Miniature porcelain dolls are doll-making at it's absolute best. Among other types of porcelain dolls or other handmade dolls, miniatures are among the top dolls made. Why is this? Because it requires more pain-staking work and more patience and skill to handcraft a doll or any other hand-made item on a smaller scale.
When one sees something in miniature, it usually brings a smile to their face and a slight sense of awe. Whether that smile is because something is beautiful or because of one being in awe, the smile is genuine, and gives the artist or hand-crafter a sense of pride in his or her work. Whether or not the item you've made is purchased or not, seeing someone enjoy something you've made is the true joy in being an artist or hand-crafter.
Miniature porcelain dolls can range anywhere from low-grade materials, mass-produced items which sit in dollar stores or on retail shelves, or they can be delicately hand-made, each piece just fitting perfectly, each color or tint to eyes, lips or skin done "just so" and painted by hand. The more of the parts of the doll that are hand-made or hand-crafted and the more of the dolls accessories that are hand-crafted, the higher quality the doll is.
They can range anywhere from inexpensive (anywhere from $ 1.00 to $ 25.00 is considered inexpensive when purchasing these types of dolls) to expensive, ranging anywhere from $ 30.00 on up to even $ 1000.00, it simply depends on the quality of the doll and the materials used to make the doll, how much time one has spend hand-crafting the doll, and how difficult to find the materials or how expensive they are to get.
Miniature porcelain dolls have become extremely popular gifts to young girls, teenagers, and even your favorite elderly aunt or acquaintance. The simplest reason for this is, no matter how old or young, most women never out-grow the joy they found in dolls from childhood. While the standard sized doll is beautiful and equally appreciated, miniatures are often the best reminder of the joys and innocence of childhood.
These dolls are also often clothed in regional costume and sold as tourist gifts in gift shops and souvenir shops in popular tourist locations throughout the world. The reason for this is, they're small, usually light-weight, and travel fairly easily or shipped fairly easily and inexpensively. What better way to give a memento of a special trip or something to bring back to your loved ones after you've traveled for business or pleasure?
No matter the reasons for buying, crafting or collecting miniature porcelain dolls, one fact remains- they are really a joy to see, one of the most popular and enjoyable collectible items out there, and they bring simple joy to anyone who looks at them.
