I think I am spending too much time with my dolls.
I’m not having any weird delusions that they are moving when I am not looking directly at them, nor am I worried that they are plotting against me. My recent spate of Frankendolly action probably has them scared, even if they do have any plots in the planning stages against me.
“Don’t even think about it. So and so in the Bluebeard Drawer* needs a body, and her skintone matches yours, smart girl!” sounds like something I might say to a scheming doll if I were as delusional as all that.
Thankfully, I have not degenerated to that point.
But what has me wondering about the amount of time I am spending with my dolls are some of the things I have thought while looking for things on eBay. As many of you who read my ramblings know, I use my dolls as characters in stories I like to write. So I am usually looking for props or clothing that those characters might wear or use. That’s not really a big deal, because that is half the fun of doll collecting.
It is looking at something in an eBay listing, and thinking, “Ooh, so and so would like that!” then realizing, “Am I actually considering buying a present for a doll?”
It is a bit of a shock to the system. Please take comfort in the knowledge that I wouldn’t be a dangerous lunatic. Steal someone’s dolls? Yes. Hurt someone? No way!
But I came to that realization one day, that I was actually considering the thoughts and feelings of a particular doll while looking at a dress that I thought would look good on her. The thought followed, “How would so and so, her sister feel?” kind of jolted me. Especially since her sister would not be chipping in on this item, and trying to keep the purchase of such a thing secret is next to impossible, since my dolls are all on my desk, right next to my computer, and can see me on eBay looking at dolls and doll items. I think I should seriously be concerned if I take my dolls off my desk, or turn them away so they can’t see the screen and me buying them presents.
Bluebeard Drawer - For those of you not in the know, I keep a drawer in one of my “craft dressers” of doll heads I have gotten from one source or another. The idea is, to get the head of a doll I like, and eventually buy bodies from Tonner so that they can become “real dolls.” Some folks think this is pretty gruesome, and yes, it is kind of creepy, hence the name, Bluebeard Drawer.
Uh, I'm the same way, although I use action figures for the stories I write, because I "cast" actors as my characters and action figures are often based on actors in movies and tv shows. My dolls are just for play.
ReplyDeleteBut they're all characters, and therefore, they take on a life of their own. That's the story I'm sticking with, anyway. ;)
Sweetie, as long as you don't seriously think the dolls are alive, you're quite sane. Getting lost in a hobby is psychologically beneficial (well, unless you literally bankrupt yourself over it). Let that freak flag fly proud!
ReplyDeleteLOL! I have moments like that. Like walking in a mall and seeing shoes or dresses that makes me go: "Oh! That would look great on this doll" or "I wish they'd make that dress in my doll's size".
ReplyDeleteHeh. My dolls are definitely more pampered than their owner^^
Ariss
I think this sounds totally normal, Blue. In fact, I just posted about this item on Facebook, and I also included a poll, in which our dear readers might like to share their own experiences with us. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fashion-Doll-Review/142781762409712
I've heard people call exchanging doll heads with different bodies is called "frankendolly". I think I'm obsessed when I buy something non-doll related and calculate in my head how many dolls that money would have bought. "I could have bought a lot of dolls with that money", is something frequently heard coming out of my mouth.
ReplyDeleteI also have a bluebeard's drawer! Great name for it btw. If I like a doll's head then I always want to get a jointed body for it for more poseability!
ReplyDeleteMy 2 dressed Tonners stand in a glass case overlooking my sewing table. It may be my imagination, but I think they have leaned closer to each other than when I first put them in the case. I'm thinking they must be whispering to each other as they watch me sew. Depending what their personalities are (which I haven't figured out yet), they are either saying:
ReplyDelete1) "Wow, that dress is going to be beautiful when it's done. I hope she's sewing it for one of us!"
OR
2) "What is she thinking?! There's no way either of us would wear that!"