Philadelphia, Pa — Phylicia Brathwaite began collecting Barbie dolls in 2000 when the Millennium Barbie was released, and since then, she has accumulated over 100 Barbie dolls. “She encourages you to use your creativity and imagination. And as an adult collector, youre reminded of different famous people,” says Brathwaite. Her collection mainly features Barbies of color, celebrity Barbies, and ‘sheroes.

Brathwaite recalls receiving dolls from the ‘Barbies of the World Collection and keeping them in their boxes because they felt special to her. “They just sat there with no real intention of collecting at that point,” she explains. “And then in 2000, I thought, ‘Yes, I am going to be a Barbie collector.”

Every year, she receives a Holiday Barbie from her mom for Christmas. Her collection also includes notable figures such as Madame C.J. Walker, Betty Coleman, Tina Turner, and Ida B. Wells. When asked what she loves about Barbie, Phylicia says, “Barbie is meant to represent the time. So, whenever something cool or exciting happens, Barbie is there. When you look back in the archives, you can see what Barbie was doing and who was popular at the time. I think thats cool from a time capsule perspective.”