| Doll collecting is one of the most popular hobbies | | | | eyelashes is meticulously reproduced to exacting |
| around the world and while most collectors are | | | | standards. The process of painting the bisque heads |
| women, many men also admire them, as much for | | | | requires several stages of colouring and kiln firing. |
| their beauty as for the high level of skill involved in | | | | Then, once the doll itself is complete, it must be |
| their creation. Antique dolls, in particular the porcelain | | | | dressed appropriately in the style of the original dolls. |
| dolls of the late 1800s, hold a certain allure and fetch | | | | Many of the top doll makers regularly submit their |
| incredibly high prices. However, for collectors whose | | | | work into competitions to be judged by experts in |
| bank balance will not accommodate such | | | | their particular field. Every aspect of the doll is |
| extravagances, reproduction antique dolls offer an | | | | scrutinized, from the painting, the wig, the style of |
| excellent alternative. | | | | costuming and it's suitability for the doll. The rules for |
| Having edited a doll magazine for several years I | | | | antique reproductions are very strict and must be |
| soon came to admire and respect the work of | | | | adhered to in order to win the coveted awards. |
| present-day doll makers and their ability to reproduce | | | | Fabric type and colour, as well as the sewing |
| the beauty of the most prized porcelain bisque dolls. | | | | techniques and accessories must be appropriate to |
| The appeal of the antique dolls of the late nineteenth | | | | the era from which the antique doll originated. |
| century remains strong today, although relatively few | | | | As mentioned before, in many cases the |
| of those beauties have survived and fetch high | | | | reproductions indeed outshine the original dolls |
| prices. Comparatively, the reproductions produced | | | | available today as clothing in particular, has only rarely |
| today sell for a fraction of the price of their antique | | | | survived intact. Even dolls kept under ideal conditions |
| counterparts, but are equally appealing and represent | | | | are showing signs of age, with fabric colours faded or |
| high levels of skill and expertise. | | | | decaying. Also, a good reproduction doll made by an |
| Top doll makers today can create very worthy | | | | expert is a reproduction of the very best antique |
| alternatives to the antiques, and in some cases their | | | | examples. All the old sewing techniques are lovingly |
| dolls outshine the originals. The painstaking detail given | | | | and expertly reproduced and the results can be truly |
| to the task of creating the lovely cherubic faces of | | | | outstanding. Such dolls are works of art and |
| the best antique dolls is quite outstanding. Sometimes | | | | examples of superior craftsmanship, just as the best, |
| even the number of hairs painted in the eyebrows or | | | | most highly prized original dolls were in their day. |