In this issue, we profile Black-doll collector, Jamia Jester. Jamia says:

"I consider myself to have "officially" been collecting dolls since about 1987 (I was in middle school). I realized that I may have been too "old" to receive dolls as gifts, but a "collector," of course, could receive dolls forever. Although I have saved other dolls from my "early" childhood, around 1987, I asked for and received a Kid Sister for Christmas. The next year, I got My Buddy. These were the early versions--before the blinking eyes and clothes that did not come off. Other dolls that I still have from my childhood include: Effanbee Sweetie Pie, two Preemie Cabbage Patch Kids, a J. C. Penney Lissi doll. Others that I remember owning are Barbies (of course) and a walking baby.

"My Cousin Ozzie [babysat me] while my parents worked. Although she was in her 70s at the time, we had a lot of fun in my pre-school days. She loved dolls, and that's where I picked it up. She gave me the oldest doll I have in my collection -- the Effanbee Sweetie Pie (the back of her head is stamped 1969). Poor Sweetie Pie is in "very played with" condition, but she's the doll that started the collection. I even have most of her original outfit, although it is in such delicate condition that she's not wearing it. (Sweetie Pie is pictured in Black Dolls an Identification and Value Guide Book II, plate 633, page 172.)

Regarding early childhood dolls ... "After I began going to school, I kept my dolls at Cousin Ozzie's house (to keep her company, of course). She passed away my senior year in high school, and I retrieved all my dolls from her house at that time. My mom also likes dolls, but I didn't learn this until I began to actively collect.

"As a child, I loved playing "house," which is why I liked baby and toddler dolls so much. My sister, on the other hand, was a Barbie-lover!. I remember that whenever I got a new doll, I took a lot of time picking out a name for it (first and middle), and then I would take it into my room and introduce it to all the other dolls. I also had to sleep with the new doll the first night I had her.

As an adult collector ...

"I still prefer baby and toddler play dolls. They remind me of my childhood. Also, they are usually within my budget. I try to buy dolls that are in a price range that I feel a majority of parents can afford for their children. At one time, I would not purchase a doll (or ask anyone to buy me a doll) over $40. I broke that "rule" with the Lee Middleton Small Wonder. (She is just adorable, in my opinion!) Currently, I have not spent more than $50 for any doll (not including shipping and handling).

"When I am selecting which dolls I want, my main goal is to select one whose face is "pretty." This, of course, is based solely on my opinion. I am always partial to the larger play dolls -- 14 inches and over, but I do have a few smaller ones.

Keeping count ... "According to my hand count (I am still trying to organize and put them in a database), I currently own 61 dolls. This does not include one Asian doll and two white dolls that I have. [By the time this survey is printed, Jamia indicated that the number 61 will have increased by several.]

Where are they? "My dolls are displayed everywhere! I live in an apartment, so space is tight. Doll babies are in high chairs in the dining area. They're on shelves in the walk-in closet and in the bedroom. They're on the TV stand. They're in cribs, chairs, everywhere. I will be moving to a larger place in the next year, and my goal is to get at least one nice curio to display some of them and also to dedicate a room to them (maybe a guest bedroom).

Whether to debox or not ...

"Some of my dolls are NRFB and some are removed. I had someone ask me how do I decide who comes out the box and who stays in, and I never thought about it, I just "knew." When I look at them, the way I think I am doing it is that new Cabbage Patch Kids stay in their boxes (the two Preemies from my childhood lost their boxes long ago). Most are collector or special editions, like the Millennium boy and girl, the Olympikid and the 15th Anniversary edition. Others just look better in their boxes to me--like the CPK Lil Boys and the CPK Playtime Friend, who has crutches and leg braces (bought because he reminds me of my goddaughter who has cerebral palsy.)

"I also keep the Anne Geddes in their boxes. I just like the way they look in their boxes. Other dolls look better outside their boxes in my opinion--they look like they should be touched and played with. I guess their really is no method to my madness--just how I feel. Most of the dolls are outside the boxes. Lately, If I know I'm removing a doll from the box, I put all the information from the box into the database, and then I just throw it away. Also, some boxes are ugly, so there's no need to keep the doll in them. Of my 61 dolls, 22 are in boxes. Of those 22, I plan for all of them to stay in the box except one--I am just trying to find somewhere to put that one.

"Again, how a doll looks usually inspires me to purchase it. It must have a very attractive face. I also like to purchase dolls that remind me of my childhood." {This writer discovered that Jamia also likes to collect a complete doll series. Her Anne Geddes Collection and Mattel Classic Series are examples of this.}

Doll sources ... "My doll purchases are from toy stores such as Toys R Us or Kaybee. Also, stores such as Target, Wal-Mart, or K-Mart. I have also started purchasing from online sources when I just cannot find what I want in the store.

On being a "seasoned" or a novice collector, Jamia says: "Even though I have been collecting since 1987, I do not consider myself a "seasoned" collector. In some ways I consider myself a beginning collector because I have just started to actively purchase dolls (instead of asking for them as gifts) since about 1998. I would like to learn how to display the dolls and take care of them properly (how to keep them clean/preserved/etc.)

"Sometimes, I feel like "real" collectors are those that buy the "collectible" dolls. Being on the outside of that type of collecting and looking in makes me feel they are more methodological in their collecting. Also, a lot more money is spent on those types of dolls. Plus, it seems like doll collector magazines are geared towards the collectible dolls. I love play dolls, and almost anyone who wants to can spend $10 on a doll. (The very last doll that I purchased cost about $8). But for any collector, I would say collect what you love (and can afford), and don't necessarily worry about the investment.

If Jamia could have any one dream doll, "it would be to go back to Babyland General and adopt one of those $200 soft sculpture creations. I would see it "born from Mother Cabbage" and everything. I went there this past spring, and if I had had an extra $200, I would have gotten it right then.

As a final comment, Jamia adds, "I love collecting black dolls. They make me happy every time I go home and look at them. I think whatever a person chooses to collect should make them happy. For me, it's dolls."

Thank you Jamia for allowing us to delve into your Black-doll collecting passion. We are confident that our readers will enjoy your profile as much as we enjoyed writing it.