Collector Spotlight: Me and My Doll Collection 

I think doll collecting is something close to keeping some of your childhood imagination with you when most people lose it completely :)

By the way.......your collecting room gives a feeling of innocence and joy that is peacefull.

Funny, my dad collects "man toys", he's got 20+ motorcycles, 10+ tractors, I don't even know how many cars, countless tools he never uses, fishing rods, etc, etc. I'm talking truckloads full of stuff. No one thinks that's weird, but my mom's "doll room" full of hundreds of dolls, that's weird.

I used to love dolls when I was little and there's something calling me that wants me to collect Monster's dolls and Barbie fashionista. :) I love your doll collection. :)

Your never too old to have a passion 💜

LOVE YOUR COLLECTION!!!!

I'll never give up on dolls

such a great video thank you for making it! i also have a collecting family! your awesome!

I got into dolls the same why, my mother collected Barbies for years. I continue to collect and don't see myself stopping. I agree that our age group sometimes doesn't understand collecting toys. But with Monster High things have changed. People are being more opened minded. I love watching your videos and I am happy to see someone in my age group share my passion.

yes!

@Rebecca Laury- 3:20- Luts Aru 5:46- Rerooted Giggles doll 7:25- Doll In Mind Fantasia 2:17- Toffee Witchiepoo 2:01- Bobobie Sprite (I believe. I always get the pixie and sprite confused!) 2:31- Hujoo Wings Thanks for the kind comments about my collection!

I have been doll collector since 1968 and I must have over 2,000 dolls in my home. I am so happy that you enjoy your dolls and take such good care of them. Your are a remarkable young woman! Thanks for posting this!

I love dolls and toys :) I am 14 and I still love playing with them and You are absolutely right! Know one HAS to get rid of their dolls at 15-14, if you love them then keep em :) same goes for everything. So I have a doll "collection" I guess, haha I just have dolls that I fell for and love. nothing specific. My best friend has a "collection" like mine too. And When i watched this video it made me feel good, that I wasnt the only one out there, I do not have that many dolls :) but Love them (when I say dolls, i mean like my dolls and other toys) thank you :)

@ЮляЗверева, Thanks and if you think doll collecting is for you, go for it! Even if you start with one a year, that's something!

I have a question! I don't mean to sound rude, but how old are you? Being 18 here its hard to find people in my age group that collect older and newer dolls. Plus, the fact that I'm a male collector is still taboo but its getting better! I've had dolls my whole life and was majorly introduced to them because of my grandma and to this day we still collect together (: It can be lonely being the only collector in the area thats my age, because not many people are as interested in them as me!

I am a pretty strong person in the way that I could care less what other people thought of me. I use my doll collecting as an extension of me. It's even on my resume. I didn't brag about my collection in high school to stranger's, but my friends knew and I never kept it a secret. I always say, be confident in whatever you choose to do or like.

Yay! I'm so happy this came up in my recs. I can't really say I'm an active collector, as I'm not buying many new dolls these days, but I've been collecting since I was 7 and never really stopped. I've been meaning to post a vlog introducing my "personal doll army" -- I think this is a sign that it needs to be this week! :-) (And yay for a collector so close by - I'm in Elgin, so I'll definitely check out your recs for local shows & such.)

You are so well spoken and encouraging. The truth of the matter is that there is no such thing as collectors being "childish." My eldest sister collected bear figurines. My elderly neighbor collected painted plates. I know a young man that collects all kinds of cow print items and plushes. The "normal" collecting hobbies are usually things like book series, movies, sportswear, shoes, and purses. But, collecting has no true label and collectors should never be judged over their chosen themes.

"Doll collecting is not very common in my age group." I have it twice as bad. Not only is doll collecting not common in my age group, but it's even less common in my gender. I don't collect many dolls though, mainly My Little Pony and Pullip dolls, but still. Anyone who knows thinks I'm weird... and maybe I am, but I'm okay with that because it's something I enjoy. :)

The way I play with my dolls is by doing photoshoots. I'll set them up in different positions and take lots of photos of them! Of course, I do have childhood dolls that I played with during grammar school.

Ashley, you are adorable! You and your doll collection. Love this video ♥

Love, love, love, your Doll collection! Just Gorgeous! 💜💚💙💛

Kewpie83 2:45 I had her! Question, Do you collect the barbie movie dolls? Love your collection!

Awesome channel! I also like your mom's channel too. I'm also a doll collector and I adore teddy bears. And have also learned the art of re-rooting dolls which I discovered takes a lot of patience. But the end result is always rewarding. I agree that you don't have to be a certain age to give up dolls. I started re-collecting a few years ago. I'm beyond over my 30's now, but anyway. What started it all was a shopping trip with a friend just to get some needed items for the apartment at a dollar store. I noticed an adorable mini-Rapunzel doll on one of the end caps with super long hair and said, "How cute! If she's still here next time I will buy her." Well, it turns out my friend had gone back to purchase the doll for me as a surprise which was so nice. Then I ended up getting a few more. Then one day my friend was like, "Have you seen the new My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic ponies?" I was like, "Yes I did." My friend is like, "Close your eyes." When I opened them my friend is holding a Pinkie Pie. lol. So now I have a collection of MLP's and have officially become a Brony. Then one day I looked at a small teddy bear that I had for many years. A cute brown bear about 4 inches tall with cordoroy pants and a brown plaid winter coat with a hood. And I thought, "We need to get you some companions." So now I have a family of teddy bears. And I have this rule that whenever I buy a doll or a teddy bear I have to get two or more to keep each other company as strange as that may sound. But my collection has brought back that same joyful magic that I felt as a kid. So yeah, whatever brings you joy in your life whether it be painting, books, stamp, coin, or doll-collecting. Embrace it no matter what your age is.

Tasha, there's no reply button on your post.. Not sure why! To answer your question, I don't own a Mrs. Beasley. I see so much of Mattel in Mrs. Beasley. There was one episode where the twins went shopping for toys and the entire set was stocked with Mattel dolls and toys. It was a great scene. Saw so many mint in box things that I wanted to buy! ;)

So like, my dad and I are both collectors. He has like, a garage with like 100-200+ different type of toy cars, tractors, trucks etc. And I (Male, 15) collect dolls and figures! Maybe also some plushies as well. Honestly, collecting is so much fun. Finding the stuff you like to add to your collection is the best feeling ever!

Love seeing your collection of dolls it amazing.

I'm happy to share it with the world. Besides finding pieces, the best part of collecting is showing it off to people and talking about it!

I LOVE MY DOLLS COLLECTION

I'm a doll collector. Mainly Barbies, 18 inch dolls similar to American Girl and Zapf toddler dolls. My stems from childhood too, I had lots of dolls as a child and my mum had dolls when she was a kid. It's something I've always loved. Such beauty and art goes into a dolls design. Great video.

@Michaela Sibal, I don't think it's weird at all!

& it brought collecting all back to me again , luckily Evan tho I stopped collecting I didn't sell my collection it was all away in storage but @ 31 years old ive realised its not all about getting every single doll or Evan keeping them all in there boxes or the value , its about enjoying your collection , buying pieces that you really like , allowing yourself to take in doll from its packaging display it , customise it , personalise it & make the collection your own.

Omg i love collecting monster high omg

Hi! Loved your video! I started out as a doll collector and now I am a doll "dr"., fixing voice boxes, tightening joints, restoring vintage dolls and toys. I love that you started re-rooting, you can make money doing that for other people because it is very time consuming, and I Love the pink hair on the Giggles doll! Don't feel like you are weird, there are A Lot of us doll collectors right there with you, and I bet your mom is very proud of you, not just because of your hobby, but because you seem like a Very nice person. Happy Holidays!

I remember getting the bath time kelly and lil friend of kelly Becky in 1995🥰I still buy skipper and kelly today and I’m nearly 37☺️I love your skipper collection I’m learning more about skipper from your videos thankyou nice to know there are still doll collectors ☺️

Wow!! I ❤️ the variety of the dolls you collect! I collect Barbie and baby dolls plus I have 3 Patty Playpals. I saw a statement somewhere that said ‘You’re never too old to play with dolls’. I like what you shared about collecting. It’s a hobby I truly enjoy just like you and your mom. Happy searching!!

I live watching you and your mom. You guys are so knowledgeable about dolls. Idk if there has been one minute in my life that I haven't, loved dolls too. They are so much fun, but I've never gotten to go to a doll show that sounds like so much fun!

Wow! Lovely! I admire your collection! Everyone has their bliss! I collect books--bibliophile here! Recently, I've become fascinated by people who reclaim dolls, such as the YTer Dollightful. And, because I AM always reading, I read a book where the main character was a doll artist, working with Iplehouse SID and EID dolls. That fascinated me. I wanted to know why adults collect dolls. And this is why I'm here, at your excellent vid! Thank you for sharing! Very informative and approachable. I like your end lines, first about each person finding something they love, a focus. I believe a lot of times, it's more about rediscover something we've loved from the beginning, but lost as we grew up, social pressures 'n' all. And second, a shared passion is a way to connect with others!

Found your blog because I discovered Ever After dolls while looking at Barbie stuff for my daughter... and completely fell in love. My grandmother was a doll collector - I have many of her porcelain dolls in storage and now have all her Cabbage Patch Kids which I enjoy with my daughter. I think you and your mom both have great attitudes about your collections and wonderful advice about going about starting "a collection" Its very nice to see that your dolls are outside of their boxes and being enjoyed.

I purchased my Fantasia on eBay back in the day. She was my first MSD doll, actually. I love her long ears and pretty face!

You expressed just what it means to be a doll collector, I too started when I was young and well I'm now over the hill and thru the woods..ROTF...but seriously, you and your mom have a great thing that you both love to do together, and I find that so GREAT!!...just subbed to you and your mother a little while back and love all you and your mom's content!!...I love to collect mostly vintage dolls from 20's to 60's and just love fashion dolls the most from those time periods:)..Happy Doll Collecting!!

Thank you for your kind words. I have a few. All purchased with my own money back between 4th grade and 8th (ish) grade. I have Molly, Samantha, Felicity and a Girl of Today. :)

Love your collection and your enthusiasm...I am 73 years old and have been collecting for 70 years :) my mother loved them and bought them for me as a child. None of my daughters like dolls...they think they are creepy....probably because they had to grow up with them in their room :)...so I love the fact that someone as young as you loves them!! Hope you aquire all the ones you dream of.

I love your confidence! Keep on collecting!

Saw a few My Child dolls! I collect and restore those. Also collect Precious Moments dolls and Ever After High dolls. Skipper was my favorite too growing up! My favorite Skipper was the Babysitter Skipper (the one with the white top and skirt with orange polka dots). Loved Babysitter Courtney too. Lovely collection!

I've been collecting dolls and barbies ever since I was little and got a box of vintage barbies. I was born in 1982 so there really aren't many doll collectors in my age group either. even though I am in my late 30s now I still can't think of anyone I know that collects them except for people much older. Half the time I don't even mention it, but still will share my dolls occasionally on social media :)

Your collection is simply stunning 💖💖 I'm a huge doll collector and I'm 31 monster high, Disney, la dee da, pinkie cooper, novi stars, Barbie, bratz, baby dolls anything really it's nice to see someone else who shares my passion

It's Teen Fun Chearleading Skipper one of the first three releases from the 87/88 'anime eye' relaunch. They also had a Teen Fun Workout and Teen Fun Party Skipper. The neat thing about these three is that they have a variety of eye colors! (Blue, Brown, and Purple!)

I really enjoyed this video. :) The doll collecting hobby, no matter what the focus of the collection, is so misunderstood at times. It's wonderful to see you talk about your collection. It's wonderful how the Internet has connected collectors who otherwise wouldn't be able to meet others with this interest. Great advice about having a focus and not feeling pressured to have a "complete" set if you don't like the doll.

I am 17 and a boy I have always loved dolls ever since I was little both my mom and dad don't care I play with dolls because they care more of what makes me happy and I also got into sewing doll clothes because my mom taught me how to sew and now I sew clothes and restore my dolls and I mostly love the vintage Barbies and monster high and ever after high and your collection is just amazing

Another doll collector here. This was so inspiring to watch 🌼💓🌈😍😍😍😍

your collection is amazing. Thank you for sharing your story. I have been collecting dolls since i was 5 and i'll be 37 next month. Right now i am trying to focus on porcelain dolls and reborn dolls.

I’ve been wanting to get into doll collecting for awhile now. I’m 22 and people think I’m so strange for it. Oh well I’m still going to do it after watching your video I loved it . Put a smile on my face 🤗

hearing you talking made me feel a little better, i'm about to turn 18 and i love dolls since i was a child, i am saving money to buy my favourite dolls. i started not to care about other people's opinion and do what makes me happy. i wish you the best of luck in life, and send you kisses from Romania :*

You are so right about the stigma. You are also blessed to have a mother that does it with you.

B/W Frankie is one of my favorites. I wish they would have continued with B/W releases for the other MH dolls.

I think if it brings you joy then go for it! I love all kinds of toys! What a fun hobby you have

That's the best doll collection I've ever seen !

Everything you said is true! When people knows you collect dolls they never understand! I have a small collection of disney dolls and I love it! You know like the feeling of opening a new doll for your collection is just priceless! lol ;)

Neat! I'd love a doll room, too!

Regardless of my thoughts though, if you like the look of the doll, something about it is calling to you! Listen to your gut feeling. That's how I've stumbled upon a lot of my favorite dolls. :)

I get dolls from all over the place. Some are from big box stores like Target or Meijer. Others are from eBay. And then others are from second hand stores or yard/garage sales. If I can, I try to see the dolls I'm purchasing b/c I'm a bit picky about hair. In terms of to collect or not, that's hard to answer. There were definitely lulls in when I was actively working toward adding to my collection, but I never got rid of my collection and it was always displayed.

Thank you for sharing your collection! I'm 19 and this year i decided to start collecting dolls mostly monster high, shadow high dolls. I just adore edgier fashion.

I wrote up a tutorial on the knot method a while back. On my site on the right sidebar, search 'guide to re-rooting' and it should pop up. I'm going to do one on the tool method soon (with a video element). As far as brick and mortar stores, I haven't found any that carry tools or hair for dolls. My go-to, one stop shop is Dollyhair! :)

Hi Lena, YT marked your comment as spam, so I missed it. The images at 6:27 and 7:25 are both of DIM Fantasia. 11:05 is a Tonner Toys Maudlynne Macabre. I didn't know Fantasia was so sought after! At the time she was released, there was a whole lot of negativity going around about her and the other two released with her b/c of their promo shots looking so different than the dolls themselves.

Wonderful collection of dolls and I love the way you display

I know this is an old video, but randomly found your channel the other day...Thank you and your mother for helping my anxiety so much! Your videos provide calmness to me and I just love them so much :)

My mum doesn't have many dolls of her own but she does have a little influence over some of my purchases. She gets enjoyment from my dolls and she has kindly allowed me to take over the lounge room walls with display cabinets. I also share it with her in that she has taught me to sew and we make doll clothes and accessories togetherl

Your doll collection is just AWESOME!

You have a lot of awesome pieces there. I'm specially jealous of your B/W MH Fankie. Thanks for sharing.

Ye Naing, I am not sure exactly what you mean. If you are asking for the best quality doll out there at the moment, there are many factors that come into play. First, do you mean fashion dolls or more expensive dolls (like BJD's)? Doll collecting is really subjective, so what I think are 'high quality' might be very different from what others think. Another question that could come into play is do you think of high quality as high price or high second hand value? I think there are some way affordable dolls that are high quality. I have yet to find a doll line that is across the board perfect, but think Monster High does try. BJD's, like Luts or even Bobobie have good quality dolls, too. Honestly, it's a really hard question to answer!!!

What a WONDERFUL Collection! I love your videos (your mothers too) Thanks for sharing!

Im a doll collector too!! you've got an Awesome dolls!😍

I love your collection and I can't stop watching it, I hope I see one with more details soon !

Wow, I've never met anyone from Estonia before! Thanks for your comment! I love that YT can connect all us collectors together even if we are miles (or countries) apart!

I would say if you are looking for something that holds great poses, you should look into an obitsu. Doll's on obitsu bodies can hold poses well and come in a good number of sizes. You need to put work in to them, though, as usually you buy the body and head seperately, then do the face, dress them, wig them, etc. You can find Obitu's online (and at my favorite store, The Junky Spot). As far as a doll you can find on the market, I think Monster High wins most pose-able at the moment for me.

Keep up collecting, you have such an amazing collection. I'm also a doll lover, i wouldn't consider myself as huge collector because i am not really collecting many dolls, i don't feel like want to have more and more. But i also have my collections (like fllly pony figures, disney stuff, hello kitty stuff and anime toys) and dolls i looove and ofc own. There are my most favorite ones: my BJDs (3 MSD sized girls), some licca dolls, some Disney store deluxe dolls and what i just discovered and started to love : Journey Girl Dolls (I love my little Dana, she is like a mini-me). I am more a person which is "playing" (=taking photos, taking them to doll-meetings with friends who share my hobby, creating stories or just love to change their outfits/styles and displays ^^) with this dolls. And yes, we have to live with that people will look down at us because we have a kind of hobby people may find too "childish". But there is nothing wrong with our hobby. At least we have a hobby, which forms the character of a person and which makes the person happy. So keep collecting, keep loving dolls - its an awesome hobby

Good for you ! I have over 500 dolls ! I had to focus on one type (Celebrity dolls). I didn't figure that out until I was over 50. You are already a head of the game. Enjoy your collection. Enjoy your time with your Mom. You are a very mature, secure young lady. Thanks for sharing ! By the way, I have one section of my doll room that has dolls I "never would own". Never say never !

I actually attended a Jem Convention a few years ago. It was (sadly) so poorly run that I hesitate to go back. Thankfully, the people in charge of the con's planning change each year, so I think I just had a poor production team behind the convention I attended. I nabbed a Rio for a great price and got Christy Marx autograph, so it wasn't a total waste. I do occasionally check the site though!

Accidentally deleted a comment from James, here's your reply though! "How great that you're part of a club! I haven't made the leap into doll clubs yet, but want to one day. It's so much fun interacting with other collectors. Thanks for watching!"

I would just like to say, that I really liked your video. I love that you stand your ground as a doll collector, because we do sometimes get ridiculed for it. I am a woman in my 60s, and I like collecting mostly vintage dolls. You have a great collection and anyone would be proud to see it as a doll collector myself I know I would. 11:38

I've been collecting Model horses since I was 5, I usually have people having a double take when they walk into my house 😂 I've got a few dolls and would love to collect more, mainly BJDs but I don't think my collection will ever be as bit as yours! I love it! Thanks for showing us 😊

Also, I highly recommend checking out the Kane Country Toy and Doll show since you're in IL. It's amazing. The next show is in October.

Go for it, Joey! There are a ton of male doll collectors and the collections I've seen from many of them are fantastic!

I hear you. People are always either surprised or weirded out by my collection. It is a large collection but my dolls are my loves, and I have been collecting forever, as well. I was a little girl who loved dolls and I have saved most of the Barbie dolls I grew up with. I have an adult collection I gathered over the past ten years or so. I have the original Tokidoki Barbie who is the jewel in my crown. I have tons others, too, but she's probably my fave Barbie. I keep them in the box, though. I have some Monster High and Ever After High dolls. The Mad Hater's daughter is my favorite from the Ever After line and my favorite Monster is Clawdeen Wolf. In terms of your enjoyment of Skipper, I was a fan of her friend Courtney because I'm partial to brunette dolls. I have a lot of Courtney dolls and even modeled one after myself because I'm a short brunette lol. I like styling my dolls after people I know or characters or artists I admire. Right now my obsession is the Adora toddler time dolls. Omg, they are too cute. My third is arriving this week. It'll be my first boy from that line. I'm thinking of naming him Aaron. If you like baby dolls, I would check them out. They make other style dolls too, but my favorites absolutely are the toddlers. Well, enjoy your collection, as I'm sure you will. I might introduce some of my dolls in a video, too, since other collectors might enjoy it.

I love Trolls, especially the large stuffed ones that were big in the 90's. Sounds like a neat collection!

I agree, Kristie! Thanks for watching!

Hello, fellow Midwesterner! Have you ever trekked down to the Kane County Doll and Toy Show? It's fantastic and not too far, though I don't know where Stoughton is!

Thanks for taking the time to comment! I'm right around your age. Isn't it funny how you can not collect for years and then, boom, you buy one thing and it brings everything back? :)

I love you n your mom's collection it is so wonderful for you both to do it together......i have about 4 rooms......of dolls.....

Whoaaaaa 😍😍 you have so many dolls!! It's amazing ❤️❤️ I also collect dolls ,it's so much fun

You know, even if Barbie's sales are down, they still sell *a lot*, so I don't think we have to worry just yet. I think Mattel should make fewer varieties for a while, personally b/c a lot of Barbie's right now, look like every other Barbie on the shelf. Good luck with your plan to help Mattel. I know they're very strict about where their idea's come from, but you never know! :) thanks for commenting!

Thanks for personal reply that's really nice , yeah as soon as I got my James dean doll it was like whoosh , I had it in my hands & it all came back to me , your so lucky to live & collect in America , I live in uk & its much more difficult collecting the better & more unusual dolls here as it is there , really want to come over to a Barbie convention we don't have any that big.

Omg you had the tenth doctor on your shelf!!!!!! Love him!

I think that it is great that you collect dolls. i have started my own custom collection of dolls.

Thanks, Snookyookyooky! Keep on collecting!

Shelly, Barbie's little sister? My mom has a collection of those. Some are very cute! Just know that a ton of us starting collecting when we were your age, so others may think it's weird, but we don't!!! Plus, it's your collection, so who cares what others think! :)

I absolutely love your doll collection.

I don't own any Stiletto MA's. When it comes to Madame Alexander, I really am only interested in the vintage hard plastic's from the 50's.

How old are you ? You give really good collecting advice , I started collecting in 1994 I was around twelve by age fourteen I was already buying vintage & never removed from box items , I bought everything Barbie & friend related I could find & her uk rival sindy , I ended up buying so much by age 20 I had no room left & spent huge amounts of money , it was a hard decision but I decided to stop collecting , I stopped until 2011 & I bought a James dean doll