The Sandusky River Valley Doll Club hosted its annual doll show and sale Sunday at Seneca County Opportunity Center. More than 30 vendors were set up in the gymnasium with a variety of dolls and accessories.
With only about a dozen members, president Lois Berger said the doll club would like to grow a bit. The bylaws specify a person must be 18 to join. But the club has two "junior collectors," Cheyenne Tooman, 15, and Kira Stanfield, 11, who attend the meetings and help out at the show. Both girls are home schooled.
For Sunday's show, the pair set up a display of fashion dolls that ranged from vintage to modern dolls. Show patrons were
Article Photos
PHOTO BY MARYANN KROMER
Junior doll collectors Kira Stanfield (left) and Cheyenne Tooman hold the “Monster High” dolls they had on display at this past weekend’s show. Mattel released the fashion dolls in 2010.
invited to vote on their favorite doll.
"Last year, we did a display of celebrity dolls," Tooman said.
The 2011 display included Tooman's Elvis and Lucille Ball dolls. She said her collection also includes more than 100 Barbies. Some are collectibles, but she played with many. A few did not survive. After a neighbor introduced her to the doll club, she became interested in other kinds of dolls. Her newer acquisitions are are Liv dolls. These contemporary fashion dolls can take a variety of poses and come with multiple wigs.
"They can change their hair for different outfits," Tooman said.
Barbies also make up a good portion of Stanfield's doll collection. She said her interest came from her mother who is a member of the doll club.
Stanfield has some older Barbies and some vintage dolls - whatever "looks cool."
Both girls have started collecting "Monster High," a line of fashion dolls that came out in 2010. They were inspired by monster movies and horror fiction and are modeled after characters in young adult novels by Lisi Harrison. Each doll has different "monster" features, such as fins, fangs, fur, bandages, stitches or wolf ears. All have removable hands and forearms.
"The new ones can swap heads," Stanfield said.
The junior collectors are learning to take better care of their dolls in hopes of preserving them.
They also have started visiting doll shows in Toledo and Columbus.
In June, the girls gave club members a program on their Barbies.
To learn more about the junior collectors and the Sandusky River Valley Doll Club, call (419) 448-4720.
