Mission Recycling: Barbies

Well, I neglected the blog for another three months, but I suppose that is better than the six month rest I took before that. Here I go again.

I was a spoiled child. I had nearly countless dolls, stuffed animals, My Little Ponies, etc., etc., and of course, Barbies. Because I am also a sentimental packrat, all of my toys are now boxed up and still in my parents’ house. But I finally convinced myself to say goodbye to the Barbies.

The Barbies were really not in good enough shape to donate to a toy drive or anything like that. They were well-loved, and several of them had lost their heads (I’m still not quite sure what to do with the decapitated dolls). I first had to clean them up; I washed all of their clothes and bathed each of the dolls, focusing on controlling their out-of-control hair. I also sorted through their many accessories.

Before:

 

 

 

 

 

After:

Once they were cleaned up, I wanted to find a good home for them. I searched online for women and children’s shelters in my area, and I started to contact them to see if anyone could use the dolls. As it happens, the first shelter I contacted said they would be happy to take them from me.

I took the Barbies, along with all of their clothes and accessories and the Barbie Corvette and Limo, and dropped them off at the shelter downtown. The woman in charge gave me a tour of the new playroom for the kids. I’m so glad that a new generation will enjoy playing with my beloved Barbies.

Now I just need to tackle all the rest of the toys…

What: Well-loved Barbie dolls

Why: Barbies are mostly plastic, so they wouldn’t do well in a landfill. And besides their crazy hair, the dolls were in relatively good condition, and there are a lot of little girls out there who could give them a great new home.

How: I searched for women and children’s shelters in my area and contacted them. The shelter I picked was in the process of creating a new children’s activity center and was actively seeking toy donations.

Cost: None

Mission: Accomplished!