You know, I've never been much of a joiner. As Groucho Marx said "I refuse to join any group that would have someone like me as a member." I never went through rush in college, I wouldn't join the Lawyers Association for Women (why did women need a separate but equal bar?). Well, over the years I've mellowed some, and I believe that doll groups are a good thing. These days there are a couple of different types and variations within those. There are the ones like we had in "the old days" and there are now cyber-groups. There are specialized groups, like Barbie clubs, and there are general doll groups that discuss everything, old, new, play line, collector line, vintage, antique. There are advantages and disadvantages to each one.
I prefer the ones where you learn something. As a vintage doll collector I like to learn about vintage dolls. And I am happy to learn a little about almost anything, even dolls that I'd never consider collecting. I have recently been trying to figure out the manufacturer of a compo doll for a lady. It's a little what I would call a "Patsy type" compo that seems to have a mark on its head but it isn't clear enough for me to see too well. It has the one bent right arm that Patsys have.But it doesn't have molded hair, it was wigged at one time. I'll keep looking on line and in books to see what I can find.I learned about Patsys and Patsy types when I bought a collection years ago from someone who had an Arranbee Nancy and I had to research it to sell it. (They have neat little clothes too, sigh....always about clothes with me)
Anyway, in a general doll group you may learn something like that from someone who has a doll they bring in. But if you belong to a specific doll group, such as a Barbie group, then you'll never see that doll, but you may learn more details about Barbie than you even knew existed (like there's a pair of pants shown in one of the Barbie clothing guide books that was never made by Mattel, or how there were no red haired number 1's,2's 3's or 4's so if you hear of one of those, it's been rerooted or the owner doesn't have a clue.)
Now that the internet has become a staple in every household, you can join a club without leaving your chair. I belong to a number of online groups, I even started one on yahoo (Vintage Alexander Cissy Doll Collectors) a couple of years back. Those groups have the benefit of having all sorts of online features that you don't really get in an "old fashioned" doll club, like having an area that you can use as a reference site. Our Cissy group has the best online reference I've ever seen, better than any book. Members can share photos of their collections, and of their family too for that matter. We can visit via type. But the disadvantage is that we rarely get to actually SEE each other live and in person. Our Cissy group is going to try to remedy that with a little get together in NYC to see the Alexander Heritage Museum this summer. So it isn't insurmountable. But we have almost 90 members, a small group by on line standards, and one of those folks lives as far away as New Zealand, so the chances are slim that all our members can get there. Nevertheless, on line groups are wonderful things.
So I recommend that you join a group, or two or ten. If there are some "live" ones in your area, check them out. See what it takes to become a member. Go to meetings, more than one. See if they like you and if you like them. If you do, then you make a commitment to support them, and attend meetings and functions. On line groups can be much the same way. There are many many on line groups. Yahoo has hundreds. The largest ones are not necessarily the best or a good fit with you. Sometimes the smaller groups are more suited to you. You have to see what you think you like best. Some are very structured, even online, and some are very flexible. Again, I like the ones where I learn something. I'm happy with social groups, but I like to learn something too. So I try to be involved with groups that are about the study of the doll, dollology, but have fun too.
And in those groups you find like minded individuals who don't think you need to be put away somewhere until you come to your senses and get over this doll nonsense.
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