Spice Collection

Not Your Ordinary Collection of Spices . . .

Text by Emily Alberts Photos courtesy of Adam Weatherly

When the Spice Girls -- Scary, Sporty, Baby, Posh and Ginger -- came on the scene in 1994, they inspired an entire generation of “Girl Power” and released chart-topping mega hits that have made them one of the most successful girl bands in the world. As they have just celebrated the 25th anniversary of their debut single, “Wannabee,” the British pop stars have sold some 90 million records worldwide. These iconic characters are almost doll-like themselves, so it’s no surprise their highly sought-after collectible dolls are the best-selling dolls of all time. And believe it or not, a local Christiansburg man by the name of Adam Weatherly is the proud owner of the World’s Largest Spice Girls Doll Collection! He is eagerly hoping to get them into the Toy Hall of Fame this coming year to commemorate the dolls’ 25-year anniversary milestone. Coincidentally, it is also the Toy Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary this year. Born and raised in Princeton, W.V., Weatherly hails from a family of avid collectors. “Everyone in my family collects. My brother is obsessed with Dolly Parton, and I remember how he’d always wear special gloves when handling her vinyl records. My Aunt Sally collected celebrity dolls and taught me how to be careful with the boxes, never to open them, and she even gave me my very first doll, Strawberry Shortcake.”

. . . So here’s the story from A-Z Adam Weatherly

“This was all just normal for us,” he adds. But it was the Spice Girls’ message of believing in yourself that really struck a chord with Weatherly. “They came on the scene at a pivotal time in my life. I saw this group of women who all came from very poor backgrounds and worked for what they had, struggling in the years before they found fame, but always believing in themselves, and they just lit up my whole world.” Weatherly says it was the Spice Girls who truly paved the way for the Britney and Christina era, and that people forget how truly popular they were here. When the 6 o’clock news announced the release of the first ever Spice Girls Dolls, Weatherly knew he had to have them all. “Of course, at the time I had no earthly idea how many that would end up being!” The dolls sold out so quickly that Weatherly had to go to two different K-marts to find his very first doll, Posh on Tour, and she will always be his favorite because of the lengths his parents went to help him find her. “These dolls actually faced just as much criticism -- and even racism -- as the girls themselves. Doll manufacturing companies thought no one would buy them because they were a multi-cultural group, but they proved everyone wrong,” he explains. With over 400 dolls, Weatherly hopes that one day he might be able to donate his world-famous collection to an actual Spice Girls Museum, so that they are always protected. “I don’t care about money when it comes to collecting. To me it should be about what makes you happy. Collecting toys is no different than baseball cards, cars or art. In fact, toys are art, but most people never look at it that way.” Speaking of art, Weatherly currently sells ‘80s pop art in his Etsy shop, TheSourPieman. He is also putting together a book that he hopes will help increase his chances of getting the dolls

into the Toy Hall of Fame this year (*find out how to nominate him via his Instagram, @thespicegirlsdolls). “I have done interviews with the doll designers and hair stylists – and I have all the original concept art. Employees have given me everything they have left over after a doll release -- prototype clothing, accessories, etc. The book will feature photographs of these special pieces in my collection.” Weatherly has even reached out to the Spice Girls themselves and to Simon Fuller (the group’s original manager) to get their approval for the book and avoid any infringement issues.

So tell me what you want, what you really really want…

“When I was 13, I wrote the Galub company that produced the dolls and asked them for prototypes. I still have the letter they wrote back, saying no!” For collectors, prototype dolls are The Holy Grail. “Even if I can’t have them, I just wanna hold them! I know they are out there somewhere, unless of course they melted in someone’s attic or something, since the prototypes are usually made of clay.” Believe it or not, Weatherly has also never seen any of the Spice Girls in person. “I would like to see all five, but I’d be happy with even one!” Since there is already 25th anniversary merchandise in stores, a sequel to the movie Spice World, and even a deluxe edition album on the way, Weatherly thinks they may be setting the stage for a comeback tour. Bravado does tour merch, and that is whom the Spice Girls have partnered with for their 25th anniversary merchandising. Also, Sporty is on Dancing With the Stars, so it seems the stars might be aligning for Weatherly this year.

When will you think your collection is complete?

“Since there are just as many bootleg dolls as there are official -- and they are even harder to come by - every time I think I’m close to finishing, I find I am actually further and further away.”

NRV-based freelance writer Emily K. Alberts seems to be amassing a nice little collection of sauce packets from takeout restaurants, but that is about it!

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