Children of Japan

Children of Japan
Courtesy, R. John Wright

Hinges and Hearts

Hinges and Hearts
An Exhibit of our Metal Dolls

Tuxedo and Bangles

Tuxedo and Bangles

A History of Metal Dolls

A History of Metal Dolls
Now on Alibris.com and In Print! The First Book of its Kind

Alice, Commemorative Edition

Alice, Commemorative Edition
Courtesy, R. John Wright

Translate


Emma, aka, La Contessa Bathory

Emma, aka, La Contessa Bathory
Her Grace wishes us all a Merry Christmas!

Annabelle

Annabelle

Emma Emmeline

Emma Emmeline
Our New Addition/fond of stuffed toys

Cloth Clown

Cloth Clown

Native American Art

Native American Art

the triplets

the triplets

c. 1969 Greek Plastic Mini Baby

c. 1969 Greek Plastic Mini Baby
Bought Athens on the street

Iron Maiden; Middle Ages

Iron Maiden; Middle Ages

Sand Baby Swirls!

Sand Baby Swirls!
By Glenda Rolle, courtesy, the Artist

Glenda's Logo

Glenda's Logo
Also, a link to her site

Sand Baby Castaway

Sand Baby Castaway
By Glenda Rolle, Courtesy the Artist

A French Friend

A French Friend

Mickey

Mickey
From our friends at The Fennimore Museum

2000+ year old Roman Rag Doll

2000+ year old Roman Rag Doll
British Museum, Child's Tomb

Ancient Egypt Paddle Doll

Ancient Egypt Paddle Doll
Among first "Toys?"

ushabti

ushabti
Egyptian Tomb Doll 18th Dynasty

Ann Parker Doll of Anne Boleyn

Ann Parker Doll of Anne Boleyn

Popular Posts

Tin Head Brother and Sister, a Recent Purchase

Tin Head Brother and Sister, a Recent Purchase
Courtesy, Antique Daughter

Judge Peep

Judge Peep

Hakata Doll Artist at Work

Hakata Doll Artist at Work
From the Museum Collection

Japanese Costume Barbies

Japanese Costume Barbies
Samurai Ken

Etienne

Etienne
A Little Girl

Happy Heart Day

Happy Heart Day

From "Dolls"

From "Dolls"
A Favorite Doll Book

Popular Posts

Jenny Wren

Jenny Wren
Ultimate Doll Restorer

Our Friends at The Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum

Our Friends at The Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum

Baby Boo 1960s

Baby Boo 1960s
Reclaimed and Restored as a childhood Sabrina the Witch with Meow Meow

Dr. E's on Display with sign

Dr. E's on Display with sign

Dolls Restored ad New to the Museum

Dolls Restored ad New to the Museum
L to R: K*R /celluloid head, all bisque Artist Googly, 14 in. vinyl inuit sixties, early celluloid Skookum type.

Two More Rescued Dolls

Two More Rescued Dolls
Late Sixties Vinyl: L to R: Probably Horseman, all vinyl, jointed. New wig. R: Effanbee, probably Muffy, mid sixties. New wig and new clothing on both. About 12 inches high.

Restored Italian Baby Doll

Restored Italian Baby Doll
One of Dr. E's Rescued Residents

Dolls on Display

Dolls on Display
L to R: Nutcrackers, Danish Troll, HItty and her book, Patent Washable, Mechanical Minstrel, Creche figure, M. Alexander Swiss. Center is a German mechanical bear on the piano. Background is a bisque German costume doll.

A Few Friends

A Few Friends
These dolls are Old German and Nutcrackers from Dr. E's Museum. They are on loan to another local museum for the holidays.

Vintage Collage

Vintage Collage
Public Domain Art

The Merry Wanderer

The Merry Wanderer
Courtesy R. John Wright, The Hummel Collection

The Fennimore Doll Museum

The Fennimore Doll Museum

Robert

Robert
A Haunted Doll with a Story

Halloween Dolls Displayed in a Local Library

Halloween Dolls Displayed in a Local Library

The Cody Jumeau

The Cody Jumeau
Long-faced or Jumeau Triste

German Princesses

German Princesses
GAHC 2005

A Little PowerRanger

A Little PowerRanger
Halloween 2004

The Island of the Dolls

The Island of the Dolls
Shrine to Dolls in Mexico

Based on the Nutshell Series of Death

Based on the Nutshell Series of Death
Doll House murder

Popular Posts

Total Pageviews

A lovely dress

A lovely dress

Raggedy Ann

Raggedy Ann
A few friends in cloth!

Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum, WI

Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum, WI
Pixar Animator's Collection

Little PM sisters

Little PM sisters
Recent eBay finds

Dressed Mexican Fleas

Dressed Mexican Fleas

Really old Dolls!

Really old Dolls!

Friday, June 4, 2010

Souvenirs?

We wandered through a local Pioneer Days celebration this past Memorial Day Weekend. The town was actually called Walnut Grove, and had General Store, ongoing "bank robbery," Apothecary, Black Smith Shop, etc. There was an ice cream parlor, and lots of handmade crafts, candies, and soaps. Many people were selling jewelry and souvenirs relevant to the time period or to the Old West. Not many folks were buying. [Of course, I did. this, though, is now besides the point!].I noticed this non-buying attitude before; recently, I chalked it up to the economy. Sometimes, I thought maybe the places were just too expensive. The old fifty cent souvenir stands of my youth are long gone, and the souvenirs themselves are now expensive collectors items.

But, when I think on it, no matter where I go, fewer and fewer people are holding shopping bags emblazoned with the name of a tourist attraction or destination point. Lots of people take photos with digital cameras, but even my friends who frequent Europe regularly come back with hundreds of shots for their digital albums and frames, most temporary to be replaced by the next batch. Few even buy or send postcards. Hardly anyone keeps a handful of foreign money or stamps, either for collectors in the family or for themselves. These last items were hot show and tell topics when I was in school. Even a lowly centavo was a treasured find, and often the beginning of a life-long passion for numismatics.

Even in expensive venues like Disney Land, I saw people with Mouse ears,fancy hats, Disney shopping bags, trinkets, lots of stuffed animals, and T-Shirt collections were famous when I was an undergraduate. My mom had a great collecton of decals from National Parks and other attactions dating from the fifties. These, along with her classic postcards, are immortalized in family albums and files. William Randolph Hearst got started with postcards of fine art, and postcards are still sold everwhere in great number. Why is no one buying them?

Then, there are the foreign dolls and tourist dolls. I love them, and they with my antiques are the focus of the museum collection. Yet, little girls don't have these travel dolls anymore as part of their childhood. There are no more storybook dolls, of any kind. Those who collect for investment are not fond of travel or tourist dolls at all. I sometimes have a field day at Goodwill or The Salvation Army. So, what is the problem?

Travelers have brought home souveniers as mementos and trophies of their travels for centuries, if not milennia. They are part of the reason world trade was born. My parents and grandparents had fantastic collections of souvenirs, and snapshots for that matter, from all over the globe. Have we become so cybertechnic, so obsessed with "simplifying" and outing hoarders that we've lost interest in everthing else?

I honestly don't know, and would invite comments and opinions from all sides!

Have a great day. Here are some favorite links of mine relating to this topic, to dolls, and to collecting:

The Shelter for Misfit Dolls. http://littledeadgirl0.tripod.com/creepydolls/index.html


American Junk
http://www.carterjunk.com/


Yokohama Doll Museum
http://www.welcome.city.yokohama.jp/eng/doll/

No comments:

Post a Comment