Two Christmases ago I received a large number of requests for doll clothes by doll owners who own other Waldorf style natural dolls. Most of them came from Bamboletta fans. At first I was a little taken aback. I suppose, it really stung my pride as an artist. Just imagine what Picasso would have said if someone had come along and asked : "Can you please put a coat of paint on this frame of a painting by
another artist?" Woah. I can only imagine his response. But I am no Picasso. Too bad.
I am just a little dollmaker. I have been around for a while. But obviously my branding has not been as successful as some other dollmakers'...It boggles the mind.
One sometimes wonders what makes one 15" natural doll worth
$300- $2300 - while another beautiful doll may sell for as little as $50? How can you explain it?
I guess the value of art/crafts is a mystery to begin with. After all $2,300 is nothing compared to what some paintings might fetch in the world of painting. If you compared the price of a painting by a famous artist to the most creative amazing piece of needlework by a female - it would most certainly be lower than $2,300. I have seen amazing quilts prized at $800 and heard people call them too expensive... So even if it hurts my pride somewhat, I must say: Go Bamboletta Gals! Your works of art are not appreciated enough!
But the more I think about these issues the more torn I feel about them. Sure it would be really nice to sell my dolls for 100s of dollars. It would be lovely not to have to worry about money & certainly easier to pay the bills...At the same time, would I really want my dolls to be only available to richest of people? I think NOT! But it looks like I don't have to worry about this problem for now. I am not famous and just a gal who needs to make a living. So I swallowed my pride and started making and offering my dolldresses for other dolls. I am really glad I did.
I love getting pictures of those happy kids playing with my doll clothes. In the end: The true value of my art is the joy that it brings to kids and people!
