The Kindness of Others

I've been amazed at the reaction of others when I tell them that I collect dolls. Some, I can tell, are holding back judgement with their,
"Really??" comments. Often times, I feel compelled to tell them that doll collecting is the 2nd biggest hobby outside of collecting sports memorabilia. This little factoid, garnered from the internet--may or may not be true--seems to impress these skeptics. Far more often, I run into ladies who, when we talk, happily begin to remember how much they loved dolls as little girls. You can always tell: it shows up as a distinct sparkle in the eye! Anyway, that is how I got the dolls pictured here. A lovely friend of a friend heard I collected dolls and insisted upon giving me all of her childhood Nancy Ann Storybook dolls, along with some dolls her grandfather had brought back for her from his travels years ago. Her only caveat: pictures of the dolls in their new home. How lovely!!! And, yes, I am going to take new pictures soon because my boyfriend just gave me a digital camera. I've been practicing and practicing and it is much more difficult then it looks to take pictures of small dolls. Any ideas, tips, welcome!

I went to the library and checked out a book on Nancy Ann Storybook dolls and all of the pictures were in black and white...can you believe it? Anyway, my dolls do have the markings on the back but I still haven't been able to identify them individually yet. There were lots, and lots of Nancy Ann dolls produced. Apparently, as these were before Barbie, whom, I read, was the first doll to have her own complete wardrobe, the only way to have new outfits was to buy new dolls. However, back then, everyone sewed so I bet many girls had OOAK Nancy Ann outfits.