In a world where childhood memories and nostalgia collide, one man’s enthusiasm led him to accomplish an unprecedented feat: collecting 300 pristine, antique, in-box Barbies. This story reveals the effort and love that transformed a modest hobby into a mesmerising legacy, from fortuitous encounters to intentional hunts.
Prepare to be captivated by the captivating story of a man whose persistent quest for perfection brought him face to face with rare beauties, each containing a piece of history within its original packaging.
Let’s get into this enthralling story about the ageless fascination of vintage Barbies and the lasting joy they bring to collectors and dreamers alike.
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- There’s A Man Who Owns 300 Perfect Vintage, In-box Barbies: Here’s How It Happened
- Here’s How To Build A Barbie Collection
- It’s All For Mom
There’s A Man Who Owns 300 Perfect Vintage, In-box Barbies: Here’s How It Happened
Credit: USA Today
In Marysville, Washington, the man lives in a brown house. He has cherry trees in front of his house, a neat two-car garage, and a shed full of supplies that almost any auto mechanic would require. And he has hundreds and hundreds of Barbies inside.
They’re kept in his walk-in closet on top of the china cabinet stacked on a useless loveseat. Moving boxes have been stowed away in corners.
It took more than 30 years for the collection to grow in this manner. He can now easily recall the unusual ones: Barbie Special Edition Coca-Cola Picnic. Barbie from the military (Army, Navy, and Air Force) collection. Barbie is having a holiday. Barbie from Mint Memories. Barbie in the Victorian era. Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz Barbie, of course.
Ken Smith is the man behind the Barbie collection. “I’ve known a few Barbies,” he says, laughing. “My wife, on the other hand, was not Barbie,” he says of his wife Charlene.
Ken Smith, 66, seems unconcerned – his daughter characterises him as “oblivious” – about the buzz around the smash film “Barbie.” But he is aware that he is sitting on something very sentimental for many people. And something that is likely to be very valuable to the appropriate individual.
Here’s How To Build A Barbie Collection
Credit: USA Today
Charlene Smith began collecting Barbies in 1988. She had accumulated a collection of baseball cards for their older son, and she felt it was only natural to offer their younger daughter something of her own.
Smith, Shannon-Martin is currently 44 years old. She hadn’t even requested a Barbie. She recalls pleading with her mother for a porcelain doll because they resembled actual babies.
Charlene Smith was a stay-at-home mum when her children were little, and Ken Smith worked as a car mechanic at a dealership. Money was scarce, and porcelain infants were costly. Barbies were the better deal, she reasoned.
“I can get three Barbie dolls for the price of one,” Smith-Martin recalls her mother telling her. Charlene Smith frequently went Barbie shopping with a close friend. It was a weekly occurrence for them. She constantly bought exceptional ones, which are now collectors’ goods.
The Holiday Barbies were an absolute must-have. Every year, Charlene Smith would rush out to acquire them. She would dig until she discovered one in perfect condition if the box was slightly dented. She also went gem hunting.
“I don’t remember what year they came out with the African American dolls in the holiday series,” Ken Smith explained. “There was always one that was white.” But if there was an African American version, she also bought it.” One can ask if the collection was intended for mum or daughter.
Shannon, after all, was only allowed to play with two or three Barbies. The remainder were still in their original box and wrapping.
The daughter now believes she has found a solution. It’s from her mother’s childhood.
“She would tell you that she never got Barbie; she always got Midge,” Smith-Martin says. “And so, I think it grew into her obsession with what she didn’t have as a child.”
Charlene Smith spent her money on dolls rather than on family trips. They went camping a lot. She eventually found work in a senior home. She was a skilled organizer who enjoyed looking after people and things.
If there was ever any hope that the Barbies would end up with Shannon, it never happened. Smith-Martin claims that she realized she didn’t want them when she grew older. She needed more space for hundreds of boxes and wasn’t interested in the custom.
As a result, the collection remained at Mum and Dad’s house because the Barbies were all manifestations of Charlene’s passion until the pains began.
It’s All For Mom
Credit: USA Today
It was the month of August. Ken Smith, who still gets up at about 4 am., was in his shed while the couple was on a vacay. Charlene Smith was awake and dressed by 8 am., looking for their insurance card.
She mentioned that the pains she was experiencing were not going away. She needs medical attention. They walked together. They waited for the scan findings. We had to wait another two days to see the doctor, who could finally confirm it. Cancer of the pancreas.
The doctor gave her two years. The treatment began right away. She was given hope because the tumour had shrunk after chemotherapy. However, the cancer spread to her liver. And then there was her colon.
Charlene and Ken had discussed selling the dolls even before she became ill. Shannon was not interested in them. They took up a lot of room. She even began packing them in moving boxes. That was the extent of the situation.
Charlene Smith passed away in 2019. She has been married to Ken for 43 years. After that, the dolls could have easily been her daughter’s. Smith-Martin admits she was hesitant to have a memorial to her mother staring her in the face.
And thus, in Marysville, Washington, a man in a brown house with a two-car garage and a shed became the only legitimate owner of 300 antique, special edition, perfect-condition Barbies. Ken is the name of a man. There has been a lot of discussion over the last three years about “what are we going to do with these dolls?” – Smith-Martin informs. “But given my father’s attitude and their relationship, I believe they just didn’t do anything without the other. It has to be hard.”
Ken Smith has been steadily going through the collection. He has no idea what to do with all those Barbies, but he’s positive they’ll be treasured by someone as much as his wife was.
He’s finally selling on eBay. Hopefully, he’ll be able to retrieve some of his family’s money. “They’re too much to take care of right now,” Ken Smith says. “I’m just completely overwhelmed.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn