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In 1961, I was 8, and we moved to a new town about an hour away from where we had been.
I quickly discovered the neighborhood girls were into Barbie. I was more into my new bicycle, which I could ride with no training wheels, but it became obvious that I needed a Barbie to connect with my new friends. I don't remember how I got her, but one appeared - blond pony tail, striped swimsuit, and two very simple outfits that I don't remember now. Later, my little brother snipped off her nose and some fingers and then threw her under his bed. So much for a valuable antique!
My mom must have been behind the Barbie appearing...as a little girl she grew up very poor during the Depression but only had one homemade doll.
We soon found out that Barbie was all about the CLOTHES!
We poured over those tiny catalogs that came with each Barbie item, dreaming about "Enchanted Evening," "Red Flare," "Solo in the Spotlight" and "Golden Girl."
I actually got most of those, which was a miracle because Mom really pinched pennies. She got the idea to make some clothes - beautiful evening gowns made out of scraps of turquoise satin and gold taffeta, a summer dress of white pique with a pink appliqued rose. Yes, made with tiny snaps and hand-sewn trim!
I didn't appreciate them-I wanted to make the other girls jealous with my wardrobe of official Barbie outfits. Of course now Mom's homemade garments are my most precious ones.
My second Barbie - blonde bubble cut - was the first purchase of $10 I got for a straight-A report card. She cost me $3.18.
Lots of houses were going up in our neighborhood, so we re-purposed bits and pieces we found at the building sites when the crews had gone home. Blocks of wood make coffee tables, trimming tiles made sofas.
My grandparents made a rare visit sometime around fall...probably 1963. I fixated on a Barbie ballerina outfit and literally pitched a tantrum over it. I finally calmed down and decided I could wait for it, but my uncle took up a collection so I could get the outfit. I was so ashamed!
I graduated from Barbie about the time Midge, Skipper and the rest came out, and I'm glad. Nobody could collect everything they made.
I wouldn't even let my own daughter play with my vintage Barbies, but did let my middle granddaughter play with them when she was 5. I regretted it - some of the tiny accessories (gloves, purses, a phone, outdoor grill utensils) were destroyed or lost. I put them back up. Maybe I'll leave them to her in my will.
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