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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Passion For Fashion Doll Reignited After Discovery

She’s one of the most popular women in the world. She has dressed for success for almost 40 years, has traveled extensively, modeled for top fashion designers and starts every morning with her makeup perfectly in place.

She, of course, is Barbie, the passion of little girls since 1959 when she first struck a pose in her black and white swimsuit.

Eventually, most little girls outgrow their Barbies. The dolls are stashed in the back of the closet or offered at garage sales.

But Sue Mauro found her fascination for the fashion doll rekindled nine years ago when her mom discovered two of Mauro’s childhood Barbies.

They were well-used. One has a broken neck; the other, a haircut that can only be accomplished by a little girl with scissors.

But seeing the dolls ignited the North Side woman’s passion. She began scouring antique shops and garage sales for Barbie dolls. She contacted other collectors and began trading. She ordered unique dolls from distant department stores.

Once she even bought 300 packages of Kool-Aid and peeled off the UPC stickers so she could send away for a special Kool-Aid Barbie. She later gave the packages of drink mix to a nearby preschool.

It’s a lot of work.

“Barbie collectors run from store to store,” says Mauro.

But Mauro, who lives in a renovated brick school house on Pleasant Prairie Road, has plenty to show for her efforts.

She estimates her collection at 1,600 dolls.

The vast majority are Barbies. But there are also dozens of Ken’s (even Mod Ken with shaggy hair), best friend Midge, little sister Skipper, and pals including Ricky, Allan, Tutti and Kelly.

She has all the Barbie watches, Barbie lunch boxes and vinyl carrying cases. There are Barbie books and Barbie lipstick. Tiny boxes are filled with dozens of high-heeled shoes, earrings, purses, sunglasses and combs.

But mostly, there are Barbies. Floor-to-ceiling shelves jammed with Barbies. Barbies in boxes, Barbies on stands.

She has Barbies dressed in a dozen different swimsuits, Barbie in a business suit, in pajamas, a nightgown, evening gowns, hiking clothes, astronaut garb, camouflage, and in a slim 1960s airline stewardess uniform.

Mauro pulls a large box from one of the shelves and opens it carefully. Inside is dazzling “Goddess of the Sun” Barbie dressed in a Bob Mackie original.

Even the most jaded Barbie-basher would be silenced by the sight.

Mauro says the Barbie lure is simple.

“She’s from my age and time, and I like the vintage aspect,” she said.

Mauro’s home is a reflection of her respect for the past, filled with memorabilia from the old school house she and her family have renovated.

Antique toys collected over the years fill shelves and walls. The original school teeter-totters are still in the yard. Her own childhood playhouse is there, too.

Mauro is a nurse at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

She is also the primary pricing editor for “Miller’s,” a glossy magazine produced in Spokane and dedicated to Barbie collectors around the world. After six years in production, it has a circulation of about 40,000. It’s published quarterly by Barbara and Dan Miller.

“Sue has an exceptionally nice collection,” said Miller. “She has made a commitment to acquire a lot of knowledge.”

Mauro’s collection includes Barbies in their original boxes, with wrist tags attached and a clear plastic band holding each hair in place.

A price sticker on a 1960s-era box reads $2.80. Today the doll would probably fetch several hundred dollars.

The old, never-played-with Barbies are rare.

Today, collectors snatch up the dolls, but never remove them from their boxes.

It’s becoming harder to find original Barbies in mint condition. The early Barbies are starting to fade, turning a pale, ghostly color. Steel pierced earrings are turning Barbies’ cheeks green.

New dolls that are supposed to be “exclusive” at high-end department stores are showing up at Wal-Mart.

The music group Aqua has even recorded a song with sleazy lyrics about the beautiful Barbie that has some collectors fuming.

With problems like that, it’s easy to turn a deaf ear to Barbie detractors who claim the impossiblyproportioned doll gives girls an unrealistic body image, encourages everything from anorexia to poor self-esteem.

“I think those people are probably just negative about everything,” says Mauro.

Her own daughter, 7, has a collection of Barbies to play with.

When her daughter was born, Mauro raced out and bought her baby “My First Barbie.”

“I was so happy I had a girl,” said Mauro.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CLUB MEETING The Spokane Barbie Collectors Club meets the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at 8817 E. Mission, near the intersection of Mission and Argonne. More information is available by calling Sue Mauro, 926-6184.

This sidebar appeared with the story: CLUB MEETING The Spokane Barbie Collectors Club meets the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at 8817 E. Mission, near the intersection of Mission and Argonne. More information is available by calling Sue Mauro, 926-6184.