Have Fun Collecting African American Dolls

Doll collectors, how vast is your collection of African American dolls? While Caucasian and Asian dolls now are quite popular in the market, one has yet to see the rise of the African American in doll collection.

The very first African-American doll was Christie in 1968. This was one of the first of Barbie’s many ethnic friends, and one could say this spurred on the promotion of including other races in dolls to promote diversity. Some of the other dolls that have been introduced to the market were called Amosandra, Bonnie Lou, Patty Jo, and Saralee. Since then, more and more of these dark-skinned dolls have been making their way to the homes of many happy children.

In fact, African American dolls have become so popular that there is actually a whole section of a museum dedicated to it. The Philadelphia Doll Museum actually boasts of having more than 300 dolls in its wings. It is the sole and only museum in the world that preserves dolls that appear African American in an effort to preserve the history and culture of that race for the appreciation and remembrance of all.

These dolls can actually be quite expensive – some of them are made out of vinyl, some out of porcelain. However, all of them are equally beautiful, stunning, and authentically African American. These would make great additions to your already existing doll collection, and will make it even look more beautiful, diverse, and inclusive, because of the mixture of colors and races already present.

One can only hope that the production of more of these dolls will, in its own little way, encourage more people to develop a deeper appreciation of diversity and cultures other than their own. Dolls are an especially important part of childhood, particularly those of little girls, and allowing them to have different types of ethnicity in their doll collection will ingrain in them an early appreciation of the beauty of different nationalities and cultures.

If you are simply a doll collector with a fondness for collectibles, African American dolls will also be a great asset to your collection. Do stand out from all the other doll collectors and make your collection a unique one that celebrates beauty and culture in all its physical dimensions. However, make sure that you only buy from the reliable and reputable shops – if you are after authenticity and rarity and are willing to spend a premium for these dolls, you have to make sure that you are buying from someone who is an expert on dolls. Do a lot of research beforehand and schedule appointments with different shops for a private viewing before you settle on the dolls that you would like to purchase for your collection.