subject: Collectible Barbie dolls are Rich in Style and Pageantry [print this page] Collectible Barbie dolls are Rich in Style and Pageantry
Collectible Barbie Dolls are more than just child's play; they're serious business. Drawing on a childhood love for Barbie or pageantry, designers and collectors have elevated the famous doll from toy status to high art form. These creations do not represent the commercial offerings carried by retailers. Rather, these highly detailed dolls are absolutely unique and meticulously crafted. Customers are willing to pay top dollar for haute couture creations to add to their collections.
The process of creating (one of a kind) OOAK Barbie dolls requires considerable skill and knowledge. The figures are initially given a clean slate so that the designer can begin with a fresh canvas. The factory generated face paint and hair is removed although the actual body remains intact. Then, an artist reapplies facial makeup to suit their vision for the tiny model. They re-root the hair in the color of their choosing.
Customized Barbie clothing designs are created for each unique model. Designer gowns are popular choices that are either original artist designs or reproductions of famous designer gowns. Intricate, detailed handwork sets these clothing lines apart as true artwork. Delicate hand beading is a feature that is in high demand. Clothing for a single model may take up to two weeks to create as the tedious process of attaching the bead seeds is underway.
Accessories are also fashioned for Barbie. Collectible dolls sport jewelry, hair clips, and handbags. A tiny handbag may itself represent hours of work as the designer chooses the perfect fabric and perhaps hand beads the item to match a gown or other piece. Higher end creations may feature actual jewels or crystals.
Particular lines of clothing may be particularly prized by the collector. Barbie dolls may be the exclusive content of a collection or a part of a wider doll display. Unique models that represent beauty pageant contestants are highly prized. Certain collections are based around a national or international pageant theme. Each creation is named and modeled after a particular state, country, or region.
Collectible Barbies aren't just confined to display shelves either. Virtual Barbie doll pageants are held to show the doll artists' appreciation towards his and her customers. The pageants celebrate the workmanship and beauty of each of these one-of-a-kind dolls. Delegates are judged on gown, hair, jewelry and facial beauty. And just like any other beauty pageant, a winner is ultimately crowned.
Barbie doll artists can work as amateurs or in a professional setting. Professionals create lines of unique figures that are sold to collectors in catalogues or on line. The most critically acclaimed of these may be asked create memorable collectibles for national manufacturers. They are heavily involved with Barbie conventions, shows, and pageants. Designers may host pageants as a promotional event for clients or as a way to kick off the unveiling of a new line.
The pageant themed lines give the artists a chance to create OOAK Barbies that represent many different countries, cultures, and ethnicities. They emphasize the shift in societal views away from ethnocentricity and towards a more global lens. Models, or pageant delegates, are not limited to the white skinned, blond headed Barbie of thirty years ago. Today, figures are available in every skin tone and hair color which makes the creation of a wide range of unique models possible.
Many people enjoy collecting items with which they feel an emotional of historical tie. Often, these items are associated with childhood or a particular industry in which one is particularly interested. When highly skilled artists combine their love of collectibles with their ability to translate these items into higher and more complex statements, a transformation from ordinary to extraordinary. Collector Barbies represent unique and highly prized items that are enjoyed by a variety of consumers.
