If you are a porcelain doll collector and you haven’t discovered Brass Key, than you are missing out on the finer things in life. Brass Key has been around since the late eighties presenting us with plush teddy bears and other collectible animals. It wasn’t until around 1993 that they started producing their exquisite collection of porcelain dolls. This brilliant company has given us a chance to own quality porcelain dolls for a ridiculously low price. I must admit to not haven’t really been interested in porcelain dolls, confining my collection to Disney heroines made by Mattel, but I was recently given a Snow White doll from the Reflections Collection and I’m converted. Here’s why.
Price
The price is always right for these collectible dolls. It’s easy to get a full set of whichever series you admire for $100.00 or less. Brass Key is committed to bringing their customers quality at the lowest price. The company no longer offers them to order online, but they are stocked at wholesale clubs like Sam’s and BJ’s and at low cost stores like Kmart and Wal-mart. You can find them for $20.00-30.00, depending on the store and the collection. How can you beat that?
Quality
It’s easy to find cheap porcelain dolls at your local Wal-mart for $20.00 or less, but they are usually standard looking face molds. The faces are round and plump, made to look like a child, with hardly any distinguishing features that would make them pleasant to look at. To sum it up they are boring and have no variance to make them interesting. But Brass Key keeps their facial molds fresh, with new sculpts that give each doll individuality. They are porcelain from their upper torso and up, including their elegant arms and hands. The legs are porcelain from the knee down and usually sport molded porcelain shoes to match their dress (which is nice, so you don’t have to worry about them falling off and getting lost). There is a wooden stand included, which inserts into a ‘pocket’ in the back of the doll, so the stand stays hidden and does not encircle the waist, which traditionally adds more bulk to that area. These dolls have unique body shaping, making them more feminine than the usual stuffed squared body you find in this inexpensive of a doll.
Limited edition
They put out yearly editions of cultural dolls (dolls that represent other countries) and Disney princess dolls. Along with these you can find Mickey mouse, the Muppets, and other trademark dolls including Raggedy Ann and Andy. No matter what your interest in porcelain doll collecting you are sure to find what you are looking for in Brass Key. Each edition is limited and this makes your collection worth more than the price value you paid from the store only a year after it is discontinued. The Disney Princess collection, which I have special interest in, can be found around the holidays at Toys R’ Us in limited quantities featuring fur accented dresses. The doll I now own is from the Reflections collection, which features Snow White, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Belle, Ariel, and Cinderella. Interestingly enough they have two of these series in stores right now, with a larger, more glitzy showing at Sam’s club and a smaller more flowery display at Kmart. Each collection features different sizes from the petite 7″ dolls to the grandiose 18″ ones.
Detail
The detail is astonishing! The pictured doll has sequins and beads for trim and a satiny soft dress, velvety bodice, with iridescent bows cascading down the front panel of the skirt. The fluttery sleeves are a nice touch as well. The facial and shoe paint is flawless as well. The mirror that she holds, as with all of the dolls in this collection, is a real mirror (i.e. it isn’t one of those fake dinky aluminum ones you’d find Barbie with, but one you can actually see your reflection in without distortion). The glass eyes are well crafted and they have rooted top eyelashes. The trademark detail of Brass Key is a little key that hangs from one of the wrists of each doll and in the case of the Snow White, also a little 25th tag that indicates the special edition.
So, why settle for something that is as cheap as its price when you can get a beautifully made Brass Key creation for $20.00-$30.00. Join the collector’s world of Brass Key and get personalized ownership certificates that can be printed from their site brass-key.com. Don’t miss out, just keep your eyes peeled at Toys R’ Us, Costco, Sam’s Club, Bjs Wholesale, Kmart, Target, and Wal-mart and you’re sure to find something from Brass Key that will strike your collecting interests.
