Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Not limited just to Barbies, ABC Dolls store owner Denise Hale-Hoge finds herself surrounded by a bevy of Beanie Babies.

This house has dolls both collectible and common

By Michelle Alaimo

Looking for a special Barbie doll, but can't seem to find it anywhere?

Try ABC Dolls, a new store in Los Gatos that carries more than 300 types of Barbies of all shapes, styles and prices.

The store, which opened in May in the Walgreen's Square shopping center on Blossom Hill Road, has every type of Barbie a little girl could imagine. Denise Hale-Hoge, the store's owner, also sells Barbie clothes, accessories and Barbie doll houses. The merchandise is separated into three different rooms, divided according to collector values.

One room is filled with lower-end collectible Barbies by theme, such as Baywatch Barbie and career-oriented Barbies. Hale-Hoge is currently building a Barbie town at floor level, where children can play with while their parents are shopping. Some items in the town thus far include a drive-through McDonald's, a day-care center and a townhouse.

Another room is filled with designer and higher-end Barbies, with many of the dolls dating back to the 1960s. Hale-Hoge said it's fun for most people to come into her store because "it's like a trip down memory lane."

The front room of the store contains Barbies, clothes and other items now popular with collectors, such as Beanie Babies and Hallmark holiday ornaments.

Hale-Hoge said she first started collecting Barbie Dolls with her 12-year-old daughter, Tasha. Tasha and friend Mary Seipel help in the store by arranging displays and fixing dolls' hair. "It's a hobby that developed into a business," Hale-Hoge said.

Many of the dolls Hale-Hoge stocks are no longer made, so she turns to the World Wide Web as a source of Barbies. She does a great deal of buying, selling and trading over the Internet and also has an account with Mattel so she can easily access new releases.

Keeping up with all the new Barbies and past releases is a lot of hard work, she said.

In addition to selling Barbie products, Hale-Hoge also sells special-edition dolls such as Dennis Rodman's wedding doll, as well as Disney dolls. She is also in the process of starting a Barbie club and plans to design a Web page for the store.

ABC Dolls is located at 14176 Blossom Hill Road in Los Gatos. Hours are Tue. through Sat., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, call 358-7660.

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