Befriending Barbie

A thing that I did not know about Barbie prior to reading this story was how much money is spent or earned. I could not believe that a Barbie doll can go at auction for $15,000! Before this essay I felt as though people who collect Barbie dolls should be on the show hoarders. These collecters purchase hundreds of dolls and have them lining every available space in their house. I also felt that they are all overly happy and did not have a grip on the real world.My opinion of the collecters has changed significantly. These people make their living off selling these dolls or their accessories. Barbie collecters also have a huge support network. They truely care about each other and often look after each other more than their friends at home. This essay made me look past my own stereotypes and see these collecters as people who live real lives and look out for one another. I didn't like the fact that she didn't go into more detail with the men that were there. I would have liked to hear more on what they thought about the whole concept of collecting dolls. I enjoyed hearing about how many careers and options there were for a single doll. It blew my mind! The most important part of this story for me was making me take off my "lens" and seeing the world of Barbie in a whole new way. The authors ability to step back and observe and portray those observations as facts instead of opinions helped me see how to write about a subject that can be stereotyped.