Molley Delaney tells PEOPLE she is excited to see "what else is hiding" in her parents' attic
Credit: Molley Delaney
NEED TO KNOW
- Molley Delaney discovered a hidden stash of vintage Barbie dolls and toys in her parents’ attic
- Her mom had unknowingly saved the dolls, purchased between 1998 and 2003, as future gifts for Delaney
- Delaney’s TikTok video of the find went viral with 8.8 million views, sparking connections with fellow collectors
One day, Molley Delaney randomly decided to clean and organize her parents' attic, determined to find her old Barbies. However, she never expected what she would discover.
Delaney, 25, tells PEOPLE she first found a box of Beanie Babies.
"Something I'm sure many people have in their attics," Delaney notes. "But, I had also found one large new-in-box Nutcracker Snowflake Barbie."
Credit: Molley Delaney
"I went to my mom and told her about it," she continues. "She was shocked, thinking she had given it to me as a kid, having completely forgotten about it. I had told her I had been looking for them after seeing a post on Pinterest about them, and I had told her how badly I wanted the Kelly dolls."
When Delaney's mom asked if she had found anything else, Delaney told her about the Beanie Babies. However, her mom swore something else up there, revealing she had an old wooden crate where she used to hide gifts.
"I needed to do more digging, and when I finally spotted the brown wooden crate, I knew I needed to film," Delaney tells PEOPLE. "And that's when I found the hidden stash of lost presents."
Credit: Molley Delaney
When Delaney opened the lid, she found a treasure trove of toys. She discovered a Fairy of the Garden Barbie, a Fairy of the Forest Barbie, a Sleeping Beauty Barbie, an Angel Kelly doll, the Princess of Ireland Barbie, two Nutcracker Kelly dolls, a Tooth Fairy Barbie and a Campbell's soup Barbie, among other items.
Her mom later explained that she loved buying Delaney Barbie dolls and always bought the Fairy Barbies when she stumbled upon them, saving them for a later date. She bought some of the dolls before Delaney was even born, creating a stash of dolls between 1998 and 2003.
Her mom's appreciation for the dolls was passed on to Delaney, who says she loved all things Mattel, including the animated movies.
"I remember playing a game of hide-and-seek and discovering an Annalise Princess and the Pauper Barbie in my mom's bedroom closet and thinking that it had just magically appeared to me because I had wanted it so badly," she shares.
"I then forgot about the game of hide-and-seek and showed everyone the amazing Barbie I miraculously found just for me," she adds. "I still have the Barbie to this day, and it is also displayed in my room."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Delaney posted a video of her attic haul on TikTok, which garnered over 8.8 million views. She admits the response to the video "has been crazy," but she has loved "connecting with people."
Credit: Molley Delaney
"It's nothing I could've planned or predicted happening. I think it really was just 'Lucky Girl Syndrome,'" she tells PEOPLE. "It's something I've always enjoyed, and the fact that I now have an account that is growing because people are also interested in the things I enjoy is a blessing."
Delaney says she sold a good amount of the Barbies "for not too much," as she wanted them "to go to a good home where someone would be able to enjoy them."
"I kept all the fairies, because like my mom, they're also my favorite," she says. "Most specifically, the Barbie Nutcracker dolls, which I have on display."
@a.mae.zing.things I’m so sorry about the volume level, I accidentally edited this while my volume was super low 😅🩷 #barbie #collection #BarbieMovie #nostalgia #2000sthrowback
♬ House Tour – Sabrina Carpenter
"I was able to sell a few at my Grandpa's antique shop, Delaney's 1421, in Fort Wayne, Ind. The customers are so happy to have found the Barbies, like the Campbell's soup Barbie and Ireland Barbie," she adds.
While she has found the last of the Barbies, she hopes to continue to unearth "all the hidden things in our attic."
"There are definitely many hidden gems in there waiting to be found and preserved or given a new life," she shares. "I'm hoping to find my Littlest Pet Shops, finally dig up my mom's 2000s clothes she collected, unearth my brother's Rescue Heroes and learn what else is hiding in there."
Read the full article here
