Friday, March 23, 2012

New and improved dolls, or sticking with tradition?

Au Milieu de L'Hiver Tyler Wentworth (version 2.0), bendy wrist body by Tonner Doll Company
What's your preference? Do you like new and improved dolls--new body styles, new body sizes and scales, new types of knees? New couture styles? New doll lines? Character and movie figures that appeal to people other than traditional doll collectors?

Are you more of a traditionalist? Do you keep your dolls NRFB? Do you like the doll's original body type? Do you collect a single scale, or a single body type? Do you like classic fashions? Does it bother you when a company creates a new body type, or ignores the original body style you collect?

My daughter and I were discussing the issue the other day. She said she thinks it's a good idea when a company introduces a new body to the line, especially if you have the original. Eventually, the original body will become obsolete and hence, more valuable over time. You might have to wait a while, but the original body will become rarity, both in your collection and on the market.

My personal collection is varied--I have a lot of body shapes and sizes. I love to have a variety of sizes of dolls, even if the outfits aren't exactly interchangeable--and yes, I'll admit that it can be annoying when the shoes don't work across the board. But I love the excuse to mix and match, and collect shoes on their own merit. I wonder--does this make me an exception?

I get excited when I see new additions to a doll company's line. It inspires me when an artist in inspired by a fashion icon or an era, and I love to see new body types in the line up. I love to try them out, and see how posing varies, even within the doll company's own line. Seeing a beloved face on a new body is a new treat for me as well.

Again, I tend to be more fashion forward in my own personal style, however. And even when I don't see something in a doll company's line up that I have to have, I don't tend to take it as a personal insult; I prefer to see it as an opportunity to build up my vintage or other (BJD) collection, or work on older grails for the season. I still enjoy seeing what the designers at the company are up to, and where they are headed. (My wish list seems to be pretty much bottomless, unfortunately!)

How about you? Does your collection stick to a single scale or body type? Can you imagine a doll or outfit that would make you add a size? Are you inspired to see what inspires doll artists, or do you wish doll companies would design only dolls to your tastes? Does it inspire you to see dolls that you wouldn't personally want in your own collection? I'd love to hear your opinion!

1 comment:

  1. I collect a wide variety of dolls, in many sizes. As an adult, when I started collecting in earnest I looked for the dolls that I liked, regardless of their size, scale, or value. I have a nearly complete collection of Kenner Sea Wees, and Mattel She-Ra figures. My Barbie collection is mostly focused on Fairies, Fairy Tales, Mythology and the like, but I also have the 12 inch Xena dolls.

    When I started getting into the Tonner dolls, I was tickled with the new size. BJDs gave me a whole new world to play in, and I've been having a fantastic time finding things that fit the unusual sizes.

    I just got the Wicked Witch from the Pop Goes Oz collection, which is my first foray into the Ellowyne Wilde size and shape. Since my other Tonner girl is Harley Quinn (first edition) with flat feet, I now realize that I have a wardrobe of SHOES to acquire!

    Am I annoyed that she can't wear anyone else's shoes? Heck, no! New stuff to collect!!

    The doll club that we formed here in St. Louis is called Dolly Playmates, because we decided that while most of us are now obsessed with BJDs, we welcome anyone who plays with their dolls. As a result, we sometimes get people at meetings who bring dolls we're completely unfamiliar with, and a flurry of everyone trying on everyone else's stuff begins!

    ReplyDelete

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