Meet This German Woman With 18,500 Barbie Dolls, The Largest Collection In The World

The movie 'Barbie' has put the iconic doll in the spotlight in a big way. But the 'Barbie' doll has been a cultural icon ever since it hit the toy stores. A Barbie doll is still often one of the first toys a young girl receives. However, a 62-year-old superfan from Germany has taken her obsession with Barbies to the next level by collecting 18,500 dolls. 

Bettina Dorfmann first set the Guinness World Record for the biggest Barbie collection in 2005. She overtook Tony Mattia from the UK who had 1,125 Barbie dolls, with her collection of 2,500 dolls. Since then, her collection has grown and grown and now she owns 18,500 of them. She's also already acquired dolls from the Barbie movie.

"I love Barbie dolls because I played with them in my childhood, and it was a very good time for me," Ms Dorfmann told Guinness.

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Ms. Dorfmann began her collection seriously in 1993, but she received her very first doll in 1966 when she was just five years old. She has many rare dolls in her collection, the rarest of which is one of the original 1959 Barbies.

The woman has managed to make a living off exhibiting her dolls and writing books about Barbie. In addition, she also has a special 'doll hospital' where she repairs dolls for others.

Talking of her repair business, she told Guinness, ''In the 90s I started repairing my own dolls and buying replacement parts for them, such as arms and legs. I did it for myself because I like crafting and repairing. Collectors at toy trade fairs began asking if I could help restore their dolls' hair and make-up or replace missing eyelashes. When they asked what it cost, I asked for things I needed such as dolls' shoes. From there it just grew and grew.''

She charges anything between $5.60 for quick repairs that can be done on the spot to $336.01 for more complex repairs, which need more time and effort.

Ms. Dorfmann's love for Barbie was passed down to her own daughter, who also enjoyed playing with them when she was young.