This Just in; NBC writes Home!

There I was, minding my own business, and an email came from a Today Show producer who wanted to talk about dolls, high prices, and "creepy dolls."  I was nice, gave some information about the good things about dolls, and referred her elsewhere.  Below is my response:

Thank you, _______, for writing to me.

I'm really flattered.  However, I'm not into the creepy doll fad; I think it's silly. 

You may want to talk to ____________ and ____________of Theriault's.com.  They have sold several of antiques that have broken records, and these were also dolls designed by fine artists, in particular, a sculptor named. Albert Marque.  Andrew Carneghie once bought several of the Marque dolls, and paid a hefty sum for them during the early 1900s.   Also, Bonham's auction house in London, also on the web, sold a doll last September for nearly $400,000. They would probably be better equipped to talk to you.

For the record, early doll collectors were educators and artists.  Dina Vierny, who helped Jewish refugees escape the Nazis had a big collection of dolls. Picasso was inspired by them, and Samuel Pryor, former vice president of TWA, had a very large collection.  Look for the December 1959 National Geographic. G. Stanley Hall, a major figure in American Psychology, wrote a book that is free on Google called "A Study of Dolls" and he saw them as something positive.  Jackie Onassis once did a commercial about preserving historical artifacts that featured an antique doll. Dolls are used today in therapy to help treat children who are severely ill or abused, and many ethnic dolls are the only relics left of civilizations that are long gone.  The only thing that has survived is their dolls, and Laura Starr wrote about a lot of dolls like this in "The Doll Book," also on Google for  free.


Good luck, but I'm not someone who would want to make dolls or doll collecting something "creepy." I would call or contact Theriault's.  You can use my name.  Also, try the editors of Antique Doll Collector Magazine,_________.

I'd like to see or read your story when it is completed.  I wish you the best,

Ellen


Despite the popularity of Monster High, I have to wonder if all this creepy doll garbage is affecting kids. One little girl who used to love to see my dolls is now around 7, and she told me last week that she remembered seeing my dolls, and they were "creepy."  Where did she hear that?  Her mother collected dolls, and her grandfather used to buy them for me.  She used to love them, especially Polly Pockets and soft dolls.The world is a tough enough place; let kids have their dolls!