Creeped Out

For only five payments of $25.99, you can purchase a doll that looks like a prematurely birthed baby. True fact. This strikes me as seriously weird.

Early this morning, I was paging through one of Barbara's magazines. Good Housekeeping. Redbook. One of those. And among the half-dozen or ten other The Ashton-Drake Galleries ads was this one, on the left. “This doll is not a toy, she is a fine collectible to be enjoyed by adult collectors.” Uh-huh.

This unusual piece of art is created by “renowned doll artist Tinneke” (who in real life is Tinneke Janssens) under the trademarked product line “So Truly Real.” There must be 300 hits on Google for the doll series and the artist. This is serious business...another one of those niche markets that I usually enjoy talking about. There are thousands of doll collectors worldwide. They have their own associations. You can even order a doll that looks like you, or a son or a daughter or a grandchild.

I have lived in such glass houses, so I can't really throw stones. There's not much intellectual distance between military miniatures, for example, and dolls. I understand the appeal of collecting all sorts of things.

Still, I hadn't even had my first cup of coffee yet. Art aside, it creeped me out to discover Little Grace lying there all pink on the page. Maybe I am too sensitive, but to see a doll that represents a preemie seems a bit off. Not true for you? It can be yours for only $129.99.

Photo from www.collectiblestoday.com.