Big Girls don't Play with Dolls

Dolls are a staple toy for any girl growing up. As a child I had so many options for the type of doll I wanted to own including barbie, cabbage patch kids and the various baby dolls on the market. My dolls were my favourite toys when I was a child but why can’t that love for dolls extend into adulthood?

I’m sure many of you are aware of the various collectable dolls out in stores today such as Barbie, porcelain dolls, anime figurines, as well as the new and trendy ball jointed dolls, and I would love to know if any of you collect dolls or would ever be interested in collecting them? It is almost a taboo topic in society today for a grown woman to say that she likes dolls, but in reality there is a huge adult market for dolls in various looks, shapes and sizes so there is obviously a lot of adult interest out there!

In other countries such as Japan, doll collecting is not only accepted, it is embraced and promoted and I don’t see why doll collecting could not achieve the same trendy status in other countries also.

To prove to you that doll collecting can be a very enjoyable and trendy hobby, I have come up with a list of some of the coolest and prettiest dolls that you will love to collect! Please note that you can click on the image which will take you to the photo's source.
(BJD) Ball Jointed Dolls These dolls can be considered some of the most expensive and the most trendy dolls right now. They are stunning dolls with various collectors and enthusiasts across the world even making their own dolls and creating clothes for them to sell on etsy. As they name suggests, they are also very flexible and can pose in various positions.

Barbie Barbie is the most popular and loved doll in the world and to say that her collector edition dolls have exploded in popularity in the last 20 years would be an understatement. There is even a website dedicated to the Barbie collector and the collectable Barbie dolls on offer. Barbie even makes the collecting process easy for you by categorising the rarity of their dolls under various labels such as pink label, black label, gold label and platinum label.

Anime Figures Some may consider these to be figurines rather than dolls but I think they deserve a mention here! Anime figurines come in various shapes and sizes and are offered with various degrees of joint flexibility. The most popular characters portrayed in figurines are famous animated characters from anime movies and TV shows. Often geeky guys are associated with collecting pop culture figurines, however some of these anime figures are just so cute and pretty, it is not hard to see why these figures appeal to women too.

Many people may also ask why you collect dolls? You are not a child after all! So I have summed up some of the reasons and uses for a doll collection:
I like pretty things! Most women love pretty things and often that love of pretty things results in the purchase of clothes, jewellery, bags etc, but an extension of this idea of wanting to own pretty things is owning pretty dolls. It is just another pretty item a woman likes to own and display.

An Extension of Oneself People like to own things that show the world who they are and what they are interested in, and the purpose of a doll collection does just this. The type of dolls you collect reflects on you as a person. Maybe you are a movie buff and you like collecting dolls that depict famous movie characters? Or maybe you love anime and this love is best displayed through your anime figure collection. Whatever you enjoy or are interested in, there is a doll collection out there that can enhance and add to that interest or obsession.

Travel Mascot Travel mascots have become very popular lately with people all over the world taking various forms of toys and figurines on holidays with them so they can take fun and humorous photos of this character holidaying with them around the world. This is another great adult use for these dolls! It is just a cute, fun and unique way to get some more enjoyment and creativity out of your holiday.

So are you a doll lover and collector? If so, what is your doll of choice?