Here is part two of the Doll Collector’s Calendar.
Use it as a guide and jot down your own ideas to share with other doll
collecting friends. I like to think forward, even in an unusually cold April. What are your favorite doll months?
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| Courtesy, Theriault's |
July: Decorate
with dolls dressed in red, white, and blue.
There are wonderful dolls in all price ranges representing Uncle Sam,
Betsey Ross, George Washington, and others.
Look for Bicentennial memorabilia to enhance your patriotic dolls. Since Bastille Day is July 14th,
July is a great month to study and display French dolls and paper dolls as
well.
August: Dolls
shows continue. Take some time to
organize, dust, and cull your collection, if needed. Make some donations of duplicates; repair,
redress, and renew your dolls. Read Home
is the Sailor by Rumer Godden, and focus on dolls made of sand, shells, and
other materials from the sea. Display
mermaids and sea monster dolls.
September:
This month is Doll Collecting Month.
Also, new dolls for the holidays begin to hit the stores. Plan a program that will promote doll collecting
in a positive light. Visit antique malls
or Internet Sites that specialize in dolls that are new to you.
Inspire a friend or family member to collect dolls; buy them
three dolls related to something they love, e.g., three Wizard of Oz dolls for
an enthusiast of the film.
October: My
favorite holiday is here. Watch the
excellent film Of Dolls and Murder, Dirs. John Waters and Susan Marks,
which celebrates the work of Frances Glessner Lee, miniaturist and forensics
expert, who used doll house scenes to study unsolved murders. Get out your
Monster High dolls, Living Dead Dolls, Witch, Vampire, and Monster dolls. Have
a party where everyone reads a ghost story about dolls. Make dolls from dried apples and pears; they
make fantastic Kitchen Witches to hang in your home for good luck.
November: Use
Pilgrim dolls and figural candles on your table for Turkey Day. Study Native American Dolls; there is an
excellent free brochure you can download on the Smithsonian Institution’s
website. If you don’t’ have any Native
American dolls, considering reading about Kachina dolls, Inuit dolls, and
Storytellers. Did you know John Wayne
and Senator Barry Goldwater collected Kachina dolls? Begin Christmas shopping
for your doll collecting friends and make-up your own wish list for dolls to
add to your collection. This is a good
time to read Wendy Lavitt’s great book, American Folk Dolls. Start gathering dolls and toys for Toys for
Tots. We also like to send dolls and
mittens, books, etc. to the children of various mission schools and other
charities.
December: This
is a great month for doll collectors!
Look for modern dolls on sale, visit malls, antique stores, thrift shops
and Internet sites. Look for doll themed
Christmas ornaments. Get ideas form
articles on my blogs Doll Museum, Dr. E’s Greening Trips for the Common Person,
and Dr. E’s Doll Museum. Check out Pinterest, including my boards Holidays and
Doll Collection. Read Tasha Tudor’s
Take Joy, A is for Annabel, Rosemary, That’s for Remembrance, and The
Dolls’ Christmas. Study about dolls
made of Gingerbread, marzipan, prunes [Germany], Santos, Nativity figures, and Santons. Get out our Santa Claus, Angel, and
Nutcrackers. Make gifts like those
described in Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie to
give as favor to your collector friends. Many Christmas movies like Scrooge
with Albert Finney feature dolls and automatons; have a film festival! If you
are near Beloit, Wisconsin, visit The Angel Museum. Wrap presents with doll themed paper and save
scraps for your own collection.
