2026 Detroit Doll Show

Save the date for the 2026 Detroit Doll Show. 

When: November 21, 2026 

Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST

Where: Ford Wellness Center (Samaritan Center Campus) 

              5555 Conner

              Detroit, MI 48213 

Admission: $7 for adults (free for children 2 and under)

Read the flyers and visit: 

Website: https://sandyslandllc.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DetroitDollShow 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/detroitdollshow/

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Detroit Doll Expo (@detroitdollshow)

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©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
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Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, use the About page link, which is also visible in Web View mode, find, and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for detailed installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind black dolls. http://virtualblackdollmuseum.com

2026 Festival of Black Dolls Show and Sale

Save the date for the American Black Beauty Doll Association Festival of Black Dolls Show & Sale. 

When: November 14, 2026 

Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific

Where: African American Museum and Library 

              659 14th Street 

              Oakland, CA 

Vendor applications are being accepted. 

Website: theabbda.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABBDAweloveblackdolls 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbda_weloveblackdolls/

A raffle to win the doll shown on the flyer will take place.

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All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
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Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, use the About page link, which is also visible in Web View mode, find, and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for detailed installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind black dolls. http://virtualblackdollmuseum.com

Whitney Houston Barbie

Mattel pays tribute to Whitney Houston with a portrait doll that captures the iconic look featured in Whitney's record-breaking “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” music video.

The Whitney Houston Barbie is on Amazon:

https://amzn.to/3TIVyKF

and Target:

https://www.target.com/p/barbie-whitney-houston-signature-collectible-doll-wearing-iconic-dress-from-music-video-and-microphone-accessory/-/A-94998596

Mattel Creations buy page:

https://creations.mattel.com/products/barbie-signature-whitney-houston-doll-jjy07

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All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
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Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, use the About page link, which is also visible in Web View mode, find, and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for over 1000 curated installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind Black dolls. 

When Did You Fall In Love With Black Dolls?

DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum has launched the series, "When Did You Fall In Love With Black Dolls?" This series profiles Black-doll collectors and Black-doll artists. The first profile in the series was published on August 8, 2026. Read the wonderful profile of doll collector Telisa Hodge Spain-Watson at the link and enjoy!

A Collector's Profile: Telisa Hodge Spain-Watson

If you chiefly collect or make Black dolls and would like your profile included in this series, please email me. Thanks!

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All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
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Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, use the About page link, which is also visible in Web View mode, find, and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for over 1000 curated installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind Black dolls. 

Doll Bookmarks

Doll bookmarks by Karen Oyekanmi of Kissing Kousins

These doll bookmarks by Karen Oyekanmi of Kissing Kousins, who is also the founder of American Black Beauty Doll Artists, have stuffed velour heads with beautifully painted faces. Different types of yarn were used for the hair. The heads are attached to an inner support, which is covered with flat cloth clothing. They have velour arms and flat glittered cardstock shoes. 

These were gifted to doll friends.

The clothing worn by the two above was custom-made according to my specifications. The artist surprised me with the third one as a generous gift, and unknowingly dressed it in a hue of my favorite color.

Being a blessing often generates blessings. 

This is my packaged bookmark.

A certificate of authenticity is included in the package.

My bookmark is shown with the certificate of authenticity outside the package.

This is a full view of my bookmark.

In the last two photos, my doll bookmark illustrates how it can be used for its intended purpose, but I doubt that I will ever use it this way, unless it is for display.

This is how my bookmark looks inside a book.

This is a perfect way to display it.

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All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
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Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, use the About page link, which is also visible in Web View mode, find, and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for detailed installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind black dolls. http://virtualblackdollmuseum.com

Modern Era Addy

Modern Era Addy was released in June 2026, following an initial announcement in February 2026.

Another June 2026 arrival, Modern Era Addy, was ordered from Amazon after quantities returned to that site. My Excel Doll Inventory entry for Addy is shared below along with additional photos of the doll.

Addy is fully documented under the 2026 tab of my Excel Doll Inventory workbook as illustrated above, with the text from the Description and Other cells copied below.

Description: 14-inch vinyl, two-strand twist hairstyle with painted-on baby hair, brown inset eyes with painted upper eyelashes, open mouth with two painted upper teeth; wears a modernized version of Addy's pink-and-white striped dress, white panties, white socks, and pink T-straps. Accessories are a faux cowrie shell necklace, gold hoop earrings, and her original straw bonnet is refashioned as a drawstring purse. 

Other: Modern Era Addy was announced by Mattel in February 2026. The doll's production was delayed due to the original "tobacco plantation" interior box design controversy, which placed the doll back on the Durham, North Carolina plantation after she originally fled enslavement to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mattel redesigned the box, replacing the tobacco field reference with a shrub of purple blooming flowers.

Addy's maroon box is book-shaped.

The original Addy illustration by  Melodye Benson Rosales is on the back of the box with descriptions of the Modern Era collection and Modern Era Addy.

The box text reads:

The Modern Era Collection opens up a new chapter on beloved historical characters with a fresh take on their original fashions. 

Addy

Addy's 1864 pink-and-white striped dress and blue-patterned bow combine into a patchwork outfit, with her straw bonnet becoming a woven bag. Her tucked braid is reimagined into modern twists with a half-up ponytail. She wears golden hoop earrings and a necklace with a faux cowrie shell—a reminder of her strength, heritage, and love of family.

__________

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, use the About page link, which is also visible in Web View mode, find, and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for detailed installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind black dolls. http://virtualblackdollmuseum.com

Happy National Doll Day 2026

National Doll Day is celebrated annually on the first Sunday in August.

✨ Happy National Doll Day! ✨ 

National Doll Day is celebrated annually on the first Sunday in August. Today is all about celebrating the special place dolls hold in our lives, across cultures and generations! Created in 2011 by blogger Lanetta Sprott (Scott) to honor friendship, connection, and childhood joy, National Doll Day recognizes dolls not just as cherished playthings, but as powerful tools for imagination, storytelling, identity, and cultural heritage. ​

Dolls hold our early memories, inspire creativity, and allow us to see ourselves and each other in the stories we create. 

Today, we honor the beauty, diversity, and artistry of doll collecting! 💖 How are you celebrating today? Let me know in the comments below! 👇🏾 ​

#NationalDollDay #BlackDollCollectors #DollCommunity #RepresentationMatters #DollCollector #DiversityInToys

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All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, use the About page link, which is also visible in Web View mode, find, and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for over 1000 curated installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind Black dolls. 

From Balloon to Tissue Paper Leotard

Red Ruffles Fashionista Barbie #11 wears a no-sew leotard, tutu, and ballet slippers.

In a 2016 Facebook doll group project, I created a balloon leotard for one of my Barbies (Red Ruffles Fashionista #11) using a video that had been floating around on Facebook as a guide. The rest of the group participants and I also made a tutu and ballet slippers for our dolls. My doll is shown in the first image (above) taken after completing the costume in 2016.

A recent photo of the costumed ballerina standing between two other dolls that share the Goddess head sculpt led to a recent discovery about the costume.

Recall that the costume was created some 10 years ago. Since 2022, my doll has been displayed like this in a vinyl over-the-door shoe pocket. When I retrieved the doll a few weeks ago along with other Barbies that share the Goddess head sculpt, I discovered that the top of her balloon leotard had ruptured. This was probably caused by the doll being inside the vinyl pocket, behind a bedroom door where it did not receive adequate ventilation. 

Close-up of the ruptured leotard

I decided that instead of using a balloon to create a replacement leotard, I would make one from tissue paper as illustrated in the following photos:

I had to peel and, in some areas, scratch off the balloon leotard, which was stuck to the doll's body.

I Saran-wrapped the area that the new leotard would cover, as illustrated in this photo and in the one immediately above it. For protection, her head was wrapped in plastic, too.

I used a papier-mache-like technique to create the tissue-paper leotard with both water-diluted and undiluted Mod Podged strips of pink tissue paper. The Mod Podge was applied with my finger or a wedge makeup sponge (mostly using my index finger).

The doll's body was completely covered with Mod Podged tissue paper and allowed to dry before additional layers were added.

After applying each layer of Mod Podged tissue paper, I stood the doll in a mug until the tissue paper dried, as illustrated in this picture and in the one immediately above it.

In this picture, the leotard has dried, and the excess exposed edges of Saran Wrap were trimmed with a combination of an X-Acto knife and scissors.

The previously used ribbon trim was tied around the top of the leotard, and the tutu was tied around the doll's waist.

She posed gracefully for two more photos. 

The leotard is permanently attached and will require cutting off if I ever want to redress her, but I have no plans to do that.

Even though the tissue paper leotard is more durable than the balloon, I plan to display her in an open area.

The final AI-led photo below placed this lovely doll in an elegant ballet performance scene. 

Solo performance

Related Link

Making a No-Sew Doll Leotard, Tutu, and Slippers

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All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, use the About page link, which is also visible in Web View mode, find, and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for detailed installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind black dolls. http://virtualblackdollmuseum.com

Ruby Red Toys Amani

Ruby Red Toys Amani, a limited edition 14-1/2-inch all-vinyl doll, has 9 points of articulation.

I almost missed getting Amani by Ruby Red Toys because I wasn't feeling her matchless clothes. The white blouse, multicolored sequined vest, and three-tiered, flared gray skirt appeared thrown together and too reminiscent of McKenzie Fenella Layla's ensemble, which prevented me from purchasing the Lars doll, and I have no regrets about that decision. For this reason, I passed on preordering Amani. 

After seeing online pictures of other collectors' dolls and basking in Amani's striking beauty, I ordered one of the last six from FAO Schwarz in June. By that time, the doll was almost sold out at Ruby Red Toys and did sell out a day or so after my FAO order. 

I took 65 photos of Amani and edited down to 22. The photos are a visual depiction of this gorgeous, ebony-complexioned 14-1/2-inch doll. Some of the photos were used in the following unboxing video.

The Unboxing Video 

As the video indicates, Amani has a certificate of authenticity.  Made in a limited edition of 300 dolls, my doll is number 267. 

The Photos 

Packaged items: Certificate of authenticity, care instructions, tissue-wrapped clothes, jewelry case, socks and sandals

Three pairs of earrings were inside the jewelry case.

Amani's unpackaged items: a white blouse, a sequined vest, two skirts, black sandals, and toeless socks

Amani arrived wearing white panties.

What a lovely face! She wears the silicone wig band and still has the plastic protectors in her ear piercings.

The short curly wig is very becoming.

Amani wears the white blouse and sequined vest with the multicolored silk skirt and sandals (without socks).

The gray three-tiered, flared skirt and toeless sandals are worn with the white blouse and sequined vest.

Despite the matchless clothes, Amani is breathtaking (and she can always be redressed)!
 

__________

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, use the About page link, which is also visible in Web View mode; find and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for detailed installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind black dolls. http://virtualblackdollmuseum.com

Elara #3

XianXian Toys' Elara has brown hair.

A third Elara entered the collection in June 2026. Like the other two, this Elara has a charcoal complexion, but her hair is brown.

Sold nude, Elara arrived in a XianXian Toys box, ready for dressing.

Elara wears a two-piece yellow wet-look fashion with white high-heeled shoes.

I had planned to dress her in a Mondrian color-block dress identical to the dress worn by the two Elaras that preceded her, but decided to break up that pattern with a yellow ensemble. 

All three Elaras posed for a full-view photograph and next...

...they posed for this lovely close-up.

These gorgeous dolls use the same head sculpt, but their hair color and style, and their lipstick color differs. 

Related Links

XianXian Toys Elara x2

Elara Cover Girls

__________

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, use the About page link, which is also visible in Web View mode, find, and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for detailed installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind black dolls. http://virtualblackdollmuseum.com

My Angel Reese Barbie Arrived

My Angel Reese Barbie arrived on 07-25-2026 after ordering the doll a day earlier.

Because she will remain in the box, I took the liberty of prompting AI to create the two collages above. 

There is a beautiful picture of Angel Reese on the back of the box with a quote from her followed by a brief bio of Angel and a description of the doll.

Earn every crown you wear—put in the work, maximize your 24 hours, and show the world you are limitless.—Angel Reese

The doll's description reads:

The Angel Reese Barbie doll celebrates [her] legacy dressed in a pink basketball uniform with her signature legging, Angel Reese 1 Reebok shoes, and headband. Her Jersey honors her WNBA #5 and LSU #10, while a pink basketball symbolizes the power, confidence, and style the "Rebound Queen" brings to the game.

I'm glad maximizing my 24 hours on 07-24-2026 included not hesitating to order this doll. On the morning of 07-25-2026, it was already sold out on Amazon.com with a notation that they "do not know when or if it will be back in stock."

__________

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published. To contact me directly, use the About page link, which is also visible in Web View mode, find, and use the email link.

Visit and follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum for detailed installations of antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind black dolls. http://virtualblackdollmuseum.com