Dolly Talk: Carrying Dolls

And everywhere that Mary went her MNF Seorin was sure to go.

Today on Dolly Talk we have the topic of taking dolls with you. Now when I say this I don't just mean popping them in a carrier and removing them when you're at the secluded (or sometimes not as the case may be) photo site.

The first person I really looked to when I started to collect dolls was Alysonsfriend, who is a very "out" doll owner. She takes her dolls everywhere from school to work (well it is a doll shop) to concerts. While I don't take them quite as many places, I definitely do fall into the category of someone who takes their dolls out a lot.

For me, I like to bring the dolls as many places as I can. So they come shopping, to some of my appointments, the occasional movie, and yes even class. They are size and situation appropriate of course, so for example I wouldn't bring an SD to my class and sit him on my desk. Generally I only take out dolls that can comfortably fit into my purse. This is very easy with Pullips, not as much with bjds. However as of late I've been taking Crow everywhere. My purse is large enough that he can remain tucked inside without being visible if I choose, or standing up with his face out. Right now he's currently hanging out of my purse with a big bemused smile on his face as people pass by and steal small glances at him.

Overall I think that while taking dolls out is fun, it's definitely not for every person, doll, or situation. I wouldn't take out a one-off or particularly fragile doll, nor would I drag them along to a roller coaster park for example. I don't take them to places with lots of kids, or in situations where they would distract me. So they don't come to exams or come out at doctor appointments.

Some things to keep in mind when you take dolls out:

• People will want to touch/grab/etc. your doll. Make sure you're prepared to deal with uneducated (on doll care) people wanting to/trying to do this. This especially goes for children. Watch those hands!
• Get ready for questions, and probably lots of them. I generally give out DoA's address or suggest Wikipedia for people looking for more info. Sometimes I will also give out my blog address, but that's situation dependent.
  
• You will get weird looks. Not from everyone, but be prepared for lots of wtf looks from people or rude comments.
• You might loose things, so don't take a doll with loose shoes/wig/eyes/etc.
  
• Think before you take them out! Some situations just aren't appropriate, be smart.
• Always have a back up plan in case you need to put them away, such as a large purse or doll carrier.

Those are a lot of worst case scenarios, but dolls are really fun to take out. They can start interesting conversations and even help you find other doll enthusiasts, so above all have fun!