Meet Spin and Lemon, Mondies times two! – photo by irulethegalaxy.

There are always dolls that I want. I think that’s part of being a collector (and also a collector who can’t buy All. The. Dolls.), you end up looking for the ‘Next One’ and continually eye up the new releases in hopes that something tickles your fancy. I am no different in that regard as I’m always looking for a new doll here or there. I may not be able to afford all the dolls that I want, but the thrill of the chase in fun nonetheless!

Here are some of the dolls that I’ve been wishing for lately:

• Mondrian (Mondie) – BL
• Aztec Arrival – BL
• Ahcahcum Zukin – RBL
• More Kenners! – I’d love to have a chunky bangs redhead, a chunky bangs brunette and a pink rerooted KB

I also love collecting stock clothing and shoes as well, mostly because they can be so versatile (or just plain crazy!) and there’s just so many choices. Hopefully I’ll be able to make all of my doll, clothing and shoes wishes come true one day!

Who’s on your wishlist?

For those who are unaware, BlytheCon 2013 in New York City this year in October is going through a period of uncertainty right now. If you haven’t seen the posts yet, you can find out the information on the Facebook group for BlytheCon 2013 or over on Bad Dolly Deals. At first, I cringed when I read the initial details. The doll community had been a bit on the edge lately, what with other drama (regarding some certain Tumblr accounts) and just idle gossip. I thought the comments would be a lot more negative in general, and I was pleasantly surprised! Not only have people decided to band together to figure out how to make the event happen this October.

Dolls and their owners are great at coming together for a cause and we make things happen!

The Blythe community has done a lot of fantastic things in the past that makes me proud to be part of the Blythe community. Fundraisers for sick/injured friends, Japan, 4Alissia and other fantastic causes. I think that the doll community has a great way of joining together to make things happen. I know that there are a lot of hurt feelings right now about what’s happened with BlytheCon event, but there are a lot of people who also want to attend and make things happen. From what I’ve seen, this community is filled with some pretty fantastic people and we make things happen. It’s what people in Blythe do in the best way possible.

I adore thrift stores. Not for the general messiness of things, but for the treasures that are waiting to be uncovered. So what I decided to do was feature some of my favourite dolly-related finds since I started hunting around in thrift stores. This happens to have started about the time I started collecting Blythe. I guess we all have that Kenner Blythe thrift store dream in our heads. And it does happen – people have found Kenners for as little as $2 in thrift stores! Unfortunately, I have not been one of them (yet!).

I find that, like all things thrifty, is that it’s hard to judge the quality of something without actually seeing it outside of the bag. And if your local thrift stores are like the ones around here, a lot of the dolls and doll accessories end up getting bundled up in plastic bags so you’re left hoping that the dress that looks like it might fit Blythe actually will. Or that those shoes aren’t a smidge too small after all for the Licca feet on your doll. And it’s hard too, because sometimes all you want is that one thing and you’re having an internal debate to see if it’s worth $3.99 to see if those cute shoes and that skirt will fit any size doll that you happen to have. It can be hard to size clothing even with a spare doll body in your hands because you can’t pull the dresses out or adjust them in the bags so that they actually go against the body properly for a size test. Such is life, unfortunately!

My best dolly thrifting tips are:

• Go often. Thrift stores get ‘new’ stock in on a daily basis. There’s always going to be something new around.
• If you don’t want all the things in the bag (and the rest doesn’t fit Blythe), donate it back! A lot of thrift stores are charity-run or some of the profits goes towards a charity in your local community.
• Bring a spare doll body with you and use it to help you gauge if something is going to fit Blythe or not.
• Wash your hands/use hand sanitizer (alcohol-based) after a trip to the thrift store. Thrift store stuff isn’t the cleanest stuff around! With flu season approaching, it’s best to wash your hands!

It’s actually been a while since I have last gone to a thrift store and bought anything doll related from a thrift shop. I have bought some vintage doll clothing lots off of eBay and even done few clothing commissions via some fantastic designers lately though! But my favourite thrifted dress is still this one, mostly because it looks good on pretty much every single one of my dolls – and isn’t that what we all want? A closet that everyone can share?:

I actually find it fascinating that everyone looks at Blythe differently. Some people think of Blythe as a child, others think of her as an unruly teenager or a young adult, while some just think of Blythe as being the same age as them. I have a friend who gave her doll the personality of a toddler who’s still in diapers, and another who thinks of all her dolls as being in their early twenties. Me? My dolls vary in age – but for the most part they’re around my age (or younger). Clothing, I find, makes a big difference in the “age” of a doll. Styling of the hair, the way a doll is dolled up makes all the difference. If your doll is wearing an evening gown, I’m more inclined to think that she’s in her twenties or older as opposed to a doll who’s in a cute romper that has a playful nursery theme on it (hello, early childhood!). Shoes also make a difference. Strappy heels make me think that she’s older, while flats or T-strap shoes make me think school-aged or just younger in general.

As for my own dolls – they’re usually around my age, except for Eden who’s a lot younger and enjoys pink and tea parties. It’s not always terribly obvious to me, the age of my dolls, because there’s no set number for them. It is rather fluid and goes up or down when the occasion warrants it. But the Kenners? The Kenners are always my age or older, mostly because they’re already older than I am!

What is the age of your Blythe?