Your Barbie by Year
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1965 - My new Charmin' Chatty Cathy doll
Christmas 1969: I am on the right with my new
Talking Barbie and Talking Stacey.
"You were born
to restore Barbies. They are so gorgeous!"
(a quote from a happy collector
who had just received her dolls back)
Christmas 1969...I remember exactly how it felt to receive and open my brand new dolls; the
scent, the look and feel of their soft, shiny hair, their perfect expressions,
bright eyes, and the pure beauty of these brand new treasures! And you will experience this same feeling of excitement all over again when you re-open
your own well-loved treasure after she has been exquisitely restored.
When I first began collecting in 1995, I found that restoring sad, old dolls to their former and well-deserved beauty was a talent I truly enjoyed and was pleased to offer to others.
I began college as an art major (painting, design and graphic arts), but then found my other passion was art history. I graduated from UCLA College of Fine Arts with a Bachelor of Arts, and a major in art history. I then completed my multiple subject teaching certification at UCI.
As for Barbie, I am thrilled to combine my love of history (by making sure that the dolls are historically correct) with my background as an artist.
I have been a restoration specialist, restoring Barbies and 'friends,' since 1996, and I have worked with collectors, dealers and original owners from around the world.
I have also had the opportunity to demonstrate my restoration skills at doll conventions in many countries, including Italy, France, The Netherlands and Belgium.
Recently I have begun to create my own series of OOAK (one of a kind) Silkstone Barbies. Each doll has been meticulously restyled and repainted into my own interpretation of a vintage beauty.
...But should you have your doll restored?
Here are my thoughts on this issue:
It is true that a properly restored doll is more valuable than a dirty, played-with doll, but for those dolls that still look nearly new, I have always felt that restoration is only warranted when the ability to truly enjoy them is compromised by their current condition.
I believe in maintaining the dolls in
as 'all-original' condition as possible, and I therefore take a conservative approach to my restorations.
I use custom-mixed, original vintage paint colors. It is also important
that I re-create the original facial
feature shapes.
If re-rooting is necessary, I do my best to match the original hair color and
texture, and I restyle the hair back to the original vintage style.
There is nothing I do to a doll that could not be completely reversed (except
when I must remove damaged, original hair before doing a re-root, of course).
During my restoration process I do not alter or remove any original face paint,
nail paint, etc.
Your doll is thoroughly cleaned, her hair is neatly and correctly restyled, and
her original make-up is flawlessly enhanced, using only the highest quality paints.
Any factory face and nail paint that has remained through the years is left, untouched and unharmed,
underneath.
If just a very tiny touch up is warranted, I am usually able to
flawlessly match the original color and simply touch up a tiny corner or edge as
necessary.
Barbie was meant to be a beautiful fashion doll, and it is a proper tribute to restore her back to her original glamour!
It is also important to consider that
the vintage Barbies and friends are about 50 years old. These were
well-loved (and often very played-with) "toys!" Therefore they may
possess certain "flaws" that cannot (and should not) be corrected.
I will
not attempt to do anything to a doll that permanently alters it or may
potentially harm it in any way.
More information may be found on the Beauty
Salon page on my website. And should you have any questions at all, please
email me anytime.
**My home is smoke and pet free**
.
Please take a look at my many before and
after photos. I am sure you will agree that my restoration services
will greatly enhance the value of your doll as well as your ability to enjoy her!
Email me at RestorBabs@aol.com
copyright D.Agostini 2003
Demonstrating Barbie restoration at the annual Doll Collector's Club
Italia convention,
Calenzano (Florence), Italy
Italy is my favorite place on the planet!
Venezia
Venezia
Hawai'i is a close second:
August 2011 - O'ahu - North Shore, with my daughter
August 2011 - O'ahu - North Shore, with my son, a Univ. of Hawaii student!
O'ahu - North Shore
O'ahu - North Shore (Waimea Bay)
O'ahu - Kailua Beach
2010 Hawaii -
A goat with a pink umbrella
Hawaii
My lovely Grandma Rose (affectionately known as 'Bubba') Nov. 1910 - June 2005.
Her favorite hobby was playing the piano, and this was something she enjoyed until just days
before she passed away. We miss her so much!
This is sweet little Buzz. Buzz lived a
long, happy life with us until 2005.
Our very handsome "Kitty." We are so sad we had to say
good-bye to him in August 2012.
Already a senior cat when we adopted him in 2006, we are lucky to have shared
six short years with this awesome fellow. We will always miss him.
My very favorite links and info for a healthy, plant-based, vegan lifestyle:
http://nutritionfacts.org
Dr. Michael Greger's researched-based and information packed website, with daily
video topics.
Dr. John McDougall's Health and Medical Center
- Dr. McDougall teaches better health through plant-based (vegan) cuisine. Be
sure to check out his newsletter and Mary's delicious recipes!
http://drmcdougall.com/
Lindsay Nixon's amazing, no/low-fat,
plant-based, EASY recipes
http://happyherbivore.com/
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is the compassionate
cook. I love her "Vegetarian Food for Thought" blog and podcasts!
http://www.compassionatecook.com
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
http://www.pcrm.org/
The Plant-Based Way to Health
http://www.forksoverknives.com/
CulinarySchools.org -- Veganism and the Environment by the Numbers
*******
In Loving Memory...
Pietro, our very dear friend!
Mi sento la tua mancanza
piu' che posso dire...Ti amo sempre!
********
"Life, moreover, is composed of the most dissimilar things, the most unforeseen, the most contradictory, the most incongruous; it is merciless, without sequence or connection, full of inexplicable, illogical, and contradictory catastrophes." -- Guy de Maupassant
"The biggest problem confronting the world today is the illusion that our differences matter more than
our common humanity." -- Bill Clinton
“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” -- Benjamin Franklin (1706–90). This quotation is inscribed on a plaque in the stairwell of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
*********
The Art of Education
The art of education is to continue to grow as long as you
live.
Grow from what you are into what you desire to be.
Live to learn and learn to live.
Every moment brings its lesson.
Every person is a teacher.
Every place is a schoolroom.
Your university is the universe.
Grow in all directions.
Cultivate the whole person.
Develop a desire for goodness,
an eagerness for knowledge,
a capacity for friendship,
an appreciation of beauty, and
a concern for others.
Grow through all your years.
A person is never finished.
A person never arrives.
Education never stops.
-- Anonymous
