More from my doll collection - A rainy day for shopping

Midge

Midge

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Staff member
I've been bizzy this week, though there are still a lot of empty shelves waiting in my display cases... this is probably the biggest reorganisation I've ever done with my doll collection (besides moving it). For the moment - here's "A rainy day for shopping" (more to come once my camera batteries are all fired up again).

Again, there aren't only Mattel dolls involved, and there are quite a few vintage outfits or vintage outfit pieces. Besides, there's a piece of clothing from an iconic movie - and a cartoon movie character wearing a very, very recognisable piece of designer wear... (and never mind the names on the doll stands, they're not always right as I keep changing them :D )

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The trash bin is an authentic miniature of the official bins for PET plastic bottles in Vienna (don't ask me where and how my friend got it, but I thought it was so funny that I had to find a way to put it into a display scene).

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Karin
 
Oh Midge this is fabulous, I do like a good collection of really anything becuse it always says a lot about the person in general.
in a posative way that is.

I did not realize that dolls od this size were so upto date lie style wise I love the bin on wheels etc apart rom the vintage ones on your other post, I like the whole story they telling with fashion, well done for having such a great collection.
 
Seriously, Karin, your displays are so fun and so incredible!! how DO you find the time??!!

so do you blog about your collection? i would think you have a TON of fodder for writing with all your fabulous pieces and amazing display creations! each one you do has so MANY mini-stories included!!!
 
Karin, is that an Irish Barbie stand I see?! Is that the right doll on it? I'd love to know what Mattel thought an Irish Barbie would look like...I'm thinking ginger hair for a start...so maybe she is the doll. Wow, are there lots of special editions from around the world?

Sarah
 
Seriously, Karin, you're displays are so fun and so incredible!! how DO you find the time??!! so do you blog about your collection? i would think you have a TON of fodder for writing with all your fabulous pieces and amazing display creations! each one you do has so MANY mini-stories included!!!
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I take the time... instead of doing things like cleaning :hysterical: . I don't have a blog - used to, just writing about my work, but somehow I ran out of the weird stories from work. But maybe I should think about this :eureka:. I used to be on two doll collectors forums, but this forum here has turned out to be more fun actually... and more for me to learn.

is that an Irish Barbie stand I see?! Is that the right doll on it? I'd love to know what Mattel thought an Irish Barbie would look like...I'm thinking ginger hair for a start...so maybe she is the doll. Wow, are there lots of special editions from around the world?
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Sarah, there is an Irish Barbie doll in this display, but it's not the one that's on her stand. Irish Barbie is the doll on the front left, in the red and black coat and minidress. Mattel started their "Dolls of the World" line back in about 1980, and there have been loads of ethnic dolls in more or less typical outfits. A few years ago, it became "Princess of the World" and then "Festivals of the "World" and now they're doing weddings I think, but the Mattel collector dolls of the last 2-3 years are pretty disappointing. I have a lot of those Dolls of the World, though many of them are re-dressed.

I love the scooter, is it a vespa? and that motorcycle jacket,
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No, it's a Yamaha, a toy model that fits the dolls. Barbie is 1:6 scale - and model in that size works perfectly. I'm always on the lookout for anything in that scale. But I do have Vespa for my dolls as well. That's actually a Harley Davidson Barbie doll in the leather jacket - one of the best dolls Mattel ever did, she wears an authentic HD outfit that is just to die for...

Karin
 
Karin -

You have an amazing collection and this is a very, very interesting hobby. Several years ago - probably at least ten, I saw a Barbie exhibit at the FIT Museum in NYC. I tried to find a link to the exhibit and could not but I did find an interesting history of Barbie which I am sure you know - but maybe other people on this forum would like to read. I was too "old" for Barbie when she was introduced and would love doing what you are doing, Karin! I was a major fan of paper dolls as a little girl.

http://tinyurl.com/36drw3e

I enjoyed reading about the first dolls and a little further down - "A Star is Born" talks about the the origin of the doll and shows the original box with drawings of Barbie's wardrobe. I think the dolls shown are slightly later.

In the small world department, it's interesting the Handler's, who founded Mattel, and Ruth Handler who created Barbie for her daughter, Barbara, were the creators of Elzac jewelry which we discussed a little bit here last week.

Linn
 
Thanks, Linn! You're right, the dolls at the bottom of the article aren't quite the oldest, but they're early to mid-60s. The box on the left is what the first Barbie doll boxes looked like (I adore these illustrations!), the one on the right is the second box.

What that thing doesn't say though, that Barbie had another inspiration as well - the German Bild Lilli Doll: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild_Lilli_doll . She wasn't really toy - more sort of a novelty thing, and apparently Ruth Handler bought one or two on a trip to Europe - I guess Lilli and seeing her daughter play with paper dolls inspired her in the end. I don't have a Bild Lilli - they cost a fortune - at least as much as a No. 1 Barbie doll these days.

I read that about the Elzac jewelery too - I had no idea about that before! I've done my reading on Barbie history etc., but I had to come to this forum to learn this :D. Just what I meant about this forum... there's just more to learn - and more variety!

Karin
 
Hi Karin -

I read about the Bild_Lilli doll yesterday, also. I didn't read the link you sent until just now but I was doing a lot of "Googling" yestesrday, and discovered that Barbie was modelled after the Lilli doll. Matel bought the rights to the Bild_Lilli doll in around 1964 so there are none later than that. I found some other photos of Lilli online.

The VFG forum is the best!

Linn
 
What a fun collection and such a great display! I hope to do something like this someday. I started collecting all kinds of dolls on the secondary market over six years ago when my daughter was born. I was not planning to purchase any Barbies, but when I stumbled across the Disney/Mattel Belle doll, I thought she was too pretty to be left behind. Now we have Disney princess dolls and Barbies. My daughter likes these type of dolls the best because of all the fashions.

I used to have that cute blue flowered Skipper coat, but I'm pretty sure it went away in my doll purge when I went away to college. Also, is that a momoko doll by the yamaha?

Is the "piece of clothing from iconic movie", the orange coat worn by Audrey in Breakfast at Tiffany's?
Is the "recognizable piece of designer wear" the burberry plaid looking scarf? Looks like the coat is lined in plaid too and is that a matching handbag too?

I wish those outfits came in my size - LOL!

Carol
 
Carol - you have eagle eyes :D. Did you spot the Belle doll :D ? I have a few Disney dolls too because they're so pretty - like this one. And Belle is wearing... Burberry of course! The outfit is from the Burberry Barbie doll - there's actually a cute little plaid skirt underneath that coat as well. And you spotted the bag and the scarf too!

And the orange coat of course :D - from "Breakfast at Tiffany's". The brown dress that goes underneath can be seen in the pics from the cocktail display (and the doll wearing it is Burberry Barbie... I can't keep from redressing my gals).

I adore that blue flowery raincoat - my friend (who is not a collector, but she spotted the label inside) found it at a flea market for me.

The girl with the scooter is actually a Susie doll by R&D Fashion Dolls from Taiwan - but I have some Momokos too. They are utterly adorable and I love their total versatility and the realism of the clothing and accessories, but they are expensive... so I can only afford one every now and then. Always and investment... but one worth making.

Karin
 
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