Does anyone on DS actually collect Barbies?

[ShadowKat]

Question? (Not being funny here. I really am curious about this) If Ariel is your favourite princess, why to you want to repaint and re-body her? Then she won't be Ariel anymore. Or am I missing something? It seems a LOT of people are into be-heading their dolls, repainting them, etc., which I don't get. I buy a doll because she is beautiful to me and can't imagine taking her head off or anything like that. I understand if the doll needs restoration, but it seems this hobby is not about restoration as much as re-creating. Would be really nice to see pics of the Barbies you use as props.

For me, it's that this particular Ariel doll doesn't look like Ariel. She was one of the cheap Mattel "Bath Time" Princesses, so her eye paint isn't the best, and she only has 5 points of articulation. It's that she doesn't look like Ariel, so I want to repaint her to look more like Ariel to me. Pretty much all of my dolls are representations of characters, usually from anime, so it's really important to me that they be as accurate as possible.
I also like posing my dolls, so they need to have at least a little articulation. I want to be able to move them and pose them.

And the prop Barbies are mainly to fill up space. I haven't actually started making any photo-stories, but when I do, I'll use those Barbies as backgrounders. That way places don't look so empty.

I would love to see pictures of your Barbies! And please don't feel left out! I will try to start posting pics more often if I'm able. (I still need to get some pictures uploaded that I promised another member a while ago. I finally got them taken last night when I got my pics of Saber taken, I just haven't gotten a chance to get them edited/uploaded yet . )

[Studio 126]

I collect Barbie heads. If they are not already on articulated bodies, I rebody them with 1990s' Gymnast bodies or better (so I can use them as lay figures). Of my 77 lovelies, only three have non-Mattel heads and four have non-Mattel bodies.

edit: since I use them like GI Janes, I call them Barbie-Janes...

[MelodyT]

I guess in my doll hierarchy the Barbies are towards the bottom. The ones in the dollhouse and the customs/ball joints occupy more of my doll thoughts, the Barbies are just there.

Oh no! she cried. Poor neglected barbies... Thanks for sharing your 'just there' dolls

[MelodyT]

I collect the Kens, and FR guys too. I do a little repainting/ face ups as well as rerooting. My reason is that I am trying to make the dolls into certain characters. I also rebody some of my dolls because I hate bodies that don't pose. This comes in handy when you are doing photostories.

Yes, if you doing photo stories you really need to be able to pose them nicely. I adore the FR dolls, but cannot afford them thanks to the exchange rate Have you posted any of your dolls? If yes, please share the link. I'd love to see them!

[MelodyT]

I don't post my Barbies much, because most of them are what I call "shelf dolls". I love them, but they mostly stay put. I have the Princess of the World Collection, and quite a few others. Mostly they are not in a place I take pictures of. Some stay in their original outfits, and some don't. I have a few silkstone, some porcelain Barbies, and many others. I started with a 1962 Bubble Cut that I got for Christmas. I begged a lot for her! At the time Barbie wasn't a doll for really little children, and was geared more to the teen and pre-teen market. I really love OOAK (one of a kind) make-over dolls.As other people have said, I like to re-dress and make some of them into other characters. With just my ball-joint dolls I have well over 100 dolls that I photograph in stories. A lot of times it's the posability involved in them. Don't feel left out of DS, this forum was created because other forums would not let us post Barbie and other dolls. You and your dolls are very welcome here!

What attracts you with a doll? I initially look at their clothes and accessories, but the face is important. I have actually picked ones where the costume isn't as well made but the face says something to me.

Well I for one would love to see some of your barbies. I didn't know, when I first got into dolls, that porcelain barbies existed. I've never seen one for sale here. Personally, I'm not mad about silkstone.
You have over a hundred BJD's?!? Goodness. That's a lot! But they are very poseable...which is good.
Thanks for your encouragement
For me, it's the face and hair. Sometimes something else will catch my attention... e.g. the outfit or the hands, but mostly it's the face and the hair. I'm mad about long hair and I'm very particular about my dolls hair. If I buy secondhand, that's the first thing I'll check. Generally, if the hair is a mess, the doll has not been looked after. IMO

[MelodyT]

For me, it's that this particular Ariel doll doesn't look like Ariel. She was one of the cheap Mattel "Bath Time" Princesses, so her eye paint isn't the best, and she only has 5 points of articulation. It's that she doesn't look like Ariel, so I want to repaint her to look more like Ariel to me. Pretty much all of my dolls are representations of characters, usually from anime, so it's really important to me that they be as accurate as possible.
I also like posing my dolls, so they need to have at least a little articulation. I want to be able to move them and pose them.

And the prop Barbies are mainly to fill up space. I haven't actually started making any photo-stories, but when I do, I'll use those Barbies as backgrounders. That way places don't look so empty.

I would love to see pictures of your Barbies! And please don't feel left out! I will try to start posting pics more often if I'm able. (I still need to get some pictures uploaded that I promised another member a while ago. I finally got them taken last night when I got my pics of Saber taken, I just haven't gotten a chance to get them edited/uploaded yet . )

Ok. That makes sense And yes, I would really like to see some of your 'backgrounders' when you have time.
I've posted some here: viewtopic.php?f=20&t=9400 and here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9175
I saw your Saber pics. She is cute! And I like her original body.

[MelodyT]

I collect Barbie heads. If they are not already on articulated bodies, I rebody them with 1990s' Gymnast bodies or better (so I can use them as lay figures). Of my 77 lovelies, only three have non-Mattel heads and four have non-Mattel bodies.

edit: since I use them like GI Janes, I call them Barbie-Janes...

Hehehe. That sounds so weird But I know what you saying. I can't bring myself to remove any of my dolls heads. Just seems wrong!
I looked at your pics. You have some lovely dolls. Thanks for sharing.

[Kd_Bunchanumbers]

Customizing Barbies is how I "collect' barbie so yeah lol. And honestly, playline Barbie is my main collection, while Monsters, ponies, etc etc all have been side collections so yeah. I just don't post my dolls here much since I'm just a huge lazy butt about it plus I dunno if others are really interested in them so yeah heh. But yeah they're the top of my hierarchy here haha.

[Studio 126]

... I can't bring myself to remove any of my dolls heads. Just seems wrong!

If you ever do, you have to be careful so you don't ruin her neck joint.

I have a tutorial at http://babes-in-toyland.blogspot.com/2013/10/How2-behead-babs-well.html.

edit: When my middle daughter was younger, I gave her the heads that I didn't want on the bodies that I didn't want (and most of the formal/prom-style dresses*). She was happy with that arrangement.

*My ladies favor more casual and active wear...

[MelodyT]

Customizing Barbies is how I "collect' barbie so yeah lol. And honestly, playline Barbie is my main collection, while Monsters, ponies, etc etc all have been side collections so yeah. I just don't post my dolls here much since I'm just a huge lazy butt about it plus I dunno if others are really interested in them so yeah heh. But yeah they're the top of my hierarchy here haha.

I'm interested!!! I would like to see your dolls So now you need to stop being lazy about it and POST your pics!