While grown-up girls collecting Barbie dolls is not really something new, a Japanese woman living in California has raised the bar for other collectors out there. Turning her apartment into a life-size Barbie Dreamhouse with everything Barbie in it, there is no denying that she is, indeed, a Barbie superfan.
Azusa Sakamoto, now 36-years old, never owned a Barbie doll growing up as it was not until she was 15-years old when she first got an official Barbie product.
Azusa Sakamoto never owned any Barbie item until she was 15 years old.
Source: Instagram/AzusaBarbie
Azusa recalled:
“I WAS 15 YEARS OLD AND IT JUST LOOKED LIKE CUTE AMERICAN POP CULTURE TO ME. SINCE THEN I WAS JUST SO ATTRACTED BY THESE HOT PINK BARBIE THINGS. MY FIRST BARBIE DOLL WAS ACTUALLY TWO YEARS LATER FROM THAT. I BECAME AN EXCHANGE STUDENT WHEN I WAS IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND I WAS STAYING IN INDIANA FOR ONE YEAR AND WHEN I WENT TO INDIANA I GOT MY FIRST BARBIE DOLL.”
Who would have thought that, one day, the girl who grew up without a Barbie doll would own a vast collection of various Barbie merchandise? While it is true that Asuza’s collection is just a little more than 200 pieces, which is relatively small compared to other hardcore Barbie collectors, she is now the envy of many as she has transformed her Los Angeles apartment into a real-life Barbie Dreamhome.
Now 36 years-old, she owns more than 200 pieces of Barbie dolls, two of which are valued at $1,800.
Source: Instagram/AzusaBarbie
According to the Los Angeles nail artist, she has spent more than $80,000 on her Barbie collection and even had her furniture pieces in the living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom customized into anything Barbie!
She enthusiastically said:
“I HAVE A BARBIE FRIDGE, DRAWERS, TABLE AND DRESSER, SHELVES. I HAVE A BARBIE KITCHEN COUNTER AND BARBIE OVEN, AND BATHROOM. I HAVE BARBIE DOLLS; I HAVE PURSES, I HAVE SHOES, I HAVE PILLOWS, I HAVE NECKLACES, I HAVE SHIRTS, I HAVE SKIRTS, I HAVE SOCKS, I HAVE CUPS, I HAVE PLATES, I HAVE POSTERS, I HAVE ART WORKS, I HAVE NAIL POLISH, I HAVE A BARBIE CLOCK…”
On the whole, Azusa has spent more than $80,000 on her Barbie collection, which includes not only dolls but other memorabilia.
Despite the criticisms on Barbie (such as the well-loved doll indirectly dictates that girls should have slender bodies), Azusa believes that Barbie is actually a good influence to girls, both to the young and old.
Azusa sees Barbie as a fashion icon and a reminder that she can be anybody she wants to be.
“Actually Barbie is just telling girls how to have fun being a girl, I think,” she added. “Barbie has boyfriend Ken but I always think Barbie is buying that dream house with her own money, she didn’t ask Ken to buy her house, or shoes or purses or anything, she is so independent, she has a bunch of jobs. So real beauty is outside and inside.”
