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 I buy the dolls I like. If she’s part of a series, cool. But, unless I fall in love with her series sisters as I do her, she will, alone, represent her genre. I like variety. I keep track of what I’m buying, trying never to buy more that two blonds in a row without getting a brunette or an ethnic friend to break up the monotony. I love the vintage dolls, but won’t spend the vintage money. Therefore, I buy the reproductions - when they go on sale. If her original price (not the sale price I pay) was over $45, she stays in the box. Only 10% of my girls are imprisoned as such. I love finding dolls I had when I was a little girl. I love to sew dresses, re-root and style hair, make beaded jewelry, and paint faces. Any doll costing $7 and under can expect a complete make-over. Most of all, I love a good bargain! I have many boxed Special Editions, Collector’s Editions, etc. I also have quite a few boxed and freed "play line" dolls, many of which have been transformed by a make-over. I have some dolls that are quite valuable. I’ve shopped many toy stores, department stores, specialty stores, and warehouse stores. But my favorite place to hunt for Barbie and friends is the Thrift Store. I love the thrift store! And do not confuse the thrift store with a flea market. Usually flea market vendors have some idea of the value of their goods. Most thrift stores have no clue whatsoever. Therefore, they will look at a donated doll, and, because she looks new and sports trendy threads, put her in a bag, and mark it $7, not knowing that the same doll can be purchased new for $5.99. Likewise, they’ll take an older doll with frizzy, soiled hair and grimy clothes, put her in a bag, and mark her $1.99, not knowing that the doll is a vintage TNT or Malibu Whoever, still in their original outfit. Like I said, I love a thrift store! Of course, many times, the old doll is just an old doll, or her damage is beyond repair (chunks missing from face, gouged out eyes - I’d hate to meet the little girls who could inflict such damage!). But there’s a certain elation achieved when you realize that the doll you’re holding is the Sweet 16 TNT Barbie you had when you were 10, wearing her original dress and sporting no damage that a little soap and water could not repair. And she only costs $2.25. I’ve one thrift store doll that I cherish, not because of her value, but because of her possibilities. I found her during a recent thrift store hunt. As I sorted through the orphaned dolls looking for that special find, my eye was drawn to a dirty plastic bag filled with old white lace. Upon further examination through the bag, I saw the pouty visage of a number #1 Barbie peeking through a badly tangled blond ponytail. My heart stopped. When it started again, I screamed (softly). I had found a 1959 Barbie in a bag labeled $3. Well, not really. What I found was a Bild Lilli, Barbie’s distant German cousin twice removed. Well, not really. What I found was a Bild Lilli wanna-be, probably manufactured in Hong Kong. But that’s ok. She’s not Barbie, but she’s part of Barbie’s history, so I love her, knock-off or not. I especially love the fact that she could have been a vintage Barbie, tossed out by an aunt or grandfather who just did not know any better. I don’t think many Barbie lovers would toss out this doll regardless of her authenticity. She’s an important part of Barbie’s history. And she’s the most "vintage" doll in my collection that’s not a reproduction. I’ve found other older dolls that are authentic Barbies. Aside from the Sweet 16 I mentioned, I’ve found several Malibu Barbies, and many as yet unidentified Twist N’Turn’s, including some with the "Steffi" face mold that I adore (coming in second only to the "Mackie"). Sometimes I’ll buy a doll because, although her face is trashed, her outfit is fabulous. Yet other times, I’ll buy a non-Barbie doll that I would not normally buy new (Disney’s Belle, Cinderella, Megera, Princess Jasmine). This way, I can still own these pretty dolls without feeling as though I’ve been disloyal to my girl - the ultimate 11.5" fashion doll. I’ve also found that the thrift store is a cornucopia of naked dolls crying for a make-over. In my day, we kept our Barbie’s clean and we kept them forever. I regret the ones I tossed when I was 12 (and therefore too "grown" for dolls). I cherish the ones I forgot to toss - the ones my mom put up to "get them out of the way". But on my last thrift store hunt, I was surprised to find Bead Blast, Beyond Pink, and Butterfly Art Barbies naked and orphaned - so perfect that they still had that "new doll smell". I wonder about the mindset of little girls that could toss a doll that’s obviously just a few months old. But their loss is my gain. The new Mackie face is a joy to repaint - the face mold lends itself to a variety of expressions with the just the slightest brush stroke, and painting her lips without staining her teeth is a joy! Because I feel guilty every time I render a Barbie bald, or obliterate her face, I’m reluctant to do so - even on my $2 Pretty in Plaids. But I know that I’m giving a thrift store doll a second chance to show her beauty to the world. Therefore, she’s forgiving of my make-over mistakes or mishaps. She knows her next "friend" could have been the little girl who likes to gauge out eyes. |
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