Vendor Spotlight – Psycho Barbie

Hello everyone, Kev here welcoming you to the ninth edition of the Oddmall Vendor Spotlight! This will be a recurring series to share with you all some of your local vendors and attendees of Oddmall shows, highlighting their incredible talents, wonderful personalities and amazing creations. 

This week we will be featuring one of our Oddmall regulars and a friend to many of the other vendors here; Kelsey and her business Psycho Barbie DHA. I’ve personally known Kelsey from seeing her at shows throughout the years, so I was excited to learn more about what she does as Kelsey has become well-known for her horror themed dolls that are instantly recognizable at many of our shows. 

While the business may be called Psycho Barbie DHA (short for Damnation Horror Arts), the title accurately and originally was given to Kelsey herself. “My husband gave me the nickname Psycho Barbie one day while we were driving,” she says, while not elaborating on if she happened to be the one driving. 🙂 Since then, the title became a part of her now-famous alter ego, as Kelsey is often seen at shows with face paint and outfits that perfectly match her product’s aesthetic. “I am gothic and I’m a satanist and pretty colors aren’t my thing. At shows, I’m able to be who I am inside despite the fact that that person is a little different than the everyday me.”

While the Little Terrors are Kelsey’s main attraction, it wasn’t always the plan for the business. “When I started my business, I sold Amazon returns but I wanted to get out of it and do something else,” Kelsey explains. “I had a yard sale and my business name was Psycho Barbies DHA, but it stood for Dream House Accessories.” It was at that yard sale that a visitor had excitedly approached hoping to find psycho baby dolls. Inspired, Kelsey went home that night, ordered some dolls and began crafting.

“I had always been an artist for as long as I can remember,” she elaborates. “I was sitting at my grandma’s kitchen mad that I couldn’t draw a rose, and my daddy took my hand and helped me draw it. [He] was a really good artist and still is.”

While she has been involved with many events over the years including the Witch’s Market, Kelsey has been regularly attending Oddmall shows for about 3 years now. She had begun crafting but hadn’t started selling at the time, and it was her husband that told her to find a way to share her dolls which brought her straight to Oddmall where Kelsey was a perfect fit for our shows. 

When it comes to creating the dolls, Kelsey has always prioritized the art that is being put into it above all else. “It took a long time to find the perfect doll,” she adds. “They happen to be dolls made in the late 90s to early 2000s. They are more expensive but the quality of the dolls are excellent.” Unfortunately as these dolls are no longer sold in stores, Kelsey must search the internet regularly to find the perfect ones, however she feels every hunt is worth it to know that she is getting top quality. Once the dolls are procured, she begins the painting process which could take anywhere between 3 and 9 hours depending on the art.

Regarding the design of each doll, Kelsey takes a very unique approach in her artwork. Most of the painting is done completely freehand and is imagined along the way. “I don’t ever have a plan for my dolls which is why they are all unique,” she details. “It’s like I zone out and just paint. In my opinion it gives the doll its own spirit because it’s almost like it told me what to make it up as.” 

While Kelsey does have a day job, she manages to balance that with always crafting new dolls and sharing them at events. While most often found at Oddmall shows, her dolls are also sold at the Oddmall Outpost and are also available through her Square online store. In addition to balancing her business and day job, Kelsey is also working to be the next Maxim cover girl through their online event, so be sure to cast a vote and help her achieve that dream! And as always, be sure to come check out Kelsey and Psycho Barbie at Oddmall shows in the future!

You can find more from Psycho Barbie at:
Psycho Barbie Facebook page  
Kelsey’s next Oddmall show! 
Oddmall Outpost   
Vote for Kelsey to be the Maxim cover girl! 

 

Want to be featured in your own Vendor Spotlight? Contact Kevin at Kevin@Oddmall.info or fill out the application here!

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