A Saskatoon woman’s doll collection is a dream come true for Barbie lovers.
Andrea Katelnikoff, 66, has more than 3,000 Barbie dolls in a collection she started 30 years ago.
“Her clothes are so nice, her hair and just the whole thing about her is so nice and all the different unique things they do to her,” Katelnikoff said about why she loves Barbie.
She began collecting in her 30s when she “was too old for Barbie.” She said she saw a “beautiful” bride Barbie and wanted it as a Christmas present. After that, her friends and family started buying her more Barbie dolls.
Most of them she now buys herself. She never takes them out of their boxes and her most expensive Barbie cost $2,500.
She used to house her collection on the main floor of her one-storey house, but as her collection grew so did her house.
“After the children left I had the two bedrooms downstairs with Barbies and it was getting pretty full. And so my husband said we either have to add on, move, or stop buying Barbies. So we added on,” Katelnikoff said.
Ten years ago, she and her husband, Garry, added an additional 700 square feet to their home – building a second floor with three bedrooms and a bathroom, which is just for Barbie.
“When you’re up here you forget your problems. And with so many of these so beautiful, you can just focus on something like that and get rid of your problems.”
