The Barbie Fashion Model Collection has ended on its 20th anniversary. In this video, I present a sampling of dolls, fashions and accessories from the first decade of BFMC.
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2  It was love at first sight. When I pulled the box cover off, gently tugged on that gold ribbon, and gingerly lifted the tissue paper to have my first look at Classic Black Dress™, my initial reaction was to loudly say "she's so pretty!" This doll has the sweetest expression. The face paint is gorgeous. I didn't think I would be a fan of the blue eyeshadow with the blue side-eye after seeing so many iterations of this look, but there's something about these shades of blue that complements her soft pearlescent coral lips. The dress is elegant. I was so happy with this doll that I decided to clean and re-organize my collection. The goal is to have fewer dolls on display, and to clean every dusty surface. I may have to list a few gently handled dolls on an e-commerce site soon. 3  We (the spouse and I) skipped the big conventions and doll shows this past year, but we did manage to visit the Barbie exhibit at the Musée du Louvre in Paris, France. Unfortunately, we had to rush through the exhibit because the apartment we had rented had plumbing issues that day.
The displays were very impressive. We saw some of the dioramas and sets that we had only seen in catalogs and other official Mattel mailings. Archival footage of the old factory in Japan was played on a loop. A few collectors were treated to a preview of this at the Arlington, VA convention in 2015. Which reminds me, I really should send my registration form for the Houston convention. We had opportunities to visit other Barbie exhibits in Italy, but opted for more local fare and "only in Europe" sightseeing. There were times when I regretted not bringing a travel doll, but our plan was to travel light. We traveled so lightly that I was almost in tears when I learned that we were in Florence right on time for the fashion week festivities and I had nothing "fabulous" to wear. ;)  Most of my model muse dolls are now in these display cabinets. Six months ago, I promised an update on my Barbie® den upon completing my vision for it. Of course, any collector would know that one's collection is never quite complete. I constantly change my displays as new dolls come in, and the occasional doll is sent to a new home. When I wrote the post, I had a total of two sparsely populated glass cabinets in the den. Most of my dolls were stored in a large built-in closet. I reached a turning point in my collecting habits a few weeks after posting that blog entry. I decided that it was not worth having all these dolls unless I could display most of them. I didn't want them to sit in their respective boxes in a closet, only to be admired when I pull them out for a photo session, so I talked my spouse into allowing me to purchase three additional display cabinets. It took weeks to pull all the dolls out of their boxes, dress them, and arrange them in the cabinets. I also hung up some framed Barbie® sketches to give the space a very Barbie®-centric ambience. I left a smattering of Barbie® books on the coffee table and arranged some little dioramas all over the room. Lastly, I got an inexpensive dresser to organize my doll fashions, accessories, beadwork materials, and other doll accoutrements. I can't tolerate a cluttered doll room. I go through periods of time when I don't seem to have any energy or enthusiasm for dolls, but seeing my collection on display always makes me happy. :) How do you store and display your dolls?
I'm quite excited about this year's Barbie® Fashion Model Collection. For 2014, the Silkstone doll collection will have an Italian high fashion theme. Barbie® is no stranger to the runways of the world's fashion capitals, so having Milan as the next source of fashion inspiration is a brilliant concept. So far, only Fiorella™ Barbie® doll (shown here) has been officially released. Members of the Barbie® Fan Club have been treated to sneak peeks of several upcoming dolls, including another glamorous Silkstone doll called Dulcissima™. You can catch a glimpse of her in the teaser video below, which features the storyline created for Fiorella™.
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About the WebmasterMy name is Jared. I began collecting dolls in 2011. It all started with Barbie® Basics Model No 16 Collection 002 for me. Soon after that, I started photographing my dolls, editing the images and sharing my work on my Tumblr photoblog, Life in Plastic. "Playing" with dolls has inspired me to learn to sew, paint with acrylics, re-root doll hair, practice my bead craft, among other things...My collecting hobby turned into a passion for creating art in different media! 
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