Video: Meet 62-year-old woman with 18,500 Barbie dolls, the largest collection in the world

She has eventually become a 'Barbie' doctor who gives new life to worn-out dolls and spreads joy to others

By Web Desk

Published: Sat 29 Jul 2023, 2:32 PM

Last updated: Sat 29 Jul 2023, 10:37 PM

The sea of pink that filled cinemas around the world this month — when the Margot Robbie-starrer 'Barbie' hit the big screen — proves how generations of fans loved iconic doll.

Way before the movie came out, however, there was a woman who has loved Barbie — in all her shapes and forms — since 1966.

With a mind-blowing collection of 18,500 Barbie dolls, Bettina Dorfmann, 62, has been known as the world's biggest superfan of the iconic doll.

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In the books of Guinness World Records, she holds the title for having "the largest collection of Barbie dolls" — a tag she has held since 2005 when her collection was just at 2,500.

By 2011, her collection grew to 15,000 — now, it's 18,500.

“I love Barbie dolls because I played with them in my childhood, and it was a very good time for me," she told Guinness World Records in an interview.

Dorfmann got her first Barbie when she was five years old in 1966. Then in 1993, she started building her collection.

Barbie was first launched by American toy company Mattel, Inc. in 1959, and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon.

Becoming 'Barbie doctor'

Dorfmann owns some of the rarest Barbie dolls, including one of the original dolls from 1959.

Spreading her joy to others, she started participating in exhibitions to showcase her impressive collection.

She took care of each and every doll, and even when their arms or legs get broken, she wouldn't just throw them away. Instead, she would fix them up and buy replacement parts if she had to.

At one point, as she met other people who love Barbies, she started helping them repair worn-out dolls.

Now, she's earning "a living off exhibiting her dolls and writing books about Barbie, but also has a special ‘doll hospital’ where she repairs dolls for others", according to GWR.

To this day, Dorfmann is still buying Barbies for her collection. In fact, she has already ordered the Margot Robbie version which came out with the movie.

“Barbie is a mirror for our times. Through her, we can see how the world has changed — including women’s careers from the 50s to today,” she said.

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