Presented by eBay
Saturday, May 26, 2012

CULTURE

Playful Collectibles II: All Dolled Up

  • Musee de la Poupee

  • Madame Alexander Margaret Face Walker (current bid, $186.94)

  • Madame Alexander Cissy & Her World? (sold for $1,099)

  • Arranbee R&B Nanette Peasant Girl (current bid, $186.94)

  • Arranbee R&B Early Nanette Walker (current bid, $60.99)

  • Hey, Doll! Yes, I Mean YOU (sold for $1,400)

Museums are as ubiquitous in Paris as Starbucks are in Manhattan, dutifully anchoring every other block. I need only walk five minutes in any direction of my Marais apartment to visit the National Museum of Modern Art, the Picasso Museum, the Museum of Hunting and Nature, the Magicians Museum, the Key Museum and Museum of Arts and Crafts. Easy to miss because it’s tucked in an impasse between the main boulevard across from the Pompidou Center and the public gardens of Saint Aignan, is the doll museum or Musée de la Poupée. And for anyone who ever carried a Cissy, a Barbie, a Tammy or an American Girl, this little den of dolls is not to be missed.

Over 500 dolls dating from the early 1800s to present are displayed chronologically, showcasing the evolution of the doll as they also correspond with the standards of beauty of each period. Made of bisque, plastic, composition cloth and rubber, the dolls are displayed along with equally impressive trousseaus and accessories. Just next door, the “clinique” or doll hospital accepts patients in need of restoration. I watched as two “nurses” tenderly undressed a bisque doll with its owner. The examination and redressing took the better part of an hour. Minor rehabilitation for teddy bears and antique plush dolls are also performed here.

But if you don’t plan to be in Paris any time soon, eBay hosts a strong community of passionate doll collectors who sell original accessories and rare models like those found at the Musée de la Poupée. (In fact, doll listings have climbed seven percent over this week of last year.) Karyn Shaffner has been collecting seriously for 30 years and has been an eBay seller since 1998. What began as a hobby—restoring dolls, particularly those from the 30’s-40’s that were fashioned of composition—has blossomed into a business. “My favorite doll to collect, and the doll I have the most extensive collection of, is the Madame Alexander Cissy doll,” says Shaffner. “She took the toy world by storm in 1955. She was my favorite doll from my childhood. When I sell one of my dolls, it’s very important to me that she looks as if she just stepped from her box in the mid-fifties. People aren’t just looking at a doll, they are taking a glimpse back at a less complicated time. It’s fascinating.”

 

Some of the many collectible dolls for sale on eBay:

Roll over items for details
Lenci Boy With Hoop
(from $9.99)
Arranbee/R&B Compo 1930's Original Ice Skater
1955 R&B Littlest Angel Pink Formal (from $7.50)
(buy it now price, $325)
Playful Collectibles II: All Dolled Up

 

 

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