Collectors can be easy to buy gifts for. At least you know what they like and can't get enough of. Then again, how do you know they don't already have what you're looking to buy? And how can you be sure they actually collect the exact thing you are looking at? Barbie collectors are no different. They love their dolls, but many of them have a stack of them in a closet, so even with your phone cam ready, you can't make sure you won't buy a duplicate and what you get is actually something they'd like?
One great idea is to look for OOAK-Barbie's and fashions. OOAK is a short for "one of a kind" which means that the duplicate issue is taken care of! Now, you only need to worry about what your friend collects. Barbie collectors can be divided into groups, and you'll have to figure out which one your friend belongs to:
1. Vintage Collectors.
They collect Barbies and items that are made before 1975, give or take a couple of years (depends on the collector, usually before 1973). It is so hard to find a good gift for a strict vintage collector, that I'll just add a few tips here: Forget it, give money or find a factory second -article of the era, if you can.
2. Silkstone collectors.
They collect a special collector line of Barbie, that is made with the vintage face mold, but are made within the last 10 years. (The line just turned 10 in 2010!) It is usually easy to tell whether a doll is a vintage doll or a Silkstone, but if you are not sure, ask your friend which she collects - she'll be impressed to hear you know about Silkstone!
3. Collector vinyl collector.
These collectors collect a special line of modern dolls designed specifically for adults. Collector vinyls resemble the normal dolls at super markets, but have a smaller head and their fashions are made with more detail than the playline-dolls.
4. Playline collector.
These collectors collect the everyday Barbies sold at super markets and toy shops, the same stuff you buy for children.
5. Bit of this, bit of that.
These collectors combine different lines, including all or some, usual combinations are playline and collector vinyl or vintage and Silkstone. Sometimes they are "kitbashers" that take parts of different sets and combine them into one - even doll body parts.
6. NRFB collector.
These collectors can fit any of the above group with the addition that they only buy items that are still in their original boxes and don't remove them from their boxes. (Rare with vintage due to the high cost of such vintage dolls.) Easy to identify by the fact their collection is still in original boxes!
Now, for an OOAK gift, if your friend belongs to the group one, forget this option. For group 6, only buy OOAK that has a beautiful display box. For other groups, go onto eBay and do a search for OOAK Barbie and add "Silkstone" if your friend collects Silkstone. This is important even when only buying clothes, because the Silkstone body is different from other Barbie doll bodies, and the clothes won't necessarily fit correctly if bought for a wrong type of doll. Note that your search will bring up dolls that are marked "for OOAK" which means the seller intends to sell the doll as a starting point for OOAK artists. Unless your friend is an OOAK artist, ignore them. Generally speaking, try to avoid dresses that are princessy or childish. Even though we collect a toy, we are still adults and have an adult fashion sense. Keep this in mind when browsing.
Next, let's talk about your friend's personality. Does she take photos of her dolls? Are they taken in a doll size environment, known as diorama, or are they flat background shots? If your friend is into dioramas, you can go shopping looking for anything Barbie-sized that might go into a diorama. Small pots, dishes, flowers, miniature games, keyrings, small teddy bears and other things are great to keep an eye out for. Should you happen to find a small chair or bench, or a sofa-shaped jewellery box, you probably found a treasure! Flea markets and drift stores are great miniature finding places, just as eBay. Keep in mind that Barbie is done in 1:6 scale.
A lot of Barbie collectors would love a good background for their dolls, for photography, too. If you happen to be artistic yourself, why not paint a background for a Barbie photoshoot? If you are not that artistic, you could try and find some nice papers for backgrounds, something like gift wraps, if they are not too glossy. Retro-backdrops are often a great place to start, and if your friend is a vintage collector, think 60's glamour.
If your friend enjoys making clothes for Barbie, you're in luck! You can find all sorts of fabrics easily - as you know! Just make sure the fabric isn't very thick, and that the pattern on it is as small as possible. Again, think adult, not kid.
If you are handy, nothing would make your friend happier than to receive doll fashions made by you! A knitted jumper, a crocheted beanie (remember grown up's dolls have smaller heads than your child's dolls, but the bodies are often the same. If you have your own childhood dolls somewhere, their heads are the size you need). Or, you could make something else, sofas are often easy to make, chairs, shelving, tables, anything for the doll house. If you enjoy arts and crafts, look around on crafts blogs to see if you could find something that you could squeeze into a doll size thing. Or, make her a flea market shopping bag - with pockets for a few clothing articles when she buys a nude doll at the market so the poor doll doesn't have to go nude all the way home!
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