Spokane's Kari Johnson began collecting Barbies well before the hit film spurred a pink renaissance

Young Kwak photo

Mattel’s iconic doll is timeless and ageless.

Some people collect records. Others amass trading cards. Action figures. Shoes. Tchotchkes. Glassware. Art. Houseplants. Books. Vintage Pyrex.

For Kari Johnson, it’s Barbie dolls.

Well before hype for the eponymous summer blockbuster began intensifying, Johnson started assembling her poseable plastic posse. In the three years since, her collection has ballooned to more than 300 dolls, from retro Barbies of the early 1960s to Mattel’s much more inclusive characters of today. About half of Johnson’s

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