Thinking About Dolls
Imagination plays a big part of growing up. Children are
fascinated by "acting out" what it would be like to be grown up.
Toys play a vital part of this process. Almost anything can be a
toy. From sticks and rocks to old socks, if it can be imagined,
it can become a toy.
I suppose dolls have been around since before written history.
Traditionally a toy that girls have used for centuries, dolls
have played a vital part in the growing-up process. From
learning how to care for a baby to becoming a jet-setting
executive, dolls have helped young ladies dream about the
future.
Just like the children who play with them, dolls come in all
shapes, colors, ages and sizes. There are Barbie, Ken, Cabbage
Patch, My Little Pony, American Girl and Bratz Dolls, just to
name a few. They can be as simple as paper cut-out dolls and as
complex, and expensive, as detailed porcelain dolls. For the
boys out there, let's not forget GI Joe and all those "action
figures" (come on guys, admit it, they really are dolls, too!).
As varied as the types of dolls, so are the materials that make
them. Early dolls were made of wood and, later, paper-mache. The
finest dolls had china heads and sometimes hands with
wooden-jointed bodies. In the early days of the United States
many dolls were made at home. Sew a few old rags together, and
you have a new playmate.
Of course, nowadays dolls are not just for kids. Doll collecting
has become a very popular hobby among adults as well as
children. There are many categories of collections. Some focus
on the ubiquitous Barbie, especially early and now rare
editions. Others choose antique dolls, or dolls specific to a
period of time. Still other collectors focus on a single
manufacturer, country or style of doll. If you do not desire to
dig and research, there are many special or collector's editions
of dolls produced today.
No discussion of dolls would be complete without a look at the
growing hobby of dollhouses and miniatures. This has become a
hobby unto itself. Once more, materials and types are as varied
as the dolls they shelter. A dollhouse can be made by a child
from a simple cardboard box. Dollhouses can also range to exact
scale replicas of homes with exact scale furnishings, and even
full lighting. Those with limited space may chose to do a
"shadow box" that meticulously details one room of a house. It
would not surprise me if somewhere some stickler for detail
builds a dollhouse with full working plumbing!
So, whether Barbie is jet setting all over the world, or GI Joe
is saving the world, if you just want to "play" or construct an
exact scale model of the White House, dolls and their
accessories can take you wherever your imagination can go. They
can make a rainy day go by faster, or allow an over-stressed
adult a creative outlet. Anyway you look at it, dolls are cool.