A Doll For Mom
My mother accompanied me to a doll lecture several years ago to help set up the exhibit dolls. As...
Read More
Author: Debbie Behan Garrett
Thumbelina Family Reunion
Photograph courtesy of Deb Tuttle, ebay seller betutt One of my first childhood dolls was...
Read MoreTrailblazing Trio
Using their 10-inch Cissette and Coquette Cissy dolls, Madame Alexander pays tribute to three African American women trailblazers. In 1921, after enrolling in aviation school in France, Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman became the...
Read MoreBell’s Fabulous Entertainers
Floyd Bell, master doll artist, began making dolls in the late 1970s. A wood working educator for several years, his “lessons of love” and passion for woodworking inspired the creation of Bell’s first doll. The challenge was to...
Read MoreA Visit with Santa
Several days before Christmas, Ginny and her twin brother, “Jimmy” visited Santa. They shared their handwritten lists with Santa. Ginny’s list is slightly longer than Jimmy’s. It reads: Dear Santa, I...
Read MoreA Joyous Barbie Reunion
I cannot recall the exact age when I received my first adult-figured, 11-1/2 inch Barbie®, but it was probably May or December of 1965 at age 10. The doll and accessories were either a birthday or Christmas gift. My mother, a...
Read MoreThe Early Collector Catches the Doll
Recently, I received an email from renowned doll artist, Patricia Coleman-Cobb announcing a group of 13, one-of-a-kind, “Girls in White Dresses” dolls. The email, which was read at 4 a.m., included the headshot of...
Read MoreDolls That Inspire Girls to Dream
I recently discovered the Prodigyrls after reading a fellow doll enthusiast’s blog about them. She noted that two of the planned dolls are available for preorder and urged readers to visit the website and vote for their...
Read MoreAyako Jones, Beautiful Child, Jetsetter!
I asked Barbie® enthusiast, Romona Jennings to share images, her thoughts, and overall opinion of her most recent acquisition, Ayako JonesTM Barbie® by Byron Lars, and she did! “The above photo represents the heavy...
Read MoreNew Doll Trio Promotes Sisterhood by Madame Alexander
Lila Brown, owner of Ella Bee Social Media and Public Relations shared the following exciting press release: “A new African-American sorority doll inspired by sisterhood has been created exclusively for The Sisterhood...
Read MoreA to Z TIPS ON DOLL COLLECTING – Part 3 of 3
(An excerpt from my book, Black Dolls: A Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating, Collecting, and Experiencing the Passion, pages 19-21) S ome dolls may be considered “special,” unusual, or aesthetically challenged. These dolls need...
Read MoreThank You, Stacey McBride-Irby!
I really love Mattel’s So In Style (S.I.S.) dolls, Grace, Kara, and Trichelle. Of the three in the first group of dolls, Trichelle is my favorite. I favor the texture of her hair, her denim fashion, and her interests in...
Read MoreA to Z TIPS ON DOLL COLLECTING – Part 2 of 3
(An excerpt from my book, Black Dolls: A Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating, Collecting, and Experiencing the Passion, pages 18-19) J Join doll clubs, doll discussion groups, or other organizations. If none are available; or if...
Read MoreWhat Kind of Collector Are You?
Several years ago, a prominent person in the black-doll community asked me, “What kind of collector are you?” She wanted to know if I collect dolls for their historical significance or if I collect dolls for other...
Read MoreA to Z TIPS ON DOLL COLLECTING – Part 1 of 3
(This is an excerpt from my book, Black Dolls: A Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating, Collecting, and Experiencing the Passion, pages 17-18.) A ll dolls in your collection should warm your heart and provide a sense of...
Read MoreThe New Men in Their Lives
Recently my collection has been infiltrated by several male dolls. The first one of note (aside from the motionless Ken, Steven, and other of Barbie’s several years’ long, male standstills) is Robert Tonner’s...
Read More
Wendy Frank Dolls From the Land Down Under
A recent discussion about a particular Aboriginal doll made in the 1970s led to an eBay search for...
Read MoreANTTDM: Wanna Be On Top?
This is a cute, imaginative doll-picture story inspired by a conversation between doll enthusiasts recently. The story involves the final episode and announcement of the winner of the fictional reality show, America’s...
Read MoreStill Enjoying Mirror’s Many Faces…and Wishing for Another
Several months have passed since I redressed Paulette Goodreau’s Mirror, the first American, dark skinned, BJD doll. She underwent an extensive photo shoot for images submitted with the February 2009 DOLLS magazine...
Read MoreSilicone-Vinyl Alert!
Because I enjoy manipulating my dolls without fear of damaging, of the various doll mediums, I prefer vinyl. Its soft, warm, skin-like sensation and durability is favored over the cold, hard texture of porcelain or resin. With...
Read More- 1
- 2
Subscribe Today
Free Newsletter + Digital Issue
