I must be the only doll maker in my entire area! What a bummer. Talk about feeling down.
Spent the afternoon calling all over the place widening out to over 100 miles from home. No luck. No person I could find making dolls. Now, I'm a miniaturist dressing 1/12th scale dolls. However, I didn't just constrict my search to that small niche. No. I was looking for anyone making porcelain dolls of any size. Who knows, maybe I'll want to make a larger doll (I do) while still concentrating on my small ones (definitely).
No person. No place. Even the local ceramic supplier is considering not restocking his porcelain doll making slip because there are no customers! Now, are there no customers because the people out there making dolls are doing it by internet, or are there no customers because there are no dollmakers?
Okay, if the answer is that there are no dollmakers, is it because there are no customers? We're taking two large metropolitan cities here with a large population in the surrounding smaller towns. So no customers, no dollmakers? Or did all the dollmakers either pass away, moved away, or just had to give up the dolls for age or health reasons?
Could it be that the lack of local suppliers contributed to the dirth of porcelain dollmakers? One fabric store - Hancock Fabrics - in one town, JoAnnes in the other. Neither exactly your choice for fabric/notion purchases. I couldn't even find silk thread around here. Have to order over the internet. Same for silks and fine cotton. What I can't get by cutting up second hand clothing, I have to order over the internet.
So, you say; "What's the problem?" It's on the internet so get it there. Well, have you ever tried to order LARGE porcelain doll parts? EXPENSIVE! The shipping eats you alive. Even with smaller pieces, the shipping has gotten to be enormous (thanks to the USPS). And don't you like to see, feel, smell what you are buying?
Spent the afternoon calling all over the place widening out to over 100 miles from home. No luck. No person I could find making dolls. Now, I'm a miniaturist dressing 1/12th scale dolls. However, I didn't just constrict my search to that small niche. No. I was looking for anyone making porcelain dolls of any size. Who knows, maybe I'll want to make a larger doll (I do) while still concentrating on my small ones (definitely).
No person. No place. Even the local ceramic supplier is considering not restocking his porcelain doll making slip because there are no customers! Now, are there no customers because the people out there making dolls are doing it by internet, or are there no customers because there are no dollmakers?
Okay, if the answer is that there are no dollmakers, is it because there are no customers? We're taking two large metropolitan cities here with a large population in the surrounding smaller towns. So no customers, no dollmakers? Or did all the dollmakers either pass away, moved away, or just had to give up the dolls for age or health reasons?
Could it be that the lack of local suppliers contributed to the dirth of porcelain dollmakers? One fabric store - Hancock Fabrics - in one town, JoAnnes in the other. Neither exactly your choice for fabric/notion purchases. I couldn't even find silk thread around here. Have to order over the internet. Same for silks and fine cotton. What I can't get by cutting up second hand clothing, I have to order over the internet.
So, you say; "What's the problem?" It's on the internet so get it there. Well, have you ever tried to order LARGE porcelain doll parts? EXPENSIVE! The shipping eats you alive. Even with smaller pieces, the shipping has gotten to be enormous (thanks to the USPS). And don't you like to see, feel, smell what you are buying?
I love my on-line vendors. I have found a small, wonderful group of people who are more than willing to help me find exactly what I need. And if they don't carry it, they suggest someone who does! But, it would be nice to have some local place to at least get the porcelain parts I need. Just a gripe!
