In the annals of dollmaking one of the oldest materials used has been wood. From the most rudimentary stick to beautiful works of art this once living medium provides collectors with a multitude of directions in which to head with our collecting journey. One of the interesting by-ways within the wooden category is the type of doll made for the French trade at the turn of the 20th century.

Taking their place alongside the wooden dolls of antiquity are the many wonderful wooden dolls created by the doll artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

In the annals of the doll business manufacturers have always looked for a competitive edge, something novel that would make their products more appealing to the public. One such story is that of the "educational" doll bodies of Hertwig & Company.

From the middle of the 20th century on, dolls depicting the public's favorite television characters became a staple of the toy industry. For doll collectors these characters recall happy childhood hours of play and television viewing and comprise an interesting focus within our collections.

As we once again celebrate World Doll Day on June 12th and our thoughts turn to sharing friendship through dolls, we are reminded that dolls have often been ambassadors for understanding and kinship between people everywhere. This concept has played out many times in the past century and a half and continues today.

Early 20th century illustrator Grace Drayton invented a captivating world of chubby-cheeked children, some of which have become cultural icons in America.

For generations hedgehogs have been beloved characters in children's stories and as toys. For the 21st century collector, hedgehogs can be a fun (if not slightly obsessive!) niche within the realm of toy, plush and doll collecting.

In the realm of doll collecting the Multi-faced doll has always been of special interest to collectors. Doll makers in their never-ending search for novel products have repeatedly turned to variations of multi-faced dolls.

Even before receiving their royal warrant, Chad Valley was well known for making a wide range of innovative and high-quality games, dolls, plush, and toys.