If you told me a few years ago that I’d end up deep diving into doll collecting I probably would have laughed in your face. So what happened?
Honestly, I’m not sure. Weirdly it started off with tamagotchis. Then that somehow morphed into a brief foray into LOL Surprise dolls and Tsum Tsums, which then took a sharp left turn into Blythe dolls and it all kind of spiralled from there.
I was never really all that into dolls as a kid. We had dolls, sure, but I was honestly more torn up about my cuddly toys and weebles going to the carboot than any of my Barbies. I remember liking toys that were interactive and had play built-in, rather than totally relying on you bringing them to life. My Captain Scarlet figures got a lot of my time (trying to find the missile and the little dude in the chair for the tank that I’d just dropped somewhere was like 70% of the fun), as did my Pokémon things, my Game Boy and our family PlayStation and PlayStation2 consoles… Suffice to say the toys that I remember now aren’t usually dolls, with a few notable exceptions.
The main reason I never liked dolls much is that I never really understood how you were supposed to play with them. The fashion dolls I got as a kid never came with stands so you couldn’t set up scenes and pose them, their limbs had super limited articulation so they couldn’t really move or interact with the worlds you made for them, and they were always so… bland.
I feel like the 90s was the peak for PINK FOR GIRLS AND BLUE FOR BOYS toy marketing. When it came to dolls this was especially stark and I just wasn’t that interested. That frame couldn’t really hold my attention in the same way my fiction and non-fiction books could. My books gave me a window into a whole wide universe that didn’t care if I had the best hair or the latest fashion. I didn’t have to wait for a prince to save me, I could have my own adventures and power and cunning.
So why don’t I feel the same way about dolls now? Well, for starters, I think dolls now are finally being made with a good amount of diversity, they are clever and innovative, and they come in the kinds of themes and fashions that just weren’t available to me growing up. I’m also able now to determine which dolls I learn about, which dolls I buy, and which dolls speak to me in a way that you just don’t get to as a child without your own spending power or autonomy.
I also find different things essential now for escapism. I spend all day staring at screens and problem-solving in a male-dominated workspace. I take a lot of comfort now in creating a space that speaks to my own views on femininity and fashion without external pressure. The doll market is also totally fascinating, especially when it comes to what things push up a doll’s market value, what kinds of dolls are out there, and just the general hidden culture behind the world of dolls that you don’t know about until you dive in.
So, needing a place to talk about dolls because I’m pretty sure my loved ones are more than just humouring my dolly ramblings at this point, I’ve decided to make a small blog where I’m free to gush about dolls. If you’re interested, watch this space :)
