THIS woman has the largest doll collection in the world - Times of India (2024)

Meet Bettina Dorfmann

, a German superfan with an epic collection of 18,500 dolls, making her one of the most dedicated

Barbie

collectors worldwide. Her fascination with Barbie started in 1966 when she received her first doll at the age of five. Since then, her love for these iconic toys has grown, and she has been collecting dolls for over 30 years.
In 2005,

Bettina

achieved a Guinness World Record for her collection, surpassing the previous record of 2,500 dolls held by

Tony Mattia

from the UK, who had 1,125 dolls at that time.

Her awe-inspiring collection includes dolls from the 1959 collection, which makes them truly priceless and unique.

Bettina is affectionately known as the "Barbie Doctor" among her friends and family due to her passion for collecting and her expertise in restoring dolls. Her daughter has also inherited the love for Barbie dolls and collects them as well.

Aside from being a collector, Bettina runs a doll hospital where she offers repair services ranging from 5 euros for quick fixes to 300 euros for more elaborate restorations. While some may argue that the rates are disputable, collectors eagerly seek dolls from older stocks, and rare pieces can fetch millions of dollars at auctions.
One notable example is a Barbie doll that sold for a staggering $302,500 in 2010. This particular doll was unique as it was 11.5 inches tall, wore a strapless black evening gown, and featured a one-carat pink diamond necklace surrounded by three carats of white diamonds. The proceeds from this auction were generously donated to fund breast cancer research.

Bettina's collection and her doll hospital have gained recognition within the toy trade fairs, where she offers her expertise to other collectors. She sees Barbie as more than just a toy; the doll symbolizes the evolving roles of women from the 1950s to the present.
With the release of new Barbie films, Bettina's excitement grows as she plans to expand her already vast collection. Her story serves as an inspiration for other Barbie enthusiasts, showing that a childhood hobby can evolve into a lifelong passion. Bettina Dorfmann's name will remain synonymous with Barbie dolls for years to come.

THIS woman has the largest doll collection in the world - Times of India (2024)

FAQs

Who has the largest doll collection? ›

Meet Bettina Dorfmann, a German superfan with an epic collection of 18,500 dolls, making her one of the most dedicated Barbie collectors worldwide.

Who owns the most Barbie dolls in the world? ›

Maybe you had three, five, or even ten. Well, that's nothing compared to Bettina Dorfmann's collection of a staggering 18,500 dolls. Her love for Barbie has earned her the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of Barbie dolls, a title she has held since 2005.

What is the world's largest doll? ›

"A few miles to the northeast of the World's Largest Sundial, in the residential community of Tonto Hills, stands a 39-foot-tall Kachina doll, unquestionably the world's largest.

Who has the largest Barbie collection in Singapore? ›

Jian Yang, a 44-year-old Singaporean man, has a massive collection of over 12,000 Barbie dolls. He enjoys taking his dolls out to events, where he takes photos of them for his Instagram account. "Actually, I'm still a toy collector. It just happens to be a lot of Barbies," Yang told Insider.

Which actress has a collection of 2000 dolls? ›

Actress Demi Moore owns an estimated collection of over 2,000 fine porcelain vintage dolls and a huge dollhouse to store them. Moore's Ex-Husband, Ashton Kutcher, told in an interview that the dolls are present in every section of the house and it used to freak him out.

What is the number one selling doll in the world? ›

Although exact sales figures are impossible to source, there is no doubt that the most successful doll of all time is Barbie, the "fashion" toy first debuted by Mattel (USA) at the New York Toy Fair on 9 March 1959.

Who owns Barbie now? ›

And for Mattel, the company who owns Barbie and hundreds of other well known toy brands, it's just the beginning. For investors, it could mean getting in at the beginning of the new Marvel Cinematic Universe, or it could be a money pit that never gets off the ground. Let's look at the details.

Who owns Barbie Girl? ›

Years later, Mattel even bought the rights to the song from Aqua, Lobel wrote. Mattel began using a modified song in promotional materials from 2009.

Which is the famous doll in the world? ›

Barbie: The world's most famous plastic doll.

What is the oldest doll ever found? ›

Archaeological evidence places dolls as the foremost candidate for the oldest known toy. Wooden paddle dolls have been found in Egyptian tombs dating to as early as the 21st century BC. Dolls with movable limbs and removable clothing date back to at least 200 BC.

Who has the most dolls in the world? ›

Dorfmann had 2,500 dolls when she set the record. By 2011, her collection had grown to 15,000. According to some news reports, she now has as many as 18,500 Barbie dolls.

What is the most expensive Barbie girl? ›

As of July 2023, the Stefanie Canturi Barbie was the most expensive Barbie ever sold, having reached an auction price of more than 300 thousand U.S. dollars in 2010. The price was also pushed up by the doll's diamond necklace.

What is the most popular doll franchise? ›

For over six decades, Barbie has been the world's biggest-selling fashion doll, with millions of dolls sold. Its popularity has led it to become Mattel's figurehead product, and the franchise has spawned many incarnations of the famous toy, with a huge variety of playsets and fashion accessories.

Who is the king of dolls? ›

The name Rey de las muñecas (The King of Dolls) was given to him for the first time in Mexico. It is interesting that the Spanish language, which is spoken by about 350 million people, has been enriched by two new words due to dolls of Mr. Perinic: muñecologo (coined in Argentina), and.

Which celebrity collects dolls? ›

John Wayne - actor, was an avid collector of dolls throughout his life. Also, there are several dolls based on him which are made by different manufacturers.

What dolls are most collectible? ›

Quick Reference Value Chart for Vintage Dolls
Vintage DollApproximate Value
Pre-1982 Cabbage Patch Kidup to $5,300
1972 Kenner Blytheup to $4,500
1940s Ideal Toy Superman Dollup to $2,700
1950s and 1960s Troll Dollsup to $2,100
5 more rows
May 23, 2024

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