A Trickle at First...

In 2000, I added these three dolls from the "Celestial Collection" to the lonely Snow White doll sitting on my shelf. I purchased the Sun Goddess and Star Goddess with gift certificates I had earned from JCPenney, back in the good old days when Barbies were featured in the Christmas catalogs. The Moon Goddess appeared one day on QVC when Jeremy and I were flipping through the channels, and he nonchalantly stated that I should buy the doll since "it would complete the collection." In two years, I had collected 4 dolls. It was beginning to look like something was happening.

In 2001, I moved to Virginia and I started a new full-time job. I came across "Barbie 2001" in Wal-Mart, and feeling rich with that first paycheck in my pocket, I bought that doll immediately.


I discovered eBay and the Barbie Collector website in 2002. That, my friends, was the beginning of the end. My Barbie world exploded, and I was immediately inundated with images and descriptions of dozens upon dozens of collectible dolls designed and released each year by Mattel. In addition, I stumbled upon the website's forums that included discussions of current and past dolls, photos of dolls other collectors had purchased and customized, and links to other doll-related sites....and I never looked back.

11 years and 200-something dolls later, my tastes have changed wildly, my selectivity has increased dramatically, and my adoration for Barbie and her fashions has intensified exponentially. I now also collect clothing for Barbie made by other designers, such as Randall Craig Ready to Wear and Dressmaker Details. I am a card-carrying member of a bona-fide doll club recognized by Mattel in Richmond, recently registered to attend the 2011 Barbie Convention in Ft. Lauderdale Florida (after waiting more than a year for registration to open!), and have brought two of my closest friends over to the Dark Side with me.