Britain’s biggest Barbie fan has spent more than £20,000 collecting 800 dolls – which have rocketed in value since the movie release.<br /><br />Dawn Austin, 44, first became obsessed with the iconic doll when she spotted one in an airport shop when she was a small child.<br /><br />She steadily added to her collection but lost interest as a teenager until she fell back in love with them in her 20s when she became an artist.<br /><br />Over the last 23 years, Dawn has scoured flea markets and online auction sites like eBay for dolls from her childhood.<br /><br />She now has a staggering 800 Barbies as well as several Kens. She also has dozens of Sindy and Tammy dolls which are crammed into her three-bed terrace in Derby.<br /><br />Dawn says the dolls fill almost every surface but husband Steve, 45, draws a line with having any in their bedroom.<br /><br />She said: “One of my first memories is sitting in a pram and seeing this amazing toy doll in a shop window at an airport.<br /><br />"I saw all these golden-haired dolls and I asked if they were fairies or angels.<br /><br />“My mum took me over and bought me a Malibu Barbie and I never let it go. From then on I just wanted to collect them all.<br /><br />"When I was a child, it was the scope for imagination and play. She could be what I wanted.<br /><br />"I remember that Barbie was a nun, but she was also a farmer - she went anywhere that you could take her.”<br /><br />While she was an art student in 2000, Dawn decided to collect Barbies she enjoyed from her 1980s childhood.<br /><br />She added: “My fascination just snowballed. I would go on eBay sites and scour flea markets and thrift stores.<br /><br />“Every time we go on holiday, I always scout out a market or car boot sale nearby. <br /><br />“My husband Steve is very good. He knows how important they are to me.<br /><br />"I have kept all the receipts for the dolls and I would estimate that overall I have spent more than £20,000 on them but for me it's worth it because I just love collecting them."<br /><br />Since the Hollywood movie Barbie was released last month, the value in Barbie-related memorabilia has soared.<br /><br />Dawn has now upped security of her most precious dolls, with some being extremely rare first editions.<br /><br />The most valuable doll she owns is a 1960 model featuring Barbie wearing a black and white swimsuit and sporting a ponytail.<br /><br />Dawn said: “I never really thought to much about the doll’s value but since the movie, Barbie memorabilia has gone up 25 per cent.<br /><br />“I have become quite expert in what to look for and I always go for as mint condition as you can find.<br /><br />“First I look at the condition of the face and hair and if the doll has any limbs bent or chewed or missing.<br /><br />“If you can find any which are boxed then that’s really going to up their value.<br /><br />“The clothes don’t really matter because they can be replaced.<br /><br />“A face can even be repainted or repaired but they lose their value.<br /><br />“Through my work as an artist I have become expert at doll restoration.<br /><br />“I’ve helped other collectors restore their dolls which were not in the best condition.”
