It was love at first sight when Dawn laid eyes on her first-ever dolly…
As I sat in my buggy, Mum pushed me through the airport.
Up ahead, a kiosk caught my eye.
The backlit display was showcasing beautiful golden-haired dolls with pretty faces.
Aged three, I didn’t understand what they were.
Pointing at them, I asked Mum, ‘Are they fairies or angels?’
‘They’re Barbies,’ she said. ‘I’ll buy you one.’
After paying, Mum passed my first Barbie over to me, and I never wanted to let
her go.
From then on, Barbies were a staple present for Christmases and birthdays.
But as I grew up, my interest naturally wavered, and my old toys and dolls were given away to new homes.
Years later, I was studying
at university, when everyone
was talking about a new website called eBay.
‘It’s great,’ one friend told me. ‘Like a car boot sale.’
I checked it out and saw it was full of old toys from the ’80s, the era I grew up in.
Scrolling through Barbie dolls and My Little Pony figures, I felt
a wave of nostalgia.
So, I bid on a Barbie I recognised.
I’m going to buy back my childhood, I thought.
When it arrived, I was ecstatic.
As I purchased more and more, I gained quite the collection – even managing to find a boxed version of my first-ever Barbie from the airport!
It felt like I’d come full circle.
Three years later, at 23, I met my husband, Steve, who was supportive of my hobby.
'Are they fairies or angels?'
Knowing how much it meant to me, Steve would drive me to conventions and search markets and charity shops for dolls to add to my collection.
The more Barbies I gained, the more I noticed how they had progressed over time.
The modern-day dolls played into fantasy, with some dressed as mermaids or fairies.
After falling for the nostalgia of the dolls from my childhood, I turned my interest to the original Barbies of the ’60s.
The craftmanship
was beautiful, and I found the vintage fashion charming.
Learning their history was fascinating, and through research and hearing about other collectors’ experiences,
I discovered what made them more valuable.
Still scouring eBay, I’d search for the signs that indicated the best value for money I could afford.
Then, I’d use my work as an artist to restore and repaint them.
Afterwards, I’d take photos of them, posting my creations on my website, Instagram and Barbie Facebook groups.
It was so rewarding to transform these dolls and be inspired by other creators.
In time, Steve and I did a stint working in Hong Kong.
Living in a small high-rise flat, my collection of Barbies was sprawled across every room.
So, when we moved back to the UK, Steve had one request.
‘Can we confine it to one room?’ he asked.
I nodded in agreement, knowing that it had got a little out of control.
Amazingly, I managed it, displaying my collection in rolling cabinets behind glass, to protect them from dust and prevent the vintage clothing from attracting moths.
The room also had blackout blinds, to stop the sun from bleaching or discolouring them.
I regularly checked to make sure the conditions were right, as my collection was an investment, so I had to be careful.
Now, I have over 800 dolls, including Ken, Sindy and friends.
It’s worth thousands.
I’ve been lucky to purchase many at incredible deals, but
I’ve also paid a few thousand pounds for rare Barbies I’ve hunted down.
Along the way, I’ve sold some dolls to upgrade, if I’ve found one in better condition.
Things are a bit of a squeeze now, so I’m happy to pass on ones I’ve enjoyed for long enough.
My collection has led to a lot
of opportunities, including designing logos for Barbie conventions and being sent gifts from Mattel for Barbie’s 65th anniversary celebrations.
Life in plastic really is fantastic!
Dawn Austin, 45, Derbyshire