You Found Those In The Trash?!
My story will make you a believer that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure!
At the beginning of summer, my friend messaged me to say she found some vintage Barbie cases in someone’s curbside trash and asked if I’d be interested in them. Because I love to make jewelry by upcycling old toys, I jumped at the chance to have them and see what was inside.
After I got them and opened them up, I was stunned and knew I couldn’t use the contents in any of my projects. What was inside the cases were 3 authentic vintage Barbie dolls with full wardrobes and accessories from the 1960’s.
While I don’t collect vintage Barbies myself, I immediately recognized their significance. These are dolls and outfits I had only ever seen on TV or in books!
Vintage Barbie Dolls Go Viral
I offhandedly shared the special find on my social media accounts and, to my surprise, it found an audience on Instagram. My micro thrifting account grew from 4,000 followers to 13,000 followers in a matter of weeks.
Fueled by the unexpected interest in the dolls, I started an impromptu social media series to open up, research, and restore what’s inside the cases. So far, I’ve gotten as far as showing off the contents, but hopefully soon I can get around to taking some of the suggestions for how to clean the dolls and clothes themselves.
Memories of a Barbie Girl
This has been a very exciting shift for me online and, at times, overwhelming. But it’s been very rewarding to share the finds online and hear so many stories and memories of people who owned these dolls or let their own go over the years.
I’ve also enjoyed the process of learning something new. I will always be honest that I’m not a Barbie expert or collector. However, library books, Facebook groups, and general Barbie websites have come in clutch.
This is also not the first time I’ve done a deep dive into Barbie dolls. A couple of years ago, I was tasked with sorting my sister’s and my Barbie collection* from the 1980s to 2000s. It was so fun reliving my childhood memories!
(* maybe “hoard” is a better term since they’re all boxed up in storage right now!)
This experience has been slightly different as I didn’t recognize a lot, but the online community has been very supportive and helpful at filling in the gaps.
What’s Next for These Vintage Barbie Dolls?
As much as I’d love to just play with Barbies all day, it’ll be a bit before my next video in the series. But rest assured, they’re on my list and will NOT be forgotten!
They’re currently sitting cozy in my space and waiting for further exploration. They’ve only been waiting 60 years to be re-discovered; what’s a few more months?
