Collecting dolls is one of the most interesting and unusual hobbies. Collectibles can be a variety of dolls: antique and modern, porcelain and plastic, homemade and author's.
Instructions
Step 1
Dolls that were produced before 1830 are called antique. They can be made from different materials, but the most popular is porcelain. Since this is a very expensive material, often only the heads, arms and legs of the dolls are made of it, and the body is made upholstered. Such dolls have come into wide use since the middle of the 19th century.
Step 2
The dolls of the French masters Léon-Casimir Bru and Émile Jumeau are highly valued among collectors. As a rule, they embody the images of romantic young ladies dressed in sophisticated outfits. Now genuine Bru and Jumeau dolls are available only to a few of the richest collectors in the world - their auction prices range from 10 to 45 thousand US dollars. Most lovers of antique dolls collect so-called replicas - their less expensive copies.
Step 3
The 20th century brought much less fragile and cheaper materials to the doll industry - plastic and vinyl. When in 1959 the American company Mattel presented a 29 cm high vinyl doll named Barbie - a beauty with a model appearance and elongated body proportions, at first neither children nor adults liked her. However, very soon she managed to conquer the whole world. There are a lot of both playable and collectible Barbie dolls currently being produced. The latter make up whole series, which include dolls in costumes of the peoples of the world, heroines of popular books, films, ballets, etc.
Step 4
There are many craftsmen and firms engaged in the production of collectible dolls. Many of them are produced in limited editions - from 200 to 2000 copies. The circulation is declared in the certificate attached to the doll - a document confirming its collection and exhibition value. Among the most popular doll brands are Robert Tonner, Madame Alexander, Linda Rick, Marie Osmond and many others. Articulated dolls have gained wide popularity, endowed with the ability to take any, even the most difficult poses.
Step 5
A special place in this row is occupied by author's dolls, which are made by the master by hand. The artist creates details of the doll, her costume, wig and accessories, paints the face. In this case, a variety of materials can be used: porcelain, plastic, textiles, papier-mâché. Among the Russian puppet masters, whose works have received worldwide recognition, are Alexandra Kukinova, Olina Ventzel, Tatyana Baeva, Natalia Lopusova-Tomskaya and many others.
