Playing vs Displaying or both

At first, I felt guilty for buying a bunch of AG stuff that I wasn't even playing with. I enjoy just setting it up and displaying it. I tried to force myself to play with the AG dolls and accessories and I get bored.

I just love setting up scenes and talking to my dolls. I don't make the dolls talk. I just talk to them and they listen to me. I like changing their clothes and brushing their hair. I also like to include my daughter Nicole in my talks with the dolls. But she prefers me to make them talk. She keeps saying "Make her talk, mommy".

Then I wonder if AG is just a passing fancy. It's like I get so excited to research an item, make the decision to buy it, plan for the purchase, make the purchase and then get it delivered. It's such a thrill to open up the box and look and feel the items that I just got. But once the thrill is over after a few days, I just display it and move on to the next item. Does anybody else feel like that? Isn't this what a lot of kids do when they get new toys? But then I don't want to get rid of anything either, just like a kid. I don't play with it but I don't want to sell it. I just like looking at the stuff and knowing that I have it. Mine....mine.... [img]wink.gif[/img]

Lynet

That's describes me to the "T", except I don't talk to them. Mostly what I do is buy it, get all excited over getting something new, look at it, then I just once in a while play with the hair and change the clothes and then just leave them on display. I do get bored with the same old outfits at times like you said. The real excitement is when I get something new or go to AGPNY knowing that I am getting a new doll.

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Originally posted by Chauster:
That's describes me to the "T", except I don't talk to them. Mostly what I do is buy it, get all excited over getting something new, look at it, then I just once in a while play with the hair and change the clothes and then just leave them on display. I do get bored with the same old outfits at times like you said. The real excitement is when I get something new or go to AGPNY knowing that I am getting a new doll.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I do the same exact thing; I mostly just change thier outfits, brush thier hair, and display them. I do always have one propped up by me when im on the computer (I actually have two with me right now; Kit and Addy). I also like to have one in my arms when im relaxing and reading.

We mostly just change their outfits, but DD will "play" with them, but mostly when she is by herself.

We are getting a little overwhelmed with the AG items. I think I might have gotten carried away with ebay, as this is our first year collecting! [img]redface.gif[/img]

But, I don't want to get rid of anything, especially retired items, but I think I might try to pack outfits and accessories in suitcases so her collection/ room will be more managable for a almost 7 year old, but still reasonably accessible when we want to get them out.

Any suggestions for how many outfits we should leave out? I'm thinking just 1 outfit for each doll. We have accumulated all of the historicals, Lindsey, Kailey, one AGT, plus bitty baby and the bitty twins and Marisol will be coming in the next few months! We both love them all, but I feel like our collection has grown too fast and I don't know how to manage it!
Help! [img]rolleyes.gif[/img]

Chauster-

I just visited your website! What a treat! It's more fun than the AG site and you've done a great job photographing all the dolls. How do you store all of your outfits? Do you keep them in the original boxes, in drawers, on hangers, etc.

I love to see how others organize their collections!

I am a displayer...and part time player. I love to change their clothes! I need to concentrate on clothing. But there are so many dolls I want to have!!! [img]wink.gif[/img]

I actually just started talking to my dolls. At first it felt odd but now I am getting a little more used to it. It feels kind of good to talk to them once in a while. It's like thinking out loud.

This just shows you the extent of my isolation now that I am a stay at home mom [img]wink.gif[/img]

I, too, change their clothing, brush their hair and talk to them. No, they don't talk back, but they are absolutely great listeners...

There are four of them standing here at the computer watching me type. There is something very relaxing about just looking at their faces...

Taffy

Lynet and Chau, I know how you feel. I've been there done that and you wouldn't believe the anxiety it has caused me. These are just some ideas to help you really treasure what you have and try not to get over it and "move on" to the next thing (I know it is hard though):

1. Store some dolls or outfits and accessories away for a while...just so you can't see them. In a month or two, take them out and you may have that happy "new" doll or item feeling all over.

2. Sometimes if it is a historical doll I find that immersing myself in the time period and story helps. Reread the story, research online, watch a period movie...with your doll!

3. If you feel like you have too many clothes then take a break from buying anything new.

I've done all of these things and it helped to settle me down a little. As an adult, it's kind of hard to play with the dolls like you might as a child. The imagination seems to fade with age sometimes. But then the acts of you changing their clothes, styling their hair and displaying them is a form of play anyway.

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I actually just started talking to my dolls. At first it felt odd but now I am getting a little more used to it. It feels kind of good to talk to them once in a while. It's like thinking out loud.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">LOL. I'm getting to this point. I admit I'm wacko...I talk to my dog and I make her talk. My husband will be sitting there and I will pretend that Sandy said something obnoxious and I'll say, "Sandy DON'T say that!" (My Grandmaman was always saying that to me, I was an imp [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) Anyway, my husband and I have a running joke with Josefina. She's definately my favorite doll but his favorite now too. I say the same thing to Josefina...she'll say something obnoxious...sometimes in English sometimes in Spanish and I have to say, "Josefina, DON'T say that!!!" My husband loves it. He also makes sound effects for the pitter-patter of her vinyl feet running in the house. We'll be lying and bed and all of a sudden you hear the sound of something landing of the floor then pitter patter down the hall...a little bit later someone fumbles through a drawer (NOT being very quiet) and then you hear that pitter patter back to the bedroom again. I have no idea what Josefina is up to at night but my husband thoroughly enjoys enticing my imagination!

Now you all know just how very weird I am! [img]smile.gif[/img]

I pretty much just display my dolls, but occasionally I'll make up stories with photos- like my Dolls Snow Day album in my signature. I don't talk for them, though, until I put all the photos together and then write down what they were "saying". I do occasionally talk TO them though, but I've always been the type to think out loud at times.

I do talk for my animals, but sometimes I really think they have something to say! Their looks can be so priceless and a picture really can be worth a thousand words! My horse, Eoin, sticks his toungue out at times- very funny look! He does it to get attention from people and also when he's teasing our other horse, Oberon. Oberon, on the other hand, looks half-asleep even if he's bucking.

I'm very much the same too! But I wouldn't worry about AG being a passing phase... it may be an expensive one, but it sure isn't to easy to shake off. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

I talk to my dolls regularly. They only talk back when there are children around, though. Then they turn into regular comedians! [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img]

Thanks for the kind comment Barbara. I personally think my pictures look a bit distorted on my website because I make them much smaller so that they will load faster.

I store all their clothes in dresser drawers, but I first put each set in those Ziploc Zipper bags. I like how that way all the sets are complete and together plus the bags help to protect the outfits when not in use. The boxes get folded down and stored in the attic.

Lynet,
I'm a stay at home fiance so maybe pretty soon I will be talking to them as well, right now I've picked up scrapbooking to keep me busy. hehe!

I play with my girls by changing their clothes, setting them in scenes, photographing them and then leaving them to their tea party or whatever acitivity they are enjoying. I talk to them and they talk back (not usually out loud though...). I talk to Mishy [img]graemlins/dog.gif[/img] all the time and she talks back, but she's a terrier and terriers always have a LOT to say! [img]wink.gif[/img]

I usually just display them. Even when I was little and I played with them I was very, very gentle with them, one of Kirsten?s braids is still in its original braid, I never took them out because I knew I wouldn?t be able to get them back in right. Now I don?t really ?play? with them, but Kirsten and Felicity watch tv with me a lot and are often in my lap when I?m at the computer. I also like brushing Felicity?s hair and changing them into new outfits, usually mixing and matching to come up with new outfits [img]smile.gif[/img]
Anyways I wouldn?t feel bad about just displaying them, and you shouldn?t feel like you have to play with them. They really do double as both collectables to be displayed and play dolls. I am keeping mine in very good condition as more collectables because I?m saving them for my future daughter/granddaughter. Also I?m a completionist and I?m trying to get Kirsten?s whole collection.

I don't have my own doll - but on Maternity leave when the baby Kailey was asleep. I had so much fun dressing Rachel's three dolls while she was at school. Felicity is definately one of my favorites. Styling her long silky hair is so much fun!

When Rachel came home her dolls were always somewhere different, dressed in new clothes with their hair done! I told her that the girls just couldn't sit still while she was away. Atleast one is waiting in the front window for her!! My husband jokes that are house is FULL of girls.

I do agree that AG becomes an obsession! It's hard to control. I just hope to keep my girls grateful for what we have.....although that's hard for ME [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

I like to display my dolls but regularly change their clothes, style their hair, take pictures of them and take them out to places. This weekend we're all making our Valentine cards.
Nia [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

I used to be strictly a displayer. Now, that is changing. Last night, Amanda (AGOT) and I made paper doll Valentines.

Hi, I'm a fairly new AG doll collector and I only have Addy, but I have just about everything even remotely connected to her (can you tell I'm a big fan? LOL). My daughter (who is 8) and I keep Addy, her Sweet Dreams collection and her books out at all times in order to hold her, play with her things or to tuck her in bed. But we save the other items, furniture, Scenes and Settings etc. for special days. For example, if it is a snow day and the kids and I are home from school (I'm in education) or a holiday or even just a "we're sick and feel crummy" day, we get out everything and act out scenes from her stories or take digital shots of her posing in front of the scenes and settings. It is a lot of fun and then we pack everything up to save for another "special day". This keeps the delight alive and makes us feel that excitement each time we reopen her packages etc. PS> I decided to store her things (except for furniture and books) in some beautiful old-fashioned hatboxes that I found on sale today at Burlingtons Coat Factory!