Barbie Dolls Are Not Just for Girls: Meet the Guy Who Has a 6,000-Piece Doll Collection
Who said girls are the only ones who can collect Barbie dolls? Thirty-three-year-old and Singaporean Jian Yang may be considered by most as an odd male collector of Barbie dolls but fully supported by his closest friends and family.
The exterior of his tidy rowhouse may seem manly on its exteriors, but within it is a staircase that leads to a room filled with more than 6,000 Barbie dolls. His dolls freely dominated every side of the main room, including 9 glass cabinets in his dressing room and the rest of his shelves too. This may go against his being a minimalist decorator, but nothing can stop his seeming 'obsession' with the most popular doll in the world.
Mr Yang shared during a Reuters interview that his exterior too is not something that will give away his secret love for Barbie dolls. But with his revelation of his passion to the media, he quite knew it would raise some eyebrows and make people wonder.
The Singaporean collector works as strategic director for Omicom Media Group where he practices his professional interest with toys. However, he was only 13 when he started his Barbie collection with his very first model in 'Great Shape' model, wearing a Spandex gym clothing and a pair of leg warmers.
He became even more motivated to buy things he likes when he started receiving his own allowance. It may be an insane obsession, but it is something that everyone close to him have come to accept.
The self-confessed nerd for toys said he has spent about US$392,000 over the last 2 decades that he has been building his collection. He also has some dolls coming from Monster High and Bratz Girls, among many others.
His oldest Barbie doll is dated way back from early 60s which is dressed in a nurse outfit and a pair of cat eye glasses. When asked if his house gets all packed with Barbie dolls, then he plans to get another house.