How dolls are opened. Modern doll business. Kirov Toy Factory

The Vesna factory - at that time still the Toy artel - appeared in 1942, at the height of the Great Patriotic War. Since then, toy production has never stopped. The factory produces 1,200 types of various children's play products, of which about 500 are dolls. Production workshops and sites are located in Kirov and beyond - in Slobodskoye, Lyangasovo and Batashi.

During the difficult war years for the country, thousands of children were evacuated to the city of Kirov. But no war can abolish childhood, and on June 26, 1942, at a meeting of the Cultural and Industrial Union, a decision was made to create the “Toy” artel. The production of toys for disadvantaged children was no less important than the production of guns and shells in our rear city. Home-based craftsmen made 33 types of products from cotton wool, papier-mâché, and pressed sawdust.

In 1954, homework was eliminated and work was switched to industrial premises. The year 1960 was marked by important events in the life of the enterprise. A new three-story building was built on the corner of Krasnoarmeyskaya and Karl Liebknecht streets, and a belt cutting machine for fabric was installed. Manual presses were replaced by mechanized hydraulic ones.

Kirov Toy Factory

In the same year, by order of the Kirov Regional Department of Consumer Services dated September 29, 1960, the Kirov industrial artel “Igrushka” was reorganized into the Kirov Toy Factory, which included the Dymkovo Toy Factory, where papier-mâché horse-drawn carriages and plaster figurines were made.

Association "Vyatka"

The work carried out in the country to improve industrial management for accelerated economic development led to the decision of the leadership of the Kirov region to unite various factories producing toys into one specialized association “Vyatka”. On December 12, 1963, the Kirov Toy Factory became part of the new association, becoming workshop No. 2 of the head enterprise KPO Vyatka for the production of toys and maintaining its profile: production of dolls, plastic toys, carnival costumes And puppet theater. In 1965, the total area of industrial and administrative premises of the workshop was 3000 square meters. meters.

Technical modernization

The creation of the Vyatka association made it possible to carry out work on technical re-equipment and the development of new types of toys. During these years, the country entered the era of the polymer industry. In 1965, the production of polyethylene toys began . For this purpose, special equipment was purchased and new technology was mastered.

In 1975, the Ministry of Local Industry of the RSFSR purchased a batch of Italian lines for the rotational molding of plastisol doll parts for the production of dolls. Two lines were allocated for workshop No. 2. A three-story extension was erected for the new equipment.

Company "Spring"

In 1991, after the abolition of the Kirov production association “Vyatka”, the State Enterprise “Vesna” was created on the basis of workshop No. 2 with the Dymkovo branch and workshop No. 4 (Batashi village).

On December 25, 1992, the Property Management Committee of the Kirov Region decided to transform the state-owned enterprise "Vesna" into an open joint-stock company "Joint Stock Company "Vesna", since 2002 - JSC "Vesna". In 1999, the factory opened branches and trading houses of Vesna OJSC in Nizhny Novgorod and Orel, which optimize the sales activities of the enterprise in the regions adjacent to the branches.

Constant update

In order to increase labor productivity and improve product quality, the factory is undergoing technical re-equipment. In 2001, a stuffing line was purchased and mastered, ensuring the mechanization of the process of stuffing dolls and toys made of fur; in 2002, at the cutting section of the sewing shop, a CAD system was introduced and mastered (a system for automatically designing layouts and making patterns for clothing parts for dolls, m/n toys and clothes for dolls).

In 2009, two modern Italian rotary ovens from the Polivinil Rotomashineri SPA company and a high-performance pad printer from the Komek company for pad printing were installed. A new high-quality fiber for stitching doll hair has been mastered - nylon, a new technology for automatic printing of doll faces - Italian pad printing equipment has been purchased for these purposes.

In 2010, Vesna OJSC was rebranded.

On May 25, 2010, the company was awarded a certificate of trust to the employer, which certifies that Vesna OJSC is included in the register of employers guaranteed to comply with labor rights workers.

In 2011, Vesna OJSC was awarded the “Certificate of Consumer Trust” issued by the Vyatka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In 2012 - obtaining a certificate of compliance of the quality management system with the requirements of international standards ISO 9001 series.

In 2012-2013, the factory's production area expanded: a new site for the production of dolls was opened, a new office-warehouse was opened at the address Kirov, st. Basic, 4.

To meet consumer demand, the factory's products are constantly updated and new types of products are created. For fifteen years, the factory has been participating in the “One Hundred Best Goods of Russia” program, becoming its laureate and diploma recipient. In 2014, the factory was awarded the honorary prize of the “One Hundred Best Goods of Russia” program “Quality Leader”.

It is symbolic that the Vesna factory began its career as an artel. We preserve in our work the basic principles of the Russian artel - everyone’s responsibility for themselves and for everyone, mutual assistance, general agreement. Even in the 20th century. in artel contracts one could find the ancient Russian formula of labor - “to serve the cause honestly, decently, conscientiously.” This principle has been the basis of the company’s activities for decades. Often this or that area has some kind of peculiarity, something so recognizable that at the mere mention of this attraction you understand what region of the country we are talking about. Many people associate the Kirov region with a toy. For several centuries now - with the clay Dymkovo and more than 70 years - with the toy from the Vesna factory.

The process of developing a new doll model before it appears on the store shelf takes about nine to ten months. According to the factory’s business plan, there should be about a hundred such new products per year. Every day the production produces about three thousand dolls. Models change every day, usually there are 30–50 types. The product is sold through a dealer network in 70 regions of Russia, as well as to the CIS countries. Branches of the company have been opened in Orel and Nizhny Novgorod.

First, artists, fashion designers and designers develop an image new toy, make sketches of the appearance and accessories. Then the sculptor-former makes from plasticine the shape of the future parts of the doll - the head, arms, legs and torso. Based on them, a plaster mold is created, then a wax mold and, finally, a metal galvanic mold. This is what is used for the next stage of production - rotational molding.

On the rotary section, the galvanoforms are filled with PVC plastisol (polyvinyl chloride-plastisol) from the dispenser and hermetically sealed. Then the disks, equipped with galvanoforms, are placed in a rotary furnace, where they are rotated in three parallel planes and simultaneously heated.

This procedure does not allow the plastisol to sinter, but distributes it evenly over the walls of the mold. As a result, the substance “gelatinizes” - turns into a dense solid material. All furnaces are computerized, and, depending on the program and product, on average the galvanoforms are inside for 8 to 16 minutes at a temperature of 140–270 degrees. After this, in order to easily remove semi-finished toys, they are cooled in a special chamber.

Parts of plastic dolls - torsos and legs - are made using extrusion blow molding. In an extruder - a processing machine - the plastic is melted and released into the open mold of the doll's torso or legs. After filling, its edges close, and compressed air is supplied inside, which accelerates the molten material throughout the mold cavity. Remove from open mold ready product and sent to the plastics processing area.

In this area, holes are drilled in the torsos of the dolls so that the doll can be assembled and, if the doll is voiced, a sound device can be inserted. All texts spoken by the dolls undergo psychological and pedagogical examination.

The expert gives an opinion that listening will not harm the child and will not cause aggressive actions, but, on the contrary, will develop the necessary skills. Here it is determined at what age a child can play with this doll. In addition, each toy has a certificate of conformity.

Next, the products go to the art department. Here the designers give the blank the appearance of a doll. First, hair is sewn onto the toy using a special sewing machine. Before performing this procedure, the heads are heated in special heating drums at a temperature of about 65 degrees: when the plastisol is soft, it is easier to stitch it. Italian nylon fiber is used for hair. Straight hair of dolls is sewn directly from bobbins, and for wavy hair, steamed nylon is used, which comes from the manufacturer folded in rings.

After this, the designers give the dolls a “makeup”: they blush their cheeks with an airbrush, and paint eyebrows and lips with a brush. Then the semi-finished product goes to a specialist who inserts the eyes. Some of them are produced right there at the factory, but the main share is from a Spanish manufacturer.

The next stage of doll production is assembly. The factory produces soft-stuffed dolls (the head, arms and legs are made of plastisol, the body is made of non-woven material and filled with a hypoallergenic mixture of synthetic fiber and foam rubber) and plastic (the body and legs are made of plastic, the rest is made of plastisol). At the same stage, the dolls are dressed and combed. For each toy, fashion designers have developed their own clothes and hairstyle.

One of the popular doll models is Anastasia. She has 11 collections, including, for example, “Sport” (Anastasia the figure skater), “ Folk motives"(Anastasia is a Russian beauty) or "Professions" (Anastasia is a teacher).

The factory has several sewing workshops for the production of clothing. One of them has a knitting section where knitted items are made for dolls.

Each doll usually comes with several outfits - the one in which it is sold, and additional ones that can be purchased separately. Dressing up toys has a positive effect on fine motor skills children. Self-adhesive Velcro is most often used as fasteners so that a child of any age can handle them.

And finally, the final stage - the dolls are packed into boxes, which are placed in corrugated boxes. In this form, the toys are sent to the warehouse and then hit the store shelves.

Today I want to talk about how to make a doll with your own hands. I’ll tell you about soft fabric dolls - even a child can handle making such a toy, and the result looks simply charming.

What kind of textile dolls are there? Fabric dolls have existed for quite a long time; at first they were of a ritual nature, then they became amulets, and finally moved into the category of interior decorations and children's toys.

You can divide the dolls by manufacturing style:

sewn dolls;
reels.

You can also divide pupae according to body shape:

sessile;
standing;
recumbent (they have a soft body, it is difficult to sit them down).

And of course the pupae can be divided according to appearance— I’ll talk about this further so as not to write one thing at a time.

Different variants

How to make a rag doll with your own hands? There are a variety of DIY rag dolls, but in general you need to stock up on:

fabric for making the body, face and limbs of the doll - it can be fabric, yarn, nylon and even paper (some make the doll’s head from papier-mâché and the body from fabric);
stuffing material (cereals, foam rubber, cotton wool, fabric scraps, polystyrene foam balls or holofiber);
yarn or thread for making hairstyles;
beads, special eyes;
needles and threads;
knitting supplies (you will need doll clothes, and they are very easy to knit);
cardboard, artificial and Genuine Leather, various elements for making accessories for dolls.

Tilde and varieties

Tilda is the most famous soft doll, and most often it is the one made by beginners. These dolls were invented by a girl from Norway, Tone Finnanger. These are long, simple dolls, they have simple faces - pink cheeks, beady eyes. A whole industry has developed around this doll, making animals and accessories. There are many books and master classes published on how to sew a doll with your own hands. Look how beautiful Tildas are, and how you can make bunnies and bears in this style.

By the way, if you need a doll pattern in this style, then nothing could be easier - here are a few patterns that are suitable for creating from fabric.

Snowballs

How to make a fabric doll so that it stands up? For this purpose, Snowballs and snow dolls were invented - they have large legs, and due to a special filling scheme, such a doll turns out to be very stable. When making Snowball, you will need the correct pattern of the doll, because otherwise the doll simply will not “stand up”. By the way, Snowballs are visually similar to Tilda - they have similar facial features, and the doll is simplified to the point of impossibility.

Pumpkins

Pumpkinhead toys are somewhat reminiscent of Jack Pumpkinhead from the popular cartoon for adults. They were invented by Lena Kogan, and Pumpkins differ from all other dolls in the original construction of the head - it is sewn from several wedges, and a seam runs through the doll’s face. By the way, these dolls have original faces - they have wide-set eyes, but in general their facial features are more accurately designed compared to Tilda and Snowballs.

Look how craftswomen make dolls with their own hands in the photo:

Attic toys

Simple dolls in the style of the Scarecrow from the fairy tale about the Wizard of Oz - they are made literally from everything that is lying around in the closet or attic. Modern attic toys are made with an aged effect, many even use vintage fabrics and buttons. Distinctive feature such a toy is an author's doll pattern.

There is no single standard - these toys were made by the first settlers in America, and, let’s be honest, they made them as God pleased. Lost your textile doll pattern? Try it out by eye and make an attic toy - they are cute and charming, and it’s easy to add some zest to them - use tinting and do not process the edges.

Charms and motanki

Slavic dolls are now very, very popular. Firstly, people are pleased to have their own concept as a response to fashionable Western Tildas (which, of course, are very beautiful, but it’s hard to imagine Tilda in a kokoshnik, isn’t it?). Secondly, the cultural code is also included here. A Russian person may not digest Khokhloma and Zhostovo painting, disown Pushkin and not know how motanok is made, but at the sight of an ordinary nesting doll his heart skips a beat. Because everyone had a nesting doll or motanka in childhood.

Slavic dolls served as talismans for the home and women at different stages of her life, and they were also used as symbols. Cabbage - a beauty that symbolized the presence of a girl of marriageable age in the house; Rozhanitsa - usually a busty beauty - promised the young mother a lot of milk.

Do you want to figure out how to make a doll from threads? Watch a fascinating master class on this topic below, and you will create a magical doll from threads with your own hands!

Are you interested in a DIY motanka doll? Step by step lesson will help you with photographs.

And also here is another master class on making dolls from yarn.

Waldorf toys stand on a separate level in all this splendor of the doll industry. This is not just a toy, but a kind of pedagogical aid. The main differences between this toy and others:

natural proportions (naturally, the size of the doll will be small, but it will be made in proportion so that the child can understand what a person will look like in at different ages real size);
the face is simplified, but without exaggeration;
Natural materials are used, and colors are close to natural.

Interesting analogues of the always fashionable Barbie and Cindy - but made of textiles! Tryapiens came to us from Korea, and I can say that making dolls with your own hands using this technology requires a lot of perseverance, but the result is a chic interior toy that has its own style and character.

Author's doll

Do you know how to make a doll from paper and fabric? First you will need to sculpt the head - according to your own sketch, then cover it with strips of paper and remove the papier-mâché form. After this, you make a body and arms from the fabric, do not forget to pay attention to clothes and accessories, and in the end you will have your own designer doll. Interesting, isn't it? And it’s even more interesting if you imagine how many such products can be made!

Let's start production

Well, have I interested you? Let's try to make dolls with our own hands?

The easiest way is to make a toy from a sock. You don’t need a doll pattern, just cut the sock into two parts - you can cut out arms and legs from the boot, and from the part that you put on the foot you can make the body and head. Stuff the main part with padding polyester or cotton wool, and wrap it with threads to form a head, and then stuff and sew up the body. From the remaining part you need to cut out the legs and arms, and then sew up the parts and turn them inside out. For volume, you can add a little padding polyester (it’s convenient to put padding polyester inside a narrow arm or leg reverse side pencil). Draw a face and make her hair from a bunch of threads - your beginner toy is ready!

DIY sock doll:

How to make a sock doll in the shape of a baby? Watch a short master class where the principle of creation is explained step by step.

Want something a little more challenging? Let's try to make a doll from nylon.

Making dolls from tights with your own hands step by step instructions

What is needed to make a nylon doll:

sewing supplies - needles, strong threads of several colors, scissors;
nylon - socks, knee socks or tights are suitable (instead of tights, the master can also use stockings);
cotton wool or padding polyester for stuffing;
fabric for making clothes;
glue;
frame, glass or plastic bottle as a base (if you are interested in a standing doll);
ribbons and beads, buttons and decorations.

A stocking doll can be either simple or complex. I'll tell you how to make a simple doll from nylon tights. My guide is intended for beginners, so if you have already made such dolls, then you better watch more complex master classes.

First you need to form all the body parts from nylon with your own hands. There is no pattern here, so we simply sew approximately identical arms, make legs, head and torso.
Then we start stuffing. You have made individual elements from tights with your own hands, and now you need to fill them with padding polyester. Make sure that the nylon is stretched evenly so that the doll looks uniform.
Connect the head to the body and work on the face - the easiest way is to make through stitches from the corner of the mouth to the eye - dimples will appear in the place where the thread comes to the surface. Repeat this operation on both sides and then sew on the eyes. Shape the nose.
Make fingers - a few stitches are all it takes. By the way, don’t repeat my mistake - the doll should have a right and a left hand, and not two left ones with the thought “no one will notice anyway.”
Assemble the wig - to do this you need to gather the yarn and sew it in the middle. Loose ends can be styled into braids or ponytails. The seam should be on the top of the doll's head; it will act as a parting.
Touch up your face.
Make clothes for the new toy, use glue and pins if necessary, but try to make the doll as safe and durable as possible.
Dress up your product and give it a name. This way you will breathe life into the toy.

Of course, every needlewoman will sew her own doll, even if they are all made according to the same drawing - we use different materials and pay attention to various details. But why do we still need diagrams? For example, in the case of Pumpkinhead dolls - in order to comply with technology.

Don't know what to do on Saturday evening? Do-it-yourself textile doll: master class.

By the way, the pattern of a textile doll can also be made by the author - develop your own shape and you will become famous (at least in the handicraft community).

To make it work Ragdoll category you need, proceed in stages - first, a paper pattern, if needed, then assembling parts made on its basis, and only then decoration and decor. you can decorate endlessly, but it’s better to start by working out the form.

To make dolls with your own hands, patterns are not so necessary - you just need a little courage, inspiration and some scraps of fabric!

A few more interesting toy patterns that you can make with your child:

A niche for sophisticated craftsmen and lovers of a non-standard approach. We are used to the fact that dolls are mainly made for girls who sew outfits for them or learn to tinker with babies (Reborn dolls and others). But today a doll can be purchased for an accomplished adult who earns good money and wants something extraordinary and unique, something original, to be present in the interior around him.

A special caste of clients consists of people who collect things. The topic of our article is designer collectible dolls.

It is worth noting right away that such a pleasure is not cheap, since not only the work of the master is paid, but also expensive materials. Textile dolls are somewhat easier to make, but true connoisseurs are ready to order dolls made of porcelain and even those printed on special printers. Of course, craftsmen also sew and decorate clothes for such dolls by hand. However, first things first.

The collectible doll has nothing in common with a children's toy. Such dolls can only be used for interior decoration, as an exhibit in a home museum and for board games from true connoisseurs of craftsmanship.

How to start a business on collectible dolls

First of all, you need to decide on a list of the main materials that you will use for your products.

Materials for creativity:

Special types of plastic.
Various types of wood.
Porcelain.
Ceramics.
Textiles and their derivatives.
Polymer clay.
Genuine Leather.
Different types of fabrics and accessories.
Glass (hand-painted doll eyes).
Gypsum.
Papier mache.
Gofun (a master works with this exotic material japanese doll Tomoharu Morishige). Gofun is a special powder made from scallop shells and oysters, set on glue. The master’s family mastered this special technique for three generations.

In the production of elite exclusive dolls, precious and semiprecious stones, lace, clockwork, natural hair.

A doll whose year of manufacture dates back to no earlier than 1940 can also become collectible - but this is already an area of the antique business that requires skills of a slightly different kind.

There are many types of collectible dolls, you can focus on such release dolls in a single copy (one-of-a-kind) and dolls released in the format limited edition. A small circulation (usually 50 copies of designer dolls) is confirmed by the author's certificate (doll passport).

Dolls created in a single copy can cost up to $50,000. The creator of such a doll, even with a strong desire, simply cannot sculpt an exact copy one-of-a-kind dolls , reproduce the pose, hairstyle, emotion, gesture, body painting of the product and clothing. The more valuable each copy is, and of course more expensive.

Cabinet size is considered to be a doll's height from 45 to 50 centimeters. Such dolls are intended mainly for target audience, who is engaged in professional photography of dolls, dolls that can take any spectacular and elaborate pose are best suited for such purposes - the number of joints in such a doll should be at least 14 (or even better - 18); here it is important to take into account the specifics of the living human body and peculiarities of joint articulations.

Collectible doll business success story

The production of collectible dolls became a family business for the Yakupovs many years ago.

Five years ago, young people were inspired by the idea of repeating a master class that they saw on the Internet. Modeling articulated dolls became not just a hobby, but a profitable profitable business. It is worth noting that just a year after the couple started making collectible dolls, their own video master classes on the YouTube channel began to bring them additional income. In other words, the source of additional income was the sale of information products on the Internet, and this is passive income that the couple was able to spend on the development and establishment of their handmade business.

What you need to start making collectible dolls

Let's assume you are not interested in textile and porcelain dolls. How to make a doll with your own hands from plastic?

Special tubes are coated with self-hardening plastic; after it has partially hardened, the tubes are removed, and the workpiece is subjected to subsequent labor-intensive manual processing. In the process of establishing a business, the Yakupov family managed to purchase a 3D printer, casting molds, and develop and master the technology for vacuum molding of individual parts.

The head of the family assembled some of the equipment with his own hands, including the rotary machine, which significantly reduced the cost of the costs spent on the purchase of equipment. Today, the couple makes their collections from polyurethane - it is stronger, more durable and wear-resistant, which provides the finished doll with more reliable qualities and durability.

Staff

In order to launch your business, even within the family circle you need to clearly distribute roles. This is how it happens in the Yakupov family: the head of the family models, prints 3D prototypes, distinguishes blanks, tints and paints dolls, his wife is busy processing cast parts, assembling dolls and sewing outfits.

Collections can be very different: dolls-heroes of myths, zombie dolls, fairies, etc.

The businessmen's immediate plans include the release of collections dedicated to children's doll models, male and female, as well as a super-collection in the fantasy style. Income will increase the possibility of ordering for foreign citizens via the Internet.

If the master already has a sufficient level of skill, it is worth trying to make money by fulfilling individual orders: making dolls from photographs - that is, a small copy of a specific person (portrait dolls)

Today, creating collections of exclusive dolls has become a real way to make a profitable investment - over time, such collections become priceless, especially if the artist from whom such a toy was purchased is quite famous.

The target audience of this type of business is also those who want to show their difference from other people and still haven’t “played enough”. Such clients will buy dolls to decorate the interior of their apartments and cottages; they can additionally be offered design services for placing dolls in the room, as well as special designer shelves, niches and the development of lighting for them.

Doll houses for a particular thematic collection will also be a good buy. Houses and household items in them are made from expensive but fragile materials, so point this out to clients right away - plexiglass and glass are used, the sharp edges of which can injure children, and for educational games for little girls it is better to offer clients something else.

The target audience

Adults of middle and high income levels

Having hobbies or unfulfilled childhood needs

Loving beautiful things, striving to aestheticize everything that surrounds them

Those seeking to emphasize their status and position in society or a certain circle of people

In this niche there is also such an interesting profession as a gallery owner. A specialist of this profile helps collectors look for truly interesting examples for the customer’s collection and maintains close contact with the owners of doll galleries. By the way, the latter note the increased interest of the audience in collectible dolls precisely during the crisis. People come to look at dolls, Teddy bears and other beautiful trinkets.

To choose the material and technique that will be most pleasant and easiest for you to work with, you can devote time to studying the works of existing successful masters and viewing master classes, which can now be found in a very large number on the Internet.

Sales market

Collectible dolls are sold through thematic exhibitions, galleries and festivals. It is worth paying attention to the fact that price tags are not practiced at galleries and exhibitions - potential clients can contact you through the contacts left by the artist next to the product. The price of each doll is negotiated separately depending on the money and time spent by the master on it.

To be in trend, you need to take a closer look at new trends, study the preferences of your target audience: they like thematic collections, dolls from movies, anime, manga, etc.

Feb 2, 2017 Sergey

Thanks to the ever-increasing interest in handmade products, you can set up a very creative and interesting home business sewing collectible textile dolls. The attractiveness lies in the relatively small investment, plus the stable demand for this product!

Works of art are not only paintings by famous artists and figurines of great sculptors. Today, the so-called handmade and, in particular, dolls are highly valued self made. They are considered collectible at the proper level of execution and can be very, very expensive!

We invite you to get acquainted with this opportunity to make money at home, namely with the creation of collectibles textile dolls with your own hands.

The relevance of this type of business

Since ancient times, dolls have accompanied humans. The most interesting thing is that they were not always made for children. They served as a powerful tool in both rituals and magic, and then became simply excellent interior decoration.

The ancient Slavs believed that the soul lived in a doll; these rather primitive products served as amulets. Today, handmade dolls sewn from the most ordinary textiles have gained particular popularity in the hearts of lovers of beauty. If you have minimal sewing skills, then you can also try your hand at this endeavor!

To roughly estimate the demand for this type of handicraft, to get an idea of the target audience and potential buyers, we suggest using the Yandex.Wordstat service:

Figure 3 search result for the keyword "Handmade dolls"

Thus, you can see that with due interest it is quite possible to achieve good results, the main thing is to approach the quality of the work with all seriousness. It may not work out the first time, but it’s definitely worth trying to get something like this:

Target audience research

This point is very important when it comes to starting any business, even a home one! In our case, if we start from monitoring in Yandex.Wordstat, we can see that the circle of potential clients is not limited only to lovers of exclusively collectible handmade textile dolls, since a doll is a doll, and many mothers and fathers, grandparents They will want to buy one for their child, given that it is usually made from environmentally friendly materials.

This is also a wonderful gift for young girls. If you add good PR here, then in the end there is a chance to make such a small business, at first glance, quite large!

Necessary materials

You shouldn’t buy materials in large quantities to begin with. For the sake of objectivity, we will evaluate only the most necessary things - that is, for creating a doll body, hair and drawing a face. Each master creates his own unique clothes, and accordingly, the costs for them will be different; calculating this is practically impossible!

In a convenient table, we have collected for you the main materials that will be useful for creating a handmade doll:

You can also use paints (oil, acrylic), even cosmetics (eye shadows and blush). Usually dolls are sewn by hand without using sewing machine, then the product becomes even more valuable in the eyes of true lovers. In order not to make meaningless calculations, threads were not taken into account, but their cost is practically negligible, so we see that starting a business does not require large investments.

Calculating benefits

So, to sew 1 doll, 0.25 meters of calico will be enough for us, and by default, we will need to immediately buy a set of pencils and at least one tuft of wool to create the doll’s “hairstyle.”

Total, for the fabric 37.5 rubles, as well as 285 rubles for the tools, of which the pencils will serve faithfully for many more years - that is, in total you will need less than 300 rubles to start, and in fact - about 200. The amount is simple funny.

On average, they ask for about 1,500 rubles for 1 doll, depending on the level of its production. Thus, the net profit is 750%! Very good. A great incentive to develop your skills.

Doll pattern

As for the pattern, it is very simple and publicly available; you can use this one, which we offer on the pages of the site:

We are sure that you will create a masterpiece the first time, because so many needlewomen have already made sewing dolls their main form of stable income, why won’t you succeed too?

If (or is it better to say “when” here?) you have the desire to collect dolls, then congratulations to you! You are standing on the threshold of amazing world, unlike anything else! You'll understand what it is later, but for now just enjoy the anticipation.

Sweet Charming is a collectible porcelain doll from famous doll creator Linda Rick (The Doll Maker)

And in this article we will give you a small map, following which you will feel more confident in the newly discovered planet of dolls.

There are several types of dolls to collect: antique (manufactured before 1930-35s), vintage (manufactured 1930-70s) and modern (manufactured after 1980s).

Antique dolls of the Romanov family

Collecting modern dolls is relatively the new kind hobby: he is only 20 years old, but this direction is very actively gaining momentum. And especially in our country.

We dedicated our article specifically to collecting modern dolls. First of all, because it is easier to start collecting dolls with modern dolls: they are easier to find, easier to choose to your liking (the variety of modern dolls simply exceeds all possible boundaries of imagination), in beauty and detailed thoughtfulness of the outfit they are almost not inferior to ancient young ladies, and where - they even surpass them. But the main thing: among modern dolls, you can choose dolls for any budget (unlike expensive vintage and antique ones).

Collectible doll Tiny Ruella Malinka - collectible vinyl doll from famous singer Mary Osmond

So, let's go!

1. First think: why do you want to collect dolls?

Once you understand your true reasons, it will be easier for you to decide on the theme of the collection, the method of its formation, etc. Don't be afraid that your reason will be "frivolous." There are no serious reasons in the world of dolls, or rather, they are all very serious reasons. And the most serious of them: to have fun!

With Adora doll

And here, perhaps, you will be overtaken by the problem of choice in its most severe form. Because there are countless dolls! And they are all cute, beautiful, lively, high quality - in a word, the best! The main thing to understand here is that you still won’t be able to buy all the dolls you like. So you need to focus on choosing your favorites. What kind of dolls do you enjoy holding in your hands: baby dolls, celebrities, movie characters, magical fairies, fashion dolls in fancy fashionable outfits, bjd dolls, collectible barbie(they are very different from play ones! You can’t even imagine how much!), animal dolls?

Kitty Zuzu Delph Blue Truffle – bjd doll from LUTS CREATION

Once you decide on a doll theme, narrow your choices further. Determine the country of manufacture, company -

Ashton Drake,
Madame Alexander / Madame Alexander,
Tonner / Tonner Dolls,
collectible Barbie / Barbie Collectibles,
Marie Osmond / Marie Osmond)

Zawieruszinski / Zawieruszinski,
Heidi Plusczok,
Angela Sutter / Angela Sutter,
Berdine Creedy,
Dianna Effner / Dianna Effner,
Linda Rick / Linda Rick),

material dolls (vinyl, polyurethane, porcelain, stuffed dolls), etc.

Chinese fan dance - porcelain figurine from the English brand Royal Doulton

You can decide which dolls you like best by visiting doll exhibitions. Here you can see a list of the most significant events for 2014. By the way, this will not only be useful, but also very pleasant.

Cupcake Kylie doll – collectible doll from Helen Kish, one of the most popular doll creators in the world

But if you don’t have time to go to exhibitions, you can find information on the Internet: articles and home photographs of dolls. For example, in our blog here and on the website cdolls.ru we talk about different dolls, about how to care for them.

3. Determine for yourself a comfortable cost for one doll

Modern collectible dolls cost very differently. For example, you can buy a doll for 2,000 rubles, or you can buy it for 100,000 rubles. And this, of course, is not the limit. But what's nice: in between these extremes there is a lot different options prices.

Masha doll is a one-of-a-kind collectible doll from the author Angela Sutter

Before you decide how much of your budget you are willing to spend on a new hobby, we suggest you do a little math.

Of course, if you are already interested in the idea of collecting dolls, then you want to immediately buy all the cute dolls in the area (we know from experience!). But then – stop! Let's get out a calculator and figure it out. If you expect, for example, to spend 2,000 rubles a month on 1 doll, then that means that once every three months you can afford to buy one doll at a price of 6,000 rubles. Moreover, the choice will increase significantly. And if you wait six months, you can buy a doll for 12,000 rubles. etc.

Barbie Sugar by Byron Lars - collectible designer Barbie dressed by a famous designer

This, of course, is a more balanced approach and is quite difficult to implement, although the advantages are obvious. In addition to saving money, time and space, you'll end up with a more interesting collection.

4. Caring for dolls

Once you have more or less decided on the theme of the collection, immediately think about how you will need to care for the dolls. Usually there is nothing complicated about this: periodically dolls and their clothes need cleaning, but there are some types of dolls that require special care. For example, BJD dolls will have to be re-drawn periodically. There is nothing impossible in this, but you need to be prepared for it.

5. Determine a place to store your collection

In addition, you need to decide storage place your collection. Where in your house will the dolls live? In a separate room or throughout the house, in a display case or without it? From this criterion you can determine the size of the dolls that you can collect. The dolls come in completely different sizes: from tiny ones of 12 cm to tall ones - more than 70 cm.

Bibian doll – collectible bjd doll from Applehouse (height 65 cm)

By the way, doll manufacturers write sizes in a slightly encrypted manner.

For example, for fashion dolls, the scale is indicated (in relation to the height of the person). Usually this is 1/6 (25-30 cm). This is the height of a Barbie doll, many Tonner dolls, Pullip dolls, Momoko. Sometimes fashion dolls are ¼ (~40 cm).

Lunar romance doll – fashion doll from the Deja Vu collection by Robert Tonner (height 40 cm)

BJD dolls (we talked about them here) also have their own encryption:

70+ - dolls 70 cm tall and above
SD (Super Dollfie = Super doll) - 50-69 cm
MSD (Mini Super Dollfie = small super doll) - 40-49 cm
Small (small) - 20-39 cm
Tiny (secret, tiny - tiny) - 9-19 cm

Rory the Christmas Bunny – collectible bjd doll in “mystery” size – 11.2 cm

6. Be open! Don't hide your passion!

Even if you don’t want to advertise your hobby in real life, you can always do it on the Internet. There are many collector communities here (for example, www.dollplanet.ru, babiki.ru, bjdclub.ru). Do not deny yourself the pleasure of communication. Doll collecting communities are very warm and open communities that welcome newcomers. There you will find real support, help with technical issues, and just pleasant communication. Plus, it's more fun together!

Doll Collectors by Robert Tonner

7. Use different methods searching for dolls

Online stores, secondary markets, ebay or avito, garage sales, doll exchanges with other collectors, festivals and conventions, exhibitions, visits to author's workshops. The more methods you have, the more diverse your collection can become!

At the exhibition X International Doll Salon in Moscow

A little advice from us: if you decide to buy a doll in an online store, try to look at it. For example, go to an exhibition or meet a collector who has such a doll. Before purchasing a doll, be sure to carefully read its description and try to find homemade, “live” photographs or video reviews of this doll.

Pullip Lo doll - Korean fashion doll

On our website Сdolls.ru we talk about each doll in as much detail as possible, and also publish home photographs. This is important because promotional photographs from the manufacturer, although they look very beautiful, do not always convey her appearance. And this does not mean that in reality the doll looks worse, sometimes even on the contrary! But you should get as complete a picture as possible.

Doll Tashenka - premium collectible doll from Sophia and Henry Zaverushinsky

On the left is a promotional photo, on the right is a “live” photo.

8. The most important tip

And our last, most important advice to novice collectors. It is so important that you can forget the rest from your mind and follow only it.

Photos in the article: Stefanie Eskander, snoqualmiefall.

If you have any questions while reading our article, or want to ask something about collectible dolls - I with pleasure I'll answer on them in the comments, private message or any other contact you have!