Barbie went to college in the '60s, remember? Sure, she wasn't even a teenager yet. But that didn't stop fans of the doll from scoring the "Barbie Goes to College" play set and hop-scotching with her from dorm rooms to the football stadium to the sweet shop to the movie theater. (Hmmmm, where were the classrooms in that play set?)
Now, Barbie goes to the museum. No, really.
"Barbie Doll: Celebrating 50 Years of an American Icon" is on display through April 5 at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach. The exhibit features over 400 dolls from the collection of DeLand resident JoAnn Winspur. She not only collects Barbies but also sells them (retail and wholesale) through the Doll & Hobby Shoppe, a business she runs with her husband and son.
The museum exhibit includes an original 1959 Barbie (the year she
was, er, born), nine Barbies in clothes designed by renowned Hollywood
designer Bob Mackie, the "Barbie Goes to College" set, and a display
that shows the evolution of Barbie through about 1970.
Yes, Ken and other friends and family -- Midge, Skipper, Steffie, Cara, Julia -- are on display to help Barbie celebrate the big 5-0.
The appeal of Barbie isn't just for children, says Winspur, who was 17 when Barbie was born. Winspur didn't begin collecting and selling the dolls until 1988, when she and her husband stumbled upon a Western Auto store while traveling in South Carolina.
The store had a cache of Barbies and other toys from the 1960s and '70s -- in original packages and at original prices. On the spot, the Winspurs decided to expand their antiques business. They bought the '72 Malibu Barbie and every other single toy there.
The appeal of Barbie "spans from ages 8 to 90," says Winspur, whose personal collection includes about 1,000 dolls. "There's no age bracket for Barbie.
"I used to have a customer who'd come in once a week and she'd buy her Barbie. The saddest thing I ever heard. One day I asked her, 'Arlene, why do you buy all these Barbies? I know you live by yourself.' She said, 'You just hit it on the head. When I go home tonight, Barbie and I will have dinner together.'
"She had three children who never visited her. She had friends, but she was by herself. That was her thing -- Barbie was her dinner mate.
"For all people, Barbie means something different. For most people, it means their childhood and they're buying it back. But this woman, she was in her 60s before she started buying Barbie. There's all kinds of reasons."
And all kinds of Barbies. A glimpse of Winspur's Web site,
doll-hobby.com<cm cq RdeY>, reveals a Cher Barbie (designed by
Bob Mackie), a red-haired Titanic Barbie (inspired by the film), a Jeff
Gordon Barbie (a girl doll decked out in the NASCAR driver's colors), a
Kimora Lee Simmons/Baby Phat Barbie (which "captures the streetwise
fashions of the ultra-hip and ultra-glam" designer), a Campus Barbie
and Ken dressed as a 1950s cheerleader and football player, and many
more.
The showroom at Winspur's business in DeLand even includes "The Birds" Barbie -- fashioned after the Tippi Hedren character in the Alfred Hitchcock film.
According to eBay pop culture expert Karen Bard, more than 217,000 Barbie-related items have sold on eBay during the past three months. The highest price tag? $7,500 for a 1959 brunette Barbie.
Winspur says her "No. 1" (a 1959 doll) is one of her rarest and most valuable pieces, even though that Barbie is in "good shape" rather than "excellent."
Another one of her most valuable pieces, and one of her favorites, is a 1968 store display that features four dolls. She estimates its value at $10,000 to $12,000.
But, Winspur adds, "I like all my Barbies actually. I enjoy my whole collection."
(The Doll & Hobby Shoppe showroom is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. most Mondays through Fridays at 111 W. Vermont Ave., DeLand. However, Winspur advises patrons call 386-734-3200 in advance to check open times.)
If You Go
WHAT: "Barbie Doll: Celebrating 50 Years of an American Icon"
WHERE: Museum of Arts and Sciences, 352 S. Nova Road, Daytona Beach
WHEN: Through April 5. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays.
ADMISSION: $12.95 adults, $10.95 seniors and students, $6.95 children 6-17, free for members and children age 5 and younger
INFORMATION: 386-255-0285 or moas.org
Yes, Ken and other friends and family -- Midge, Skipper, Steffie, Cara, Julia -- are on display to help Barbie celebrate the big 5-0.
The appeal of Barbie isn't just for children, says Winspur, who was 17 when Barbie was born. Winspur didn't begin collecting and selling the dolls until 1988, when she and her husband stumbled upon a Western Auto store while traveling in South Carolina.
The store had a cache of Barbies and other toys from the 1960s and '70s -- in original packages and at original prices. On the spot, the Winspurs decided to expand their antiques business. They bought the '72 Malibu Barbie and every other single toy there.
The appeal of Barbie "spans from ages 8 to 90," says Winspur, whose personal collection includes about 1,000 dolls. "There's no age bracket for Barbie.
"I used to have a customer who'd come in once a week and she'd buy her Barbie. The saddest thing I ever heard. One day I asked her, 'Arlene, why do you buy all these Barbies? I know you live by yourself.' She said, 'You just hit it on the head. When I go home tonight, Barbie and I will have dinner together.'
"She had three children who never visited her. She had friends, but she was by herself. That was her thing -- Barbie was her dinner mate.
"For all people, Barbie means something different. For most people, it means their childhood and they're buying it back. But this woman, she was in her 60s before she started buying Barbie. There's all kinds of reasons."
And all kinds of Barbies. A glimpse of Winspur's Web site,
doll-hobby.com<cm cq RdeY>, reveals a Cher Barbie (designed by
Bob Mackie), a red-haired Titanic Barbie (inspired by the film), a Jeff
Gordon Barbie (a girl doll decked out in the NASCAR driver's colors), a
Kimora Lee Simmons/Baby Phat Barbie (which "captures the streetwise
fashions of the ultra-hip and ultra-glam" designer), a Campus Barbie
and Ken dressed as a 1950s cheerleader and football player, and many
more. The showroom at Winspur's business in DeLand even includes "The Birds" Barbie -- fashioned after the Tippi Hedren character in the Alfred Hitchcock film.
According to eBay pop culture expert Karen Bard, more than 217,000 Barbie-related items have sold on eBay during the past three months. The highest price tag? $7,500 for a 1959 brunette Barbie.
Winspur says her "No. 1" (a 1959 doll) is one of her rarest and most valuable pieces, even though that Barbie is in "good shape" rather than "excellent."
Another one of her most valuable pieces, and one of her favorites, is a 1968 store display that features four dolls. She estimates its value at $10,000 to $12,000.
But, Winspur adds, "I like all my Barbies actually. I enjoy my whole collection."
(The Doll & Hobby Shoppe showroom is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. most Mondays through Fridays at 111 W. Vermont Ave., DeLand. However, Winspur advises patrons call 386-734-3200 in advance to check open times.)
If You Go
WHAT: "Barbie Doll: Celebrating 50 Years of an American Icon"
WHERE: Museum of Arts and Sciences, 352 S. Nova Road, Daytona Beach
WHEN: Through April 5. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays.
ADMISSION: $12.95 adults, $10.95 seniors and students, $6.95 children 6-17, free for members and children age 5 and younger
INFORMATION: 386-255-0285 or moas.org
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