One of the greatest joys when it comes to receiving dolls in the mail is the anticipation. This comes with the excitement of getting a tracking number, and then the eagerness of repeatedly hitting ‘refresh’ on the postal service’s website because why isn’t she here yet?!

This feeling comes with dolls, and I love this feeling, but like many I cannot afford to buy dolls on a regular basis. Then comes in the idea of travelling Blythes or hosting a visitor.

While there are some more formal programs to take part of (some official Traveling Blythes that have a strict schedule where participators help fund the cost of the doll and extra postage fees needed for international jumps), there are some less formal travelling dolls as well.

How travelling dolls work is that the previous host (or owner) pays for the postage costs for the doll to arrive to you. You retrieve her from the post office (or perhaps get her at the door) and then enjoy her and all of her things for a predetermined set amount of time. Once your time is up, you pack her and her goodies up (there may be a requirement or expectation that you add to a travel journal or add something to her wardrobe as a ‘souvenir’) and then you pay for the postage (with tracking and, likely, insurance) for her to reach her next post. If the doll had an owner in the beginning, then the last stop would be a return home. If the doll didn’t have an owner at the beginning, there tends to be a draw to see which of the previous hosts would receive the doll in the end.

Overall, I find travelling dolls to be fun! There’s a lot of fun with the anticipation and then you can also act as a tourist in your own city. When I was playing hostess to Makani (custom by Kate/Chantilly Lace) in 2012, I had the fun of exploring around Vancouver, BC with her as well as going to a local park with her for some fun nature shots. It’s exceptionally fun to have that period of anticipation and getting to refresh (and refresh again!) the tracking number for a doll. You get all the feeling and joy of having a “new” Blythe without the gross expense of buying a new Blythe. While there is a cost associated with participating in a (in)formal travelling Blythe project, it still does not end up being as much as it does when you buy a new-to-you custom Blythe or commission for one to be done for you. Plus it’s fun to play tourist!

Have you ever been host to a travelling doll? Would you want to be a host?

One of the struggles that I have when it comes to getting a new doll is the process of naming the doll. I find that it’s hard for me to develop a personality for them (which comes in handy for photo stories) without a name. As the number of dolls gets higher in my doll family, the harder it is for me to find names that I haven’t already used and like.

Prim and Lily are both wearing dresses by Plastic Fashion.

Here are some of the wonderful resources that I’ve found helpful for naming new Blythes (and other dolls):

• BabyNames.com – very useful as you can search by gender, alphabetically, or by typing in a few letters that you’d like the name to start with.
• USA Social Security – Popular Baby Names By Decade – a great website if you’re into ‘older’ names and want to see what was popular by the decade! This website goes back to the 1880s.
• Baby Center – another good naming resource as you can search by origin too, which is nice if you are looking for names with a specific background. Baby Center also has a UK-centric list as well, organized by year.
• Today’s Parent has a list of the Top 100 Baby Names for Canada in 2014 – a nice list, especially if the other lists aren’t sparking any inspiration in you. I especially like it when the lists include the variations in spelling (e.g. Lea/Leah).
• The Bump has lists of what they call “Unique Baby Names“. I don’t know how unique they are after being published as being unique, but that is another resource for you to consider.

Whatever you do decide to name your dolls, it’s always a good idea to make sure that you’re not doubling up on names (e.g. calling two dolls by the same name). I sort of made that mistake when I decided to name one Kenner “Primrose” and the other “Lillian (Lily) Rose”. However, I did get both of them together and they are true sisters in that they came from the same collection, so I’ve justified the similar naming to myself, especially since they both have flower names anyways.

If you have any fantastic name resources, please share below in the comments!

Something that I really enjoy doing (when I have the time, *ahem* – not with school) is making up photo stories with my Blythes. I haven’t done one what feels like a really long time. Photo stories are fun because they sometimes involve the use of props, making the dolls have funny expressions (looks of exasperation, annoyance, and boredom – just to name a few), and then to come up with the dialogue. Coming up with dialogue is one of my favourite parts of putting together a photo story because it really allows me to tap into the personality that I’ve given them.

Do you make up photo stories with your Blythes?

One thing that I get asked occasionally is “How do I find local Blythe people?” and that can be a tricky answer. If you do what I did, it’s an expensive adventure.

I attended BlytheCon Portland in 2011 not knowing a single soul in the Blythe community (besides friends made online) and I lucked out. I found people who are local to me and it’s been an amazing ride so far with my local Blythe group. We have meets, we have swaps, we have an annual Christmas party. It is an amazing group of people and I couldn’t be happier to be organizing Canada’s first BlytheCon with a trio of awesome people (BlytheCon Vancouver! Yay!).

For those who aren’t about to attend a BlytheCon or an event of equal proportions, I highly recommend going onto forums (Blythe Kingdom) or Facebook groups (e.g. Blythe World). If you are serious about wanting to find someone locally to you, remember to keep yourself safe when interacting with people that you meet online:

• Ask if someone is a Blythe fan in a major metropolitan centre close to you, or in the general around around you, rather than stating your own town/city if it isn’t a big area.
• If meeting up with someone, meet in a public place that is well-lit where people will be (e.g. mall, public library).
• Safety in numbers! Bring a friend (or someone you know) with you. Two birds with one stone – meeting new people and introducing people to Blythe all at the same time.

Always remember that your personal safety is number one. As lovely as people can appear online, someone could state that they are a young teenaged doll hobbyist and really be a middle-aged man with ill intentions. Keep yourself safe and have fun! There are many wonderful people in the Blythe community and if you’re lucky, you’ll find someone nearby to hang out with and have some meets with.

Blythe dolls will take centre stage in Australia as part of the highly anticipated Once Upon a Blythe international doll exhibition on show at Auguste Clown Gallery from 20th February – 9th March.

Featuring a storytale range of customised dolls on display and for sale, Once Upon a Blythe pays tribute to the big eyed beauty of Blythe while showcasing the finest talent in Blythe doll customization and artistry.

The original Blythe doll was released in 1972 by Kenner Toy Company in the United States, Japan and Australia. Forty years on, Blythe dolls continue to inspire artists, designers and photographers to recreate her look and personality again and again.

The Once Upon a Blythe exhibition will bring together the work of more than 30 doll artists from around the world and celebrate Blythe as the much loved collectable and fashion icon she has become.

“Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Blythe. She was known by all as the fairest in the land and people would travel from far far away to come and admire her. With curiously large eyes and a magical never ending wardrobe, Blythe loved to dress up and go on adventures. Fearless and fashionable, she lived happily ever after…”

Once Upon a Blythe Exhibition
Opening Night and Reception: Friday 20th February, 6pm
Presented by Auguste Clown Gallery
52 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne Australia
Exhibition On view from 20th February – 9th March (free entry)

For the full artist list visit: http://www.augusteclown.com/upcoming.html

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