Scavenged from thrift stores and friends: Barbie collector in Vermont restores dolls

Like many generations of young girls before her, Colchester resident Melinda Umezaki, 44, was gifted her first Barbie when she was only 4 years old.

The doll, a 1981 My First Barbie, wore a “really-stylish” yellow jumper, Umezaki recalled. This momentous occasion – captured in a blurry family photo – marked the beginning of an obsession that decades later would culminate in a collection of almost 300 Barbie dolls.

“I loved Barbies because they have a massive wardrobe of clothes,” Umezaki said, standing in a small downstairs storage area in her home, a place she simply calls the Barbie room.

The walls are lined with diverse iterations of Barbies, Kens and the couple’s many pals, including the beloved Midge and Allan. Some dolls remain sealed in their boxes, stacked on top of each other. Others peak out of Barbie-sized houses that Umezaki refurbished and decorated herself. The dolls’ attire is bold, ranging from vibrant 1980s rocker outfits to bold sequined designer dresses.

“Barbie can wear anything,” Umezaki said. “You’d never wear her outfits out, but it’s funky to see them on a doll.”

Her Barbie stash is more than a simple collection, however. To Umezaki, it is a “passion project.”

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She not only styles her dolls and customizes their homes, but also revitalizes the Barbies themselves, restoring their damaged hair and reuniting them with missing clothing and accessories.

“Part of the enjoyment is creation,” Umezaki said, a sentiment she shares with her younger self.

“In a weird way, I’m kind of doing what I did as a kid,” she said.

Why she collects 'Barbie' dolls and accessories

Umezaki no longer possesses any of her childhood Barbie dolls, which she discarded as a teenager. Her entire collection is relatively new, scavenged from thrift stores and friends within the last seven years.

What got Umezaki hooked again on Barbies? A chance encounter with a toy she coveted as a child but could never afford.

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While perusing a thrift store, Umezaki spotted the iconic red and yellow 1970s Barbie Dream House popular during her youth. She purchased it immediately.

“I had gotten rid of all my Barbies (by then), but when I saw the ‘70s dream house, it sparked a lot of nostalgia,” Umezaki said.

Shortly after, she began yearning for the 1980s Rocker Barbie dolls she owned as a child.

“I thought it would be nice to have a collection of them,” Umezaki said. “Those are the Barbies I remember most from being a kid.”

From there, her collection bloomed. Umezaki also acquired Barbie cars and horses – and even two more Barbie Dream Houses, one from the 60s and one from the 80s.

Perhaps her most unique doll is a Japanese Airline Barbie, which she brought back from Japan.

“I don’t even know how many (kinds of) Barbies there are,” Umezaki said. “You can never get all of them.”

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Despite her vast array of dolls, she said that her collection likely doesn’t have as much monetary value compared to other collections. Unlike many collectors, her priority focus is to simply amass Barbies that bring her joy, not seek out the rarest and most valuable dolls.

“My collection is worth nothing, but also something,” she said.

Why Barbie is so popular across many generations

Since the first Barbie appeared on the market in 1959, it has become a rite of passage for children to receive Barbies on birthdays and holidays.

“Sometimes parents and grandparents played with Barbies, and so it became a tradition to give them to the next generation,” said Umezaki, whose parents, aunts and cousins used to do the same thing for her.

Umezaki was able to continue that tradition when a friend and fellow collector introduced her to a young Barbie aficionado who had recently lost both parents. Umezaki and her friend donated Barbie supplies to the little girl in a sign of solidarity and community.

“It felt good to share the love of Barbie with someone going through a rough time,” she said.

Umezaki said the recent Barbie film starring Margot Robbie and directed by Greta Gerwig did an excellent job paying homage to the doll’s multigenerational impact.

“When the movie was announced, I was excited, but I didn’t have high hopes because usually when Barbie movies come out, they’re for kids,” Umezaki said.

But the film’s first trailer impressed her.

“I knew it was going to be good when I saw the movie was using the old Barbie logo from the '70s and '80s,” Umezaki said, which she believed signified that the movie would also cater to adults. “I recognized it (the logo) from my childhood. It’s pretty recognizable to older generations.”

She also pointed out that Margot Robbie wore several iconic vintage Barbie dresses in the film and its various premiere events.

“Whoever was behind the marketing, they knew what they were doing,” Umezaki said.

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. She can be contacted at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Barbie collector Melinda Umezaki taps into nostalgia, creativity