I clicked on this post because the subject line made me laugh! [img]wink.gif[/img]
I don't know any REAL Barbie collectors first-hand, but I would bet one of the differences would be the price people are willing to spend on the dolls themselves! (If ebay prices are any indication.) That would lead me to believe that no one is really allowed to play with or touch them.
Deborah
I have both Barbies and AG dolls, although I am not a "serious" Barbie collector. However, the boxes get ripped open here! I am a hands on type of person when it comes to my dolls. I want to look at them, play with them, sit them out and whatever else I wish to do.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think this is a very good point! If AGs came in boxes three times their size with a backdrop like their Scenes and Settings, there may be more of them living in their boxes. But as it is, you can barely even see the doll when it's in its box. Barbie boxes add to the doll while AG boxes take away from them.Originally posted by trvnbrn:
I think part of it is that the Barbie collectibles are marketed to be left in the boxes, with lavish backdrops & detailed box designs.
I have almost the complete set of Holiday Barbies in their boxes stored on a shelf in a closet of the house. My mom used to by them for me every year, but alas. I never was or became very fond of Barbie, aside from seeing a few vintage ones whose clothes I loved.
When I got back into AG, she suggested we sell the dolls and put the money back into AG. I thought this was a GREAT idea. Unfortunately, we decided on this in January, and ebay prices DROPPED after Christmas.
So now they'll be going up this fall/winter. I never much cared for the idea of leaving them in their boxes either. But I was never allowed to take them out.
Maybe that's part of the reason I was so thrilled with my Sam? That and I adored her books...
I know a woman who collects Dawn and some Barbie dolls and she is extrememly nice, she gave me 5 Dawn Dolls or so and many outfits and a carrying case and 2 storage box thingies and a bunch of furniture, all for my Birthday, Christmas, and when I decided that I thought collecting Dawn dolls would be fun.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm not entirely sure, but my understanding was that barbie was made as a fashion doll for children- just that she was modeled after an "adult" doll from Europe.Originally posted by JuliaAM:
I vaguely recall someone telling me that when Barbies first debuted, they were intended for older teens and adults, not for children.
As for snooty- I really doubt all barbie collectors are snooty, nor displaying a doll in a box is a snooty thing to do. If we could display the AGs in boxes, I might. I don't really play with mine, though I do love to dress them.
I haven't bought a barbie in years but the collectors ones are amazing. I love the Bob Mackie series from the early 90s (too expensive then) and love some of the more recent ones too.
this doesnt exactly go along with it, but did anyone read those stories of the girls on the AG website for the 20 year anniversary? there is one girl on there who said she wished AG would make a graduation gown, a wedding dress, and a work outfit for older girls and adults who grew up with AG as kids.
american girl makes all clothes for girls for their dolls. barbie does have teacher barbie, and outfits for other professions.
i thought it was a little weird that AG would post those outfit ideas from an adult collector, if they really kind of tell us "no way, its for little girls". they kind of made it seem like they think thats a good idea and theyre proud that girls still like it as adults, but then wont do anything about it.
I collect both Barbies and AG. I probably have about 100 Barbies, most of them still in their boxes. I have collected the Barbies since I was an adult and keep them in their boxes because it is much easier to display them and they don't get dirty! (Since I don't play with them) The one exception is pregnant Midge, whom I took out along with her husband and nursery and other accessories.
On the other hand my AG's are all in the living room displayed with all their accessories. I usually change their clothes and things once a month, sometimes more. Today my two daughters and I and Samantha, Nellie, and Addy played croquet. So I don't have to worry about them getting dusty! By the way my daughters are 11 (12 in September) and 14 (15 this month) and we have a lot fun with the "girls".
Melissa
I know a couple Barbie collectors and they're rather snooty and demanding. So far, I don't know any AG collectors like that. The only serious AG collectors I know don't mind taking items out of the box and sometimes even enjoying them, yet they still call themselves "serious collectors".
Mattel knows all about Barbie collectors and caters to that crowd, making Barbies that mostly just women are interested in. At the same time, Mattel also keeps girls in mind, making items for the younger crowd.
I vaguely recall someone telling me that when Barbies first debuted, they were intended for older teens and adults, not for children. Could that be why grown women are still interested in Barbies since Mattel's early marketing was geared to the older crowd anyway? Barbie is, afterall, a fully grown woman doll.
Could that by why Mattel does not acknowledge a serious AG collector community, because the original intent of AG dolls is for girls only, not women?
What is the definition of a collector then, since there seems to be a great difference between the collectors of Barbies and AG dolls?
I'm curious.
Julia
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