For 57 years old, she’s looking pretty good.
At least that would be the opinion of more than 800 people attending the 2016 National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront.
Barbie debuted in March 1959 at the New York Toy Fair. People laughed at the concept, said Kelly Powers, spokeswoman for Mattel Inc., which has owned the brand since it began.
They’re not laughing now.
Mattel doesn’t know exactly how many Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide, but it’s “probably 1 billion,” she said.
Collectors began arriving Tuesday for the four-day convention that wraps up Saturday.
They have reserved more than 3,000 room nights at the hotel and will spend more than $1.7 million on lodging, food and beverages and entertainment before they return home, according to Visit Jacksonville, the convention and visitors bureau for Duval County.
Planning the event — the group’s 36th national meeting — began three years ago, said Maria Sox, a collector from Miami who is co-chair of the convention.
The site is selected on a rotating basis, alternating between the East Coast and West Coast, to accommodate members of Barbie doll collector clubs in all 50 states and this year, 13 countries from Asia and Australia to Europe.
This year’s theme is “A Pop Art Happening.” Many of the workshops and fashion shows have a 1970s flair, recalling the work of Andy Warhol and other artists of the era.
When organizers came to Jacksonville two years ago shopping for the location for the 2016 meeting, in addition to being close to the beach and having a hotel with enough guest rooms and meeting space, one of Downtown’s cultural assets helped seal the deal.
“You have a wonderful modern art museum here,” said Lisa Francis, convention co-chair and a collector from Boston, referring to the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, about a 10-minute walk from the Hyatt.
There’s also a significant charitable aspect to the convention.
A silent auction of donated Barbie dolls and collectibles raised $40,000 Wednesday evening for Special Olympics Florida-Duval County. A live auction to benefit Cathedral Arts Project also is on the agenda.
“It’s our way of giving back to the communities where we hold our conventions,” Sox said. “We have fun, but we also have a purpose.”
For Mattel, which operates the workshops and donates dolls and accessories for the auctions, the annual convention is a way to connect with Barbie’s fans from around the world, said Powers.
For the attendees, it’s a way to connect with like-minded collectors and spend a few days immersed in Barbie’s world.
“Everyone likes to go back to their childhood,” said Sox. “For three or four days, you can just forget your cares and have fun.”
Activities are open only to registered attendees, but the River City Sales Room in the conference center on the third floor of the Hyatt — a market with dozens of vendors devoted exclusively to all things Barbie — will be open to the public 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.
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