Getting your Doll Collection organized by Christine Quick




Kid's project folders in which to store Gene outfits, including shoes, accessories and certificates. Chris likes to labels hers with whats inside and where she got it.

If one of your goals for 2002 is to get your doll collection organized so you can play, play play instead of search and dig and hunt, then you had to be at the GGGC meeting on March 3. Club member Chris Quick came well prepared - naturally - with photos, examples of containers and hangers and great storage tips and ideas. Chris's presentation was well received and club members contributed their own ideas and solutions to the discussion as well. Resources and ideas are listed at the end of this summary. These first 2 rows of pictures are of Chris's armoir. You can see how beautifully organized it is.




These small containers are great for storing jewelry. Check out how Chris used wire clotheing hangers to make a hanging rod for her Gene outfits.

Barbara Steinberg gave her impressions of IDEX from an exhibitor's perspective as she had a booth offering clothes for 18" dolls as well as a Violet dressed in a Civil War nurse uniform, which she brought to show. An accurate reproduction, this uniform will really compliment the Gene in the Army nurse uniform AD will be releasing later this year. This segued into a discussion about the AD line, the Tonner dolls, the direction doll colleting was going and the recent AD cancellations. If nothing else, this group is well informed and ready to share their ideas! Show and tell is always a treat when you have a wide variety of interests and the dolls in attendance reflect this. From Holly's little girls dolls dressed in dresses she made to Barb's bride doll by Tonner to Kristi's Gene dressed in an exclusive gown her friend made just for her, we saw a wide range of fashions and dolls.






Some of the many visiting dolls that made the meeting.

 

The other great part of sharing is a chance to see outfits that didn't really "speak" to us when viewed online, but are totally different seeing them in person. Little Blessings is a perfect example. After show and tell we took a break to check out the sales table for goodies: Candy's assortment of Gene accessories; crocheted purses and hats made by Larry's mom; Trent sweaters and vests knitted by Vera's aunt; and AD dolls sold by Darin. The raffle table had a few trinkets including a set of Gene-sized garment bags donated by Chris with the intention of getting everyone on the path to organization. The afternoon passed quickly and not only did we have a great time, but we learned a few new things too. Hope you can attend the next meeting to share in the fun!




Chris and an array of different dolls including Gene, Cissy,Kitty, Violet, Jane and Anne Estelle.


Resources and tips

Kid's project folders in which to store Gene outfits, including shoes, accessories and certificates available at Storables.
Unfortunately the project folders are not listed on their website, but you can call them directly to order.
Billy bookcases and stacking divided boxes at IKEA .
K-Mart or other similar store has great divided see-through containers which are perfect for jewelry and other small items. Find them in the fishing / sporting section. Padded hangers for strapless gowns available at Monica's Dress Form Hangers.

Tips and Ideas:

  • Don't try to organize your entire collection at once, do it in bits at a time.

  • If you want to preserve the costume for long-term storage, use acid free tissue paper to avoid contact with any plastics.
  • The kid's project folders found at Storables are just wide enough to hold shoes, costume, accessories comfortably and you can label the outside of the container with the costume name so you know what you have.

  • You can also use Hatboxes to store doll clothing.


  • An armoire or bookcase makes a great decorating statement while holding a lot of your doll's clothes and accessories.

  • Have a ton of fabric? Cut small sample squares. Set them on pages in a binder for a quick reference.

  • Use the "figure" cutout that you find in AD garment boxes for hanging garments. Cut it out of the box, tape a small wire hook to the top of it and hang it in your trunk or rack.

  • Don't organize just to get organized - do it to save time. The less time you spend trying to find something or shopping for it because you think it's lost is more time you'll have to play!

  • Got an organizing question for Chris? E-mail her here .
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