In Search of ... Dolls & More

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz4UM9zk5Rg This is the link to a slide show for BJDC Austin 2010

Today Joy & I decided to go on a little adventure for my last official day of summer vacation. We'd wondered if there were any doll shops left in North Texas -- we knew there weren't any shops that sold BJDs; however, we thought there might be one somwhere that sold the usual American run of collectible dolls ... we were wrong. According to Google, there are about 10-12 shops that sell dolls; I knew that NotJust Dolls had closed their store years ago ... and her web site is listed on line. She sells out of Canton Flea and Antique Market on First Mondays. The Enchanted Cottage, located in Richardson, mainly caters to kids' tastes; plus, her hours vary ... and considering the lack of walk-in foot traffic, I can't blame her.

Still, we wanted to check out someplace new ... and not just another Toys R Us. I finally found one place over in Fort Worth -- not in Dallas County, but not so far that it would take hours to get there. (Well, depending on which road you took, it might take longer than you'd think!) The store's name is Enchanted Dolls ... and it's located in the Handley Antique District. To tell the truth, it's an area undergoing gentrification ... it's an older section of Fort Worth, near the railroad and power plant, with several small upscale shops near it ... and two rooms crammed floor to ceiling with dolls dating from the 1930s to 2010.

No, no ball-jointed dolls, but she had just about any American-made doll you might want ... and for very reasonable prices. As we were checking out, a reporter from Channel 11 came into the shop; he wanted to film a feature story with her ... then she started to protest about meshing their schedules ... We had trouble remaining silent: free publicity, and she couldn't open the shop for a few hours! They worked it out ... and she asked how we had found them. I had to tell the story of checking the Internet -- and calling ahead because most of the doll shops in our area had closed after the mid-90s. The building dates back to the mid-20th century, with the original architechtural details ... we'll be back. She has my Muffy Vanderbear!