Figurine Blog

Ellen Stanbury Collectible Porcelain Dolls

If you collect porcelain dolls, you have probably already heard of Ellen Stanbury, and if you are considering collecting porcelain dolls, Ellen Stanbury dolls are a good place to start. These porcelain dolls, created by this excellent craftswoman and doll-making teacher, are some of the most coveted collectibles. Ellen Stanbury’s porcelain dolls have won several awards, and they are sold all over the world. Here is just a sample of her doll designs.

* Phantom of the Opera - This doll won first place at a Canadian doll show in 1993. Stanbury put so much detail into the doll and his costume (styled after the Phantom of the Opera character from the story), that it was an immediate favorite among the judges. The doll’s detail includes the “half-mask” that the Phantom character is famous for, and his clothing includes a top hat and tuxedo. For the Canadian doll show, he was showcased on a music box that looked like a stage and played music from the Phantom of the Opera musical. * Tessa - Tessa is an original sculpture porcelain doll that portrays a young mother holding her own baby. The mother and the baby are wearing matching gowns, which are intricately designed and made out of Swiss and French lace. This porcelain doll has a very animated, yet soft and feminine look that is enchanting. * Googlie - The Ellen Stanbury “Googlie” doll is a whimsical design with very large eyes and very round protruding cheeks, giving it a rather “cupie doll” look. This is a fun porcelain doll, less serious than some other of Stanbury’s porcelain dolls, but nevertheless a wonderful piece. Dressed in a light, milkmaid-type dress and hat, with a small porcelain goat next to her, people can’t help but look at this doll and smile.

These are just a handful of the wonderful porcelain dolls that Ellen Stanbury has created over the years. Ellen sells her dolls through a company that she and her husband run called “Stanec’s Dolls Ltd”, and you can order her dolls over the Internet by going to www.stanecdolls.com. When you go to this website, you will not only see a catalog of the dolls that are for sale, you will also learn more about Ellen Stanbury and what she does. Ellen is known as a “Grand Master Dollmaker”, and she is a certified Doll Artisan Guild Instructor. Anyone who purchases one of Ellen Stanbury’s beautiful porcelain dolls will be investing in a collectible that will only grow in value over the years.
About the Author

John Gibb is the owner of doll guides resources , For more information on doll guides check out http://www.doll-guides1k.info

Add comment September 4th, 2006

The Barbie Doll - Still Standing the Test of Time

Co-Founder of Mattel Toy Company Ruth Handler probably had no idea that the doll she designed in 1959, which she named “Barbie”, would still be so popular almost fifty years later. The Barbie doll has been around so long that its first original models are now highly coveted collectibles that can bring in some very high prices.

One of the reasons for the Barbie doll’s success, right from the beginning and up until today, is her ability to change with the times. When Barbie first came out she was original in the fact that she was not a baby doll, but a doll that represented a young woman. Young girls could play with this doll and pretend that they were “grown up”, and through Barbie could imagine themselves in different grown up roles and situations. Playing with a Barbie doll was a great way for little girls to dream about what they would like to be like when they were older - and it still is.

Although today’s Barbie looks slightly different from the first Barbie, she still has the same basic design. What have really changed over the years are the Barbie clothes and Barbie accessories. Barbie has always reflected the times, and her clothes and accessories over the years have shown that. The first Barbies wore mostly dresses, and sometimes tasteful bathing suits, and their accessories included mostly purses, hats, and jewelry. The Ken doll came along to be Barbie’s boyfriend, and then her wardrobe also consisted of prom dresses and wedding gowns. During the late 60’s, Barbie started sporting a wardrobe that was a little more “groovy”, and eventually she started driving her own car and even living in her own apartment. Throughout the years, Barbie has become more “independent”, and has had several types of jobs and the accessories to go with them.

Today’s Barbie is hip, fashionable, fits well into the fast pace of society, and little girls still love her. With modern technology being what it is, Barbie has now branched out into video and the Internet. The website www.barbie.com has several interactive games for children to play, and children can also buy videos where they can watch a cartoon Barbie have all sorts of adventures. The actual Barbie doll, however, is still what is most popular with young girls. Through her they are still role-playing; testing out different roles that they might want to try out when they grow up.
About the Author

John Gibb is the owner of doll guides resources , For more information on doll guides check out http://www.doll-guides1k.info

 

Add comment September 4th, 2006