By Dean Erickson

So many fashion dolls to choose from
For doll collectors who have a liking for fashion, collecting fashion dolls seem like a logical option as a hobby. And there are so many different types of fashion dolls out there in the market that it’s easy to get confused. There are large toddler-sized fashion dolls, there are teddy bear sized fashion dolls and…let’s not forget those tiny little miniature fashion dolls that you can place over dressing tables, closets or on the bedside table itself!

Although fashion doll collecting is deemed to be a favorite hobby or interest that people of the fairer sex likes to indulge in, some men actually like collecting fashion dolls too! So, doll collecting is not a hobby exclusive to girls…men can and some do collect fashion dolls.

Contemporary fashion dolls, vintage or modern fashion dolls? Your choice
Fashion dolls have very contemporary designs today with a fusion of modern fashion clothes mixed and infused with traditional and conventional elements. Fashion dolls like Robert Tonner dolls are truly made for the hard core doll collector. Their dolls have a whole range of modern fashion dolls, vintage fashion dolls and also fashion dolls based on characters. Fashion dolls with characters, names and a personality profiles written out are often a hit with doll collectors. Barbie dolls sell like crazy – not only a hit with youngsters, but a hit with adults as well. In fact, the Barbie doll is, without a doubt, the leader in fashion dolls. Barbie dolls have been selling like hot cakes for ages and we don’t think it will stop anytime soon, either. As long as clothes designers keep coming up with new clothes and fashionable accessories for their Barbie fashion dolls, people will keep on buying.

Knowing where to find your fashion dolls
Knowing where to find affordable fashion dolls will make a huge difference to your budget, especially if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on this fashion doll collecting hobby of yours. Most of us don’t. You don’t have to have all the fashion dolls in the market today – it’s not urgent! Although a point to note is that new fashion dolls are often grabbed up in minutes after they hit the stalls. Keep some spare money and budget the money you want to spend on fashion dolls every month – and don’t overspend. It’ll make you feel resentful and you’ll soon lose interest in fashion dolls.

Buying fashion dolls online
For sure, you can find a wide range of fashion dolls in supermarkets, hypermarkets, and in children’s toy stores. But the best way to find cheap fashion dolls is online. Yes, online. Be warned that you have to be careful about whom you buy the fashion dolls from if you buy it online. Get to know the seller first before you part with your money….even if you’re desperate to have the fashion doll! Online auction websites like eBay, Amazon and Box Lot have tons of fashion dolls listed for sale at ridiculous prices. But as mentioned, be wary of the seller.

One last point to make about buying and collecting fashion dolls is this; it’s not the number of fashion dolls in your collection that counts. It’s the quality of those fashion dolls that makes a difference!
• Bisque. Many old, foreign dolls have heads and/or bodies made of bisque, which is an unglazed porcelain material.
• Composition. Composition is a (surprise!) composition of wood pulp, sawdust, and glue. The mixture was used to make heads and/or bodies of dolls before plastic came along and took over the industry.
• Celluloid. Before hard plastic came out, dolls were made of celluloid, a thin, highly flammable type of plastic. Don't smoke near your celluloid doll!
• China. Many dolls that came out in the mid-1800s were constructed from glazed porcelain called "china."
• Hard Plastic. A very durable plastic that was popular in constructing dolls in during the mid-1900s.
• Vinyl. Vinyl was often used in dolls of the 1960s. It can be hard or soft, and it sometimes has that that yummy plastic smell.




About the author:
Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.doll-headquarters.comon which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.


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