A chronicle of my attempts to live a classy life as a single girl in the Nation's Capital

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Memories of Barbie

Barbie played a large part in my childhood (and despite what feminists may say, I have no body-image issues stemming from that).  Like many girls, it was my favorite toy (along with Little People, which no longer really exist because they were deemed a "choking hazard") but they also played a large role in my childhood because my mom collected them.
 Classic Little People house -- Why is the dog taller than all the people??

Now that I am older, I frequently feel nostalgic about childhood toys and entertain thoughts of buying Little People sets or Barbies on eBay. Even though I never played with my mom's collection (except once, and boy was I in trouble) I would often sit in front of the 2 glass cases and marvel at the little accessories and gorgeous dresses--trying my best not to pry the doors open and touch everything with my grubby, probably dirty, child hands. I remember going with my dad on expeditions to peoples' private homes to buy pieces of their collections and then spreading it all out on the living room floor when we got home.  My mom would go through it and pick out the pieces she needed and only the ones in the best condition.  Only Mattel--generic accessories got tossed aside.  Stained clothing ostracized into a pile of their own.  And guess what lucky girl got to take possession of these cast-asides?  I most vividly remember being given a tiny light blue plastic case that said "keys" on the front.  Inside was a miniature ring of plastic keys--for whatever reason this was my favorite accessory.  I was also given a yellow nightgown that had a small tear and thus didn't pass my mom's inspection.

Whenever I am feeling nostalgic, I search out these vintage Barbies and have a desire to start a collection of my own--not of the toys I actually played with but of the ones I coveted so much as a little girl.


The #1 Doll, the first Mattel made and the most sought-after.  While it never fascinated me much, I understood that it was very important.

My mom has a few with the bubble cut (not shown) or "anna" hair like this.  I liked the long blonde hair better.


This Candy Striper set was always one of my favorites. I loved the little water bottle and the glass of orange juice.  If you looked in from the top, you could see that the "juice" was cotton stuffed inside.

What girl wouldn't love a Cinderella set?  Oddly, the "rags" costume was my favorite one.  It came with the neat broom and was more unique than the ball gown.

I remember this picnic set well.  I loved the wedge shoes and modern blue jeans.  And something about the fish just fascinated me.

This is the yellow nightgown that I was given since my mom didn't want it (she already had one in perfect condition.)  I always thought it was a little scandalous--to a 6 yr old, wearing sheer fabric like this was quite eye raising. (the full set actually came with a pair of bloomers, pom-pom mules, a diary and alarm clock.)



I absolutely LOVED this one!  I don't remember which doll and accessory it was that finally made me open the case in the kitchen and play one day--but I'd bet money that this "Dogs N' Duds" set had something to do with it.

And one more (I could go on--my mom had A LOT of outfits) the glamorous outfit I always associate with Barbie:

The pearls. The bag. The pumps. The stylish hat. The surprise pop of bright blue.  Love it!  I think it's becoming clear to me where my sense of style originally came from...

Maybe one day I will treat myself to a vintage Barbie of my own (and I do mean treat--that outfit above sells for $395 on this one website).  Until then, I get an odd sense of comfort and happiness when browsing through these pictures online.

Today's Barbie... just doesn't measure up: Not as timeless, stylish or detailed. 
A polyester dream... and is that belt painted on the zebra skirt?

No comments: