I have a confession.

I play with dolls.

Haha, not really.

But I do collect dolls.

I used to collect Barbie dolls, but lost interest after a while. I am not sure why - I guess because I was looking for something a little less mainstream.

For a while I collected Madame Alexander dolls. I have these Madame Alexander dolls in my collection:

• Harley Davidson Cisette
• Rococo Bride
• Silver Glitter Cissy
  

These were more fun than my Barbies because they looked so different.

And Madame Alexander pays a lot of attention to detail, right down to the Rococo Bride's satin pantalettes and Harley Davidson Cisette's fishnet stockings.

But I still wanted something even MORE unique, and I hadn't seen exactly what I was looking for yet.

Enter Blythe dolls

Blythe dolls were originally created in the early 70's for the Kenner toy company, but no one wanted them.

So they began selling overseas in places like Japan, and were a huge hit.

It is only in the past several years that Blythe dolls are enjoying a comeback here in the United States. I saw my first Blythe doll on one of my friend's Myspace pages, who was using her Blythe doll as her avatar. (Note: My own Blythe doll is my Hubpages avatar).

So, what can you do with these dolls besides change their look and admire them?

Fun with your Blythe Doll

You can photograph your Blythe doll in interesting settings, say, on a city street, or in the garden. or at your local Starbuck's, and then blog about her 'adventures'.

Some people travel with their Blythe dolls and photgraph them at famous places like the Eiffel Tower or Times Square, then write books about them, as in the book 'Blythe Style' by Gina Garan, the goddess of all things Blythe. She travels with her Blythe doll all over the world, and has photographed her doll in Paris, Tokyo, London and New York City, among others.

The photographs in 'Blythe Style' really showcase just how stunning and fun these Blythe Dolls really are.

Blythe Doll Accessories

Like Madame Alexander, these dolls are a little more expensive than your average Barbie doll, but to a doll lover like me, it is definitley worth it.

I only have one Blythe doll, but since there are so many accessories for this doll like wigs, your doll can change its look a lot.

You can even purchase eyechips, which are kind of like contact lenses for dolls, to change her eye color to essentially any color you wish.

Blythe Dolls - Unique Doesn't Begin to Describe Them

◊This article was written by cosette and published at hubpages.com. If you are not reading this article at hubpages.com, it is a stolen article.◊

If I had one word to describe these dolls, it would be OMGSH. These dolls are amazing. What's amazing about them is their uniqueness - They have huge eyes and a sort of whimsical expression on their faces. To be honest, some people are creeped out by these dolls...I don't understand that because they are the cutest dolls I have ever seen. They are adorably quirky and have some really posh outfits. But the best thing is, you can change their hairdo any time you want by just putting a little wig on them, and change their eye color by tugging the pull-string in their back; Mine has four eye colors: green, blue, brown and a sort of deep rose color.

Blythe dolls also come with other cool accessories like mod sunglasses, headbands, stockings, kneesocks, boots, scarves, belts, even little bicycles and ...the list goes on.

Make Your Own Blythe Doll Clothes

Although I have just one doll, she has many different personalities: Sometimes she's a free-spirited hippie chick, groovin' in Haight-Ashbury. Other times she's a Beatnik chick on her way to the coffeehouse. Then she is a couture fashion model, or even a Goth chick - It all depends on your mood and what you want her to be that day.

You can also find patterns for outfits for your Blythe doll online, and make your own cool clothes for them. There are also message forums and books all over the place for Blythe dolls - They are actually a tiny cult of sorts, and have fans all over the world.

The Blythe Doll is a Keeper

I can say with all certainty that any girl from 6 to 60 would appreciate one of these groovy dolls, and have a blast exploring her versatility. I guess I am fascinated with dolls because I never had one when I was growing up.

But that's all right - I'm comfortable with my dollyness.