A Beginner's Guide to Doll Collecting

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This video is intended for adult, and young adult, collectors- NOT children!

IMPORTANT LINKS:
Barbie Database (updated to 2020):

Monster High Database:

Bratz Databse:

LOL OMG Database:

Rainbow High Database:

General Doll Database (UNDER CONSTRUCTION):

My video over the secondhand market:

Boil Washing tutorial:

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[gingerbreadpop]

After finding your channel I finally disobeyed my parents and bought a G3 Draculaura doll!! I’m a teen so my dad considers it pretty weird, but after discovering your channel I realized it makes me happy :D

[tortellinidoodle]

Tip for dusting: use a fluffy makeup brush :)

[staa]

The most difficult part of being a collector for me is having to deal with the feeling of guilt for buying non necessary plastic😢

[NoiseDay]

The other day, my dad basically asked what the point was of me "beheading dolls" to modify them. He's never been judgmental, but he's about to retire and I'm unemployed and he was on a rant about spending time in a way that feels fulfilling and worthwhile. I've always worried about justifying my interests because it's hard to see the practical value. I settled on "it's an artist thing" for now. It's the first time I've ever hand waved my interests as "too niche/cool for you to get, old man." Maybe he'll never see a doll I make that lights him up the way they do for me, but I hope some day he can answer for himself what "the point" is by seeing how happy I am doing what I love.

[robingrant]

Thank you for this! Some people don’t get it! I am a 66 year old lady! Now I can get dolls that look like me! Growing up in the 1960’s this was an issue! I have purchased the black dolls that I longed for as a kid!- I have a diverse collection! I keep my dolls in their boxes! I just enjoy them that way! I don’t mess with their hair or rearrange their bodies or clothes! I don’t care about the holy grail doll! I buy the doll that appeals to me! I appreciate your good advice😍

[ohhellobethany]

I was 16 years old when Monster High debuted and I immediately adored them. I wanted to own one so badly, but was afraid of what others would think, so I'd purchase the dolls in secret, one at a time, being swift at the Target checkout, then hiding them in my backpack afterwards.

By the time I was leaving home for college I had a small collection of different kinds of dolls built up, and I really really loved it, but I felt so weird and insecure about it that I gave them all away, Toy Story 3 style. I regret doing that.

Now I'm 29, have a new and bigger collection than before, and I don't care who knows about it. Whatever your age please don't let your anxiety or insecurities keep you from collecting dolls if it genuinely makes you happy!

[jfrancis]

To limit my purchases I have priority characters, like Draculaura and Twyla, as well as priority vibes, like fantasy. I find having certain parameters actually makes collecting more enjoyable.

[StarWarsThrowbacks]

I remember when Monster High first came out, I was immediately obsessed. I was “too old” for dolls at that point, but I always wanted them. I loved the characters, backgrounds, and original cartoons. I bought my first G3 Draculaura this year at 31 and almost cried. I know I know, dramatic but I hated how so many of us older fans were shamed for this long.

[Lemon_Lime_Lily]

Here are a couple tips I have!
1. Don’t be afraid to look at all the dolls on the shelf for defects. As long as you leave the place nice and neat and put back the dolls you don’t want where they belong, no one cares, plus you can always go a little later or earlier if you don’t want to do it in front of kids.

2. Walmart and target can be overwhelming so it’s best to have at least a basic plan of what you want! Even if you get something different, a little focus helps!

3. If you want a good, basic doll to start, I personally recommend a made to move Barbie. It can be a Barbie looks, a yoga doll, even one of the wheelchair fashionistas! You get excellent posing, and even if the outfits a little basic, Barbie has a ton of fashion packs so you’re bound to find one that works!

4. Get just one doll per shopping trip at first. Saves you money and can help you truly refine what you actually want.

5. Have fun and interact with the community. Follow some doll accounts, give sewing a try, join a Instagram photo competition or challenge, watch youtubers! This is a really fun community and you’re bound to make some friends!

I went on a bit of a tangent, but I hope these tips help!

[morphinpink]

I got a doll again as an adult after finding your channel💗 I'm still very picky and keen on curating my collection but I love the dolls I have gotten so far and your channel was a really valuable resource to figure out a lot of things about fashion dolls!

[Iroh]

Darling Dollz: the most important thing is to dust your dolls!!
Me, a collector for almost 15 years now: 👁👄👁

[GloomyFish]

i started doll collecting a few months ago. i have always loved dolls, but i reprsssed that part of me for years in an attempt to "grow up". i regret giving away most of my childhood dolls. But now I'm reminded of how much I love dolls, and looking at my collection makes me smile! My family are very supportive too.
Also on the subject of "connecting" with a doll, I usually have what i call the doll of the day. i just choose a doll from my collection, usually one im drawn to on that day, and she just... sits near me during the day. it sounds silly but it's nice.

[Queerlyness]

I’m in that awkward section of being that person in the communities for 3+ years, but I’ve only been collecting for a year due to ✨being scared of people being bitchy about my collecting✨. Last year I decided to bite the bullet and brought my first actual doll for myself, one I wanted, Kia hart from rainbow high. Were people bitchy? Yes. Was i seen as childish? Yep. Was I judged? OF COURSE. but has it made me happier? Also yes. It’s been such a helpful thing especially during some of the hardest times of my life. I can honestly say some of my favourite memories are finding fellow collectors and just having fun with them. The unfathamble joy I get when accquiring a doll I’ve been looking for for ages is honestly ridiculous, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. If you are worried about people judging you for your collecting, maybe ask yourself if they are the right people to surrond yourself with.

[rbee]

Since starting a collection I've made sure all of my dolls are really meaningful to me and it adds am to how much I love them. I got a G3 Twyla doll to celebrate finally getting my autism diagnosis and my G3 Lagoona to bribe myself to leave the house to pick her up. It's also something me and my sister bond over :)

[PristinePanda]

"a tomb with me and all my little plastic women" LMAO YESS you calling me out directly about dusting = = as someone who collects both dolls and figures it is so damn hard to keep up with dusting lmao. its so MUCH WORK ^^; im a seasoned collector but i still had fun watching your video

[MCFiFi]

I unknowingly am a collector since I was a kid, apparently! I kept my Disney princesses in a fairly good condition, and I've been thinking of restoring them for awhile now, so that I could display them. Your video gave me the push that I needed it. It was very well made.

[labelle]

You have done a major work here. 🙌🏾💖🎊 Mad respect. 🙏🏾 I've been collecting for years, and my collection is sizable. I enjoy them, but I'm also sad because I don't have the space to properly store and display them how I want.

[have-a-joy]

A tip for going through a doll line's releases is watching the commercials. I personally find it really fun, and helps you get a "feel" for the line's concept and catch up on what you lost if you're interested in older/discontinued lines. I specially love watching old Bratz commercials, helped a lot since I was too young to own Bratz dolls when they were around and only became a fan during the 2018 reboot when I was 13. I can ID almost any Bratz doll at this point and pinpoint the year she was released, it almost feels like I lived through the era lmao. Plus, it's just really fun!

[popskar]

As someone that doesn't collect dolls (I love this channel tho💖) but rather collects anime figures and amiibo, I think this is a good video for toy/hobby collecting in general! I've been collecting for almost 10 years now, and a lot of what you said really resonated with me. Awesome work as always!

[susangriner]

I need time to "bond" with a new doll. If I get too many dolls at once, my joy in them is vastly decreased. So spacing out getting dolls is a good choice for me. I also need to consider how a new doll will fit in my collection. When I decide I want a new doll, my best choice is to think about where I will display/ store them, how I will play with them. If I can't envision them in my home, they are often a bad purchase for me. Also, if I want a "fixer upper", I have to consider if i currently have the resources to do the work. If I don't, I run the risk of sticking the doll in a box for later - a death knell for that doll