Vintage Barbie clothes - need help

[Nohal]

With hurricane Irene DM lost power so therefore her pumps and french drain weren't able to work and basement took on water. I have found many of my vintage barbie clothes that are in good shape. Since they have been in the basement for close to 40 some years, I was wondering if i could wash them. They are all in excellent condition but I would feel better (since they were in the basement that long) if I could wash them. I don't know the year of my barbie but I think it is original (I took that from the basement 30 yrs ago). Is there a web site other than ebay where I can find info?

 

[walden]

With hurricane Irene DM lost power so therefore her pumps and french drain weren't able to work and basement took on water. I have found many of my vintage barbie clothes that are in good shape. Since they have been in the basement for close to 40 some years, I was wondering if i could wash them. They are all in excellent condition but I would feel better (since they were in the basement that long) if I could wash them. I don't know the year of my barbie but I think it is original (I took that from the basement 30 yrs ago). Is there a web site other than ebay where I can find info?

I'm mostly bumping for you because I'm very into vintage/collectibles but not so much interested in Barbie.

I'm thinking this is sentimental value for you, not resale*, so I'd try very gently cold water hand washing a couple of outfits to see what happens. They may shrink, lose color or completely fall apart.

However, Google is my friend. Try this forum and ask the question --it is not ebay: http://barbiecollector.8.forumer.com/

And they seemed friendly folks from the very quick look I took. Good luck!

* Unless mint, never played with, and in the box there really is no resale value so I would wash them.

 

[crz4mm2]

Heck,I'd wash them.

I got my wedding dress out of the closet a few years ago.... It was YELLOW (originally white) and I decided I would wash it in oxyclean (it was ruined the way it was, so what the heck) so I put it in the bathtub with oxyclean and (gasp) HOT water. I washed it two times, and then hung it out on the porch to dry....

Came out gorgeous. Just like the day I bought it.

If they are "ruined" the way they are, what do you have to lose?

 

[3boymthr]

The risks the PP mentioned are definitely there for damage with regard to shrinking, fading, etc.

For cleaning vintage and antique clothes/cloth Martha Stewart recommends washing by hand with dreft or woolite in cold water (basically just gently swishing around), pressing, not wringing to remove excess water, reshaping to original shape, and drying flat. I have done this with some antique (100+ years old) lace baby clothes I inherited and they survived really well with no shrinking or other damage.

 

[DianeV]

btw vintage Barbie clothes and Barbies go quite well on ebay

 

[MissUndastood]

If only my dad didn't throw all my barbies and clothes, I could have retired. Sheesh, I had somany nice clothes for the barbs and skipper.

 

[Nohal]

So glad my mother kept my barbie stuff. The cases were a disaster and had to be trashed. One of the barbies has green on the side of her face from the metal earring she wore. I don't have a clue how to clean that off. I had a lot of clothes but after going through what was there I come to find that not all of them were barbie. There was no tag in the garment. I have quite a few pairs of shoes but again they weren't all barbie. Glad I took my barbie (can't really determine the year but it wasn't the first one) years ago.

 

[roscoepc1]

I wouldn't machine wash them....I know from experience, store-bought Barbie clothes do NOT machine wash and dry well (fraying etc). However, I think I'd try woolite and warm water, then lay flat to dry......if they're ruined otherwise, you've got nothing to lose, really.

The ones my Mom makes and has sold for over 40 years? They wash and dry just like regular clothes....but they're in a completely different quality level then the storebought ones....

 

[DebIreland]

I believe Ken is entitled to half of those clothes, as per the terms of the divorce.

His lawyer will be in touch.

 

[tigercat]

For the face would magic eraser work?
tigercat

 

[tabby1881]

So glad my mother kept my barbie stuff. The cases were a disaster and had to be trashed. One of the barbies has green on the side of her face from the metal earring she wore. I don't have a clue how to clean that off. I had a lot of clothes but after going through what was there I come to find that not all of them were barbie. There was no tag in the garment. I have quite a few pairs of shoes but again they weren't all barbie. Glad I took my barbie (can't really determine the year but it wasn't the first one) years ago.

I collect vintage Barbies. My own era would be the Malibu era, but I'm learning more about the earlier Barbies. Many Barbie outfits from the early 1970s didn't have labels. If you like, you could go to Ebay, Community, Discussion Boards, Dolls. You will see several Barbie discussions.

I've used this website: fashion-doll-guide.com/Vintage-Barbie-Identification.html to find info, too.

When did you get your Barbie? Does she have "eyelashes"?

 

[FergieTCat]

My mother and grandmother had hand made clothes for my older sister's Little Miss Revlon doll, sometime in the mid-1950's. There was even a little fur coat and cardigans which were knitted on toothpicks. My sister handed the clothes down to me for my Barbie. And I stored them away.

About 3 years ago, I found them again in my closet and returned them to my sister, who was shocked I still had them; she said she hadn't seen them since I was a kid (think 40 years!) We discovered that I held on to her doll (Skipper was no where to be found). The clothes held up and we thought they looked like little tiny versions of the dresses in "I Love Lucy" (same era). My sister is handing them down to her granddaughter.

The doll wasn't worth anything on Ebay, and the clothes are priceless to us.

 

[Nohal]

Thanks for all of the replies. I will try the magic eraser on the Barbie with green on the side of her face I figure I don't have anything to lose. My Barbie I'm thinking is from the early years but I know isn't the first one because she doesn't have the holes in her feet. So I'm guessing she is from 1960-1962:. Also Ken wasn't even around till after I finished playing Barbies so I didn't have any cars, houses, etc. I don't think he is entitled to 1/2 of the clothes as he wasn't even on the drawing board at the time I received them. I may have to consult a lawyer about this.