Doll Collecting 101: Holiday & Special Occasion Dolls

Happy New Year, Barbie! A look at New Year-themed Barbies from the past decade (slideshow)
To ring in the New Year with Barbie, I decided to take a trip down memory lane with the plastic princess and look at the Barbie dolls that most capture a New Year's theme from the past decade.

New dolls are released every year in celebration of Valentine's Day. Whether it is a Barbie doll, Cabbage Patch Kid, Little Mermaid, or other doll, these dolls are so cute in their pink and red Valentine's outfits!

Valentine's Day Barbie dolls - past and present: a series on Valentine Barbies
Valentine's Barbie dolls are an annual tradition with many Nashville doll collectors, and local doll clubs are busy planning their Valentine's parties. This series will take a closer look at Valentine's Barbie dolls.

Valentine's Day Barbie dolls from 1978 to 1999 (with slideshow of Valentine Barbies)
This list is of Valentine's Barbie dolls sold from 1978 to 1999 and is made up of dolls which were predominantly available in grocery stores and convenience stores.

Valentine's Day Barbie dolls from 2000 to present (with slideshow of Valentine Barbies)
This is part three of Valentine's Day Barbie dolls - past and present and follows
Valentine's Day Barbie dolls from 1978 to 1999.

Valentine's Day Barbie dolls from Target and Hallmark: special edition Valentine Barbies
This article is part four of a series on Valentine's Day Barbie dolls - past and present and will cover some of the special edition Barbie dolls issued by Hallmark and Target stores.

Valentine's Day Collectible Cabbage Patch Kids minis a pair of Valentine doll cuties
Cabbage Patch Kids have an interesting history that dates back to 1982 when Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc. began licensing replicas of the dolls which had been made by hand by Xavier Roberts since 1976.

Disney the Little Mermaid Valentine Ariel doll - swimmingly cute for Valentine's Day
In 1997, Mattel and Disney released one of the most whimsical Valentine's dolls when they made the Disney Little Mermaid Valentine Ariel doll.

Belle Meade Plantation Belles Doll Club hosts Valentine's Party: Valentine Barbie dolls on display
Valentine's Day may be 10 days away, but the Belle Meade Plantation Belles Doll Club held their annual Valentine's Day party tonight at Shoney's in Bellevue/Nashville.

Easter Barbie dolls - past and present: a series on Easter Barbies
The first time Barbie officially celebrated Easter was the first year she was manufactured. In 1959, Mattel issued the vintage Barbie Easter Parade outfit which featured a black coat over a colorful print sheath dress.

Easter Barbie dolls from 1993 to 1999 (with slideshow of Easter Barbies)
The list is of Easter Barbie dolls sold from 1993 to 1999 and is made up of dolls which were predominantly available in grocery stores and convenience stores.

Easter Barbie dolls from 2000 to present (with slideshow of Easter Barbies)
Starting in 2001 with the Flower Mania Barbie, Mattel appears to have had a hard time committing to the Easter theme.

Russell Stover Barbie dolls - special edition Barbies from Russell Stover Candies
Part four of the series on Easter Barbie Dolls - Past and Present takes a look at the special edition Barbie dolls sold by the Russell Stover Candy Company for Easter in 1995 and 1996.

Easter Barbie dolls: Target special editions and Peter Rabbit Easter Barbies
As we conclude our look at Easter Barbie dolls - past and present, we will take a look at the Barbie and Kelly sets sold by Target through the years as well as the Peter Rabbit Barbie dolls.

Barbie Easter Sweetie - 2010 Easter Barbie doll already in stores
Faster than you can say "Peter Cottontail," the 2010 Easter Barbie doll "Easter Sweetie" is already hitting store shelves

Easter Chelsea dolls fill a gap in the Barbie line in 2011, on sale at Target
New this year are three cute little dolls named Chelsea, a little older than Kelly and the same age as the So In Style younger siblings.

Easter doll displays - decorating for Easter with dolls
With Easter less than two weeks away, doll collectors in Nashville are setting up their Easter scenes and dioramas - Tips for decorating with dolls.

Easter Parade Sydney doll a rare Nashville Tonner exclusive
In March 2004, the Robert Tonner Company sold the very limited Easter Parade Sydney doll from their Tyler line at the Collectors United doll show and convention at the Marriott Hotel in Nashville.

Phillips Toy Mart: dolls, toys and live Easter bunnies
The bunnies have arrived and Phillips Toy Mart is ready for Easter! Long a family favorite for dolls and toys of all kinds, Phillips Toy Mart becomes a hub of Easter activity every year when the cute and cuddly Easter bunnies are put out.

Gene, Tyler, Madra & Hayley celebrate the wearing 'o the green - St. Patrick's Day doll display
Gene, Madra and Tyler got together with a few of their friends and started clowing around in their St. Patrick's Day outfits to celebrate the wearing 'o the green.

St. Patrick's Day doll displays - a variety of Irish dolls for Saint Patrick's day (with slideshow)
St. Patrick's Day is the time we celebrate Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. This article will take a look at a few dolls which pay tribute to Ireland and Saint Patrick's Day and will continue in the next article, "Irish Barbies past and present".

St. Patrick's Day Barbie dolls - Irish Barbies past and present
Mattel made the first Irish Barbie as part of their Dolls of the World (DOTW) series in 1984. They have revisited the Irish theme three times since then in the DOTW series.

American Stories Collection Patriot Barbie doll a patriotic beauty
The American Stories Collection of Barbie Doll was issued for only three years, but it produced some of the best quality play-line Barbies including the 1997 Patriot Barbie Doll.

Statue of Liberty Barbie doll from Mattel Dolls of the World Landmark Collection
In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Dolls of the World®, one of the most popular and longest lived of the Barbie collections, Mattel presents the Landmark Collection featuring world-famous landmarks transformed into stunning gowns. Just in time for the 4th of July, The Statue of Liberty Barbie Doll is now on store shelves.

4th of July doll displays - celebrating July 4 with patriotic dolls

Since fireworks and patriotic colors are right around the corner, many Nashvillians are pulling out their favorite patriotic decorations to set up their July 4 displays. For Middle Tennessee doll collectors that means taking patriotic dolls out of closets and cabinets and setting them up be admired

Gene and Madra Halloween dolls - my favorite witch, witch, witches
When you think Halloween dolls, Halloween Barbie dolls and some Madame Alexander dolls may come to mind for the ghoulish October holiday, but Gene Marshall, Madra Lord, and their friend Trent Osborne have also been issued as Halloween dolls worth mentioning.

Make a haunted doll house for Halloween
Halloween is just around the corner. If you want to try something different this year for your Halloween doll display, try your hand at making a haunted doll house! It is easy to hang some spooky stuff on a regular doll house to add some Halloween flair, but another fun project is to convert a cardboard box into a haunted house.

How to make Barbie a haunted house for Halloween
Halloween is coming up soon, and that means Halloween Barbie doll displays! One thing collectors like to do is display their dolls in seasonal settings, and what better setting for the various Halloween Barbies than a haunted house?

Halloween doll display - a variety of Halloween dolls for fall display
This week doll collectors are putting the finishing touches on their Halloween doll displays. This colorful fall display features several different Halloween dolls (and a Halloween bear) with a pumpkin theme

Trick or treat? Halloween Barbie dolls from 1963 to present (with Barbie Halloween slideshow)
Most people have seen Halloween Barbie dolls peering down at them from the shelves of grocery stores and Target. The first modern Barbie Halloween set was the Barbie & Kelly Halloween gift set Target put out in 1997, but did you know the first time Barbie donned a Halloween costume was in 1963? Click the link above for the full article and slide show of Halloween Barbie Dolls, past and present!

Barbie Halloween Party doll now haunting stores shelves for $9.99
2011 Halloween Barbie doll

Tonner's Marley Wentworth celebrates Halloween in Nashville

Thanksgiving dolls & Pilgrim figurines make colorful Thanksgiving doll displays (with sideshow)
Colorful garments and the associated hats, aprons,collars and caps make Pilgrim dolls and figurines a charming accent for Thanksgiving decorating. I have found pretty Pilgrim dolls and figurines made from resin, porcelain, wood, corn husks, vinyl Barbie dolls, and soft, stuffed dolls, and I have added several to my personal collection.

Thanksgiving Barbie dolls: Pilgrim Barbie and Happy Thanksgiving Kelly Club set (with slideshow)
I doubt when William Bradford issued the first Thanksgiving Day proclamation in November of 1623, that he ever considered the possibility of Barbie dolls dressed as Pilgrims being sold for Thanksgiving. However, in 1994, Mattel released a pretty Pilgrim Barbie doll as part of their American Stories Collection.

Christmas Barbie dolls and holiday Barbies, past and present
The holiday Barbie dolls on this list are arranged in chronological order by year. The holiday Barbie list is broken into two parts: 1992 - 1999 and 2000 - present.

Christmas Candi dolls - Christmas cuties from the the past decade (with slideshow)
The first Christmas Candi doll came out in 1996 with a sparkly red ball gown. In 1997, three Christmas Candi dolls were issued, a brunette Candi in a red velvet gown trimmed in white, and a redhead and blond Candi issued in blue gowns trimmed in white.

Candy Cane Carnival Eltin doll coming for the holidaze
Candy Cane Carnival Eltin is not your grandma's Christmas doll! Eltin from the Dynamite Girls line is making her appearance for the holiday season at the carnival - the Candy Cane Carnival, that is.

Nashville doll club holds Christmas party with holiday Barbie doll displays
The Belle Meade Plantation Belles Doll Club held its annual Christmas party tonight in the party room at Shoneys, Bellevue. Tables were covered with doll displays featuring Barbie dolls.

American Girl, Disney, KB Toys make Christmas "Friend or Foe" naughty list
Popular doll maker American Girl has turned up on the Liberty Counsel's seventh annual "Friend or Foe" Christmas Campaign along with KB Toys and Disney.

If, as David Letterman suggested, you will now only eat your pancakes arranged like Olympic rings and are curling on your patio with a Swiffer and a fruit cake, you are suffering from Winter Olympics withdrawal. Don't worry - I have just the fix: Olympic dolls!

Olympic dolls - Gold Medal Barbies and other Barbie doll Olympians
This list will spotlight some of the Barbie dolls produced for the Olympics starting with the 1974 Gold Medal Malibu Ken Swimmer.

Olympic dolls - Cabbage Patch Kids OlympiKids and other CPK doll Olympians
Much like the Olympic Barbie dolls, various Cabbage Patch Kids (CPK) dolls have been produced for the Olympics and have been popular with doll collectors.

Doll collecting 101: What are Cabbage Patch Kids?