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I decided to put some book reviews here of books I own or have read. They aren't all the newest but they still cover some of the new dolls and are a great addition to any collection. You can't ever learn too much!

A second Book Page has been added since I decided also to share some Pattern Books I have come across over the years. Some I own myself  and some I have borrowed (as with a few of the books on this page) but I also collect doll patterns and would love to have them all some day :-)


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?!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A. Glenn Mandeville's previous book Doll Fashion Anthology & Price Guide 4th Edition. Pretty much the same content as above, only less a year...

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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!

Laura Jacobs: Barbie, What a Doll! from 1994 is full of color pictures of dressed Barbies from all times. Some big, some small. Eyecandy.

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.

Barbie, Thirty Years of America's Doll, by Cynthia Robins.
This tiny book is stuffed with the history and highlights through the years. A lot of pictures in blk/wh.

Nostalgic BarbieTM - A Postcard Book, released 1990 by Running Press.
This little book contains 30 postcards with the dolls' comments on different subjects and when it comes to Barbie it's shopping, dressing, cooking and other things. It's a self-ironic view of Barbie and her friends. Funny!
Some of these I saw as kitchen-magnets on Internet somewhere.

These books are on my wishlist:

J. Michael Augustyniak - Barbie Doll Exclusives and more
Billy Boy - Barbie, Her Life & Times
Janine Fennick - The Collectible Barbie Doll
Kitturah B. Westenhouser - The Story of Barbie
Rebecca Ann Rupp - Barbie Doll Treasures 1959-1997
Rebecca Ann Rupp - Barbie Doll Accessories 1961-1995
Robert Gardner - Fashion Dolls Exclusively International
Arend/Holzerland/Kent - Skipper - Barbie Doll's Little Sister

And more to come...


Here you can buy books about Barbie® direct off the Internet:

Hobby House Press
Amazon.com (search barbie)


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