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This is Marcie Melillo's
The Ultimate Barbie Doll Book, my best book-buy! As I've
said on my faces-page already, I'm totally in love with this book. It's
just what I searched for when I got caught by the collector bug. It's so
full of information (not everything is accurate, but this amount of
information must be a hustle to get all right!) and the photos are great.
The book covers every doll available in stores from 1959 to 1995. The only
thing I can complain about is that it only covers US issues and we get a
lot in Europe (well used to anyhow) that is never released in the US and
those I would like to see like this. Can someone make one?! |
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J. Michael Augustyniak's
first book was The Barbie Doll Boom which was
released in 1996. I bought this one before Melillo made her and it was
great then. After her book this is nothing in compare. Doll Boom covers
dolls from 1986-1995 and some of the foreign (from USA's point of view)
releases and has a pic of the handsome black Olimpico Ken from Venezuela
in '88. The photos are small and have no details, not even the stock
numbers. It could be seen as a quick reference to which dolls were in what
series, but not much else. One thing I like though is that the Shani-line
is included. |
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Stefanie Deutsch'
book
Barbie - The First 30 Years came in a second edition in fall
2003. It has a long title on the cover saying this also: 1959 through
1989 and beyond. Identification & Value Guide, Second Edition.
I wanted this book for years but when I heard that Stefanie had plans for
a followup in 2003 I decided to wait a wee bit longer.
The book shows dolls in and out of boxes from the very first ponytails to
a variety of dolls from the 1990s and early 2000s. It shows US and
European as well as other foreign country releases. Stefanie comes from
Germany and brought a huge collection of dolls and paperfernalia (journals
and catalogs etc) from Europe. It has been a while since I read her first
book but I recall pages of info that is now excluded. |
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Now this is considered to be
the Barbie-collector's Bible! If you collect vintage, this is a must-have. Sibyl DeWein and Joan Ashabraner have made a huge
job in collecting and gathering all these dolls and putting together all
these facts (like Melillo above, the difference is that today there are
computers that can fix the details). The Collector's
Encyclopedia of Barbie Dolls and Collectibles is the long
title of this beautiful book that covers the vintage era as well as the
MOD-era from the beginning in 1959 to 1976. The book is full of stories,
how and when the dolls were released and information en masse! Many
photos, mostly black/white, great close-ups. |
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This is a second must-have for the
vintage collector. Sarah Sink Eames' book
Barbie Fashion Vol. I, 1959-1967 covers the vintage
fashion-era and is full of color-photos of each and every one of the
fashions released during this period. There are photos of gorgeous No1-s
and No2-s wearing those illusive fashions from the first year. All of the
friends and family from that time are pictured in one or more fashions (or
boxes). Every fashion is described in detail and the photos are just
great! Some foreign releases are pictured too. |
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Sarah Sink Eames'
second book is called Barbie doll Fashion Vol. II, 1968-1974
and covers the MOD- and eyelash-era dolls and fashions. It's just as
comprehensive as the first book and I actually waited for this one instead
of buying Joe Blitman's MOD MOD...-books. They are great too of course as
the dolls are pictured in fun situations with a lot of fun accessories and
not just portrayed in their clothes.
Fashion II is more of that straight up presentation and with
NRFB-photos. These are mostly the clothes from my childhood, even if I
don't recognize them all. |
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Sarah Sink Eames'
third book Barbie doll Fashion Vol. III, 1975-1979
takes over where the last book ends and starts with the birth of the
SuperStar era. The 70's era is famous for the not-so-great-quality in
fashions. This book is stuffed with tons and tons of photos of carded and
boxed fashions from that era as well as dolls in or out of boxes. Shows a
lot of variations etc. |
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Paris and Susan Manos: The
World of Barbie Dolls. This book is a small sized book that covers
the vintage era, 1959-1976. It has lots of photos of dolls in and out of
boxes as well as dolls dressed in fashions from the period. Not very
detailed but a nice quick reference book. It is also nice to see the
fashions on dolls even if the photos are not that big. |
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This tiny book was for a long time
the only resource to dolls released after 1976. Susan
and Paris Manos made this The
Wonder of Barbie Dolls and Accessories 1976-1986 in color
and it's kind of a predecessor to Augustyniak's Doll Boom above. The
Wonder covers US issues as well as foreign and has chapters of celebrity
friends, the Takara Barbie dolls from Japan, paper dolls, exclusive
fashions and other accessories for example. Not any details though. |
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A. Glenn Mandeville
have made a series of books and this is the 5th edition of these tiny,
very informative books. 5th Doll Fashion Anthology & Price
Guide is full of stories of our dream girl and her family
and life. The first issue I guess covered her first thirty years, but as
the years went by afterwards the book was extended too and in 1999 the 6th
Edition is released. These books not only cover Barbie-dolls but other
fashion dolls like Tammy and Tressy. There are many color-photos as well
as blk/wh. It also includes a family tree that as I can see is not quite
accurate (Chris is no friend of Jazzie's as far as I know) but close
enough. |
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A. Glenn Mandeville's
previous book Doll Fashion Anthology & Price Guide
4th Edition. Pretty much the same content as above, only less a year... |
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J. Michael Augustyniak is the author of this
comprehensive book called Thirty Years of Mattel Fashion Dolls -
Identification & Value Guide, 1967 Through 1997. This is a close to
400 pages thick book stuffed with pictures and info about all the dolls
that are NOT part of the World of Pink (or known as Barbie doll, relatives
and friends). In here you find celebrity dolls like Buffy & Mrs Beasley,
Julia and others, Disney dolls, the Heart Family, the Sunshine and Happy
Families, Rosebud dolls, Rockflowers, Guardian Goddesses etc etc. Small
dolls and big dolls. The list is long and the book is thick. Amazing info
and a great quick reference book. However, Barbie and her family and
friends ARE part of the book, but only for about 20 pages and a pick from
each year reflecting fashions and trends of the time. There is also a
Family Tree featured with pictures of the dolls around her down to Kelly
and Tommy. |
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Margo Rana
dedicated a whole book to the Mattel dolls based on Disney movie and
cartoon characters. Disney Dolls - Identification &
Price Guide is full of glossy pictures of dolls in boxes and a nice
closeup face shot of each doll. Also pictured are separate fashions, masks
with fashions sets of different characters that didn't get a doll of their
own, play sets etc. Playline dolls and collector line dolls. All can be
found in here. |
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Patrick C. Olds;
The Barbie Doll Years 1959-1995, A
comprehensive listing & value guide of dolls and accessories.
This book was a little disappointment to me when I received it. The
facts in the first edition aren't that accurate, and if you're looking for
the stock numbers this should be the source, but I must say it's not!
There are so many faults and mistakes in it I can't believe, but I hope
they have revised the second and third editions! The photos are mostly
commercials and some that Olds' wife Zona took. Mattel's 50th Anniversary
Porcelain is portrayed on the front cover. |
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Marco Tosa; Barbie, 40 Years
of Fashion... was released in 1997 ( I have it in Swedish with
another title...). This bright pink book is filled with glossy beautiful
pictures of her history as well as some information. |
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Barbiedockor by
Janine Fennick is a small informative book with a lot of fun photos.
Not very detailed, just some highlights but still funny. This version is
in Swedish. |
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Barbie Millicent Roberts, an
original was released in 1998. This is a beautiful book with loads
of beautiful closeup and situation photos taken by David Levinthal
with text written by Valerie Steel. Gorgeous dolls too! |
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Laura Jacobs: Barbie, What a
Doll! from 1994 is full of color pictures of dressed
Barbies from all times. Some big, some small. Eyecandy. |
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Lotte Mjöberg; Boken om
Barbie is the only Barbie doll book written in Swedish. Lotte made
this book in 1993 and it is the first book on Barbie I bought and it was
in the start of my collecting days. It covers a part of the history around
our pink princess and may not be 100% accurate but it's a fun addition to my
Barbie doll library of books. |
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