Dolls have always been a living reality for singing star Marie Osmond.
"I love dolls, I have collected them since I was a little girl, and I have started collecting for my two daughters, who also love dolls," she said. "Sometimes I open my display cupboard and let my girls play with my dolls, which are pretty, feminine, wonderful works of art."With such an attitude, it seems natural that Osmond should now have her own Marie Osmond Fine Porcelain Collector Dolls. At present they are being marketed exclusively through Walt Disney World, Disneyland and the QVC cable shopping channel, with plans for adding a few more limited marketing venues.
And Osmond's delighted to be more than a figurehead in producing the dolls.
"I've always believed that you must involve yourself in the production of whatever you lend your name to, and I've refused to endorse many products because I couldn't be involved," she said. "But working with the dolls is a great pastime and release of energy.
"I do research at nights on historic dolls, and I give the manufacturer ideas about fabrics and laces and drapes. As I visit children's hospitals, I see the darling faces and take pictures.
"It's wonderful to be involved in something you love. My mother, Olive Osmond, is an avid designer. She designed my clothes for a long time, and she designs some of the doll clothes. She's so elated and excited about this business, and she's come up with a great design - I can't say what yet, but we're working on it together. Doll designing takes a lot of time."
To the onlooker, time for the busy country singer to collect and design dolls may seem non-existent, for she keeps up a full professional schedule. "I have 265 dates on the road this year, including some big Christmas tours with the Oak Ridge Boys," she said. This includes hospital visits and personal appearances, but not recordings - and she is making a new album this year.
Marie Osmond Fine Porcelain Collector Dolls consist at present of about 40 dolls in six series: Victoriana Collection, Classic Reproductions, Children of the World, Children of All Ages and two versions of a line titled Miracle Children.
The Miracle Children grew out of Marie's involvement with the Children's Miracle Network, established by the Osmond Foundation in 1983. Since then, the Network has raised nearly a half billion dollars through its annual telethon, and provided financial assistance to children throughout the world
in need of medical attention.
"One series of the Miracle Children is a group of 9-inch dolls in full body porcelain, representing big moments in kids' lives - the first birthday party, the first day of school, the first recital," said Marie. "The other, 11.5 inch dolls, are injured children, such as a girl with an arm or leg in a cast. These have sold very well."
A portion of proceeds from the injured Miracle Childrenwill be donated to the Network to help cover costs of the telethon, allowing 100 percent of the money raised to reach those in need.
"I'm also excited about our reproduction dolls, but I don't want to turn out too many," she said. "It's essential to move slowly, step by step, to maintain the quality and collectibility."
Marie is pleased with manufacture by Knickerbocker Creations, Ltd. Lou Knickerbocker saw Marie on a television talk show where she spoke of her lifelong passion for collecting dolls, and "it was like a light went on in my head," he said. "We were looking for someone to endorse and help us design a new doll line, and I didn't want a spokesperson, I wanted someone who had the artistic talent to create a product."
Marie's name, her family history and the fact that she loves dolls made it feel like a natural, and that's what it's turned out to be, said Knickerbocker.
"She is involved from beginning to end, the team she has assembled works with her closely, and nothing is sewn, nothing is done, until she approves, step by step."
Osmond is pleased with the quality and price of the porcelain dolls, which range from $65 to $600. "The dolls are some of the finest you will ever see at the price," she declared, "and I find that for quality, there is always a big market. Some of our dolls sell out immediately."
She feels that children can and should play with these display dolls, but they must realize they are to be treated differently. `My girls have vinyl dolls too, but they play with the porcelain dolls carefully," she said.
As the only girl among eight brothers, Marie Osmond hit the jackpot with her first single recording, "Paper Roses," in 1973. Three years later she and her older brother Donny had their popular variety show on ABC. Now at 32 she's a star of country music and rearing four children with her husband, Brian Blosil.
But her mother still gives her a doll every Christmas, and she remembers the thrill of her first porcelain doll - a musical baby doll that still sits on her bed. From there, her collection has grown to more than 400 dolls.
There's nothing static about this business, with new designs, including seasonal entries, coming out all the time. Chief sculptor for the line is Vincent J. DeFilippo, who spent 18 years with Ideal where he designed the Thumbelina doll, among many others. He also helped to create the Cabbage Patch doll for Coleco in 1983.
Marie just returned from a doll fair in Toledo and will go to the New York Toy Show in February to display and sign her dolls, an activity that she finds heartwarming. "You see how people love their dolls, and you know how much fun it is to collect, and how it keeps them eternally young. I am always amazed at how many people collect dolls, and it's exciting to hear their comments. Many come with old original Donny and Marie dolls to be signed."
Then there's the challenge of designing and planning ahead (for releases in 1992 and 1993) and staying seasonal.
Some new Christmas dolls are just being introduced on QVC. They include "I Peek," an 11.5-inch doll, who sits up early on Christmas morning, surrounded by her toys, including "the cutest stick horse," said Marie. There's Crystal, a faithful reproduction of a famous 19th century doll. And the Osmond Christmas tree will have a display from Marie's doll collection.
Among Marie's designs is a Jessica doll inspired by her oldest daughter. "And in 1992, I'll do a doll for my daughter Rachel," she said.
As for the future, "We fully expect to be putting out new doll lines with Marie for many years to come," said Lou Knickerbocker. "As long as her imagination can conceive of new designs, we'll be there to lend a hand."