Starting a Doll Collection
A Guide to Starting and Curating your Doll Collection
On a whim you pick up a doll, because you think it’s pretty. Then, later, you pick up another of that kind, and after a few months pass, another, until you have a shelf full of dolls and possibly a few in boxes next to the shelf. You, my friend, have just started a collection. For doll collectors, these kinds of things sneak up on us! We’ll start by collecting one kind of doll (ie: Barbie), then we jet off on another tangent (ie: Japanese fashion dolls), and then another (ie: Jem and the Holograms), until we have more subsections in our doll collection than a library has in their non-fiction aisles.
My own doll collection includes:
vintage (restored) Barbie
Skipper Doll (entire line)
Asian/Anime dolls/Ball Jointed Dolls
Madame Alexanders (and within that it seems Bride MA’s)
18” Dolls (American Girl, A Girl for All Time, Sasha, Disney Animators)
Big Eyed Dolls (ie: La Dee Da, Little Miss No Name)
My own re-roots
Jem and the Holograms (vintage)
Barbie and her Bands (Rockers, Beat, Sensations, etc)
Monster High/Ever After High
Gene and various Tonner dolls
Starting a doll collection, or any kind of collection, can sound like a daunting task. But, if you follow a few simple guidelines, it is actually easier than you might think! This post will walk you through how to start and maintain a collection you love. Because, after all, anything you collect should be collected because you love it.
Collecting for future wealth, or as an investment, or because you have two kids that may want to go to college one day is not a good reason to start a collection, especially when it comes to dolls. Those holiday Barbies, for example, that some have collecting dust in the attic “as an investment” won’t make you half of what you spent on them and definitely won’t be paying your kids way to college. Why let things take up space in your home when they’re not something you love or want to see every day?
Step 1: Brainstorm What Makes You Happy
Start broad. What do you love? That is the first and most important question to consider when deciding to start a collection. What makes you happy when you see it? What is something that caught your eye in the past and stuck with you? I’d bet the answers to those questions will help you decide what your perfect collection might be.
For doll collectors, this is when you look broadly at the dolls that call to you. Fashion dolls? 16” dolls? American Girl style dolls? Ball jointed dolls? Miniatures and doll houses? That’s all you need to figure out in this step.
Step 2: Dig Deeper— Find Your Focus
Now that you have a broad idea of the type of items, in this case dolls, you’d like to collect, it’s time to dig a little deeper to find what you’d truly like to focus on.
I decided in my teens that my collecting focus was Skipper dolls (and Barbie’s bands to a lesser extent). The majority of my doll collection to that point *was* Skipper already, as I grew up during a time when Mattel was making a lot of cute Skipper dolls. But the real reason I decided upon Skipper was that she’d always been my favorite doll. I loved her look, the variety of outfits, and her size. The fact that I owned plenty of her already was a plus!
Having a focus helped me so much because I knew what I was looking for. I wasn’t looking for everything. I had goal pieces (even if they were as simple as ‘any Skipper doll’ in the beginning)! To others, having a focus made my collection look far more streamlined. I wasn’t just ‘that crazy doll collector’, I was the Skipper doll collector.
Something to think about, too, as you find the focus of your collection is to think about not just the dolls, but everything that goes with them. For example, not only do I collect Skipper dolls, but I decided that I wanted to collect outfits and other items with the Skipper logo/image (ie: cases, wallets, puzzles, anything really). Think about the superlatives that go with your collection and decide (you can always change your mind later) if you want to collect those, in addition to your dolls.
Within your broad category, what within it do you want to concentrate on? And don’t forget a focus can also be a theme (ie: brides, airline dolls, celebrity friends, etc)! Figure that out and head to step 3!
Step 3: Shop Till You Drop (But Don’t Feel Rushed)!
I’ve heard it said once you have three examples of the same or similar thing, you have a collection. In the spirit of that idea, start small! With doll collecting, new collectors can easily become overwhelmed by the sheer number of options. Even when you’ve done your homework and know your collection focus, it is easy to feel compelled to add things to your collection because you’re driven to ‘catch up’ to those who have collected longer. That is a very easy way to waste money that you should be spending on a doll you love! Three pieces you love always trump 100 pieces you ‘kind of like’.
My collection has over 500 dolls in it. That number shocks even me! But if you consider I’ve been seriously collecting for over 25 years, 500 dolls makes a little more sense. Growing a collection takes time. Don’t feel like you have to rush to fill your shelves. Take your time and add only what you know will make you happy.
Step 4: Displaying Your Collection
Displaying and maintaining a collection is something I get asked about all the time. It’s a hard question to answer because the best or right way to do it is a very subjective and personal thing. If we just cover the basics, a good bookshelf or glass case from IKEA is a great way to go about displaying your collection. I love the IKEA cases because they look great and keep dust away from your dolls. Another perk is many fit in small spaces.
Another way to invest in your collection is by buying doll stands. Collecting Warehouse has a wide variety of stands. Barbee0913 and I reviewed them last year if you’re curious about seeing some of what they offer. I also wrote about them here. While some dolls come with stands, I’ve found replacing them with your standard doll stand is so much easier for displaying purposes.
You’ll want to consider risers, as well, so the dolls in the back of your shelf get as much attention as those in the front. If you don’t have risers and the dolls you collect are different sizes, you can put the taller dolls in the back and shorter dolls in the front to get a similar effect or use gift boxes from the dollar store.
And don’t forget, this is your collection. You can display it anyway you’d like! Want to mix your doll varieties up? Go for it! Prefer to organize them by color or era? Sounds great to me! Display them in a way that speaks to you.
On a similar note, I encourage you not to hide your collection where no one will see it. Display it proudly! After all, this is something that gives you joy. Don’t let naysayers or negative nellies get in your way of showing off the dolls you’re proud of!
And There You Have it!
I know everything I’ve said here sounds pretty basic, but if you’re struggling to start or define your collection, answering these questions will help. Clarity about what specifically makes you happy will guide you to creating and curating your doll collection.