The Nostalgic Hobbyist

I apologise ahead of time, because this post will probably be all over the place subject-wise. I’m a discombobulated human being. Looking back, I wrote too much. Sorry lol

Anyways, I’m Paige, I’m 41, and I’m what some would describe as an ~*adult doll collector*~! I’m not particularly fond of that term…but eh. It’s accurate.

So, dolls. I had more or less quit collecting dolls around 1999, because I turned 14 and was apparently “too old for that now”. I would occasionally buy something that was special to my interests (Mattel’s Debbie Harry doll, for instance) but not often. My dormant passion returned in my early thirties, not long after my entire childhood Barbie collection was “lost in a move” along with all the rest of my cool 80s toys. I’m still bothered about that something fierce 😅

I also want to credit the book that made me really appreciate Barbie, in a collector sort of way. I got it at a Sam’s Club in 1996. Even though it turns 30 this year, I find it as valuable now as I did then! Janine Fennick did a great job on this book!

I fell in love with late 60s & 70s Barbie. The Mod era dolls. The twist ‘n turn waists, the Marlo flips, the rooted eyelashes, the mod fashion. And of course, the beginning of the iconic Superstar era! It’s my favourite face sculpt because I grew up with it, and also because it’s pretty, and I am definitely biased. Gimme more of the Steffy/PJ face too!

Note that Barbies are not the only dolls I collect. There are lots more I’ve recently discovered. There’s so many!

And finally, the other important topic of this silly blog; DIORAMAS!! I have always gravitated towards tiny versions of big things, like dollhouse furniture. I had a big pink Barbie Dreamhouse, so the cute wooden, realistic mini furniture I found was kind of clashing. 😅 Thankfully I have more options these days.

Back to recently. I had originally wanted to do larger 1:6 scale dollhouse rooms. I realised that it can be difficult to find 1:6 dollhouse furniture and that most are 1:12 or less. I started to feel a little discouraged because I’m not at a skill level to make my own stuff and I just could not find what I wanted. A few weeks ago, I serendipitously found my way into the world of dioramas. I wasn’t that familiar with them, but very intrigued. I see all the tiny, atmospheric scenes others create. They can be as simple or complex as you want. Larger or almost too hard to see. It makes me want to capture my own nostalgia & silly ideas in miniature! I’m already planning one in 1:24 and looking for the right parts. I got one of my absolute favourite bits for it yesterday. It’s a bit cheeky and probably inappropriate for the kids.

That leads me to say that this blog is for older/adult (16+?) collectors and hobbyists, and definitely isn’t intended for kids. Go away children, and do your homework. Maybe have your mom make you some Hot Pockets.

Nice to meet whoever is or isn’t reading this post! A couple of big posts are coming soon! 💜💜💜