BARBIE: Think your child has too many toys? For some people, there’s no such thing as too many.

In 1966, Bettina Dorfmann received her first Barbie — a Midge doll, in fact. By 1993, she was collecting them seriously.

Now she holds the record for the largest collection of Barbie dolls with Guinness World Records. She set the record with 2,500 dolls, and set it again in 2022 with 18,500 dolls.

Of Dusseldorf, Germany, Bettina has managed to get her hands on more than 15,000 different versions of the iconic doll, including a rare original Barbie from 1959. In addition to collecting them, Dorfmann also runs a hospital for broken Barbies where she fixes or replaces broken limbs and untangles matted hair.

Her collection includes dolls from the recent Barbie movie, too.

“Bettina has made a living off exhibiting her dolls and writing books about Barbie, but also has a special ‘doll hospital’ where she repairs dolls for others,” according to Guinness. “The ‘Barbie doctor’ continues to add to her collection” and in July 2023, had already ordered dolls from the new Barbie movie.

She told inews: “Barbie is a mirror for our times. Through her, we can see how the world has changed – including women’s careers from the ’50s to today.”

She added of her repair business: “In the ’90s I started repairing my own dolls and buying replacement parts for them, such as arms and legs. I did it for myself because I like crafting and repairing.

“Collectors at toy trade fairs began asking if I could help restore their dolls’ hair and make-up, or replace missing eyelashes. When they asked what it cost, I asked for things I needed such as dolls’ shoes. From there it just grew and grew.”

That’s some serious dedication.