Are you still playing with dolls? If you're like thousands of other people, you probably are?and enjoying every minute of it! Doll collections are one of the leading hobbies enjoyed by busy people around the world. Since many children, boys and girls alike, get dolls as children, it is natural for some folks to hold on to these prized possessions as they mature, and gradually add to their number in an effort to retain the delicious memories of childhood or create a valuable collection of dolls for posterity.

Dolls come in every conceivable size, color, and design. There are infant dolls, including those that feed, cry, and wet. You can buy boy or girl dolls from newborns to full-grown adults, like the famous Barbie and Ken duo. You can put a doll to sleep in its own crib, give it a bottle, and dress it in personal clothing purchased with a doll. Some dolls walk, talk, or burp. Others are ?grown up? with careers, relationships, and families of their own.

Accessories that come with the dolls or are purchased separately also can be pricey and valuable. Doll clothing, equipment, furniture, decorations, and accompanying props may form a complete set that collectors expect when building their repertoire. If you have the doll but not the original crib that came with her, you may be able to find a replacement on Ebay or another Internet marketing site. Putting together a complete set of your own will make your collection more meaningful, and it may fetch a better price if you eventually sell it.

Some owners keep their dolls in display cabinets. Others store them in plastic for the future. You can find doll collections on people's mantels, dressers, bookcases, and an assortment of other locations, all personalized due to the reasons that people buy and keep dolls in the first place. There is a certain type of doll collector that buys for the fun of it, and often gives dolls away as gifts. Some of these dolls may be used as household decorations during special events or holiday festivities. A mother who hands down her own childhood doll to a daughter may in turn hope to see the cherished toy passed down yet again to a granddaughter. If the doll loses a head or part of its stuffing, depending on the way it was made, there are craftsmen who specialize in repairing old toys who can probably return your doll to its former state in a short amount of time and at an affordable cost.

There are doll collections from around the world or that span a period of time. Some dolls represent past generations, while others may represent a specific region. Whatever your interest in or taste for dolls, chances are you can assemble an attractive and interesting collection that is sure to bring future pleasure or profit for years to come.