St. James Residents Tickled Pink To See Barbie Collection

By MONICA CALZOLARI
ONEONTA

Joan Camp, a resident of St. James Retirement Community in Davenport, has been collecting Barbie dolls for more than 30 years. She started collecting the Special Edition Holiday Barbie as an adult every Christmas.

Camp owns 30 Collector Edition Barbies. They look brand new and are still in their original boxes.

She said, “Because it is the year of the Barbie, I thought the ladies in my knitting and crocheting club at St. James might like to see them.”

Camp suggested the idea to Dawn Williams, activities director for St. James Manor. The event on October 11 was a big hit.

Camp and her knitting friends have not seen the 2023 Barbie film yet. Nevertheless, Camp wore a pink shirt for the occasion.

Resident Ruth Tompkins of Chenango said, “I have never seen so many Barbies in one place. It is a nice thing for Joan to share them with us and for others to know we have such activities here.”

Pete Tompkins, Ruth’s husband and another one of the 55 residents at St. James Retirement Community, was instrumental in transporting the collection to St. James for the day.

Holiday Barbies are exquisitely dressed like princesses in full-length ballgowns with extravagant jewelry, elaborate hairstyles and make-up. Many are dressed in festive holiday colors—red, green, winter white, gold and silver.

Resident Shirley Hurtubise said, “I think they are beautiful.”

One Barbie looked like Mrs. Claus in a red velvet ballgown.

At least two of Camp’s collector Barbies are dressed in garments by Bob Mackie, the American fashion designer best known for dressing such celebrities as Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Cher, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Marilyn Monroe, Tina Turner and Barbra Streisand.

One of Mackie’s designs was a black velvet ballgown with a multicolored embroidered skirt and a white-feathered boa. Another wore a silver tiara, jewels, and a white and silver tulle gown with a festive burgundy ribbon.

The collection brought back good memories for resident Peggy Falco.

“My daughter had Barbies and we made clothes for them. I remember making a wedding dress (for one of the dolls),” Falco recalled.

Camp said, “I have not seen these dolls in five years! I had fun seeing them again. I am fascinated by all the clothes.”

Camp’s daughter, Denise Herrick, is storing the Collector Barbies for her mother, who does not intend to sell them. Camp has promised her collection to two of her granddaughters, who live in Boston and New Hampshire.

Camp said, “I lived in a 12-room home in Otego and had plenty of space and a lot of shelves to have my Barbies on display. When my husband died five years ago, the house was too big for me to take care of by myself. I moved to St. James four years ago.”

Camp explained, “I bought one Barbie doll every year from a catalogue for $39.99 each. I cannot believe that I paid more than $1,000.00 for my collection. That’s a lot of money, but it was a gradual process.”

She said, “My son-in-law, who owns Lettis Auction House, did some research and told me that one of my Barbies is worth $300.00.”

The Barbie doll was launched in 1959. She was created by Ruth Handler, named for Ruth’s own daughter, Barbara, and manufactured by Mattel. According to the “Wall Street Journal,” “Mattel has sold over a billion Barbie dolls, making it the company’s largest and most profitable line.”

One of Camp’s boxes still has a price tag visible that says $39.99. She explained that if the dolls were not still in their original boxes, in mint condition, they would not be as valuable.

Camp and her husband raised four children in Otego, three sons and one daughter. Her sons live in California, North Carolina and Texas and she only gets to see them once a year. Her daughter Denise and her son-in-law live in Oneonta. Altogether, Camp has nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Executive Director Kathy Clarkson said, “St. James Retirement Community was founded in 1999. In February, we’ll be celebrating our 25th anniversary. We take pride in how clean and well-maintained our facility is.”

Clarkson has worked at St. James for 23 years.