Typing this gave me some cause for thought, I must admit I nearly always have her with me but I never let anyone know (apart from my close doll friendly friends and you, dear reader) Isn't that sad in a way? most of my friends who collect dolls are the creative types, I've seen some amazing things made for dolls, clothing, shoes, accessories, whole storylines. My best friend Manda has her website with stories and some 'how to's) (I must check and see if the link for that is up) My friend Loanne is known throughout the mattel interested world amongst those who know where to look for her amazing repaints of kelly kids. The Ball Joint Doll community absolutely revolves around ceativity, I've seen foot high horses made for the biggest dolls, chain mail, exquisite fashions...the list goes on. Not to mention the many yahoo and facebook groups, and I assume twitter, although I'm not on that. Whole international communities dedicated to 'playing with dolls'
Out of those people how many first had a problem letting the judgemental world know that they 'played with dolls'?
People *are* judgemental, that's a fact of human nature and a lot of them will assume that if you are at all in possession of a doll beyond the age of say sixteen or so you're at the very least bordering on 'crazy person' and how untrue is that of so many of us doll collectors. The sheer creativity that surrounds these little representations of people of all ages and shapes, all sizes and types and colours... all that to be dismissed as 'playing with dolls' I say 'no! actually I say an emphatic *NO!*
Manda, when I said I quite liked the idea of getting into dolls said 'they're demanding little beasts, they want clothes and accessories, pictures and backstories' and I've got to say I've found she's right. What I've also found is immense satisfaction from creation of tiny accessories and setting up pictures, which of course led to photostories, Expanding Tye's world to include her friends, her home life, her pets has been a journey for me. (by no means over - I just need more time!) as has my foray into the world of organised collector groups. I've met good friends, I've met people who work for companies all over the world who have gone beyond customer care to ensure my new little one has come home safely. I've met new friends through online groups, some of them firm friends I can't forsee losing any time soon. Even if we don't chat for weeks, months, years we can still pick up the conversation more or less where we left off. In fact I'd say dolls have enriched my friendship with my best friend who moved away to the states, we have now got so far as texting pictures of each new doll or accessory to each other over our mobile phones since neither of us can reliably get online to email as often as we'd like (even with said mobile phone)
Dolls are enriching, yes, that's a good word. Through the influence of a 'child hood toy' many people have created an online account just so they can join the community of collectors for their particular favourite. Dolls empower, many a hidden talent has come forward in creation of tiny clothing or accessories 'for fun' sometimes it leads to a business (how many couples do you see at dolls house fairs where the lady likes to do the miniturisation and her husband has got into making the houses or other items) Dolls heal. I once bought a BJD from a girl who was so lovely online, it subsequently turned out that she was wheelchair bound and her contact with the outside world was with the BJD community, without that there was very little that was pleasant in her world, her precious volks doll was her companion and her friend, and also her path to communication with other humans who would not judge her chair, her assumed mental health and her illnesses, on line she could be who she really was.
All because of a doll.
So yes, I play with dolls - there - I've said it. So if you see a white van charging along the road then there might, just might, be a tiny little Kelly Kid hidden somwhere in there, keeping someone company on the long hours between sites.