My First Store, or A Consumer is Born

I opened my first boutique on Christmas Day, 1983. I was 8 and the boutique was a thing to behold. The Barbie Dream Store. You know, I think that was the first moment I had truly been bitten by the retail bug (or at least consumerism.) I had been asking for Barbie's Dream House around every major holiday for years and though it always eluded me, I amassed a huge collection of shop counters, a spa, townhouse, an office with a condo, jeep with trailer and palomino, and a collection of designer clothing and accessories any Hollywood starlet would envy, most of which I still have today (the townhouse was lost some years ago due to water damage.)

I shared a large bedroom with my little sister in which my mom had set up an old dining room table to display our Barbie gear on. I held fashion shows, posed my Barbies all over the house and, thanks to the hand-me-down table, linked together the first (to my knowledge) Barbie Lifestyle Center. I was way ahead of my time. The townhouse (with elevator) was next to the Bubbling Spa and Beauty Salon which was conveniently located adjacent to Dream Store Accessories and Cosmetics Counter shopping, neighboring Barbie's office, gym and the grocery store. My little sister was always cramping my style by setting up her My Little Pony Salon next to my Barbie Dream Community so I guess it's no surprise she pursued a career in retail as well. Copycat.

Copyright © 2009 The Retail Diaries.

I can only imagine some of the play scenarios we had with the old Dream Store. *Sigh*...to be young and innocent again. If I ever have kids, they will play with encyclopedias and medical instruments... Barbie will be verboten. In related news, I'm saving up for a trip to Shanghai.