by Florence Pia G. Yu
Published: Sun Star Weekend
Cebu City, Philippines
December 24, 2000
Page 10
"I wanted to have a unique collection, and since porcelain dolls are rarely found here, I was even more fascinated with collecting them," shares Claire.
Claire's love for porcelain dolls started six years ago when her aunt in the U.S. sent her her first four porcelain dolls.� "She had bought the dolls to start a collection but no one in her family appreciated them--her husband, her boys.� So, she gave them to me," she tells. Now, her collection has reached 60, and growing.
"Most people buy dolls for toys, not for collection. And porcelain dolls don't appeal to kids because gah� ang parts, and they break.� They are not for playing man gud, they're for display," Claire explains.�
Expensive and delicate, porcelain dolls, says Claire, have not opened a considerable market locally.� "Pangita-on kaayo.� Maayo na lang ug makakita ka ug usa o duha in a year (It's hard to find. You'd be lucky to find one or two here in a year)," tells Claire.� Most of her dolls have been purchased abroad.
Despite the lack of market for porcelain dolls in the local scene, Claire's collection continues to grow.�
Helping add to her collection are family members, relatives and friends who bring her a porcelain doll as pasalubong everytime they arrive here from abroad.� "Automatic na gyud nang porcelain doll ang ihatag--kahibaw na man sila unsay akong gusto (They automatically give me a porcelain doll--they know what I want)."
"Porcelain dolls are either mass produced or in limited editions," explains Claire, "the mass produced ones are priced at P250 at the cheapest.� The limited edition dolls or collector's item dolls sell as much as $200."
Claire says what adds to the appeal of porcelain doll collecting is the increasing value of the dolls--particularly collector's item dolls--as the years roll by.� Antiques can be auctioned off through the Internet.� Notable of these are the four "Holocaust Dolls" which sell at $2000 all in all.� The dolls were salvaged from the fire that ate the owner's grandmother's collection during World War II.
To ensure authenticity, collector's item dolls come with a certificate of authenticity and a mark at the back of the neck. The year the doll was made, its control number and maker of the doll are reflected on the certificate.� Claire suggests holding on to these certificates because they will help add value to the doll.
The Cinderella story
In her experience doll hunting, Claire says most people here are still unaware of the market value of porcelain dolls.� Often, these dolls are the last ones to go in a department store shelf--much to her advantage, she quips.
Claire's first buy went through a Cinderella story.� "Akong very first doll nga napalit didto sa Rustans--kay sila ra may namaligya--gi-sale pa gyud!�Tingali wala gyuy ni-palit, gi-abog na lang.� Bulingit kaayo ug nawng, unya ak� na lang gi-limpyuhan (I bought my first doll at Rustans. It was on sale, probably because no one was interested in buying, that it had gathered dust. I cleaned it)," she recalls in amusement.� The doll has since been occupying a space in her display cabinet--along with her other collector's item dolls.
Her next lucky find was in Carbon.� "My sister-in-law found this porcelain doll in a rummage sale in Carbon. As soon as she told me, we rushed to the place to buy the doll.� Bulingit na siya sa abog (It had gathered dust), but otherwise, in perfect condition.� I inspected the back of the doll's neck and found out that it was one of those collectable dolls, yet I only bought it at P100!" she recounts.
Claire's kind of dolls
The fine-crafted porcelain faces and rich, elaborate hand-tailored costumes give the dolls a certain elegant appeal, however, what particularly catches Claire's eye is the eccentric expressions on the dolls' faces. "Ang pinakabati ug expression mao nay pinaka-cute nako.�Common na man kaayo nang gwapa ug nawong, so mangita ko ug lahi ug expression--kanang maldita ug nawong, nag-tibi, nag-mug-ot (I find the ones with the ugliest or uncommon expression cute. Beautiful faces are so common; I look for dolls that have an angry expression, about to cry, frowning),"she reveals.�
She also likes Victorian dolls. "Kanang kinaraan ug sanina; kinaraan ug nawong; kinaraan ug buhok (Those with old fashioned clothing, face and hairstyle)," she enumerates.
Claire is still in perpetual search for dolls to add to her collection.� Whenever she's out window-shopping, she combs every store in search of them.� Even family members and friends have joined in� her hunt for these hard-to-come-by dolls.� She says it's worth it.
"Malipay ra man gud ko mag-tan-aw sa dolls.� Kanang dili ko makatulog inig gabii, mo-naug ra ko; akong pasigaon ang mga cabinet.� Malingaw ra ko; nindot tan-awon! (I feel happy just looking at the dolls. When I can't sleep at night, I just light up the cabinet. It's nice to look at the dolls!) " she says, smiling. Does this make her feel like a big little girl?� "I just love beautiful things!" Claire answers, grinning.
Claire has been invited to an exhibit of her collection along with the dolls of another collector. With this tentative proposal brewing in the pot, the public may yet see Claire's exquisite porcelain dolls up close.
�2001 Writer's Block. All rights reserved.