Recently, I came across a copy of one of my doll lists, plus some assorted paperwork and flyers, circa 1998.  I really loved putting together the old doll lists.   In the “old days”, antique doll dealers would advertise exclusively in doll magazines and encourage readers to “send an extra-long SASE with two stamps” to receive their doll lists.  My list was 16 pages long, on average, and in black and white.  Dolls were described in detail, just like they are on my site today, and the text was peppered with artwork of Victorian-era dolls reproduced from my doll ephemera collection.  I really enjoyed putting the list together.  I didn’t have a computer, so I would go over to my friend Dee’s house once a month with a stack of my doll price tags and some nostalgic graphics. We would set up shop in her basement.  Dee was also my printer, and a new mom; I was a carefree newlywed with a little doll shop and no kids.  Dee would put her baby down for a nap and we would busy ourselves in her basement- I would type the doll descriptions off of the price tags directly onto her computer, and she would cut out the graphics and arrange them by hand on the master copy of the doll list.  It was a lot of fun.  We’d have tea and chat.

Once the list was printed, I would mail off dozens of copies to the collectors who had answered my ads.  They had all sent in their long self-addressed stamped envelopes, with two stamps, along with a handwritten note requesting my latest doll list.  And then I would wait.   The customers couldn’t tell much from the photos included on the list, so they were all eager to learn more about the dolls for sale and have me describe each doll’s attributes in detail.

In about a week, the phone would start ringing.  The East Coasters always had the advantage, as their doll lists would arrive first and they could scoop up the rarest dolls and the best bargains before those poor souls on the West Coast had even received their lists in the mail.  All of us really “talked dolls” back then.  With the quick back-and-forth of real time conversation, there was always a great sharing of knowledge, not just about the doll being considered for purchase but also related topics such as dolls by the same maker or how to differentiate hand from machine stitching.  The conversations always veered off into tangents, and the tangents were quite entertaining and educational, for both me and my happy clients.  Plus, the conversations were typically peppered with “how’s the weather?” and related pleasantries.  I got to know my customers very well.  I looked forward to hearing all of their accents, from Fern’s elegant Carolinian drawl to  those distinctive collectors from Minnesota.

When one of my competitors announced that their doll list would be discontinued and that their dolls would only be available online, I was shocked- it was such a risky move back then!  But in time, I did the same, starting my own site www.debrasdolls.com shortly after.  I still don’t like change.  And I still don’t like technology.  I like to write my to-do list on the chalkboard every day.  I like to talk with people in person.  And I think it’s fitting.  People like me, who love antiques, usually aren’t very tech savvy.  But at Debra’s Dolls, I try to incorporate the old with the new, antique dolls with new dolls, the charm of a sit-down visit at my store with the speed and immediacy of a frequently updated web site and email availability.  So, in keeping with this commitment to marry old and new, I have decided to create my new Doll Blog.

Here I plan to post mini-articles about antique dolls, to discuss current collecting trends, report on events in both the doll world and my local town, and share with you some of the dolls that come through my doors every day at my store(and the stories that come with them).  Because increasingly, as we all spend more time online, we don’t hear those stories.  I want to bring those stories back.  Because I enjoy telling them, and I think you will too.