Customer Reviews

Barbie Doll Photo Album 1959 to 2009

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With the title Barbie Doll Photo Album, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this book, but my hopes were high since anyone familiar with J. Michael Augustyniak's other tremendous Barbie doll books knows that his titles are must-haves in any doll reference library. When I received this ASTOUNDING 450-page hardcover book, I could NOT put it down as page after page fascinated me with the brilliant colors, HUGE photographs throughout (many photos fill the ENTIRE page), wonderful close-up photos, and fascinating information regarding identification, stock numbers, trivia, and values. The lay-out was absolutely the BEST, as the book, logically, follows Barbies "life" chronologically from 1959 all the way through Christmas Holiday Barbie 2009. The book features MANY, MANY vintage rarities in new-in-box condition never shown in any other doll books, and Augustyniak treats even the more recent years with the same respect given the vintage period: with countless dolls! Ken collectors will be ecstatic as no other book has ever shown so many Ken dolls (Ken debuted in 1961 and is shown continuously through the book), and the other Barbie friends and family members are also incredibly-well represented. The great charm of this book is that the most advanced collectors as well as those just beginning collecting will find this book impossible to put down, as this visual history of Barbie through the last 50 years is simply as lovely as the doll! I would give this book a PERFECT rating, especially since I would have expected to pay far more than $29.95 for a book of this size and value!

Great book with very informative photos of each type barbie and dates when issued. J. Michael Augustyniak has great books at a great value. Even better than this book is his 2008 book called Barbie doll Collector's Editions. Highly recommend both books.

This book has the best Barbie doll photos! I love the large photos and the close-ups. The dolls are orangized by year, which is great. Barbie is together with her friends. It is my new favorite Barbie doll book.

This is a great photo journal detailing all the different stages of barbie since the 50's. Great colour photos with all the favorites here!! Purchased this for my daughter to give her an insight into the history of Barbie over the last 50 years. Highly Recommended for the Collector just starting out.

To many Walmart/Target sold little kid barbies and no where near enough collector Barbies. If I had known this before I bought it, I never would have bought it. Waste of a collectors money.

Pros:
Full color
Huge pictures and nice layout
Sequential-year-of-release formatting
Debut years of sculpts, dolls, or doll lines
Includes dolls released exclusively in other markets--unfortunately, the pros end here.

One major con for Black-doll collectors:
The omission of several, as in too-numerous-to-count African American Barbies and friends, is misleading.

If the goal was to include only Barbies, I was teased by the initial inclusion of vintage dark-skinned dolls (e.g. Francie, Christie, Brad, Cara, Curtis, Julia) into thinking all members of the Barbie and friends family would follow. The author's format consistently includes images and details for every white doll made in the lines explored, to include the different hair colors (blonde, brunette, red, etc.); but in many of the lines where dark-skinned dolls are known to exist, no mention is made of these dolls via illustration or text. A notation that the excluded dolls were manufactured (e.g. An African American version was made) would have sufficed to properly inform the reader.

The following is my observation of known African American dolls omitted whose white counterparts are included in the book: SuperStar Christie, Magic Curl Barbie, Twirly Curls Barbie, Crystal Barbie and Crystal Ken,Great Shape Barbie, Peaches 'n Cream Barbie, Day-to-Night Barbie, the Heart Family series, Dream Glow Barbie and Ken, Astronaut Barbie, Magic Moves Barbie, Jewel Secrets Barbie and Ken, Funtime Barbie, Super Hair Barbie, Perfume Giving Barbie and Ken, Doctor Barbie, Dance Magic Barbie and Ken, Flight Time Barbie, Costume Ball Barbie and Ken, Teen Talk Barbie, Totally Hair Barbie, Radiant in Red Barbie, Earring Magic Barbie, Hollywood Hair Barbie, Paint 'n Dazzle Barbie, Western Stampin' Barbie, Police Officer Barbie, Camp Barbie, Super Talk Barbie, Dance Moves Barbie, Pretty Dreams Barbie, Teacher Barbie, Cool Shavin' Ken, Talk with Me! Barbie, Harley-Davidson Barbie #1, Bead Blast Barbie, 40th Anniversary Barbie and Ken, Happy Family series: Alan, Midge, Ryan and the new baby; Princess and the Pauper Barbie and Ken; 45th Anniversary Barbie, Generations of Dreams Barbie, Barbie 50th Anniversary, and My Favorite Doll Black Barbie.

In addition, most African American Staceys and Skippers are omitted.

This is just a partial listing of the Black Barbies and friends that are omitted from Augustyniak's current Barbie book. I am sure there are other African American, Hispanic, and Asian dolls that were cropped out of Barbie's photo album. The informed collector is left hanging; the novice is left misinformed.

IF YOUR A COLLECTOR OR KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO IS LIKE MY MOTHER IS THIS IS THE BARBIE BOOK FOR YOU VERY INFORMATIVE AND WELL ILLUSTRATED A MUST FOR THE BARBIE COLLECTOR.

This book is really a joy to peruse for both the novice and the advanced collector since the dolls shown are in pristine mint condition. Most of the dolls shown are new in original boxes, with spectacular out-of-box close-up photos. Kudos to the publisher for making the pictures so large, a rarity among most Barbie books. The big pictures make every detail of the dolls almost "life size," and I could visualize this book on every coffee table in households with girls; which little girl, after all, has NOT experienced the joy of playing Barbie dolls? We grown girls need our Barbie memories too, and this book really delivers. Since the book covers the full spectrum of Barbie's first 50 years, both mother (or grandmother) and daughters will enjoy looking through the book and pointing out favorite dolls once owned, or once desired but not received! The author prudently gives adequate coverage even to more recent years, the 1990s through 2009, that are often ignored in other books, while the 1960s through the 1980s are likely to evoke sweet nostalgia among today's collectors who are over thirty years old. At 450 pages and hardback, the book is truly a great value at $29.95. I would rate this book a solid "A" for its overall appeal.

Book is very nice; however if you have any other reference books do not waste the money. There is nothing new in this book.

After purchasing the third edtion I was sure this book would have more information and pictures. This book was very disappointing, matell website had more information than this book. I was hoping to see international exclusives as well as US exclusives. I was expecting to see and read about the jointed silkstones and there value.This book had less silkstone and porcelain barbies than the third edtion. I hope his next book have all the silkstones and porcelain dolls national as well as international.