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The man living in a barbie world

Singaporean's collection of about 10,000 Barbie dolls is among the world's largest

Meet Singaporean Jian Yang, a Barbie super fan who has some 10,000 dolls in his collection.
The most expensive Barbie in Mr Yang's collection is a Silkstone doll decked in Swarovski crystals. He paid $3,600 for it at a charity auction in 2000. Mr Yang takes a selfie with a Ken doll customised to look like him. Four Barbie mermaid dolls on t
Barbie dolls fill three rooms in Mr Jian Yang’s 1,500 sq ft terraced house in the Bartley area. His interest started at the age of 13, when he watched Barbie advertisements on TV and he bought his first Barbie – a Scarlett O’Hara doll from the Gone With The Wind series – when he was 15. Even the floor of his bachelor pad is painted in Barbie’s signature Pantone 219C pink to match the dolls. He also has 50 books on Barbie, including every issue of Barbie Bazaar, the official Barbie collectors’ magazine.
The most expensive Barbie in Mr Yang's collection is a Silkstone doll decked in Swarovski crystals. He paid $3,600 for it at a charity auction in 2000. Mr Yang takes a selfie with a Ken doll customised to look like him. Four Barbie mermaid dolls on t
The most expensive Barbie in Mr Yang’s collection is a Silkstone doll decked in Swarovski crystals. He paid $3,600 for it at a charity auction in 2000. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Mr Yang with a 1994 Silver Screen Barbie doll, which he saw in San Francisco that year. He couldn't afford the US$70 (S$95) doll then, but eventually bought one in 2015 from a private collector for $30.
Mr Yang getting dressed in his walk-in wardrobe, where he displays his first Barbie and Ken dolls (top right in photograph) which he had since he was five. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Benson Ang Lifestyle Correspondent and Kevin Lim Executive Photojournalist
Updated
Jan 21, 2019, 06:33 AM
Published
Jan 21, 2019, 05:00 AM
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They look like beauty contestants putting on their best smile for the camera. Perfectly made up and impeccably groomed, they fight to be noticed as they stand in a line.

Except that these are not real-life models but rows and rows of Barbie dolls displayed on shelves. Hidden among them are those that resemble celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 21, 2019, with the headline The man living in a barbie world. Subscribe

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