Top 10 Modern Doll Terminology

       The following doll terms are for the most part new; this would mean within the past 100 years. There are a few terms here that were used prior to the 1920s like "Limited Edition" or "flaw."

1. "FOMO" or "fear of missing out" - This is an intense anxiety disorder that causes a collector to impulsively purchase a new doll edition so that they will not be lacking it in their own collection. The impulse is similar to gambling addictions and it needs professional treatment.
2. Grail Dolls as in "Holy Grail" to most important doll to collect for each individual collector. Your "Grail" doll may be entirely different from your friends'. It is the doll you consider the most wonderful to come by.
3. NITB "new in the box." Some collectors will only purchase dolls inside their original packaging.
4. OOAK or "one of a kind" - OOAK dolls are either altered factory produced dolls or artist dolls without duplicates.
5. "Downsizing" for doll collectors means letting go of duplicates, incomplete sets, damaged or unwanted dolls in their collection. It could also refer to keeping those dolls that are most valuable at auction as well.
6. "Hoarding" vs. "Collecting" dolls - Hoarding is the inability to discern quality vs quantity. Doll hoarders will not downsize any collection unless they are forced into it by other people. However, a collector can easily distinguish quality, value and nostalgia within their own collections. After a while, a collector will resale or give away the dolls they recognize to be inferior within their stock. Doll collectors are highly discerning and critical about conditions of dolls. Only a doll of great age will cause a collector to forgive it's condition. (example of doll hoarding here)
7. BJD Doll - is a doll articulated with ball and socket joints. The word "articulated" was used long ago to mean that a doll had ball and joint sockets. (Our BJD Posable Dolls)
8. Action Figures - These are poseable character model figures made most frequently of plastic and are intended for play, but often collected by adults for investment value at auction.
9. Limited Edition - The number of dolls manufactured is limited so that the rarity of the doll will increase over time.
10. Flaw - This refers to a mistake made in the manufacture of the doll's production. Painting flaws are the most common.