There is so much variety when it comes to dolls. There are dolls designed as toys. There are dolls that resemble comic book, movie, and cartoon characters. There are dolls that are designed as collectibles, as well as authentic antique dolls. Dolls have existed in some form throughout history and many people are still quite interested in them as collectibles and toys.

The First Dolls

Dolls have existed since ancient times. They were not only used as childrens toys, but they also represented religious figures and served as a sort of icon. Back then they were made of materials such as wood, animal fur, and clay. However, no dolls have been found that date back from prehistoric times except for a fragment located in Babylon. However, dolls have been found in Egyptian, Greek, and Roman childrens graves.

Dolls in Europe

Some time in the 16th or 17th centuries, the Europeans began constructing simple dolls out of wood. By the 1800s, the Europeans started to make them out of different materials such as paper mache and wax. This is the time that porcelain also came into the picture. Porcelain proved to be more durable than the other materials and many of those have survived.

Types of Modern Dolls

Today, dolls are still being made of porcelain as well as other materials. You can find dolls that resemble cartoon and comic characters. Others are designed to showcase fashion styles. Others look like princesses. One trip to the toy aisle and you will find dolls that suit almost every taste.

The Barbie doll came on the market in the late 1950s and Barbies popularity is still going strong. Originally designed as a doll for teenagers, there are now Barbie dolls for almost everything.

Dolls Today

Dolls are a popular collectible item. People have Barbie doll collections as well as those for porcelain dolls. Also, dolls have not lost popularity as a childrens plaything. Whatever you choose to do with your dolls, you can know they have certainly come a long way since ancient times.