Vintage Barbie worth £70 stolen from Oakhaven Children’s charity shop in Lymington

A VINTAGE Barbie doll worth around £70 was stolen from a window display at an Oakhaven Hospice children’s charity shop.

The display at the store in St Thomas Street, Lymington, had been created to celebrate the release of the film about the world-famous doll.

Store volunteer Carolyn Ingram had taken the Mattel doll and another from her collection so she could deck out the window.

“We only had one or two Barbies for sale in the shop at the time, so I took two from my own collection at home,” she told the A&T. “One of them was a 1970s ‘Peace and Love’ Barbie, wearing hippy clothes and a bandana.

“The whole window was in pink and all about Barbie – it looked lovely. The dolls from my collection were clearly marked ‘Not for Sale’ and all the staff knew this.”

Carolyn, who has worked at the shop for more than nine years, said many customers had complimented the window display. One had even asked if the ‘hippy’ Barbie was for sale.

“I was away when another lady who works at the shop realised my hippy Barbie had gone,” said Carolyn. “We have no idea how someone managed to get into the window without being seen as it would be no mean feat.

“We can only assume that someone distracted staff while another person helped themselves to the doll. It was so disappointing to learn she had been taken. I am considering downsizing and when I do, I will be donating my Barbie collection to the shop to raise money for the hospice.

“That’s the sad thing about this, that something that could have raised a nice sum for the hospice has been taken. It’s also sad because she was a very sweet doll.”

The Peace and Love Barbie has long blonde braided hair and is dressed in patchwork flares, a suede fringed waistcoat and comes complete with a bandana. It is currently on offer on online auction sites for sums ranging from £70 to £150.

There has been huge, renewed interest in the renowned doll since the release of Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

Anyone who may have taken hippy Barbie by mistake, or knows of her whereabouts, is asked to contact the shop by calling 01590 610139