by little. I then applied some hairspray and gel to keep things in place. All in all, not too bad.
Does that hat come curled like this you ask?? Nope. Want to know how I did it?
Just curl it inside a toilet paper roll for a couple hours. You will need to switch it around from one side to the other a couple times so both sides curl evenly.
She is a beauty!! Well worth the $50 in my opinion. I can’t wait to redress and photograph this lady.
Fashionably Floral in February
Mattel’s first BFMC offering will be available at BFC starting February 2nd. What a perfect way to welcome Valentine’s Day.
Fashionably Floral™ Barbie® Doll
Gold Label®
Designed by: Robert Best
Release Date: 2/2/2015
Product Code: CGK91
No more than 10000 units produced worldwide
Retail: $50.00
source: www.barbiecollector.com
It looks like Mr. Best and Lars(set designer for Mattel) are channeling their inner Dior with this set. How Fabulous!! I ask again…can we please, please, please get these little chairs in production for purchase?!!
source: www.barbiecollector.com
Ahhhh….so very Dior. I want to see the sketches on the table. Any clues to what is coming out this year??
source: www.barbiecollector.com
{SWOON} You had me at the hat people…at the hat. I have to admit though, the little side chignon is making me do the happy dance too. Here is another thing making me do the happy dance, the new box design.
source: www..amazon.co.uk
Rogier over at one of my favorite doll blogs, Dutch Barbie World, reported this morning with these pictures from European Amazon sites. If you want information on the Silkstone world first…sign up for his blog posts. I have to say…I like the IRL photos even better. And that pale pink liner?!!! {Swoon…again} Now how am I supposed to debox that?! Rogier laughed and said “Easy, get two” Wise words Mr. Corbeau.
The new logo is very reminiscent of the vintage Dior logo.
source: www.etsy.com
Owning a Silkstone has never been more affordable with this $50.00 price tag. What are you waiting for collectors? I will be running to get this one…may even get two 
-Rebecca
A New Poppy Plus Silkstone Sneak Peeks
I received the new “That Holiday Feeling” Poppy Parker a couple of days ago. Usually I get a shipping notice but not this time. It was a nice surprise. Here is her promo shot again
Source: Integrity Toys, Inc.
And here is the actual photo
The hairstyle is quite a bit different than the promo shots. The bangs needed some work to get them into a pleasing shape but a little bit of gel goes a long way to solve that dilemma. The rest of the hair while different is very pretty. Her face is sublime. Classic Poppy Parker. The dress came out of the box fairly wrinkled hence the tight in shot but that can be ironed to fix. The fabric of the gown is nice and the cape is adorable. I hope those lucky enough to win the chance to purchase get her in time to enjoy her over the holidays.
In other exciting fashion doll collector news recently, new Silkstone Barbie photos!!! Mattel shared information on two new Silkies to be released in 2015.
Fashionable Floral Silkstone Barbie
Available February 2015
Suggested Retail: $59.00
source: Mattel, Inc.
Hold the phone people!! If this price point is right… $59.00 is a steal!! I adore the little side chignon on this one. This one screams “gentleman caller” to me. She has to be from the south with an elegant hat like that.
Available April 2015
Suggested Retail: $110.00
Source: Mattel, Inc.
Oh the Chanelness of it all!!! This one is a no brainer for me. I hope the actual production doll has a shorter bob haircut like this. She is going to look fabulous next to my Preferably Pink Silkstone. I am noticing that there are no earrings with either one of these Silkstones. I guess this is one way to alleviate the “green ear” issue. This girl desperately needs a pair of pearl earrings to complete the look. I mean come on…what fashionista is going to leave the house without earrings….not this one.
-Rebecca
The Allure of Dior
For most fashion lovers, all you have to say is the word Dior, and we are listening. Dior has been in the headlines of many collector FB pages and blogs recently because of a brand new exhibition in China right now. It is called Le Petit Théâtre Dior.
The exhibit is patterned off of the Théâtre de la mode exhibition that opened in Paris in March of 1945. Théâtre de la mode brought together European design houses to exhibit couture designs on small wire mannequins. It was done to reinvigorate a flagging fashion industry after World War II. The current beautifully constructed Dior exhibit also uses smaller mannequins to display some of Dior’s most famous fashions past and present. The fact that these are shown in small scale is enough to get me excited about this traveling exhibit ( oh please, please, please bring this one to the States!). The real bonus is…and here I concur with my friend Rogier who writes the very informative Dutch Barbie World blog…the exquisite sets they have designed for these small recreations. To a diorama enthusiast, these are pure heaven. Yes I would be one of those annoying people at this exhibit who simply would NOT move so you could see what was inside the case. I would need the entire day to commit to memory every detail in every display. Seriously….I am not kidding.
One of the cornerstones in this new exhibition appears to be the “Miss Dior” gown. The original “Miss Dior” gown was designed by Christian Dior in 1949
source: www.dior.com
Raf Simons, the current designer for the house of Dior, resurrected this design in his Fall 2012 couture collection and added a more modern spin.
source: www.style.com
It was used in the ad campaigns for the Miss Dior perfume.
source: www.dior.com
Mr. Simons even designed a black version of the gown
source: http://thestatementbox.com/2013/11/19/miss-dior-exhibition-at-the-grand-palais/
With this new exhibit, Dior has created a small scale version of the iconic gown from 1949 and gave us an absolutely mesmerizing video to show the making of.
source: www.dior.com
source: www.dior.com
Many, many collectors are just blown away by this gown and are lusting after it for their diminutive diva’s. Wouldn’t you just love to have this in your collection? Well…maybe you can….or at least something very close to it. The talented Hilda of Bellissima Couture will be holding a silent auction for a 1/6 scale replica of the “Miss Dior” gown. Information about the auction should be on her blog today, June 12th.
Reverence for the Repaint…Part II
Here is the third and final repaint I received from from the amazing repaint artist Jon Copeland. She was originally a Suite Retreat™ Barbie® Doll.
source: www.Barbiecollector.com
This is what Jon Copeland did with her. STUNNING!
Gown and Hat: Bogue’s Vogues
Gloves, shoes and jewelry: Mattel
Fur: Dimitha
-Rebecca
It’s been a while…
…since I have posted. For the past month, I have been photographing big dolls on stage as they fly through the air in time to music.
Yes, that’s my dancer daughter in the front. Proud mama moment. Now that dance recital season is over with photos processed and on my website available for happy parents to purchase, I can turn my time and energy to other photography projects. Namely, I can get back to photographing some new acquisitions into the collection. Before I do that however, I wanted to share something.
As a person who loves images and has an even greater love for capturing images, I enjoy going to Flickr to get inspired. I am constantly amazed at the wealth of creativity that can be found there. Yesterday, I saw a photo by a Flickr member whom I follow and who I truly enjoy trading witty comments with. On Flickr, her name is Malibu T. I knew she was a talented painter based on the photos she has shared but I was floored by the project she just shared.
This is what she started with: A Mattel Enchanted Evening Castle
source: Mattel, Inc.
And this is what she did with it:
** all photos below are under Malibu T’s copyright and are being used with her permission**
Holy cow!! She has also gone way above and beyond by sharing on her Flickr page how she did this. If you want to read about it, go here. Way cool!!
Yes, I know I am behind on responding to comments. I will be getting to those tomorrow. 
Reverence for the Repaint
I can do many things when it comes to doll collecting. I cannot do what Jon Copeland does. I can’t even contemplate it. I can, however, observe, enjoy and photograph it.
For those who are interested, she was originally a Mila™ Barbie® Doll.
A Dulcissima Bride
If you look up the translation for Dulcissima it says “Sweet” or “Sweetest”. I think this recent addition to the BFMC Alta Moda collection comes off as more sultry than sweet. However you see this one..sweet or sultry, she is a beauty. While her original Dolce and Gabbana inspired outfit may have not been my thing, dressing her in this Joe Tai bridal fashion definitely suited me and my collection.
-Rebecca
Worth The Wait
Patience is indeed a virtue. It is a virtue I don’t happen to have a clear grasp of most days. When I send a doll off for repainting, I want it back like yesterday. I like to send a doll off to a repaint artist and give general likes or dislikes but I don’t give specifics about what I want done. I usually like to leave it in the talented and capable hands of the artist and I get what I get. I sent a few ladies off to Jon Copeland of SeloJDesigns a number of months ago and while the wait to get them back was longer than he or I would have liked….it was entirely worth it. I received three sublimely unique and beautifully painted OOAK’s that I am completely in love with. I will be photographing and showing them over the next couple of weeks. They are treasures…each and every one.
I am also going through a a bit of a wedding kick ( you know…the whole June thing) so a few brides will be thrown in the mix as well. My bride fetish and one of my new OOAK’s from Jon combined in the doll room this afternoon for a truly enjoyable photoshoot . I had roughly 30 minutes of sunshine today to do this set of photos. I believe I maximized the time well 
Jon….MWAH!
The Art of Redressing
I look at this process as an art form. Others may not but I do. One of the many meanings of the word “redressing” is to set right; remedy or rectify. However you view it, most of us at some point as collectors participate in it…the redress. The sometimes exhaustive process of finding the perfect dress for the perfect doll gives me mental hives at times. I have some definite preferences when it comes to redressing, displaying and photographing a doll. I may get a doll in and while I love the face, the dress does not speak to me…as in the case of my latest acquisition Principessa. It is not that I think the dress is bad. I just didn’t feel it on this doll. Many times the disappointment with a fashion is tempered when I see it displayed on another doll. This happened to me just last night when I saw the Principessa wedding gown displayed, slightly altered, on a different doll. The dress had a whole new life for me.
These next two photos are from the collector and photographer Julia Castro Fuentes whose photos I have followed for years. I love her eye for color, lighting and styling in her doll photography. She has an enviable collection and an even more enviable talent behind the lens. To see more of her fantastic work, feel free to visit her Flickr photostream at https://www.flickr.com/photos/castrojulia/. The two photos below are under Julia’s copyright and are being used on ITFDS with her permission.
© Julia Castro Fuentes Photography
© Julia Castro Fuentes Photography
I realized when looking at Julia’s photos, that this dress had a whole lot of potential. I also realized…it looked WAY better on a brunette..in my opinion. With that revelation in mind, I searched the doll room for a better model for this dress.
And…the sunny window setup. Many times one of my kids holds the reflector for me ( a job that they crankily do for their dear old Mom) but, I also find an extra music stand works really well too. My trusty tripod is never far but many of the shots in this set were free handed…that lovely sunshine makes things easier with that. I used a Canon Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens with these shots.
-Rebecca
Redressed Principessa
I am happy to have received this one and shared some much needed photographs. I love the fact that when Mattel fails to come through with information or images, the collector community steps forward and supplies what it can. Case in point, it looks like those of us who have received this doll first, are posting photos for those who are hungry for more information. Kudo’s to the collector community for “marketing” this doll.
For those of you interested in what this lady looks like redressed and what is happening under that veil…here you go.
Model: Principessa™ Barbie®
dress: Bogue’s Vogues
The braid is not too bad. I am not real happy with how it is left on the side of her face without being tucked in somewhere. I wish it went all the way over and under the other side. That would have been a cleaner look in my opinion. As it stands though it is not horrific…just could be better. You can tuck the little end of the braid into the surrounding hair but you will still see the bulky rubber band that secures the braid at the end. Solution….photograph from the left….or..you could just do away with the braid all together. I think I might do that at some point in the future. For today, however, I just put on my big girl pants and dealt with it.
I thought the hairstyle of this one was perfect for a 1950’s shirtwaist from Mr Bogue. I put holes in her ears ( nope..she does not come with predrilled holes) and inserted some pearl studs. Now she looks finished.
Principessa Bride Silkstone Is In The House!
I really don’t know what is going on with Mattel marketing this year. I have never received a doll before the promotional photos are out. I wonder if this will be the norm to follow. Anywhoo…my fabulous dealer Barb of Windy City Dolls emailed me and said she had this beauty in and I jumped at the chance to get her.
Normally, I put a link in my blog post to Barbiecollector. Since Mattel doesn’t even have a promo shot out on this one yet let alone a way to purchase this beauty…no link to you Mattel. I will link to my dealer instead.
She comes with a little bouquet, a small prayer book and white slingback pumps. She has a little tiara veil and short gloves. One notable omission….no earrings or jewelry of any kind. What bride goes to her wedding without some bling? Just my humble comment but geez guys…you would think over $100 bucks would give you at least a pair of pearl earrings. Just sayin’. I plan on adding my own.
Here face is really pretty. I wasn’t really sure about the glitter at first but I must admit…it is kind of growing on me. I think it will work really well for redressing. And…redressing will be happening here. The dress, while cute, is just not working for me.
The hair is different on this one too. She has a braid under the veil…
The braid is just kind of left there on the right side of her face…not tucked in or anything. I will have to do something with that when I redress. I will go into that in a future post. After deboxing her, the appeal of this one is increasing. She really is quite pretty.
Then I pulled out the big camera and liked her even more 
Pastel Fiorella
I just had to rip those black bows off. I adore the face paint on this one but the black bows, dress and knee socks had to go to another doll.
Model: Fiorella™ Barbie® Doll
Dress: Bellissima Couture
Hat: by the fabulous Judy O of Aponi Designs
New 2014 Silkstone Barbie Sneak!
Pictures are starting to show up on retail sites without the watermark so I can finally show them here. As I hinted at in my last post, another of the Silkstone offerings for this year is, I believe, inspired by a look strait off the D&G runway.
Dolce and Gabbana 2012 Fall RTW
source: www.style.com
Here name is Dulcissima and she is due out later in 2014. I have heard many different price points for this one. The average guesses put her around $75. Mattel does not have her formally listed on their site yet so until they do, we won’t know for sure. She is designed by Robert Best and the name means “sweet” in Latin.
source: www.amazon.de
Dulcissima e Bellisima….sweet and beautiful. I like the look of this one better than Fiorella. Come on….the boots alone are worth a second look. 
Many Silkstone collectors are thinking this one will display nicely next to the Russian collection, Alexander McQueen inspired Darya. I agree with them. These two will display very nicely next to eachother.
BFC also gifted collectors with a spotlight video about the first installment in the Alta Moda inspired Silkstone collection this year. The set is sublime and the video is adorable. Nice work Lars and Zlatan!!
Sneaks for 2014!
Finally Mattel ( or apparently Mattel marketing) has given us a look at upcoming dolls from 2014. A number of items were sneaked to the BFC members a couple of days ago. Here are the public images ready for our greedy collector consumption.
Designed by: Bill Greening
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $29.95
source:www.barbiecollector.com
Adorable right?!! Shug…if it’s a girl…I am sending you one of these 
The Wizard of Oz™ Fantasy Glamour Wicked Witch of the West™ Doll
Designed by: Linda Kyaw
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $100.00
Direct Exclusive from Barbiecollector.com
source:www.Barbie collector.com
Wow!! I thought WOZ dolls were totally overdone…until I saw this one. Linda, I salute you. She is a beauty!
Bob Mackie® Princess Stargazer™ Barbie® Doll
Designed by: Robert Best
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $100.00
Directly Exclusive from Barbiecollector.com
source: www.barbiecollector.com
Ummm…..I could be diplomatic and say this doll is unique. I have to be honest though and say this doll creeps me out. No disrespect to the amazing talents of Robert Best but…I find nothing compelling about this doll. No stargazing for this collector.
Designed by: Linda Kyaw
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $75.00
source: www.barbiecollector.com
Well Linda, you have given us another home run! I adore this doll. I love the gown, the facial screening and the elegant updo. She will be joining the collection for sure. Thanks to the super sleuthing of fellow blogger Rogier of Dutch Barbie World, we have the inspiration for this fashion
Zuhair Murad Spring Summer Couture 2012
source: www.wwd.com
And last but not least….we have a look at the Alta Moda theme for this years BFMC Silkstone line.
Designed by: Robert Best
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $50.00
source: www.barbiecollector.com
It pains me to say this but…I am not a fan. First of all, I don’t care for this particular facial screening. I think it is the big spiky bottom lashes. Secondly, the black bows have GOT to go. Are we going for the school girl look with the knee socks and hair bows? Thirdly, I am not a big fan of large floral jewelry. As a rule, I am not a big floral person period so perhaps that is what is coloring my whole dislike of this look. I have to say though that the $50 price tag is very reasonable for a dressed Silkstone. Thanks again to our super fashion sleuth Rogier, we perhaps have a look into the inspiration for this look.
Dolce and Gabbana 2012 Fall RTW
source: www.Style.com
BFC members were also given a sneak of the second Silkstone in the 2014 lineup but those photos are not yet public. The look however is taken almost directly from this same D&G fashion show above. I confess, when Robert Best announced that the 2014 Silkstone theme was going to be Alta Moda, my mind went to the beautiful couture of Eliza Schiaparelli or vintage Valentino so I was eagerly anticipating something like these
I am thinking….we are not going to see that. {Rebecca heaves a big sign of sadness}. I seriously would die if that pink striped number were produced.
The Doll Room Goes On Display: Part II
Yesterday I explained why things have been a little crazy at Inside The Fashion Doll Studio. I have been working well over a month and a half ( since Fashion Royalty convention really) to get our house ready for a charity holiday tour that included the doll room. The same weekend the tour happened, I was also contracted to photograph my daughter’s dance schools dress rehearsal of The Nutcracker. We also needed to attend her performances. I also hosted a ladies holiday tea for about 50 ladies and to top it off…it was my birthday in there somewhere. There was LOTS going on the weekend of December 6 – 8th.
I left off in part one of this post explaining my anxiety at opening up the doll room to the public for this holiday walk. I was anxious to see what people would think. I was fully prepared to answer a few questions and field comments like “Are you crazy?’. What I was not prepared for was to be fully occupied the three hours Deanna, Hilda and I proctored the doll room area with comments, questions and exclamations of joy and wonder. I called the evening “better living through Barbie”. I think the thing I heard the most as people came up the stairs to the doll room area was their surprised gasps of “ OH MY GOD!!” upon seeing some of the collection for the first time. It was an exclamation of an unexpected positive experience.
The collection was not what people were expecting and the look of amazement when they looked around warmed my heart. When I questioned people “ Not what you were expecting was it? You were expecting the Barbies you see at Target right?” They would reply every single time “ Yes!” with a wide-eyed expression. I received thank you upon thank you for sharing the collection. There were lines to get up to the doll room area. At some points during the day, there were lines just to get into the house let alone the doll area. The Assistance League of the Eastside had told people that there would be some Barbie experts on hand from the hours of 4-7pm to answer questions. People came back! They came back and brought their mothers, their daughters, their sisters and some even brought back their husbands. I think that was the biggest surprise of the evening for me. These husbands not only came into the doll area but they spent time looking AND ASKED QUESTIONS! I was completely amazed and overwhelmed at the outpouring of interest. I enjoyed hearing the rich tapestry of stories and Barbie memories that unfolded throughout the evening. Sisters recounted playtime memories with each other, Grandmothers and mothers remembered sewing or crocheting for Barbie and the granddaughters and daughters remembered learning how to sew through Barbie. Many remembered the first experiences of self expression through cutting their Barbie’s hair.
The fashion was another big topic of discussion. There were many conversations about particular designer influences and most everyone enjoyed the 1/6 scale purse tree in the actual doll room itself. I had a buyer for Federated Department Stores come up to me and say how much she loved how everything was displayed.
The most common questions of the evening were:
1. How long have you been collecting? Since my daughter was 3 so a little over 10 years.
2. Why did you start collecting? My daughter received a collector Barbie when she was 3 and my first thought was “ Great! who gives a 3 yr old a collector Barbie? She is going to trash it!” But she didn’t so I thought maybe collector Barbies would be something we could do together…you know…something for Christmas and birthdays. I started to do some research on collector Barbies and started looking at Barbiecollector.com and was blown away by the collector doll offerings. I essentially went down the rabbit hole at that point….and have not come out yet.
3. How many dolls do you have? I currently have around 600 and that is most likely as big as it will get. I am maximized right now which means…if something comes in…something has to go out.
4. What is the most expensive doll? I never really answered that question…instead I would point to some of the rarer items that are in the collection. I have a BFMC display case that is a treasure in my collection and I managed to procure a City Smart Silkstone Barbie through a great doll friend a couple years ago. I also have a set of 1/6 Bespaq bedroom furniture that is very rare and I treasure that as well.
Some of the new displays for this year are as follows:
I adored the garden scene I shot so much that it became a permanent display in the doll room
I also picked up some amazing 1/6 scale furniture pieces in Paris this past year.
Elizabeth Taylor joined the work room display
and the nightclub scene
New Fashion Royalty convention additions
And a new treasure added for the walk. A stunning pink silk and French lace gown by Hilda of Bellissima Couture. She made me this for my birthday…and I just about cried when I saw it. Stunningly beautiful beyond words!! Love ya Hilda…Mwah!
The entire day of participating in this home tour and showing this collection was a completely amazing experience and the fact that it helped raise money to support local and very necessary programs made it that much more meaningful. In this season of giving, I am so very grateful to all the people who opened their hearts, minds and pocketbooks to support the Assistance League of the Eastside. I also want to thank those who came up to me and personally commented on the collection. As an avid collector, It was a complete joy to see the love of this doll expressed and for some rekindled.
The Doll Room Goes On Display
At the end of August of this year, just as my family and I were home from a long vacation abroad, I was approached by the fabulous ladies of the Assistance League of the Eastside. They hold a holiday home tour fundraiser every year that raises money to fund programs that support families in need in our community. They typically have 5- 6 homes on the tour every year and these homes open their doors to roughly 1200 visitors for a day to show off their holiday décor. The tour runs from 10AM in the morning until 7PM at night. This year, they had a house that had to pull out of the tour and the Assistance League approached me to help out. The main reason they came to me…..the doll room.
Apparently news of the doll room is out and about in my local community. I have to admit, I am always a little nervous talking to non collectors about having a doll room. You get the gamut of responses from people when you tell them that you…as an adult…collect Barbie. Some will take an uncomfortable step back and look at you as if you just said you were schizophrenic…and off meds. Some will immediately downgrade their opinion of you and lump you in with the sad individuals they recently saw on a “Hoarders” episode. You can understand that making the decision to open up the doll room for viewing did not come without a great deal of anxiety. I wondered what people would think. I know that my fellow collectors love the doll room but I was really unsure about what a non collector would think of it. Then I had a moment of clarity….I came back to the reason why I collect in the first place….because I enjoy it. When anyone collects anything, it typically is because they enjoy doing it. If they like it enough to hook into a group of other collectors who enjoy collecting the same thing, they REALLY enjoy it. I decided I was not going to be worried about possibly being labeled the crazy “Barbie” lady and just enjoy showing off something that I truly love to collect. There would be people who get it…and people who didn’t…and that was okay.
To me, and I am finding to many many others, Barbie is a touchstone of sorts. Most woman you talk with today have a Barbie experience to share. I have found that when you put a group of woman together and give them this touchstone, it creates an amazing bonding experience. You can have a group of woman from all different backgrounds, ages, professions and all of the sudden you are all connected through this one toy. You all have an experience to share and that connects you. There are multiple points of connection too. Sometimes it isn’t about the doll but about the fashion and the discussion that promotes. My greatest joys in sharing this doll room through the blog and with friends and family are the sharing of those stories and memories and the connection it creates. It is just plain fun.
If I was going to do this, open up the doll room to roughly 1200 people, I decided I needed to call in some fellow doll experts for the event. I enlisted the help of my dear friends Hilda and Deanna. They graciously agreed to donate their time and expertise to help me show off the collection. I could not have done this without them…from the bottom of my heart “Thank You!” We had told the Assistance League that we would proctor the doll room and landing during the evening hours of the holiday tour. If people had questions, they could come back during those hours and “ask the experts” so to speak.
So…what was the response?? Tune in tomorrow for more pictures and The Doll Room Goes On Display: Part II.
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 