A paper doll is a two-dimensional figure drawn or printed on paper for which accompanying clothing has also been made. It may be a figure of a person, animal or inanimate object. The term may be extended to include similar items made of materials other than paper, such as plastic, cloth or wood. The term also may include three-dimensional dolls and their costumes that are made exclusively of paper.
Collectors sometimes extend their collections to include other toys printed on paper, such as paper airplanes, cars and trains, animals and birds, villages, furniture and so on. It's just a flat paper object, but it has such enormous appeal that it will provide a lifetime of pleasure! For historians, paper dolls and their costumes provide a broad look at cultures around the world. Film and theater buffs will enjoy the popular figures from opera, stage, screen and even television that have appeared as paper dolls-and many have. Paper doll royalty and political figures provide opportunities for sleuths who love digging in odd places to unearth their treasures. Those who love babies, children, pretty ladies, animals or fantasy figures will find their favorite subject in paper doll form. And what woman (or man) over thirty does not remember paper dolls as the cheapest, yet most fascinating toy of childhood? It's memories like this that bring many adults back to the subject as collectors seeking the sets they played with as children.
There is nothing quite like the feeling of digging in a box of assorted papers and suddenly finding in one's hand an exact replica of a childhood toy. The years slip away with lightning speed, and such a find awakens childhood with all its simplicities and joys. If the collecting bug for paper dolls has not yet bitten you, it just may. It can be an inexpensive pastime that requires little storage space, or it can grow into a hobby as extensive as collecting antique dolls. And best of all, it is an activity you can share with children of today, teaching them manual dexterity, history, fashion and art while you have great fun together. Once you begin collecting paper dolls, they can become one of life's great passions.
Also, paper dolls recently began to depict real life celebrities such as Ava Gardner, June Allyson, Tyrone Power, Betty Hutton, Claudette Colbert, Greer Garson, Sonja Henie, Mary Martin, Judy Garland and many others. These paper dolls are extremely highly sought after by today's paper doll collectors and are among the hardest to find.
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