Barbie can be anything you want her to be

I saw a link to this article Facebook: a column by Nina Funnell at Sydney Morning Herald called Barbie's not an issue if girls can think for themselves.

It takes on the discussion as to whether Barbie and the Disney Princess genre, and the "pink" scheme you seen in many products marketed to girls and women, are stereotyping girls. The conclusion is no, and here's why:

We would do well to understand that children don't necessarily take on the prescriptions their gender-specific toys may indicate. A girl playing in her Barbie kitchen could just as well be running her own restaurant as cooking for a husband and children.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/barbies-not-an-issue-if-girls-can-think-for-themselves-20111222-1p6s6.html#ixzz1hvPINZls

I never have looked like Barbie. I'm too short, and currently too "plus" sized.

But I like the fact that Barbie always has a smile on her face. Furthermore, the official story lines from Mattel feature Barbie being kind, helpful, talented, smart, hard-working and cheerful even though she happens to have an unlimited budget for fun and fashion.

Those personal qualities are certainly ones we want our daughters to have, right?

The Miss Beauty Doll 2012 entries are open

If you like to imagine your fashion dolls as pageant stars, go see what the Miss Beauty Doll doll artist contest is all about.

Entries are now being accepted for the 2012 contest, but you can also see the previous winners on the site.

Is Barbie really a "doll" of an investment?

First: read the CNBC / USA Today piece - Barbie: A doll of an investment.

Then read my followup on my personal finance / frugal living blog Monroe on a Budget, where I explain that some dolls not only never go up in value, they can lose value upon resale.

Doll pageant: Charity appearance in winter

Continuing my doll pageant series:

Miss Barbie Roberts is dressed as if she was making a charity appearance during a Michigan winter.

Doll and Fashion Avenue outfit are both from the late 1990s. The crown I bought from a crafter on Amazon. The sash is from a different Barbie outfit. The screen shot in the background is the Miss America Organization web site.

Handcrafted outfit and furniture ideas for doll lovers of all ages

The blog that I'm most well known for is Monroe on a Budget, where I talk about frugal living and money-saving tips.

One of the pieces I wrote for the budget blog this week was called Handcrafted outfit and furniture ideas for doll lovers of all ages. You'll see pictures of my Barbie dollhouse, two outfits I handcrafted, two outfits I bought from another crafter, and one of the furniture pieces that a friend and I collaborated on years ago.

How to make a fireplace for your Barbie Christmas scene

My Shae Noel has a post on Barbie House Christmas Decor that includes a photo show and tell on making a fireplace for a Barbie scene or dollhouse. The pictures also show some handmade Christmas bedding for her daughter's dolls, and a handmade Christmas tree.

Amazing hairdo how-to on an Afro for your dolls

I saw an amazing doll photo on Pinterest that led to this article: How to give Barbie an Afro (and call it a Halo instead).

Youtube: the Creator of Barbie Dolls

I saw this awesome video from 2008 making the rounds on Facebook today! It features collectors, designers, some Barbie history - and a behind the scenes peek at the design center!

A thought about the Christmas gift dolls ...

If you are buying a Barbie or friend for a little girl on your list, or a Toys for Tots drive, would you also remember to supply Barbie some clothes, shoes, furniture or a pack-and-play box?

Tip: store the doll shoes in glass jars

You may have heard about crafters and sewers storing their tiny beads, buttons and pieces in glass jars.

But have you considered adapting that idea to the world of Barbie?

Well, my brainstorm today when I was at Ikea in Canton, Mich., was to put Barbie shoes in those little jars. I bought a package of four to see how it worked. I'm going to pick up a few more of those jars - and some shelving to hold them - at a future visit.

Barbie shoes in glass "spice jars" from Ikea

Santa Barbie is on my desk

Santa Barbie on my desk - this was one of my estate auction finds this summer.

Stardoll by Barbie hits the shelves

Look in the Toys R Us flier for Nov. 27 and you'll see a promotion for "New! Stardoll by Barbie" listed at $16.99 each.

What's that about? Here's a press release that explains how a doll game from the "virtual world" became a doll in real life.

Barbie Collector Spring 2012 preview

Barbie Collector's Spring Preview 2012 catalog is in mailboxes and can be seen on line.

Here is my review:

• Most hilarious: Shoe Obsesssion.
• Most pink: Pink in Pantone.
• Gotta have Barbie Basics: Model 5, 14, 8 and 4.
• Gotta have Barbie Basics Acessories: Look 2 (jacket!)
• Most welcome return: Dolls of the World.
• Still on my wish list: Barbie silk scarf, Barbie laptop case.
• I'd wear them if I had them: Barbie Flannel Hat, Barbie Wool Scarf.
• Wrong size: iPhone case - I don't have an iPhone 4 yet, I have a 3gs and a newer model would be available by the time I'm buying my next phone anyway.
• Cute but won't buy: Barbie watch set. I really, really need a date stamp on my watch.
• The dolls I think my husband will buy me first: Dolls of the World Argentina and Australia.

Black Friday Shopper Barbie (OOAK)

I have created very few "one of a kind" outfits because I just can't do the tiny sewing. But I do have a great collection of dolls, accessories and outfits that I do arrange into OOAK displays!

So in that spirit, here is my Black Friday Shopper Barbie display. The shopping bag is from a 1997 Wal-Mart Shopping Time Barbie. The green sweatshirt and backpack are from one of the Fashion Avenue collections of the 1990s; although the jeans are from another outfit pack. The doll was purchased late 1990s. The pink tree is a purchase this season from Hobby Lobby.

 
This is the first time I've done this scene.

My daughter figured out the theme right away -- but her follow-up comment was that I gave the doll the wrong pair of shoes. She pointed out that the doll should have flat-soled sneakers rather than stylish heeled sneakers. You can't run, after all, in the heeled shoes.

By the way, if I was trying to depict myself on Black Friday, she wouldn't have a shopping bag. She would have the iPhone, a camera or video camera and a business bag as her props.

Yes, I cover the Black Friday shopping madness for my newspaper. I find it far more entertaining to be the reporter than to be one of the shoppers.

Paula's picks for holiday season 2011

I have three toy catalogs on my kitchen table this morning from the Sunday papers, in addition to the weekly sales fliers. Based on what I've seen in the catalogs and sales fliers, and what I've seen on the shelf, here are my holiday season picks for the Barbie fans.

Barbie camper. It's about $70 and I don't have anywhere to display or store a toy that big. Therefore, I won't get it. But if I was a 10-year-old girl again, I would play with this for hours! The features shown are just like today's RVs.

Printable Hair Barbie. Girls like dolls with hair they can comb, style, etc. Totally Hair Barbie is well known as the best selling doll Barbie made. The gimmick with this doll is you can print designs on inkjet printer and transfer them to hair extensions. It costs about $30.

Barbie I Can Be career dolls. Any of those dolls are a great addition to any little girl or adult collector's Barbie box. Just be sure to pick one that you think will appeal to her. For example, I love my Computer Engineer doll because I do so much digital work at my job. The career dolls were not expensive in the first place - $12 to $15. Besides, they're currently "old stock" and you will easily find clearance prices.

Holiday Barbie 2011. I never joined the Holiday Barbie craze, but I do have some of them. You really can't go wrong with this choice for any Barbie fan, unless the person you are gifting to has already bought the doll! The 2011 doll has a green and gold dress and is quite pretty.

Princess Doll and Horse. I'm not terribly interested in the pink box princess dolls because I can dress up my dolls with beautiful handmade gowns for the cost of what those dolls sell for. That being, said, the little girls love them. This one stands out from the crowd with her fashion, her hairstyle and the horse with PINK mane.

Perfect Christmas Chelsea doll. If you want a "holiday" doll without the "holiday" price, you can't go wrong with any of the Kelly and friend selections that have been on the market over the years. This one is a spinoff to one of the Barbie videos. Bonus: Kelly and friends are stocking stuffer size and low budget.

I would also put on any Barbie shopper's list at least one furniture or accessory set such as the bunk bed or the kitchen pieces. Those playsets are often overlooked. What is Barbie supposed to sit on, watch, or do other than change her outfits?

By the way, I know there are a lot of Disney Princess dolls and accessories on the market. But I consider that to be a different demographic and genre than Barbie. Therefore, I leave that discussion to the Disney fans.

Barbie shopping tote

Spotted at Meijer in Monroe, Mich.: this Barbie shopping tote for $1.99.

I like the design, but, after inspecting the quality of the bag, I'll pass. It will take too hard of a beating and I'd be sad after it wore out.

Barbie shopping tote

Blog Action Day 2011: Barbie's Easy-as-Pie Cookbook

Blog Action Day is an social media event held annually since 2007, with the intent to have as many bloggers as possible from a variety of topics and perspectives, and as many countries as possible, discuss the topic of the day.

This year's Blog Action Day theme is food! While there are certainly some very serious discussions taking place about food today, I decided to write a fun post for my doll blog.

Barbie 1964 cookbook

I happen to own one of the most popular collectibles on the vintage Barbie market, and it is Barbie's Easy-as-Pie cookbook from 1964.

It originally belonged to one of my cousins. By the time she decided to hand down her 1960s-era Barbie toys, I was too old for dolls. But I did admire the pieces and my sisters played for hours with everything in the collection that included a fold-up Dream House.

One of the pieces was the cookbook, which I thought was adorable even before I started a Barbie collection. I eventually asked for it, and it became mine.

Each chapter has a short story in which Barbie is planning or working on a menu such as refreshments for her club friends. They are all very simple recipes intended for a young girl to make with adult supervision, and with very little adaptation to today's cooking styles could still be made today.

At one time, the book was worth about $120 on the second-hand market. These days, it would sell for about $60.

When anyone asks if I own any vintage dolls, as in the 1960s-era dolls, I say no. But I add that I do have one vintage piece, and that is this adorable cookbook.

I love the Barbie Dream House ZipBin!

I saw on another doll blog the Barbie Dream House Zipcase. I happened to be shopping at Meijer in Monroe, Mich., today and saw the piece on the shelf. It's only $13!

You would spend about that much on a plain box to store the dolls - why not get one that's cool? And if you are a little girl, this is a perfect pack and play house.

Barbie Dream House Zip Bin

$10 off coupon inside this Kmart Barbie flier

Did you see this flier at your local Kmart? I saw it in Monroe, Mich.

There is a coupon inside the flier for $10 off Barbie product purchase of $50 or more, Oct. 9 through Oct. 31. And just in case you need some suggestions to spend it on, there is a selection of dolls and toy sets featured.

Barbie Kmart flier October 2011

Halloween 2011 drugstore Barbie: eh

I saw the Halloween 2011 drugstore "pink box" Barbie at Rite Aid in Monroe, Mich.

I'll pass on getting one. I already have three Halloween pink box dolls in my collection and at $14.99 a new doll in the same genre better scream "buy me." This one, eh.

The ZipBin Barbie "house"

You need to see what Pimp My Barbie found, and what it's being used for: The ZipBin Barbie Dream House

The dolls that don't go on my desk

Here is a snapshot of the majority of my international / Dolls of the World. There are about 15 you don't see in the photo because, well, I need more shelving.

These are the dolls that don't go on my desk in the newsroom.

Most of them are not worth much - even if I had kept them in their boxes, which, I don't and that allows me to find dolls on the cheap. The known exception is Princess of the Nile doll, which is worth about $65. That surprised me greatly when I thought that would be fun to showcase that doll in honor of Elizabeth Taylor.

The reason these dolls stay at home is that the international dolls started my collection; and there's a lot of time and effort put into assembling this set. I still have a few gaps in the early years and with at least one of the known variations.

The separate pink box doll collection started specifically so I could put a doll on my desk.

Vinyl problems on 2005-era Barbie dolls?

I've heard about the vinyl stickiness and degradation on some of the vintage dolls, but I really did not expect it on some of my dolls that are only five or six years old.

I am noticing as I'm dusting off / rearranging my dolls that both the Spirit of Water Barbie and the Princess of India Barbie dolls have very sticky legs. I debox my dolls but otherwise just put them on display.

This is obviously a problem with the plastic or vinyl but I really don't know what to do about it.

If it was the entire doll affected, well, OK, my bad. But the arms and torsos are fine and this is a non-smoking house. Something is wrong with the dolls' legs and I'm not sure what to do about it.

Go see the Target exclusive Barbie Basics!

Barbie collectors: you want to go to your nearest Target store and see the Target exclusive pieces in the Barbie Basics collection!

I counted four different dolls, and two accessory packs, on the shelf today at Target in Monroe, Mich.

My Barbie budget is kind of small right now so I picked out one doll. Yes, this is a blonde and not my usual choice in dolls. However, I really did like this one's hairstyle.

Salute to 9/11: Tea Time at the Plaza Gene doll

The Nashville Doll Collecting Examiner has this post with a photo of Gene doll posed in front of the New York skyline with the World Trade Center in the background: Tea Time at the Plaza Gene Doll - a Remembrance of 9/11.

The photos were taken by Kathryn Darden in the style that's been so popular in recent years of a doll or stuffed animal being posed on its "travels" around the city, country or world.

My traditional "doll on my desk" display for 9/11 was to dress Teresa in a firefighter outfit. But I was so busy last week that I forgot all about digging through the doll boxes to get that doll out of storage.

Styled by Me Barbie is back

Mattel has announced the Styled by Me Barbie order service is "back and more fabulous than ever."

Here's the link where you can play "paper doll" on your computer and see what doll, fashion and accessory combination you would like for the "up to $39.99" price tag.

I didn't poke around on the Styled by Me when it was previously offered, but I do remember the My Design Friend of Barbie in the late 1990s. I ordered two of those dolls - one for me and one for my daughter. I also saved a lot of the doll image jpgs I created as I tried to replicate my mother, sisters and sister-in-law.

My Design was definitely more of interest to the older collector, as compared to Styled by Me which seems very pink box-ish.

Specifically, the range of non-blonde Barbies is extremely limited in Styled by Me. There are nine dolls you can pick from and six of them are blondes. Two are Hispanic or brunette, one is African-American.

The fashion choices are skewed toward the younger doll fans. Yes, today's teens and college-age women do want a cocktail dress or two in their wardrobe. But for every day attire, they are not "princesses." They wear stylish jeans and Ts, business suits, work uniforms. The "tops and bottoms" selections in the Styled by Me collection have a good range, but the dress selections are so-so. Older collectors also would probably appreciate a wedding gown, but the white dress shown is more of a party dress and there are no wedding accessories to pick from.

In comparison, My Design had many more choices on the doll's face, skin color and hair color. The My Design fashions also were more higher-end and detailed.

If you're looking for a birthday gift idea for a little girl, I think this would fit the bill.

But as an adult collector, this is really not my style.

Barbie Loves Fashion Night Out

Something to watch for: Barbie's Fashion Night Out on Sept. 8

River Raisin Jazz Festival Barbie

Here's the doll changeup today: A So in Style doll (Kara) with her own boots but the top and pants from one of the 1990s Fashion Avenue sets; sunglasses of unknown origin; art easels, microphone, a trumpet and a flute from assorted collections. Translation: River Raisin Jazz Festival Barbie!

 

Ft. Lauderdale WPLG interviews Liz Grampp and Sandi Holder

Best quote from the interview: "Collect what you love ..."

But don't be misguided by the fact that selected dolls are worth thousands. A lot of dolls you'll find on the retail or second-hand market today are just, well, dolls.

The Barbie dilemma continues 50 years later

One of the criticisms all along about Barbie has been that her figure and style was a bit too "adult" and commercialized for some parents' tastes.

One of my co-workers pointed me to a column by Terry Mattingly, On Religion, about the challenges of pushing too grownup of a style and culture on little girls. Terry's column ran locally in the Ann Arbor.com newspaper; but you'll also find it many places across the web including The Republic of Columbus, Ind. A snippet:

Barbie dolls are not the only products that define this dilemma, but they are highly symbolic. In an essay for the journal Books & Culture, Riley noted the power of a story recounted in "Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture," a book by feminist Peggy Orenstein. The anecdote begins with her filmmaker husband approving a Barbie purchase for their young daughter.

"I demanded that he take it away from her. She started to cry. So I gave it back," wrote Orenstein.

The parents argued some more and the Barbie went back on the Target shelf.

I did buy my daughter Barbie dolls. I bought myself Barbie dolls.

I realize that some moms are not entirely pleased with the concept. But here's a thought:

It will be hard to get through childhood without dolls of any sort crossing your daughter's path.

So, what dolls would you find acceptable? Brats and that over the top attitude? American Girls and their pricey wardrobes? Disney dolls and the princess extreme that genre has turned into?

Or a Barbie with her sisters, Skipper and Kelly; her friends Teresa and Kira and Ken; for whom you can easily find retail and handmade doll clothes and furniture to suit a variety of tastes, fashion and sensibilities?

By the way, there has been a doll on my desk since May 1997. And I had a customer remark today about my tradition and my current doll - a So in Style African-American friend Kara in 1960s 'mod' handcrafted outfit.

Perfect summer day

Does this dress not scream "summer!"

This was a handmade outfit I bought in fall 1998 at the Ohio Fashion Doll Collector's Club convention in Akron, Ohio. One of the So in Style dolls from recent vintage looks right at home in that dress.

Pink shoes, of course.

Which Barbie clothes fit which dolls?

I learned to keep my Barbie shoe collections in separate baggies or bins depending on the shape of the foot.

I also knew that Skipper's doll size has changed over the years and was careful to find a doll of the right era when I found a clothing pattern I wanted to make.

But if you have a lot of doll clothes or patterns you may want to keep track on an inventory sheet or some other means as to which pieces are intended for which Barbie doll. There have been some minor changes that will mean a big difference in the fit of the clothing. There's a Q&A on this topic at Kids Choice Toys.

A Barbie fan display in Pottsville, PA

The Republican Herald in Pottsville, Pa., has an article about a Barbie display at its local museum.

The architects and the Barbie Dream House

The LA Times has this piece: Architects compete to create Barbie Dream House.

A snippet:

The American Institute of Architects is holding a competition for the ideal dream house for the popular Mattel doll. A jury of professional architects recently narrowed the pool of close to 30 designs to five finalists, and voting is taking place online. The competition closes Aug. 1 and the winner will be announced the following day.

Barbie's "I Can Be" outfits

$5 and a shopping trip at Meijer in Monroe, Mich., means you can have one of these very cute career outfits for your "pink box" doll.

I may get the nurse outfit. One of my co-workers said I should have put a nurse outfit on my doll last summer when I was out on medical leave.

Bathing suit Barbie 2009

It's vacation time in Monroe, Mich.

The doll on my desk this week is the Then and Now Barbie bathing suit model from 2009.

Gift ribbons, logos and other packaging = ?

Go to Helen's Doll Saga and look up her post After you deboxed your Barbie.

You will see a very clever recycle / re-purpose idea for the gift ribbons, logos and other doll packaging material.

The 1960s Barbie Fashion Model commercial

Even in black and white, Barbie looks glamorous in this 1960s If You Were A Fashion Model Like Barbie commercial on YouTube.

Video clip from National Convention 2010 in Cleveland

The 2010 National Barbie Collectors Convention was held in Cleveland.

I didn't go. I've actually never been to the national convention. I thought about going the year it was in Detroit, looked up the hotel fees and other costs, and realized I couldn't afford the $500 or so it would cost to book before the show sold out, stay at the hotel, and shop at the vendor room.

But there are some clips on YouTube. If you can be patient through the skit in the first part of this clip from the finale from the 2010 convention, you'll see a parade of models wearing replicas of doll fashions. How cute.

When I was a member of the Ohio Fashion Doll Collector Club

The only doll club I've held membership in was the Ohio Fashion Doll Collector Club. It was based in the Akron area and I was a member during the late 1990s. I lived in northwest Ohio then, and Akron was only a 90-minute drive. Akron wouldn't be very do-able with the additional hour's drive from the Detroit area, which is where I live now.


I did go to the doll club's convention in fall 1998 and this was the one of a kind keepsake doll from the show - Teresa in a 1960s "Mod" outfit. I also bought a white version of this dress.

Trichelle the photographer

Trichelle from the Barbie So in Style collection was cast as an artist.

But the art school accessories didn't just include paints and an easel. She also had a very serious looking professional camera.

I've had her on display before, but not recently. She'll be the next doll on my desk.

Barbie Basics: Decisions, decisions

I have been admiring the second run of the Barbie Basics dolls. They are the perfect dolls for adult collectors such as myself who enjoy realistic details instead of, shall we say "pink box" dolls.

I've narrowed the choice down to two.

The one on the left looks as close to me as a Barbie doll can be. She has brown hair with highlights (I admit my brown hair has gray streaks!) and the haircut is pretty much the style I wear now. Just put some glasses on her and she can be cast as Paula.

The blonde girl is a surprising choice for me. I shy away from the blondes. They are so, well, so stereotypical Barbie.

But this one kind of "clicks" with me. I'm even thinking about what her hair might look like if it was styled differently.

The dolls are $20 each at the Wal-Mart in Monroe, Mich. I don't plan to buy both at once. I've already spent a good chunk of money on doll clothes this month.

So I'm trying to decide which one I want first, and which one will wait for later. (Maybe I'll get lucky and find a clearance sale on the second doll!)

Midge wearing a My Design outfit

This is an example of the fact that I don't necessarily keep the original outfit with the original doll. I do try, however, to keep as many of the pieces of the outfit together.

This is a bathing suit Midge doll that I bought in the late 1990s.

She is wearing a special edition outfit that was also sold during the late 1990s from the My Design Friend of Barbie collection.

My Design hasn't been available for several years, but it was fun. You could go on the web site and design a doll from a variety of features, skin color and hair color.

You had to wait for the doll to be shipped and it was a little pricey, which is why I ordered only one for myself and one for my daughter. When I did My Design, I ordered a doll with short brown hair.

You could also download and save the jpg image as if you had made a paper doll. The collection of "paper doll" images I had saved in my computer files helped me ID this outfit, by the way!

When my international dolls visited the library

This is a picture of some of my Barbie Dolls of the World when they were on display during September 1998 at Ida Rupp Public Libray in Port Clinton, Ohio. 

The card on the bottom shelf features the logo from my web site, and says “Find us on the Internet” with the web addresses for Barbie Collectibles and what was then my Barbie fan page.

Why Barbie dolls were considered "expensive" back in the day

I've had some queries from the social club members in Monroe, Mich., to talk about my Barbie doll collection. I did start writing a script, although the event it was written for got canceled and I had a schedule conflict for another requested date.

That being said, I saved the presentation draft on my computer and will update it / rework it as needed. I was reminded of some interesting details while reviewing my reference books, particularly on the cost of the dolls. Here's the snippet from my program on that topic:
 

The first dolls we know as Barbie were made at a factory in Japan. They were introduced at the 1959 International American Toy Fair in New York. Barbie’s birthday is considered to be March 9, 1959, in honor of her debut at the toy show.

No one had seen anything like this in America. Some people in the toy business liked it, some didn’t. Some parents liked it, some didn’t.

The earliest fashions were as detailed as if they were made for a real person. They were typically hand-stitched and made of the best fabrics available. The earliest styles included a two-piece suit called “commuter set” that cost $2.50 and a wedding dress set for $5. Now keep in mind that the doll herself cost $3.

This actually was a very expensive toy at the time. When I compared common household prices from the late 1950s to today’s prices, it’s pretty clear that a Barbie doll in 1959 would cost the equivalent of $30 today. And that wedding dress set would cost $50 today. (For comparison ... look at this chart that was on a 1960 year in review history page I bought at a scrapbook shop several years ago. Median family income then was $5,620 ... median family income in 2009 in Monroe, Mich., was about $52,000, etc..)

Did you wonder why the grownups in your family who would were little girls during the 1960s had so many handmade doll clothes in their collection? That’s why. Any mom or grandma who had a sewing machine, as many women did back then, could make adorable outfits for Barbie and her friends for a lot cheaper than the outfits that were sold in stores.

Why was the doll so expensive? You can get a bathing suit Barbie doll for only $5 now.

Here’s my guess: the creation and manufacture of Barbie was a trial and error process.

For example, very first Barbie dolls had holes in their feet in hopes that a doll stand could hold her up that way. But that idea didn’t work out, and the holes in the bottom of a Barbie’s feet were quickly dropped. You’ll find that the easiest way to get Barbie to stand is with a stand that wraps around her waist, although there are stands for some dolls that go between her legs or grab one leg.

The earliest dolls also were made of solid vinyl. So they were much heavier in weight than today’s dolls, which are hollow inside.

Here is another problem that took years to notice: the older dolls who were given metal earrings often get green discoloration around the ears because the earrings reacted funny over time with the doll’s body. Doll collectors who have tried to erase the green stain say it’s difficult, and sometimes impossible, to remove.

And the Talking Barbie produced in 1967 has been known to break even if never removed from box because of the problems in trying to squeeze the talking mechanics into the doll.

So as you look at today’s Barbie on the toy shelves or play with them, be aware that you are enjoying more than 50 years of Mattel learning not only what appeals to little girls, but also how the doll can hold up to many hours of play time. ...

How to start collecting from Barbie Collectors Guild

The Barbie Collectors Guild has a great piece on its web site called How to start collecting.

Barbie Collector summer 2011 catalog

The Barbie Collector summer 2011 catalog arrived in my mailbox today.

I am impressed with the artistry of the Goddess of the Galaxy doll, but I do not like it enough to buy it. I do not have the proper space to display something this out of the norm of my usual doll collection.

That doll also costs $100, and my personal rule is I most ADORE any doll that costs more than $25 if I'm going to acquire it.

Other new releases featured include Farrah Fawcett doll, the Pirates of the Caribbean duo and the Museum Collection series.

The Harvey satchels and totes are pretty but that's beyond my budget.

The Sun Kissed Doll accessories are far more budget-friendly.

Do you want to be on Mattel's mailing list for the Barbie collector catalog? Sign up here.

The Miss America Barbie dolls

Since we're on a doll pageant thread, did you know there was an official Miss America Barbie doll series in the early 1970s? The Doll Reference site has pictures and details.

Madame Alexander's 90th Anniversary Miss America Doll

There is an official doll for the Miss America Organization, and it's a Madame Alexander doll.

She wears a blue dress, has a crown, sash and flower bouquet. The doll is $149, and limited quantities are still available.

Amazingly beautiful doll dresses from Olivia's Doll Closet

I'm used to buying my artist / crafter made doll dresses at the craft and vendor shows. But I live in Michigan, where the recession has certainly changed how people shop and what they are looking for.

The craft and vendor shows that once were so common as fundraiser events for the churches and mother's clubs have morphed into Mom 2 Mom sales and rummage sales. It's a sign of the times. If the crafters can't sell pieces, they won't book a table. If the tables don't book, the sponsors don't earn their money. What sells right now is the stuff people need - and doll clothes just don't fit that bill.

Therefore: while I have a nice collection of handcrafted doll clothes, I haven't had any new outfits in quite awhile.

A few days ago, I decided to do a pageant theme with my doll on my desk. I know a lot of people who are, or have been, involved with the local pageant system and thought that would be fun to add to my doll rotation. I had several dolls that would work, and I know what store local to me has the LBD models on clearance prices. I thought I had some appropriate dresses (after inspection, I did have two pageant frocks).

But I needed a crown that was doll-sized and knew I didn't have any.

After a search on eBay and Amazon, I found some crowns from one dealer that would stand in well for a pageant crown. I looked to see what else I might find from that dealer, and ordered five ball gowns in addition to a pack of six crowns.

The package from Olivia's Doll Closet arrived today and I was extremely pleased with the pieces. All I have to do is put a sash on top on any of these frocks and give the girl some flowers -- and she'll look just like a pageant queen.

While I didn't intend for these two white dresses to be bridal gowns, they were sent with veils so that I could make them wedding outfits. How nice.

Since I set out the brunette doll today with my older pageant frock, I'll put a crown on her head tomorrow and that will be the pageant doll for now.

The local pageant season is in August and while I haven't decided which doll to set out then, I do kind of like that pink dress. It has a shoulder wrap with it.

But when it's Miss America week in the winter, oh, yes, we'll either show off one of these two white dresses ... or the black and white dress that is my favorite of the ones I purchased. This is a close-up of the details on that skirt.

Barbie Birthstone dolls: Cute pink box gift

If you are looking for an inexpensive, but extremely cute, birthday gift doll for the little girl or big girl doll fans, the Barbie dolls I saw today at the Kroger store in Monroe, Mich. would fit the bill.

They're called Barbie Birthstone. There is / will be one doll for each month of the year, wearing a jewel-toned dress and necklace that represents the birthstone month. The doll owner also gets a play ring in the same color.

The display rack I saw had blonde dolls with outfits celebrating July, August and September.

Retail cost is $7.99, according to the price check I did.

I wouldn't mind getting one as a gift, and that price point is certainly friendly enough. But at this point I'm not buying one because I found other stuff I want to spend my Barbie money on this month.

Salute to Miss Michigan

The newly crowned Miss Michigan from the Miss America Organization pageant system is Elizabeth Wertenberger of Dundee, Mich.

While she ran under the title of Miss Southwest Michigan, Elizabeth is a former Miss Monroe County queen. My job as a reporter for The Monroe Evening News includes getting the Miss Monroe pageant appearances listed in the newspaper - although when it comes to actual competitions, that assignment does vary based on who is scheduled to work that weekend. I've also met many of the queens, contestants, princesses and volunteers over the years. That includes Kaye Lani Rafko Wilson, Miss America 1988, who still lives in Monroe.

Because I figured it was time to do a pageant doll display on my desk, and the local pageant season will be in August, I ordered on line a few days ago some doll-sized crowns and an assortment of beautiful ball gowns.

I'm really glad I did that now, but the doll fashions haven't arrived yet.

This will be my "doll on my desk" display for now. This is a brunette Barbie from the late 1990s. She came with beads you could pinch into her hair. I still have the hair kit, although I don't use it much. This was the first "pink box" Barbie I bought for myself as an adult. Her face was just too cute. Once I bought that doll, I knew I had crossed over into Barbie land.

The pageant frocks are, as best as I can remember, from the late 1990s because that is when I bought a lot of pink box fashions. The red dress and its sash came in a package of three outfits intended as college campus wear, along with a graduation cap and gown. The blue dress may have belonged to my daughter at one time. Personally, I like the red dress so that's what the doll will wear today.

I also found some fake flowers in my craft supplies that she can hold.

I have nothing - absolutely nothing - that can be repurposed as a doll crown unless I want to take a crown off one of my collector dolls. I'm not going to do that when I'll have a selection of doll crowns in a few days.

Update: Here's the doll on display, with her crown: 

Where do I keep my dolls?

When people see the doll on my desk, they often ask how many dolls I have.

About 100. The last time I counted, there were 70. I haven't counted since.

The collector dolls are a topic I'll discuss another time. Most of the dolls that take a turn on my desk are from the "pink box" line. They weren't designed to be collectibles that are put securely away in a curio cabinet. They were designed for little girls to play with, or for big girls who appreciate life depicted in miniature.

The advantage is: none of the dolls I put on public display are worth much on the second hand market. They are out of the box. The outfits and accessories are not necessarily original to that doll, nor may I even have the "complete set" from that accessory pack on display. Reason: I did not acquire my dolls for resale value. I bought them because I liked them.

I have four smallish plastic tubs where my pink box dolls, clothes and accessories are kept. The doll tubs are in my craft space in the basement. I also have a fashion-doll sized dollhouse, but that's a story for another day.

This afternoon, I brought all four tubs into the living room, dumped the contents, and made piles of dolls, clothing, shoes and tiny pieces. Then I started repacking and organizing the stuff into baggies, tubs and the bins.

I did this because I was annoyed at not being able to find some of the accessories and clothing pieces.

As part of the resort, one doll and a small plastic shopping bag of doll clothing has been set aside as hand-me-downs. I expect it will be given to some little girls I know whose Barbie playthings are worn out.

I won't miss the hand-me-downs. They are items that are really too "pink box" for my taste. Over the years, I've found some beautiful outfits from crafters that I like much better to dress my dolls with. That also will be a discussion for another day.

The doll birthday cake

I played with my childhood dolls for a long time, and started my current fashion doll collection in 1995.

But there was only one year (so far) in which I had a doll birthday cake. This was in 2009. I asked my sister, who had started her cake design hobby, whether she would take on a doll cake.

I found the doll pick at Crafts 2000 in Monroe, Mich. My sister had a cake pan that would be suitable for the skirt, and her creativity took over.

My sister actually made two doll cakes for me that year so she could practice the design and construction. That worked out fine because my birthday celebrations had to be split up over two days with different people.

This is me with one of the two cakes. The purple skirt and music notes are a salute to the high school my sister and I attended. We were both in the marching band. The school's colors are purple and white.

10 tips to collect on a budget

Dolls Magazine posted an article in summer 2009 that still holds up very well: 10 Tips to Collect on a Budget.

A birthday doll with a tiara

This is an extremely cute doll that I saw today at Kmart in Monroe, Mich. She's a Happy Birthday doll for a little girl. The doll also comes with a tiara for the honored doll owner.

If you like the idea, but not that particular doll or her crown, then go to any craft store and look in the wedding supplies department. You will find a nice selection of rhinestone tiaras in a variety of price ranges. Use a craft store coupon, and you'll find that the price for a nice crown compares pretty well to a plastic one from a toy store.

But can they model actual doll clothes?

Have you seen the Barbie Basics Little Black Dress doll series? This was on the market in early 2010, and I'm finding the dolls on clearance now at Meijer in Monroe, Mich.

My husband gave me one of the dolls last year for Valentine's Day gift. I left her in the Little Black Dress for display purposes.

But given the fact that this collection was obviously meant for adult collectors and doll artists, can anyone explain to me how we are supposed to dress dolls into tiny crafter fashions when their arms are crooked and cannot be bent back out?

The reason I'm puzzled is: I want a doll that looks to be a woman in her early 20s for a future doll on the desk display. The pink box dolls are too juvenile. I may have an appropriate doll in my collection already, but I was considering another LBD doll because of the clearance price until ...

I was stumped as to whether she could even be redressed.

"Is that a Barbie on your desk?"

Welcome to the "just for fun" blog hosted by Paula Wethington of Monroe, Mich!

Here is the story behind the dolls on my desk. It was May 1997, and I was working as a reporter at The News-Messenger in Fremont, Ohio. I was given what was intended to be a temporary transfer for a few weeks to our sister paper, the News Herald in Port Clinton, Ohio.

I now had two workplaces and two desks.

In the spirit of marking my temporary spot, so to speak, I grabbed a Barbie doll from doll a collection I had started two years ago. I dressed her up in a summer outfit as if she was enjoying a day at Lake Erie. The inspiration for that outfit is that the newspaper office was just two blocks away from the lake.

This temporary assignment morphed into a permanent transfer and I spent the rest of my days with Gannett in Port Clinton.

The doll on my desk was traded it out with the seasons. I was particularly pleased with a Christmas display I did one year.

In January 2000, I took a job as a reporter for The Monroe Evening News in Monroe, Mich. On the first day in Monroe, I focused on learning the computer system, meeting my new co-workers and finding my way around.

On the second day, I brought a doll. I stood her up via a doll stand on my desk, just like I had done at my previous job.

One of my new co-workers walked by, did a double take, and exclaimed, "Is that a Barbie on your desk?"

"Actually, it's a Midge," I said, not skipping a beat.

I've always had a doll on my desk since. But when the work stations got moved around during an office renovation, it was not so easy for people to see the doll I had chosen for the week / month / season. That changed drastically a year or so ago, when I moved the doll to a slightly different spot.

My doll collection has since become quite a conversation piece.

I did host at one time a hobby web site called Paula's Barbie Dolls of the World. It was meant as a reference site for doll enthusiasts. I started it in 1998 and kept the information updated as new releases were issued for about four years. I took it down when it seemed that better resources were starting to launch on the web.

I've since discovered the blog format. Some of you know me as the Monroe on a Budget blogger where I talk about frugal living, couponing and money-saving concepts. And I've had a few Barbie collector posts on the budget blog.

But it's time again for a Barbie conversation all to its own.