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People On The Move: Liz Leonardis
03/05/2009 - By Teja Anderson
EVERYTHING BARBIE®
Barbie® (by Mattel®) is celebrating her 50th birthday this year, and Monmouth Beach resident Liz Leonardis was kind enough to share her incredible collection and knowledge about all things Barbie with us. In fact, an entire upstairs room in the house Liz shares with her husband Fred is devoted to her collection that ranges from vintage originals to classic fashion icons to sports and career Barbie dolls, along with all of her various accessories and props. Liz’s collection is not limited to just Barbie; she also houses a collection of her many friends and family, including Skipper, Midge, Scooter, and Barbie’s one true love – Ken.
When Barbie made her debut, in 1959 at the New York Toy Fair, she was not an immediate hit. People were skeptical about this 11 1⁄2 inch fashion doll that was so different from the baby dolls that were popular at that time. But she soon gained a huge place in not only this country, but in the heart of the world; she became, and still is, an icon and reflection of the ever-changing world of women. Yes, even a Presidential Barbie was released last year!
Liz was just 6 years old when she and her older sister Peggy received their first Barbie dolls from Santa Claus. A black and white photo that captured this happy moment is on a shelf in her “shrine” room. From the very beginning, Liz saw her Barbie dolls as something to protect and admire. “Peggy used to ruin her dolls; she would put them in the bathtub and in the swimming pools, and I always took really good care of my dolls and kept them dressed and didn’t brush their hair too much.” Liz says proudly.
But one year Liz actually sold her doll collection to her mother’s hairdresser so she could have money to buy Christmas presents. It was something she always regretted, and so 15 years ago, when Barbie turned 35 and they started making all the reproductions, Liz decided it was time to bring Barbie back into her life. Her current collection, which is well over 100 dolls, consists of about 50% gifts from friends and family, who have brought back dolls and related items from Germany – like postcards, note cards, mugs, and even wine tags. The other 50% of her dolls and items are things she has been able to purchase through Internet sites like Mattel, eBay®, and Amazon.com, as well as from toy stores, garage sales, and toy shows.
Liz even admits to having dreams of finding an original Barbie at a yard sale for a fraction of the purported $8,000 to $10,000 price tag that it would be worth today; however, the most she has paid to date is about $400 for a vintage doll in a red bathing suit, still in her original box, complete with its $1.99 price tag from Montgomery Ward. Although she doesn’t yet own the first original doll, she has a replica that’s dressed in a black and white striped bathing suit, black pumps, and earrings; she is still safely stored in her original box (many of her dolls are still in unopened display boxes, accessories still strapped in place, hair secured with plastic or string to the backing). Liz enjoys keeping them in this pristine manner in an air-controlled room. “Many of the old dolls have what they call ‘Green Ear,’” she says, showing me a doll with a small green dot on her upper cheek. “It’s from the metal in the earrings, oxidizing when they are exposed to moisture, and it leaves almost a tattoo on their faces that really decreases the value.”
One can see why keeping them sealed in their boxes helps maintain their value, safe from their two biggest enemies – dogs and vacuum cleaners. However, should Liz ever face a terminal illness (and we certainly hope she never does), she has plans to take each one of the dolls from their boxes and hold them. Liz has another dream…that her son, Andrew Cassese, a soon-to-be college graduate, will one day give her a granddaughter to whom she can pass on this amazing collection. For now, Liz is happy to share her menagerie with her many girlfriends and the occasional lucky neighborhood child.
STATS
FAVORITE RESTAURANT
Sally Tee’s in Monmouth Beach
FAVORITE MUSICAL GROUP
The Beatles
FAVORITE MOVIES
The Sound of Music and The Thorn Birds
PET PEEVE
being put on speakerphone…it means I don’t have your full attention!
THREE PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH
Tim Russert, Paul McCartney, and former President Richard Nixon
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