By Joel Tye
Elizabeth Chrisostom is known to many of her friends as the “queen of dolls.” She has earned the title because she collects many types of dolls of all shapes and sizes.
For an exhibition by Mattel, they even borrowed 80 Barbie dolls from her own collection. “I was invited to the exhibition,” she said. “They were very impressed that I had a very unique collection of one-of-a-kind (OOAK) Barbie dolls.”
Chrisostom spends a lot of time cleaning, maintaining and keeping her dolls. “It is a hobby that requires a lot of patience, time and effort and all the space that these dolls occupy, of course!” she said.
According to Chrisostom, she spends a few hours bathing each doll, “I shampoo their hair, and I dress them for the occasion,” she said. “Sometimes, it can take a few hours in a day just to take care of some of my favourite dolls.”
She uses a special type of shampoo just to wash her doll's hair. “Because if I do not use the correct shampoo, the dolls get moldy,” she explained. “Doll collectors are very particular about keeping their dolls in tip top condition.”
To protect them from the dust, Chrisostom keeps her dolls in a few cabinets around her house. For very special dolls like Fergie, her first doll she received as a birthday gift when she was seven, she has it placed safely in a glass casing on top of a cabinet.
She does not let other people maintain the dolls but she does it herself. “I have learnt the lesson when Fergie’s leg was broken when someone accidentally dropped it,” she said. “Since then, I have to make sure that no one touches the dolls.”
Although the dolls cost a lot of money, the maintenance costs her nothing except for the shampoo. “But, I spend many hours maintaining my dolls once every few months,” she said.
After spending the last 56 years looking after her dolls with motherly care, Chrisostom’s collection of dolls are as new. “Is it worth the time and money? Of course!” she smiled broadly. “My heart is in all the dolls and they bring me joy and lots of fun.”