In doll collecting, we often choose dolls that speak to us either by fashion, or by childhood memories, or by style of the creator. There are vast collections out there in the world with several types of dolls. Some collect only one kind and accumulate them into full rooms. Some collect on a theme, some create a nursery. Doll collections are very personal and they tell a story.
Often times I don't know what I'm getting into when I am chasing down an idea. The fundamental concept that I run with is one of transformation. The joy of restoring a doll that is sad into one that is ready for a second life with a new or existing owner. Once the caterpillar turns into the butterfly, I find myself saying "Fly away little butterfly, be free." And I pack that doll up and it goes to it's new home. For this reason, the biggest room in my studio full of dolls is not actually my doll cabinets, it's my workshop where dolls await in parts, shaved heads, and limbs on the shelf to be restored. My doll collection itself, is relatively small on comparison with many of my clients.
Through the course of running this business, what has been in my cabinets has often been single faceted. I've chosen the pieces I like and it does run in a theme. A few get rotated out when I get something exciting and new, but I definitely have my favorites that bring me joy. I don't collect x dolls (x = fill in the brand or the era) has really changed for me. What is very fulfilling about being in the doll business is learning about what each of my clients and doll collecting friends love. Often it's very different from what I am collecting and I often go into a conversation about their collection with the thought, "Ok convince me, why is this doll special". It's not meant to be a challenge, but dolls are a special kind of product bought. It's based on emotion, desire, and memories. Each doll collector has a story and that collection is part of that story. Talking about why we collected something particular and the memories or the history it evokes is probably one of the most interesting topics for me to learn. You dive down the rabbit hole of a person's very personal story, and that is why doll collectors are some of the most interesting people to know. You'll never get the same passion when someone talks about the vacuum cleaner they bought or why they needed to go buy paper towels. There could be a story behind buying a new outfit, but many of the products out there we are shopping for are very surface level. Dolls is another story.
As I learn about each doll collector's story and collection, it intrigues me. A part of that story lives on in me and over the course of time I have an appreciation for not just the dolls I collect, but a broader appreciation for many types of dolls. Some of the stories have affected me so much that it rubbed off and one of those dolls or several of those dolls have ended up in my collection. As my knowledge grows I can tell more and more what makes each doll brand special and it's brought up my level of love for dolls substantially.
It makes me the happiest to know that I've been changed for the better and now it is not "I don't collect x dolls" but "I collect a broad range of dolls". It's definitely inclusivity vs. exclusivity dollwise in this studio. Share your story, what's in your collection and why are you passionate about your doll pieces?