Krista's Doll Restoration
 

Barbie Doll Restoration

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Vintage
Mod
OOAK

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Please do not email any photos, links or file attachments.

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More About Me


1965 - My new Charmin' Chatty Cathy doll

Xmas68.gif (39454 bytes)
Christmas 1969:  I am on the right with my new Talking Barbie and Talking Stacey. 

If you have an old picture of yourself with your childhood Barbies, I would love to add it to my Gallery of Memories, so please email me, and I will give you the email address to which you may send it.  

"You were born to restore Barbies.  They are so gorgeous!" 
(a quote from a happy collector
who had just received her dolls back)

Christmas 1969

When I was young, a neighbor friend had the most beautiful vintage Barbie dolls and clothing!  I did not get my first Barbie  until the 'Mod' era, but the dolls I remember most fondly are the vintage Barbies and friends.
When I started collecting in 1995, I  found that restoring sad, old dolls to their former and well-deserved beauty was a talent I really enjoyed and was pleased to offer to others.
Vintage Barbies are my favorite hobby.
 I began college as an art major (painting, design and graphic arts), but then found my other passion was art history.  I graduated from UCLA College of Fine Arts with a Bachelor of Arts, and a major in art history.  I then completed my multiple subject teaching certification at UCI. 
As for Barbie, I am thrilled to combine my love of history (by making sure that the dolls are historically correct) with my background as an artist.
I have been restoring vintage Barbies and 'friends' since 1996, and I have worked with collectors, dealers and original owners from around the world.
I have also had the opportunity to demonstrate my restoration skills at doll conventions in many countries, including Italy, France, The Netherlands and Belgium.

Recently I have begun to create my own series of OOAK (one of a kind) Silkstone Barbies.  Each doll has been meticulously restyled and repainted into my own interpretation of a vintage beauty.

...But should you have your doll restored?
Here are my thoughts on this issue:
It is true that a properly restored doll is more valuable than a dirty, played-with doll.

But for those dolls that still look nearly new, I have always felt that restoration is only warranted when the ability to truly enjoy them is compromised by their current condition.
I  believe in maintaining the dolls in as 'all-original' condition as possible, and I therefore take a conservative approach to my restorations. 

I use custom-mixed, original vintage paint colors.  It is also important that I re-create the original facial feature shapes.  
If re-rooting is necessary, I do my best to match the original hair color and texture, and I restyle the hair back to the original vintage style.

There is nothing I do to a doll that could not be completely reversed (Except when I must remove damaged, original hair before doing a re-root, of course). 

During my restoration process I do not alter or remove any original face paint, nail paint, etc.
Your doll is thoroughly cleaned, her hair is neatly and correctly restyled, and her original make-up is flawlessly enhanced, using only the highest quality paints.

Any factory face and nail paint that has remained through the years is left, untouched and unharmed, underneath.  
If just a very tiny touch up is warranted, I am usually able to flawlessly match the original color and simply touch up a tiny corner or edge as necessary.
 Barbie was meant to be a beautiful fashion doll, and it is a proper tribute to restore her back to her original glamour!  
It is also important to consider that the vintage Barbies and  friends are 40 - 50 years old. These were well-loved (and often very played-with) "toys!" Therefore they may possess certain "flaws" that cannot (and should not) be corrected.  I will not attempt to do anything to a doll that permanently alters it or may potentially harm it in any way. 

More important information can be found on the Beauty Spa page on my website.  And should you have any questions at all, please email me anytime.

**My home is SMOKE-FREE!**


Please take a look at my many before and after photos. I am sure you will agree that my restoration services will greatly enhance the value of your doll as well as your ability to enjoy her! 
Email me at RestorBabs@aol.com


copyright D.Agostini 2003
Here I am demonstrating Barbie restoration at the annual Doll Collector's Club Italia convention, Florence, Italy

 

November 2005, Venice, Italy
Italy is my favorite place on the entire planet. I love everything Italian!



This is my handsome guy.  
He is an extremely talented musician..



My lovely Grandma Rose (affectionately known as 'Bubba') Nov. 1910 - June 2005.
Her favorite hobby was playing the piano, and this was something she enjoyed until just days before she passed away.
Bubba, we miss you SO much!



This is sweet little Buzz (a domestic long hair 'blue').  Buzz lived a long, happy life.

 

Here is the newest member of our family. His name is Murdoch (but we call him "Kitty").
We rescued Kitty from our city's animal shelter on November 11, 2006 (He chose us).  He is a  very handsome domestic tabby.

 

In Loving Memory...

Pietro, our very dear friend!
Mi sento la tua mancanza piu' che posso dire...Ti amo sempre!

 

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Click HERE for an amazing brain teaser.


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"Life, moreover, is composed of the most dissimilar things, the most unforeseen, the most contradictory, the most incongruous; it is merciless, without sequence or connection, full of inexplicable, illogical, and contradictory catastrophes." -- Guy de Maupassant



"The biggest problem confronting the world today is the illusion that our differences matter more than our common humanity." -- Bill Clinton

 

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” -- Benjamin Franklin (1706–90). This quotation is inscribed on a plaque in the stairwell of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

 

"If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that
money can't buy." -- Anonymous 

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Please email me (Krista) anytime at RestorBabs@aol.com
I generally respond M - F.  My email address is not able to receive any photos, links or file attachments. 
If you have a 'spam filter,' please add my email address to your safe list before you email me.


copyright dollrestoration
2010

The information, photographs and writing contained in this website are the property of the owner of this website. I retain sole and exclusive rights without limitation which may not be granted to another without my written permission and consent.

NO pictures, writings, text or information may be taken from any page on this website and reproduced for any reason, WHICH INCLUDES AUCTION LISTINGS, without my written permission and consent. 

I am sure you can appreciate the huge amount of work and research that has gone into this website. If I become aware that my photos, text, or  information are visible elsewhere, appropriate action will be taken. 
Thank you for respecting my copyright!

A Special Thanks to the wonderful artist, Dennis Beltran who kindly drew the cartoons you see on my site.
Photographs on this site have been used with the owners' permission.
Barbie,  Ken,  Midge,  Skipper,  Francie,  Casey, Allan,  Stacey,  PJ,  etc.  are registered trade marks of Mattel, Inc.
Barbie collecting and repair are my beloved hobbies, and I am in no way affiliated with Mattel, Inc.

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The general information I have chosen to include on these pages is here as a courtesy to collectors of Vintage and Mod BarbiesŪ and friends. 

**I do not identify dolls via email, nor can I verify authenticity, unless I see the doll in person.  I offer this as a paid service. 
Please email me if you would like to send your doll or collection for a written appraisal or identification.  A fee + return shipping costs will apply.**

I am unable to answer your 'how-to' restoration emails, nor do I provide further step by step instruction.

This Web site is for your personal and non-commercial use only. You may copy information on this Web site for your own personal use, however other than copying for personal use, you may not copy, modify, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, create derivative works from, transfer, or sell any information obtained from this Web site.

Every reasonable effort has been taken by me to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this entire web site. However, I take no responsibility for any losses, injury or detriment whatsoever, real or implied, arising from the information and/or references contained within this entire site.

Before continuing any further, please carefully read my disclaimer page.

Please note that I have limited (or no) experience with modern Mattel fashion dolls (anything newer than 1970),  or any other types of dolls.