There are a lot of different words that can be described the activity of playing/collecting Blythe. The easiest way to explain it to people who are (mildly) freaked out by the big-eyed, big-headed dolls is to call it “Well, you see, I collect Japanese dolls, they’re modern versions of this doll that came out in the 70s”. See, once people find out that something is vintage, it makes it all better. Vintage is very “in” these days.

I’ve come across people who can be very negative when it comes to adults who say that they “play with dolls”. Which is why I’ve since changed it to “collecting dolls” and then further elaborating about how they’re Japanese dolls. It seems so much more socially acceptable when the dolls are more exotic, or expensive, or just collectible. Online, my favourite way of how people talk about playing with Blythe is the word Blything. I don’t know who came up with it first, but it is the most entertaining one that I see online quite often. I’ve even found myself using it verbally at doll meets on occasion! I like calling it “Blything” to other doll people. To people who aren’t “into” Blythe, it’s “collecting” because it’s a lot easier than explaining everything.

No matter what you call it though, they all have the same definition: the act of enjoying, playing with and collecting the lovely dolls that we know as Blythe.

What do you call it?

Happy Thanksgiving! It is Thanksgiving day today here in Canada.

I’m thankful for the beautiful autumn leaves, the chance and the ability to get a good education, that I can afford luxuries in life like my Blythes, wonderful friends both here and offline and the internet.

What are you thankful for?

With the fast approaching BlytheCon, I couldn’t help but think about how my circle of doll friends has expanded since I started this website back in 2010 and when I met Blythe people in person for the first time in 2011. It was hard to make friends at first because I’m rather shy (it’s hard to tell shyness via something like the internet), but since that I’ve made so many more friends via Blythe.

How can you too expand your circle of doll friends?

• Find local doll collectors – either via social media (e.g. Facebook) or the forums – post about looking for people in your general area
• Attend a Blythe meet, if possible
• If you’re traveling, post about going to the general area and see if others are willing to meet you
• Ask someone if they know of a doll collector in your area, word of mouth can help a bit

I have a lot of fun attending local doll meets, because it means seeing ‘new’ dolls. I cannot express how much fun it was to see a Red Delicious in person just last weekend. If she could be the only anniversary doll that I ever own, I would be very happy with that because she’s gorgeous.

Benefits to knowing doll people and seeing them in person:

• Getting to exchanging sundries
• Seeing new-to-you dolls in person
• Getting your ‘fix’ of experiencing new dolls

Go out there! Meet some new people! How often do you see local dolly people in your area? Mine meets nearly once a month.

The dreaded “D” word that nobody wants to hear: diet. Specifically, I am referring to the phrase dolly diet. As a dreadfully unemployed, full-time student who spends all of her “free” time either studying or online (socialization doesn’t typically occur in my life – sad but true). Due to this unemployment state, I don’t get to buy as many dolly things as I would like. With unlimited funds, I would probably do things like… Buy a Parco or pricey custom doll on a whim, buy a minty Kenner or all the Middies just because I could. But I don’t have unlimited funds, so what’s a girl to do?

Dolly diet time!

Because I do budget some small amount of funds towards “fun” purchases, I’ve reduced the amount that I feel is appropriate to spend because the ‘fun’ money needs to also cover eating out, new clothes and other fun things. I’m sure that I’m not the only person in the doll community who needs to budget for dolly shopping. I tend to ‘binge’ shop, mostly because I have to go periods without buying doll things. So for the month of October, and until the next of the term (December), I have decided to not spend more than $10 a month on doll-related purchases.

Time to sew?

This means no doll purchases, and likely no purchases until December when I can combine all the funds into one purchase. It will be a good break from spending because I’ll be keeping myself on track by not spending copious amounts of money on dolly goods. The best way that I can ‘save’ is by shopping locally – like when others in my local doll group is purging out sundries! In addition, I could also spend time crafting for my dolls – I do have fabric, thread and elastic (not to mention all the patterns that I have!). It could be less expensive overall if I only use supplies that I have on hand!

Like with all things in life, it’s important to consider how much you can afford to spend and to factor in extra costs before making a purchase – like shipping! Things you should consider before making a purchase online:

• Cost of item
• Cost of shipping for one item (or multiple items)
• Potential custom fees

Generally speaking, when you’re buying an item online the cost of the item is just the beginning. There’s always additional costs to consider, especially when you’re making an international purchase that requires shipping and has the potential of incurring custom fees!

I’ve been collecting Blythe dolls since 2009 and I’m still not particularly comfortable about taking dolls out in public to photograph. I’m a lot better about it when I’m with others, it’s a comforting feeling to be in a group because then it’s really more a social thing that we’re doing – doesn’t everyone whip out a doll on a regular basis to photograph? I’m still shy about it, which I wish I wasn’t. I try to avoid taking photos of my dolls in public when I’m alone though, or even with family members. I think it’s easiest to pull out my dolls when others around me have dolls – safety in numbers!

Do you take photos of Blythe in public?