Since the early days of collecting a common question asked of me has been, "Which doll is your favorite?" Honestly I have many favorites, and my favorites are forever changing.  As of this writing I'm currently obsessed with... 

Twist 'n Turn Barbie (1967) & Twist 'n Turn "Marlo" Flip Barbie (1969) 

Talking Ken (1968) & Malibu Ken (1971)

Malibu Barbie (1971)

Stacey (1968) 

Dolls on a Shelf: David's Collection

(Photos taken on April 18, 2022)​​

Truly Scrumptious (1969)

​​​​​​Behold The Valley of the Dolls

A Barbie Collection in Portraits​​

Above: Oh, how the collection grew: Me with the Barbie dolls in 1990 (left) and among an extensive toy collection in 2008 (right). 

Below: These days I have around a hundred mod-era dolls only on display (which I'm constantly rearranging and switching out).

My 1987 Barbie & the Rockers. The dolls that put me on the path to Barbie collecting! 

Yes, I have an estimated 2,000 Barbie and Ken dolls from 35 years of collecting. The majority of these dolls are tucked away in storage. I did bring each out to photograph for my book, Behold the Valley of the Dolls, a photo project I spent the four years working on (from March 2018 to March 2022). Unfortunately I don't have the space in my tiny California condo to have all of the collection displayed (maybe someday I'll have a bigger home to do so). Until then, I'll settle for a small shelving unit, placed next to my work desk, to display favorite mod-era Barbies which I share recent photos here with you.

I'm still actively collecting Barbie (I can't imagine ever stopping), and I end this by saying, the doll I've loved since 1960s childhood has given me a lifetime of fun! 

Hair Fair Barbie (1967) 

Talking Barbie (1968) 

Farrah Fawcett (2011)

Barbie Cheerleaders: Twist 'n Turn P.J. (1969) & Malibu Barbie (1978)

Barbie & the Rockers (1986)

“Fast forward to 1987, I’m a young hairdresser, first year in a salon, living in Lawrence, Kansas after my family relocated to Kansas City from Virginia. I did not give Barbie much thought, she was tucked away in my childhood memories. It was September 21, my birthday, when the pivotal moment of Barbie collecting occurred. As a birthday present a friend gave me Barbie & the Rockers, an outrageously rad music band comprised of six neon-hued, big-haired dolls fronted by Barbie. This gift reignited a love for Barbie I haven’t felt since I was a kid. Before I knew it, these six dolls grew into an obsession, err, I mean a collection that will number over 2,000 today!” 
~ Excerpt from Behold the Valley of the Dolls: A Barbie Collection in Portrait​​