Author: writergal42

Shopping for my “daughter”

~ writergal42 ~ 14 Comments

We’ve all shopped for our dolls. And, when we do, it’s usually no mystery to anyone who the dresses, skirts, pants, hats, and jewelry we purchase are for. No one I know would fit into the gown I just purchased for my Tyler Wentworth doll, since no one I know is 16 inches tall. Likewise, the retailers and fellow collectors we purchase from know we are buying for dolls. They are selling for dolls. Duh.

Except when your doll is three feet tall.

I used to collect the dolls created by German artist Annette Himstedt. I say “used to” because I purchased my last Himstedt doll in 2009, when Annette’s factory fell victim to the recession and she ceased production. Over the years, I amassed 15 of her dolls. There are still many available on the secondary market I’d love to have, but lack of space and a limited dolly budget have prevented me from adding to my collection in recent years. Which is fine, really. My doll room looks like it doubles as a preschool classroom as it is.

himmie
My space-saving way of displaying some of my Himstedt dolls. They’re the tall ones almost touching the ceiling.

For those unfamiliar with Annette’s work, she creates incredibly lifelike representations of young children. And they are huge, typically ranging in size from two to three feet. As such, store-bought children’s clothing fit them quite well. Retail stores offer an endless variety of toddler clothing, and it can be very inexpensive. Much cheaper than the custom-made Himstedt clothing you’ll find on eBay and Etsy.

It has been at least five years since I redressed one of my Hinstedts, but I recently took several of them out of storage (I don’t have enough space to accommodate displaying them all at once), and my interest in them was revived. Since I had to go to Target this weekend for some household items, I made a stop in the children’s clothing section, and I selected some cute pink spring outfits. This was especially fun for me, since I have no daughters–my four-year-old son is my only child. And I’ve come to learn that boy’s clothing is boring as hell. Being able to pick out pink dresses and frilly tops with butterflies on them was a nice change.

Ai Lien
Sina
Jogona
Greta

When I went to pay for my items, the cashier lingered over the pink dress I selected. “This is so cute,” she said. “How old is your daughter?”

I was daydreaming about redressing my dolls when she spoke to me–I had barely noticed her at all. So I had no idea what she was talking about.

“My daughter?’ I asked.

“Uh, yeah,” she said.

“I don’t have a daughter,” I told her. “I have a son.”

Silence.

Oh. I finally got it. She thinks the dress and frilly clothes are for my daughter. I laughed.

“Oh, no,” I said, “Those are for my dolls.”

Silence again. She quickly checked me out without another word.

And thus I think I did my part last weekend at Target to confirm the widespread belief that doll collectors are creepy people who have make-believe conversations with their vinyl friends when no one is looking.

I know I do.

Arinda in her new Target dress
Arinda in her new Target dress

Antique dolls, little old ladies, and the best pulled pork ever

~ writergal42 ~ 8 Comments

[Note: My apologies to those of you who received an email about this post yesterday. I had not yet finished it, and I hit the “post” button too soon.] 😦

Last week I ventured to Lakeland, Florida, a small town about an hour from my house in Tampa, to attend a doll show. I’ve always thought that “doll shows” were misnamed, as they are actually just a gathering of second-hand sellers offering their wares to collectors in pursuit of a good bargain. I’d been to this “show” before. It is held in a city municipal building in a large room reserved for community events, and it is sponsored by The Tropical Doll Study Club. This doll club is comprised mostly of older ladies who shy away from modern dolls in favor of child vintage and antique dolls, and the offerings at this show reflect that. I’d last attended the annual show two years ago, and the slight attendance made me fear that this event, like many other doll gatherings, was on its way out due to waning interest.

My experience this year was quite different, as I was barely able to get into the door just one hour after the event began. I’d previously been on the younger side of the other attendees at this event, but this time I was the youngest by at least 25 years. I found myself shuffling around a room crowded with ladies well into their 70s to 90s sporting perfectly coiffed snow-white hair, many with canes, walkers, and motorized wheelchairs.

Politely holding back from the crowd of hunched backs weighed down by years of osteoporosis, I waited my turn to examine each table’s offerings. There was a huge range in doll quality and price. The dolls ranged from beat-up vintage child dolls that vendors were trying to liquidate by nearly giving them away to high-end, well-preserved antique dolls selling for thousands of dollars. I know nothing about valuing vintage and antique dolls, so I don’t know if there were any “deals” to be had. There was a handful–and I do mean handful–of modern fashion dolls along the lines of Tyler and Gene, but the vendors obviously hadn’t priced them on eBay lately, as they were asking two to three times of what the dolls currently go for.

My personal “find” of the day was located at the back of the room, where I found box upon box of hundreds–perhaps thousands–of old doll magazines. Since I myself hold on to every doll magazine I have ever acquired and occasionally enjoy looking through them and reminiscing, I immediately started going through them. There was everything from Doll Crafter to FDQ, and some of the magazines went back to the early 1980s. I plopped myself down beside the boxes (no easy feat, as I was wearing a dress for a wedding that I was to attend later in the day), and I began combing through them. In about 45 minutes, I had put aside about a dozen magazines to purchase. I walked up to the nearest person–who I assumed was selling the magazines–and asked her how much she wanted for them. She replied that they were placed there by several vendors who wanted to get rid of them and so were “giving them away.”

“And I have a couple boxes of doll books,” she added. “Would you be interested in those too?”

Holy shit.

Needless to say, I spent the next hour or so assembling pile upon pile of doll magazines and books, and then I made several trips to my car to transport them all. Standing at the back of my small SUV, I observed my find and reflected on the reaction of my husband—who had just recently went on a rant about how I never throw anything away and how our garage is filled to the top with doll crap—upon seeing my haul.

And then I closed the door with a shrug.

I had a bit more time before I had to leave for the wedding, so I ventured back and looked over the items in a charity auction. They were pretty sad—mostly small, worthless dolls and teddy bears that people obviously wanted to get rid of. Still, it was for charity, so I bought a few tickets.

At this point, all of the jostling among elderly doll collectors and leaning over heaps of old magazines had made me hungry. Several ladies were selling pulled pork sandwiches, scooping the fragrant meat from well-worn crock pots. I ordered one, and I have to say that it was the best damned pulled pork sandwich I’ve ever tasted. I followed it up with a couple homemade cookies being sold by a benevolent-looking grandma, and I made it to the door, satiated by dolls and home cooking.

It was a very, very good day.

show5

Adding my opinions to the mix…

~ writergal42 ~ 9 Comments

The Tonner Doll Co. released images of the remainder of its spring 2015 line yesterday, and, like every other fashion doll collector on the Internet, I have an opinion about it.The fashion doll items were limited; out of 37 dressed dolls and fashion-only offerings, only 12 could properly be called “fashion dolls,” and that includes those from Tonner’s “Re-imagination” series. There were also four female superheros, although only one of those was ready for photography.

Does this mean that Tonner is moving toward primarily becoming a designer of child dolls and superheros? Patsy and Patsyette have been generously represented in the past few lines, and Tonner’s new child doll line, “My Imagination,” seems to be set up as a clear contender for American Girl fans, especially since the outfits appear to be designed to fit the AG body. Like many long-time Tonner fashion doll collectors, I yearn for the days of yore when Tyler and Company ruled the fashion doll market, and each line brought a bounty of different sculpts and fashions to choose from. Collectors rushed to get their orders in before editions as high as 1,500 sold out overnight. The stock market was up, times were good, and money was flowing. Of course, that was before we were all laid off in 2008.

That said, this line does see a return to the venerable House of Wentworth, although Tyler, Sydney, Esme, and friends appear to have faded into the annals of fashion doll history. Yesterday we were re-introduced to Marley Wentworth, Tyler’s all-grown-up sister. She has a strong angular profile and a colorful sense of fashion. One basic, two outfits, and three dressed dolls are being offered. I must admit that my first reaction to Marley’s sculpt was “What the hell pissed HER off?” She has a stern expression, with eyes set wide apart and lips that appear slightly pursed. But my reaction to new sculpts is often unfavorable at first–even with sculpts that I end up adoring. Even Sydney rubbed me the wrong way in the beginning. And now I have about 60 of her.

Rose Rouge Marley Wentworth

So I revisited the images of Marley throughout the day, and she did grow on me a bit. It does appear that this doll is still early in the manufacturing stage, as the sculpts appear a bit inconsistent. We probably won’t have a truly accurate representation of her until she is in stock.

Marley bears no resemblance to her 12-year-old self, but that matters little to me. Out of the four fashions pictured, two really appeal to me. My personal fashion taste favors bright, bold colors, and Marley seems to share the same aesthetic. “Skyline Blue” is a bold dress-and-skirt sleeveless ensemble that is a new, refreshing take on Tyler’s classic outfits. “Rose Rouge” has a colorful ’50s vibe with its full circle skirt and contrasting colors. On the other hand, I could do without the gowned doll “Positive Negative.” Other than its nod to No. 1 Barbie, I see nothing new or innovative–just a tired old one-shouldered gown. “Cool Chic” also does nothing for me. It seems recycled from past Cami designs, although it’s hard to really tell without being able to see what is underneath the coat.

My biggest problem with the Marley line is that it is presented in a vacuum. Clearly, these dolls are meant to be characters in an ongoing narrative–only, the narrative is conspicuously absent. There are plenty collectors who discovered Tonner’s dolls after the reign of the House of Wentworth. Who is Marley to them? Without a backstory, she’s some new doll with a weird name. I can’t understand why a company that goes to such pains to give backstories to some of its characters (Deja Vu came with her own book! Ellowyne keeps a diary!) completely ignores this vital element in other lines. I recall the days of Tonner’s portfolios, neat little booklets tucked into each doll box, describing and giving a backstory to each character and fashion. I understand that such little touches may no longer be economically feasible in today’s market, but how difficult would it be to write a little vignette on the website, filling us in on what Marley has been up to during the past ten years?

I can’t make the same complaint about Tonner’s most recent “Re-imagination” line, an enchanting reimagining of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Although this line is not to my personal taste, I certainly appreciate the artistry and creativity that went into it. Casting Alice as a male character with Lewis Carol’s given name is very imaginative, and the new Mad Hatter and White Rabbit are colorful and expressive. Sometimes I think that Robert Tonner is at his artistic best when conceiving and executing Re-imagination characters. One doll that I do possess from this line is “Sheehee,” a half-man/half-woman in the Sinister Circus. I love the playfulness of this doll, and it is executed flawlessly.

Charlie Dodgson
Haddy Madigan (The Mad Hatter)
Bianca Lapin (The White Rabbit)
Tweedle DeDe
Sheehee

So that’s my take on the fashion portion of Tonner’s 2015 Mainline Release. I anticipate purchasing Skyline Blue Marley and perhaps Haddy Madigan. Take a look for yourself and see what appeals most to you. I’d love to hear your feedback!

New Tonner line to debut tomorrow!

~ writergal42 ~ 4 Comments

For all you Tonner fans out there, the Tonner Doll Co. will debut the remainder of its Spring 2015 line tomorrow, March 18. Tonner previously announced that March’s release will include dolls from the Patsy, Patsyette, American Model, DC Stars, Sindy, Déjà Vu, and much-anticipated Marley Wentworth lines. And, lest I forget, I hear that there will be new Wizard of Oz dolls. Again.

As a fashion doll collector, there is limited appeal to me in this list. American Model, Deja Vu, and Marley are all nods to the fashion collector, and it’s nice that Tonner is still making dolls for us. Over the years, he has replaced many of his fashion doll lines with his so-called “character figures,” which I assume have larger appeal. Although I miss his numerous fashion doll releases of yore, I’d rather see the company reap more profit elsewhere if it means keeping the fashion lines alive, which I suspect are nearest to Robert Tonner’s heart.

I do not collect Deja Vu (just can’t see beyond her stoned, vapid stare), and I stopped collecting American Models a while back, given the limits on my display space. I do have high hopes for Marley, though. Just the fact that Tonner is revisiting the Wentworth line and breathing new life into it is exciting to me. Collectors did get a glimpse of the grown-up Marley and her fashion sense in a recent doll magazine sneak peak. I was struck at how much Marley resembled Aunt Regina 2.0. The second Aunt Regina always seemed to me to capture the spirit of Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. She’s not conventionally pretty, per se, but she oozes sophistication, contempt, and an intimidating beauty.

Aunt Regina 2.0
Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly

Given that, I’m on the fence about Marley’s sculpt. I like dolls with character sculpts (think Miss Gulch), but, for me to purchase them, they also have to incorporate a degree of softness. We’ll see what Marley has matured into tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

The young Marley Wentworth

Wanna spend some money this weekend?

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My in-box has been filling up with new doll announcements and some super sales, so I thought I’d share as we count the minutes down ’till the weekend.

Integrity released photos this week of its new batch of Color Infusion girls. The CI line is supposed to be a more affordable line of fashion dolls with fashions and accessories that are a grade below Integrity’s top-line girls. But CI girls generally hold their own quality-wise, and they can be a very good buy.

That said, the latest girls will cost you $100 each–no small amount. And here they are:

Nyasha Lauder™
The Color Infusion Collection
Limited Edition Size of 450 Dolls
Estimated Ship Date: Approximately Late May/Early June 2015
Suggested Retail Price: $100.00 US
Jacqueline O’Rion™
The Color Infusion Collection
Limited Edition Size of 500 Dolls
Estimated Ship Date: Approximately Late May/Early June 2015
 
Zara Wade™
The Color Infusion Collection
Limited Edition Size of 500 Dolls
Estimated Ship Date: Approximately Late May/Early June 2015
Suggested Retail Price: $100.00 US
You can pre-order these dolls at any Integrity retailer. None of them tempt me very much, so I am passing. If I had to choose one, it would probably be Nyasha for her groovy hair and outfit. The sausage-curl bangs on Jacqueline spell disaster, and I don’t know what Integrity is thinking with that boxer’s robe she is wearing. I like Zara’s dress and high ponytail, but her sculpt doesn’t appeal to me.
In other notable doll news, a few sales popped up today that caught my attention. The first is from Happily Ever After, which is offering two Victoire Roux dolls (Depart Pour L Orient and Victoire Roux) for $149 for BOTH. This is a terrific deal on two gorgeous and unique dolls. I am particularly fond of Depart L Orient.
Victoire Roux – Depart Pour L Orient
Victoire Roux – A La Maison

Samantha’s Dolls is offering its customers 20% off all in-stock dolls produced up to 2014, and their inventory is huge. Many of its doll lines are very expensive, so if you are a collector of any of them (from Kish to Tonner to Zwergnase to Plusckok and more), this can be a good deal. Use the coupon “MAR20.”

And finally, American Girl is offering free shipping on orders over $100 and 20% off select items. This is of particular interest to 16″ fashion doll collectors, as many of American Girl’s high-quality but pricey accessories and diorama pieces are perfectly scaled for 16″ dolls. Most notably, this sale can get you a great deal on “Caroline’s Parlor.” This diorama piece is huge, heavy, and high-quality. I saw it in person last week when I was able to visit an AG shop. If you’ve got the room and you like to photograph your girls, it’s a terrific piece. Originally $300, it is on sale for $135. No shipping with the sale, but you will be charged $20 for this “extra bulky” item and the applicable sales tax. For me, that came to $165.85. I haven’t pressed the “buy” button just yet. I’m sitting here trying to talk myself out of it.

So enjoy your weekend, and don’t burn up that credit card too much!

How to shop for dolls

~ writergal42 ~ 3 Comments

In an age in which brick-and-mortar doll stores are—with a few preciously rare examples—a thing of the past, the vast majority of doll collectors worldwide have been left to navigate the often-confusing world of online sales. I do a great deal of my personal, non-doll shopping online, and never have I come across a commodity that varies so drastically in price as collectible fashion dolls. At any point in time, the exact same doll may vary in price from $50 to several hundred dollars on multiple websites. For a new or unschooled collector, this can be more than confusing.

Twelve years ago, when I made the move from Barbie to 16” collector dolls, most dolls were sold by brick-and-mortar doll stores or online retailers for a modest percentage off retail price. Dolls offered on the secondary market via eBay could be had for a bit less, but many dolls by highly regarded artists were in high demand and either held their value or increased in price—sometimes substantially. If a collector purchased a doll and found that she did not care for it, it was not difficult to recoup her costs—or more—on eBay. And in those days, eBay still stood by its sellers, so they were generally protected from dishonest buyers. And, as is the case now, doll boards were also generally safe marketplaces to buy and sell to other collectors. Shopping around among retailers, eBay, and doll boards was always advisable, but, in general, prices did not vary substantially.

And then came the Great Recession. I think I can safely say that within the span of several months, my collection decreased in value by about two-thirds. Even now, it isn’t worth a great deal more. I doubt it will ever regain its former value. It was painful, to be sure, but I ultimately bought those dolls to keep. They were not my livelihood. They were my hobby. I couldn’t bear to part with most of them anyway, so I didn’t lose much.

The same cannot be said for the brick-and-mortar doll retailer. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, far fewer people were able to buy dolls that cost in excess of $100, so retailers were forced to drastically cut their prices and offer deep discounts to unload their inventory. Their already-small margins got smaller, and their rents went higher and higher. And so, one by one, store-based retailers disappeared from the physical landscape. Some store owners moved to solely online sales, and others simply left the retail business altogether. Many will tell you that today, seven years on from the painful fiscal memories of 2008, being even an online retailer does not pay the bills. One by one, doll retailers are disappearing from the marketplace altogether. Manufacturer direct are slowly but surely cutting out the middleman, and I believe they will soon be the only option for buyers outside of the secondary market. Independent artists who produce their art in small batches generally have no need for a middleman at all.

All this has resulted in a vast array of prices that can be quite confusing to the new or infrequent collector. Based on my experience (and I spend way more time monitoring doll prices than I care to admit), buying dolls has become an exercise in patient research. Below, I break down the five main ways collectors make their dolly purchases and my tips on getting the most doll for your dollar.

Online retailers. There are still some out there. Those that have survived have generally been in the business for a long time—often out of love as much as any financial reward (which generally gets less each year). Long-time retailers usually have a loyal following—customers who would not think of buying from anyone else. But as their pocketbooks continue to feel the pinch of a sagging economy, those customers are dwindling, and retailers must compete for sales with other sellers who often use deep discounts to unload their inventory. And retailers are increasingly competing with the manufacturers themselves, who are turning to discounted direct sales to sell their product.

The biggest rule in purchasing a doll—regardless of where you buy it—is NEVER PAY RETAIL. The second rule: WAIT. For almost all fashion dolls I know of, the longer a doll is on the market, the further its price will go down. There are some exceptions to this rule—some convention dolls and uber-limited-edition FBJDs—but not many. The days of skyrocketing secondary market prices are over. Even one month can make a difference. After retailers sell to all of the suckers with deep pockets who must be first in line and are willing to pay full price, they will discount their product. The longer you can wait, the cheaper it will be.

Impromptu sales are often the best times to grab those dolly deals. Make sure you are on the mailing lists of your favorite retailers AND your favorite manufacturers. Today’s sales can be frequent and generous—and it’s first come, first served. If it’s an announced sale, monitor that in-box often and make sure your Internet connection is a fast one.

Doll boards. Fashion doll collectors are continually attracted to the next shiny object, and, like most people, their pockets are not bottomless. So, when the next pretty dolly catches their eye and they don’t have the funds to purchase it, they rob Peter to pay Paul. Collectors generally recognize that, these days, they usually can’t sell a doll for what they paid for it, so they’ll offer attractive deals. Doll boards are an increasingly popular place to unload unwanted dolls as eBay continues to institute seller-unfriendly practices that put sellers at the mercy of dishonest buyers.

My general experience has been that doll boards keep buyers and sellers more honest than eBay does. People on doll boards generally know one another, and if a buyer or seller cheats a board member, you can be sure that person will never trade on that board again. Nothing—and I mean nothing—is scarier than a doll buyer scorned. And when she/he has loyal collector friends, watch out. (I once had a posse of angry doll collectors scare a person who had stolen a doll from my front porch so much, that person snuck back in the dead of night two weeks later and returned the doll to me. True story.)

Suffice it to say that, if you scam a fellow collector, your name will be spread so quickly across the doll community you probably won’t be able to conduct your scam twice. Doll collectors who have been scammed frequently spread the name and/or eBay ID or screen name(s) of their scammers far and wide, limiting their ability to run their scam more than once. In all of my 12 years of buying and selling dolls on the Internet, I have never had an unpleasant transaction with a doll board member. My history with eBay, on the other hand, is littered with deals gone bad with dishonest buyers and seller to which I have lost money, with eBay doing nothing to protect me.

One favorite site among collectors to buy and sell their ways has been the “Show and Sell” site of The Doll Page. For many years, Steve and Rae maintained this site out of the goodness of their hearts—never charging users any fees. Recently, the Show and Sell page fell victim to the relentless tide of changing technology, and Steve and Rae were forced to shut it down when their old software could no longer accommodate their needs. Steve and Rae provided an invaluable service to our community for a long time, and they deserve our deep gratitude.

In February, several collectors launched what they hope will become an alternative to Show and Sell. Mister Dollface aims to serve as a platform for buying, selling, and trading dolls as well as a community for collectors to share and learn from one another. Based on its current look and feel, I have high hopes for this site, and I encourage everyone to check it out and take advantage of its services.

The bottom line is, doll board sellers frequently offer incredible deals, and it’s first come, first served. Keep your eyes open, and you may find a long-sought doll for a steal of a price—offered by an honest person.

evilBay. So if doll boards are such a great place to buy and sell, why bother with eBay? The simplest answer: volume. eBay’s ubiquitous presence across the globe means that any items you place for auction or sale will be seen by a limitless number of people. And more volume means more cash. If your item appeals to more than one collector, you have the potential for a lucrative bidding war. Despite all of the transactions I conduct on doll boards, I am nearly always able to obtain a higher price on eBay. HOWEVER, the ever-escalating cut that eBay and PayPal take out of each transaction is giving me less and less motivation to use their sites. Add to that the aggravation of dealing with dishonest buyers and little or no seller protections, and those doll boards look more and more attractive.

An alternative auction site reserved just for collectible dolls called dollbid was launched last year to provide doll collectors with an alternative to evilBay. As with any David going up against a Goliath, it experienced considerable difficulties getting underway. Today, visitors to the site are greeted with a message saying the site is being “updated.” We’ll see if its owners take another stab at it.

IRL stores and shows. There is a handful left out there. If you are lucky enough to live within driving distance of one of the few remaining doll shops, GO THERE IMMEDIATELY AND BUY SOMETHING. Yes, you will likely have to pay more. Brick-and-mortar stores have overhead that online stores do not, and that needs to be taken into account. But you will not pay shipping, and you will be able to talk to A REAL HUMAN BEING about your purchase and hold it in your hands and examine it before you commit to purchasing it. If you do not live near a retailer, patronize a physical store that has an online presence. Remember, how we choose to spend our dolly dollars will determine the fate of the industry. The way we are currently purchasing our dolls means that the days are numbered for the few physical retailers that have been left standing.

Doll shows are another way to make purchases “in real life.” But they are few and far between. Check out this year’s schedule to see if there is one scheduled near you. They are great fun to attend. Even if you don’t find anything to buy, the novelty of actually seeing dolls for sale in person is more than worth the effort of going.

Manufacturer direct. More and more manufacturers are cutting out the middleman and selling direct to consumers. Some have been doing it this way for a while, and others are new to the practice. Whether this trend is good for the consumer is subject to debate. While many collectors like the personal contact and relationships they’ve cultivated with retailers, others appreciate not having to shop around for price. And going direct doesn’t necessarily mean higher prices. Manufacturers who have too much product on their shelves may offer deep discounts to liquidate their wares when necessary.

It can take the new collector a while to learn how to navigate all of these choices in order to come up with the best price. I’ve been at it for 12 years, and I still manage to overpay now and again. But if you follow the two Cardinal Rules of Doll-buying, you should be okay: 1) Never pay retail, and 2) Hold your horses. If you take time to shop around and wait for a bargain … Chances are you’ll find one.

Cold, dead hands

~ writergal42 ~ 2 Comments

Doll people have an interesting lexicon exclusive to their community. Besides our acronym alphabet soup (BJD, FBJD, BW, AR, SA, NRFB, MIB, etc.), we coin terms that often betray our tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. “Hoo-hoo stands” in particular springs to mind. But my personal favorite by far, is “grail doll,” also occasionally referred to as “cold, dead hands doll.” (As in, “You would have to pry this doll from my cold, dead hands.”) Every collector I know has, at one time or another, used this phrase to refer to that special doll that, were their house engulfed in flames and they had time to rescue just one doll from their collection, this doll would be the one.

Sometimes one’s grail doll is an OOAK piece that has been repainted by a favorite artist and wears a piece of couture created by a talented seamstress. Sometimes it is an exclusive, limited edition factory doll that they’ve pursued for years. It may be a particularly expensive doll that took them months to save for. Or it could be a doll whose value is purely personal, perhaps a gift from a dear friend.

My local doll club chooses a theme each month and encourages members to bring to every meeting a doll or dolls that fall into that category. February’s theme was “grail doll,” and the variety of dolls that members brought in represented a wide interpretation of what constitutes a grail doll. There were factory dolls and customized dolls–repainted, rerooted, and redressed. There were resin dolls and vinyl dolls, fashion dolls and child dolls. The owner of each doll gave a mini-presentation explaining why their doll was special to them, often sharing the story of how they came to own the doll after pursuing it for years or working with artists to create their vision of what it should be. There were widely varying interpretations of what makes a grail doll, but a common theme was the strong emotional connection collectors have to their dolls as miniature pieces of art created by respected artists.

It seems to me that when we take time to think about which dolls in our collection that someone would have to pry from our “cold, dead hands,” we reflect on why we have taken up this hobby to begin with. What do we appreciate the most about the hobby that occupies our spare hours? The art? The creativity? The “power of play”? The friendship? The sense of community? Often, it is a combination of all of these factors.

Even though you may not personally prefer what another collector calls her grail, you can always respect why she does.

They hide in plain sight

~ writergal42 ~ 9 Comments

A gay friend of mine once told me—half-jokingly—that it was easier for him to come out as a homosexual than as a doll collector. He recounted to me how for years he had taken his dolls off a shelf in his apartment and hid them in a closet whenever he was expecting company. He described how he once literally threw them into a box while his sister knocked on his door for an unannounced visit.

Finally, he said, it just became too exhausting to carry on his charade. He told me that when he did “come out” to his family as a fashion doll collector, they seemed even more confused than when he announced to them that he was gay and had a boyfriend. “It was insane,” he told me. “My heart was beating faster than when I introduced my partner to them.”

In my experience as a doll collector, this story, while amusing, isn’t all that far-fetched. I may not hide “my girls” when I have company, but I do find myself censoring myself when it comes to talking about my dolls. I’ve also found myself mentally categorizing my friends and colleagues into those who “know” and those who “don’t know”—much, I suppose, like a closeted homosexual.

Now I don’t mean to equate being a doll collector who gets smirks when revealing her hobby with being a lesbian who must put up with homophobia on a regular basis. But there are some interesting parallels, nonetheless. Doll collectors are more than aware that many people find their hobby odd, to say the least. We are regularly confronted with questions like, “Do they stare at you at night?” “Is that a Chucky doll?” and (my favorite) “How much money did you pay for that?”

It’s no wonder we seek one another out for company. The company of other doll collectors is one of the few places we can revel in our love of all things doll and know we won’t be judged for it.

So it’s safe to say that collecting dolls is far from mainstream. This line of thinking led me to wonder if any celebrities collect dolls—and, if so, what the general reaction to that is.

The handful of famous people I already knew of who collect dolls of some sort (or at least are open about doing so) tend to be people who are otherwise perceived as—how shall I say this—“quirky.” The fact that Richard Simmons and Marie Osmond both collect and produce dolls doesn’t exactly lend a lot of credibility to the rest of us. Ditto for Morgan Fairchild, Annette Funicello, and Kathie Lee Gifford.

One mainstream doll collector who has never felt the need to closet herself is Demi Moore, although the media has taken its share of jabs at her substantial collection (by some estimates, more than 3,000 dolls valued at more than $2 million, all displayed in a house of their own). It seems that Demi’s first husband, Bruce Willis, initiated her love of dolls by purchasing her a pair of Anne Mitrani dolls early in their courtship. Demi loved the dolls and quickly got bit by the collector bug. Her second husband wasn’t all that enthralled with his wife’s blossoming collection. Here’s one quote from Ashton Kutcher that doll collectors will find particularly endearing:

“They upset me – I saw Chucky! These things freak me out, man, and she’s got like thousands of them. They’re everywhere – and they’re freaky. I think the dolls have souls. And they’re always looking at you – we have some in the bedroom and that makes things just weird. Some of these things are worth a lot of money apparently but they frighten me a little bit.”

What a prize he was. You’re better off without him, Demi.

Demi Moore holds a Robert Tonner doll purchased for her at a charity auction by her then-husband Bruce Willis.

I had dug up this information on Demi last week, while I was researching for this post on celebrity doll collectors. Demi seemed to be the most “mainstream” collector out there. And then, performing yet another doll/celebrity Google search, I saw a headline that I was certain I had read wrong.

Johnny Depp, ardent collector of celeb dolls

And this:

Johnny Depp’s Barbie collection: Depp says ‘It’s one of the things I’m good at’

I wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

It appears that Johnny Depp, the coolest of the cool kids in Hollywood, one of the most respected, most celebrated male actors of our age, collects dolls.

No way.

According to the various Hollywood media reports I uncovered, Depp’s collection includes “dozens and dozens of Barbies, all limited and special editions.” His focus, apparently, are dolls depicting Hollywood celebrities, including himself. Beyonce, Elvis, Paris Hilton, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Lindsay Lohan are also listed by anonymous “sources” as some of the celebrity dolls in Depp’s collection. In interviews, Depp has no qualms talking about how he plays dolls with his kids and owns that he has “a lot of Barbies in storage.”

Fun with Photoshop

In fact, it seems like Depp enjoys his own play with his collection. Several Hollywood news sites state that the actor dresses and accessorizes his dolls to reflect the goings-on of various Hollywood divas. This includes his Lohan doll, which sources say Depp had accessorized with an ankle bracelet when Lindsay was put under house arrest. Johnny Depp, it seems, is a collector who has learned “the power of play.”

“Surely,” I thought, “if Johnny Depp collects dolls, then it will be perceived as ‘normal.’ If someone this cool is a doll collector, how can I be called weird?”

Pretty easily, it seems.

“Johnny Depp: Barbie Enthusiast, Creepy Doll Collector” rang out the headline of Details magazine. “No, that’s not creepy at all,” wrote Details’ resident blogger, in response to Depp’s confession to Jimmy Kimmel that he “has a lot of Barbies in storage.”

*sigh*

Apparently it will take more than Johnny Depp’s Barbie collection to break the general distaste and contempt our society as a whole reserves for doll collectors. I believe that even if that embodiment of the very pinnacle of masculinity itself—Don Draper—acknowledged possessing a doll collection, it still would likely not remove the stigma associated with it.

Then again, I thought, perhaps it’s not so bad to be in the company of Johnny Depp and Demi Moore. Demi’s selection of fine artist dolls shows that she has a deep appreciation for art in doll form, and Depp’s admission that he enjoys accessorizing his celebrity dolls illustrates that he is open to expressing his creativity in unconventional ways.

I’ve definitely been in worse company than that.

That’s one hunky doll

10,000 and counting!

~ writergal42 ~ 4 Comments

This morning when I checked my blog, a number on my stats page caught my attention.

10,000

Apparently, since I started my blog on January 4, it has been viewed 10,000 times. I was speechless. (Not a common occurrence for me.)

So I just wanted to mark the occasion by sending out my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has taken time from their busy days to read my posts. I’ve been writing this blog in my head for years, and I am so happy to have finally resolved to record my thoughts. I’m gratified that you’ve found them worthy enough to read. I appreciate the feedback that you’ve given me, and I welcome you to continue to tell me what you think and what you might like to see in my blog in the months to come.

WordPress (the publisher of my blog) provides me with all kinds of stats on the people who visit my blog. Throughout the last month, I’ve had visitors from 19 countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, France, South Korea, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Australia, Italy, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, and … Ukraine. That single Ukrainian reader has popped up on my stats page each time I have written a post.

From Western Europe, to Eastern Europe, to the Middle East, to the Far East, a handful of doll fanatics are finding some common ground in my posts. The doll community apparently transcends borders, language, geography, and even warfare.

How can the world possibly be that small?

How can the world possibly be that small?

Vogue

~ writergal42 ~ 5 Comments

Like many people, my picture-taking skills are confined to the point-my-camera-at-something-pretty (usually my son), press-the-button, and hope-something-turns-out variety. In all of my 22 years of collecting dolls and photographing them (jeez, I’m old), it’s never gotten more sophisticated than pointing and shooting. I began taking pictures of my dolls back in the Dark Ages, when people actually had to drop rolls of film off at the pharmacy, wait three days, and then pick them up. It was not uncommon to spend $15 to get a role of 24 photos developed only to find about three that were half-way decent.

I recently came across some of those decades-old photos while cleaning out my garage. I uncovered dozens and dozens of blurry doll pictures. I hate to think how much I had spent on getting that crap developed. Nevertheless, those blurry pictures brought back memories, and it really hit home how long I’ve been in this quirky little hobby of mine. When I took my earliest doll photos, I was living in a college dorm room. And now I’m a middle-aged soccer mom in Florida balancing a full-time corporate career I never imagined myself in with raising a gorgeous, precocious little boy.

I had plans after cleaning out the garage to photograph a new doll that had arrived that morning. Those decades-old, blurry photos served as a reminder that 20-year-old Barb and 42-year-old Barb were enjoying the same hobby. Reflecting on that, I realized that dolls were probably all those two people had in common any longer. Life had changed me. But–for better or worse–I retained my passion for dolls.

So I tossed those blurry photographs back into the box I found them in so 52-year-old Barb can discover them again and reflect on her life as a doll collector and the mother of a teenage boy. Will she still be as passionate about the art of doll-making and see beauty in miniature sculpture and couture? I’m guessing so. For many of the most committed doll collectors and artists I know, this is a life-long passion.

But I digress.

The photos I found inspired me to push myself a little to see if I could improve my picture-taking skills just enough to do some justice to the dolls I was photographing. So I visited eBay and selected a backdrop to scale with 16″ dolls that cost me $17.25 (shipping included). It took two weeks to arrive from Shanghai.

The backdrop arrived rolled in a tube. The image was printed on a durable fabric parchment. Well worth the price.

I took the backdrop into my son’s room in the afternoon, just when it is filled by afternoon sunlight. I taped the backdrop to the wall behind his dresser and arranged a couple dolls selected for the occasion. Then I took my camera phone and started experimenting.

“Alma” by Paul Pham and “Riley” by Helen Kish. Alma wears Stratus’ wig, her original earrings, and a sweater and slacks by Tonner. Riley wears Boneka.

These were the best four out of the dozens of shots that I took. My biggest mistake, I see, was in my placement of the backdrop. In this setup, I’ve hung it too high, so the floor begins on the wall. It also might have helped to move my subjects back a bit to enhance perspective and place them deeper into the scene.

Once I cleared up my photo shoot, I got to tinkering around with Alma’s wardrobe, and I found a Gene outfit (“White Hyacinth,” I believe) that went beautifully with her complexion. Rather than set up my backdrop again, I just shot a couple of photos of Alma on her shelf.

I friggin’ love this doll. She looks amazing in anything.

Anyway, such went my first foray into putting some actual effort into capturing the beauty I see when I look at my dolls. I invested in a couple of books about doll photography a while back, and I’m going to dig them out and see if I can make some more progress.

Stay tuned. And Happy Valentine’s Day!