Interview with a Collector - A ggsdolls blog Series
A
monthly series on my blog where I feature some of the most amazing
collectors, sellers, and content creators that have become really good
friends of mine and what they collect and why? Read on to learn more...
For the month of September,
my blog interview is with a talented artist, doll customizer and collector, Alexander D. or alexdaltonart and amadalton on Instagram! His shop can be found on Etsy at alexdaltonart and or on Redbubble here.
Alex is from UK and living in London, England. He is an Events Coordinator and sometimes Artist. Alex began his collecting journey from art college when he started gathering bits from charity shops. He also collects, customizes and creates dolls. As an artist the customization aspect is the big draw he says. He began by making replicas of pop culture characters but more recently he has been drawn to create his own characters. He mentioned that looking for vintage has become harder as most of the vintage shops have closed down since the lock down.
What is it about the cute kitsch aesthetic and what distinguishes it from others eras? Alex: "The big eyes and the bright colors are the obvious draw I think, especially when they are unique to the time period. The 60s/70s period really appeals to me and the quality was much higher back then."
Tell me a bit about your collection, how it started, what your first items were and how it has evolved?
"I collected the usually nerdy action figures as a teenager but my love for vintage came later. One of our life models at college had a 1963 Skipper doll and I was just obsessed with it. Around the same time I began picking up little vintage figures from charity shops."
"These days I collect a mixture of modern and vintage but I'm always trying to sell as well as buy to keep things manageable."
What has been the reaction of your family/friends/colleagues to your passion for your collection? "Mostly, I think people enjoy seeing our collection when they visit, the only difficulty is keeping small hands away from fragile items."
Tell us about your favorite item and why it is so special? "That's a hard but one of our favorites is, "Pigs in Space" Miss Piggy doll because I was such a huge fan and she was a gift. Also a vintage Blythe doll I've wanted for so long."
Tell us about the most unique or unusual items you have come across? "My rarest is probably a vintage redhead Blythe doll, she came from New York and was something I've wanted for years. Prices dropped for a while so I seized the moment!"
If any item could just fall on your lap free of charge, what would that be and why? "Hmm, that's hard, it was always the Blythe doll as the holy grail. I'm always keeping an eye out for the Ideal Super Queen dolls from the 60s though."
Have you noticed an increase in popularity/demand for vintage kitsch the last few years? If so, why do you think the aesthetic is appealing to most now? "Since I've been collecting I've seen prices drop then get super high again which is interesting. There was a brief period where I saw some great items for low prices and now I wish I'd grab them. I did get my Blythe though while prices were low."
Is there anything else about your experience that you would like to add? "When you discover the vintage world you start off loving everything, and it's hard to know when to draw the line sometimes. What I've learned through is to really hone in on certain items, and also accept the tastes change from time to time and it's okay to let go. Collecting should always be fun and if it becomes a bit overwhelming, I try to have little culls."
Very good advice dear Alex and thank you so very much for sharing your love of vintage and your collection with us. Truly enjoyed reading your take on Kitsch. Well guys until our next Interview with ggsdolls, happy hunting!
Thank you for stopping by! ~ ggsdolls
