There are so many options these days when it comes to where you can buy your dolls. When I first started in the Blythe hobby, the options that I knew about was a physical retail store in the Metro Vancouver area, This is Blythe forum, and eBay. It has ballooned into so much more now that there are Asia-based retail shops that have opened up to international online purchasers (Junie Moon, I’m referring to you!) that there are a lot more options now. Another big game changer to the world of buying (and selling) Blythe dolls has been Facebook. There’s been more and more Facebook groups popping up that are related to buying and selling Blythes (often they have words like “adoption” in the title), there’s just a lot of avenues that you can look at for buying and selling dolls now.

The last doll I purchased was actually from a member of my local doll group, but before that it was a doll I first saw on Facebook (and then brokered the deal via Facebook messenger). Prior to that though, the majority of my dolls have been purchased via forum posts (Blythe Kingdom), or eBay. I guess in a way I’m a bit old school when it comes to buying dolls online, but I’ve also slowed down quite a bit when it comes to buying new dolls because I’ve become a bit more picky about which doll gets added into the doll family these days. There’s not that much room left that I can afford to just add any doll to the family.

Where do you buy your dolls?

This is the complete opposite of asking you who your favourite it, it’s asking you who your least favourite is (and who you would be willing to sell). I (almost) feel bad for asking it, but it does give one food for thought. I know for sure who I wouldn’t sell (Sophie, Primrose, Emmalynn, Eden), but then there’s the question of who I would sell and that gets a little harder. If I had to pick someone (and I guess I’ve kind of put myself on the spot here and I have nobody to blame but me), I’d probably choose Cedar (Monique Magnifique):

She doesn’t get a lot of photo time, her hair is a little unruly at times (which is why I tend to avoid taking her out to doll meets), and… I just haven’t had that much “bonding” time with her. I don’t know her personality. Of course, not that I mentioned this, I’ll just take her out to the next doll meet and take lots of photos and find the perfect outfit for her. And then I’ll be back to square one of not knowing who I’d sell in a heartbeat (if absolutely necessary). However, Cedar would also be the one I would vote most likely to be sent of to get customized because I’m not terribly attached to her. (Is that awful??)

If you had to sell a doll today, who would it be?

For me, I think the most underrated stock dolls end up being the ones that are customized the most. These mostly consist of the ‘Simply’ or the ‘Prima Dolly’ releases because they were so plentiful and also so widely customized to the point that it’s hard to find a stock one. Out of my own doll collection, I would say the ‘underrated’ title goes to Tertiary Jane, who is a mostly stock Simply Peppermint. I find that Simply Peppermint (and Simply Lilac, as they were both released together) are often customized and it has gotten harder to find them in stock condition. As it is, I’ve customized my own Simply Peppermint (although most of it is reversible), so even my own isn’t in stock condition. It’s a bit sad when you think about it, because these dolls are often transformed to look like another doll, but it’s getting harder and harder to find one that is minty.

Who do you think is the most underrated stock release?

‘Tis the season for giving! And for those who were good Blythe enthusiasts, I hope some of you had been given a doll (or two, or three!). No dollies for me this year, although I did get quite a bit of things related to my other hobbies (primarily the tea drinking lifestyle that I’ve truly adopted and embraced over the last year). The last time I received a doll for Christmas was Mollie (Simply Sparkly Spark) for Christmas 2011, who’s a delight and wound up getting holiday-themed beads for her pull string.

Did you get new dolls for the holidays? (Who did you get?)

Mollie’s wearing: headband/stock, sweater/chelleshocks, tights/stock.
Moxie’s wearing: headband/stock, sweater/chelleshocks, tights/unknown.

I am terribly curious sometimes and I was wondering what your other hobbies were – the ones that aren’t directly related to Blythe.

For me personally, I enjoy crafting a lot. I knit, crochet, and make jewellery. I also blog (this may seem obvious, considering what you’re reading right now), and I drink tea! I actually started a tea blog this year in August, and a lot of the gifts I’m giving this holiday season are handmade by me. I’m attempting to add sewing to my hobbies, but it’s difficult when you don’t really have the space of more craft supplies (my yarn takes up a lot of space!) and you need the space for cutting and whatnot as well, as I’d really like to get into quilting.

What are your other hobbies?