Robert Reyes is in Barbie heaven.
He’s seen the “Barbie” movie four times.
His bedroom is packed full with glass cabinets displaying Barbie and Ken dolls from the toys’ 64-year history.
And books and magazines about Barbie and her creator, Ruth Handler, lie about the house.
No, Reyes is not a teenybopper Barbie fan. He’s not “cuckoo.” And he certainly didn’t grow up playing with the dolls (that just wasn’t done back home in El Paso, Texas, he says).
The Laguna Woods resident is 62 years old, he has a doctorate in education administration, he’s a big fan of history, and he knows the value of nostalgia, especially vintage toys. In fact, he’s doing research on “the importance of play and the history of toys” for a planned coffee-table book.
Right now, Reyes especially knows that the demand for and the prices of vintage Barbies have soared since the movie’s release. According to some reports, prices have climbed about 25% in recent months.
Before Reyes started collecting Barbie dolls and all her accouterments, he would laugh at those who were fans, he says.
“I thought people who were into Barbies were cuckoo. I just didn’t ‘get’ her. Now – the artistry and design – I just love her.”
Reyes has around 500 of the dolls, he says. That includes all the Barbies and Kens, plus Barbie’s BFF Midge, Barbie’s little sister Skipper, Skipper’s friends Scooter and Ricky, and even Francie, “Barbie’s ‘MOD’ern cousin” from Britain.
He has two Barbie Dream Houses, a Barbie and Ken Little Theater, Barbie MacDonald’s, Barbie Dress Shop, Barbie Campout Tent and a Barbie Goes to College set, along with a few vinyl Barbie cases.
Reyes gets most of his pieces from EBay, but also from two national dealers who specialize in all things Barbie.
He got his first piece just seven years ago, when a friend who owned a local thrift shop was selling Barbies from the 1970s. It was a 1979 vinyl carrying case complete with a Barbie…
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