A man who spent £30k on Barbies says his 600-doll collection inspired his drag career.

Nick Panula, 29, bought his first in March 2014 when a doll in a floor-length pink satin gown caught his eye at the supermarket.



He couldn't help but buy more whenever he saw a different model - and soon ended up with 600.

Some he has kept in their original boxes, while a few are opened.

He also has three Barbie Dreamhouses, three Barbie cars, two boats, one plane and three Magical Mansions.

Nick performs as a drag artist under the alias Scarlett Crypt and says his look and performances have been influenced by Barbie.

Nick, who works as a dental laboratory technician in the US Air Force, and is based in Anchorage, Alaska, US, said: "My love of Barbie stems from a very young age - and I think the reason I collect her is because she has such a tie to nostalgia for most people throughout the decades."

"I only had one Barbie growing up - a Virginia Tech Cheerleader Barbie from 1996 - I had her for two years from the age of six, then I wasn’t allowed to play with Barbies anymore."

"I started collecting Barbies in March 2014 when my friend and I stopped in a Walmart before seeing a show downtown."

"I saw this beautiful Barbie staring back at me - a red carpet look, with long, blonde curls wearing floor-length pink satin. She just screamed: ‘Barbie!’"

Nick then decided to buy the 75th Anniversary Wizard of Oz Barbie and kept it in its box.

He added: "On Christmas 2014, my boyfriend at the time bought me that year’s Holiday Barbie - which was very special."

"I bought myself another one - unboxing one and keeping the other in its original packaging."

"Shortly afterwards, I started buying Barbies on eBay."

Nick believes Barbie’s impact on pop culture keeps him coming back for more - and is a bigger draw for him than Bratz, MyScene or Sindy dolls.

He said: "I was always trying to play with Barbies as a kid, when I got the chance."

"I was never interested in Bratz particularly - my cousins had a few and I thought the feet were weird."

"I believe I collect Barbie because she has such a tie to nostalgia and an impact on pop culture for most people throughout the decades."

Since March 2014, Nick has spent an estimate of £20k to £30k on Barbies alone - which comes from his salary and savings.

He likes to keep them in mint condition - and regularly buys them from "thrift stores, flea markets and eBay" - as well as being regularly gifted them by friends, family and TikTok followers."

If he can’t buy a Barbie inside its original packaging, Nick likes to take care of them as much as he can - by storing them out of direct sunlight and regularly dusting them.

He said: "I like to keep my Barbies in the best condition possible."

"I store my dolls and accessories out of direct sunlight, away from moisture, and try to keep them dust free."

"To save space when my dolls aren’t on display, I keep them in plastic storage bins."

Nick’s husband, John, 39, who has retired from the US Army, has always been supportive of his Barbie habit - but Nick always worried his ex-partners would react badly.

"My dating life as a Barbie collector has been an interesting one," he added."

"It’s sort of like a human litmus test to see if they’re OK with this level of crazy."

"My exes in the past have never seemed to mind my collection - but, as it’s a passion of mine, it’s something I always had to address early on."



"I’ve found someone who - I wouldn’t say loves my collection as much as me - but he loves that I love it."

"John is very supportive - he just hates having to break down all their cardboard boxes."

"He walked into my Barbie room one day and told me: ‘You’ve really created the Barbie room you never got as a kid’ - and with that I knew he understood me completely."

John loves seeing Nick so happy with his collection, and said: "When I first saw Nick’s collection, it was like: ‘Oh, sh*t.’"

"I was amazed and impressed at the sincere interest he had in Barbie."

"I’ve never held an interest like his - but I love seeing the happiness he’s found in it."

On stage and TikTok, Nick is a drag artist under the alias Scarlett Crypt.

His look and performances have been influenced in many ways by the iconic doll.

He said: "The iconic Barbie looks that everyone remembers are so camp - I’ve modelled outfits on her 1959 swimsuit, 1985’s day-to-night Barbie and 1992’s totally hair Barbie."

"My fashion choices are also heavily influenced by 40s and 50s Hollywood glamour and horror - like Vampira, Lana Del Rey, Lucille Ball and the entire movie, Death Becomes Her."

"Barbie influences my drag in a different way. I don’t usually wear hot pink, but it makes me feel so glamorous."

Nick will be watching the Barbie movie when it comes to cinemas on July 21 - and he thinks Margot Robbie was the best choice to play his favourite doll.

He said: "When Barbie was officially announced I was extremely excited - I thought Margot Robbie was a perfect choice."

"The biggest surprise for me was that Midge, Barbie’s first BFF, is going to be portrayed in the movie."

"I also cannot wait to see how the story will pan out."