I like Dolls magazine and wouldn't want to be without it, but I think that their subscription price is definitely too high for a magazine that is more than half advertising, really. All too many "articles" in the doll hobby trade seem to be vehicles of expanded advertising type information for the vendors. There is not enough about the real history of manufacturers, and the whys and hows of what is going on in the industry. It is as if everything has to be sugar-coated. There have been a lot of financial problems (companies going out of business and moving to China, or both) in the trade lately, and more coverage of those events, with less delicate handling, more real news, would be nice. I get DollReader also, and while Dolls is a bit heftier, DollReader is more economical and more amenable to communication and requests.
DOLLS A better value for the doll-ar!
From contemporary to classics, DOLLS is renowned for their beautiful layouts of lovelies regardless of era! Covering the range from purchasing to small business to restoration and all points in between, DOLLS is absolutely required reading for doll enthusiasts!
DOLLS is more comprehensive than Doll Reader, with delightful every-issue features like "Ask The Expert", an Antiques Roadshow-style feature where reader send in photos of their lovelies for ID help and valuation and "Auction Report", summarizing prices realized at recent specialty doll auctions.
Recently acquired by Jones Publishing, DOLLS delights with every issue! One of my favorite must-reads. You won't be disappointed, even if the price is a wee bit higher than the other one ... enjoy!
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I subscribe to several doll magazines, and this is one of my favorites. I am a modern doll collector (ball-jointed dolls and fashion dolls, plus I have an Alice-in-Wonderland theme in my collection), so you should take my review from this perspective.
I love Dolls magazine because it provides the information and interviews with manufacturers and doll artists that interest me most. I've seen lots of information on Tonner Dolls, Integrity Toys, and newly released fashion dolls, including colorful photo spreads. Within the past year, Dolls has gotten much more involved in BJDs (especially American BJDs, such as Goodreau, Berdine Creedy and Kim Lasher dolls), and has provided insider access to their conventions and interviews with their artists.
I think the photography work in this magazine is more than excellent--probably the best of all the magazines of which I am aware. Plus, when you subscribe to the paper magazine, you can also get the digital edition for free, which is a fantastic bonus for those of us with doll blogs. The layout of the magazine is also terrific: it makes for super easy reading, and it's easy to find articles, as well.
For what it's worth, I also subscribe to Doll Reader, and I like it, too. However, it seems to cover more traditional and antique dolls and their history, as well as one-of-a-kind artists. So I think the magazine you'd prefer is more than likely based on your collection tastes.
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If you are interested in American Civil War artillery, this is THE reference for you. Coggins book is great for most first level study, but this magazine and their authors is certainly the next level. I have been a subscriber of their earlier mag, The Muzzle Loading Artilleryman...back in the 70s. The Paulsen brothers have been 'figuring-out' ACW cannon that long and first hand. They helped me determine the rate of fire for a 10lb Parrot rifle...since the rounds were so tight that the round's sabot had to be chiseled for it to slide down the rifle barrel. The ammo wasn't fixed either so the rate of fire was slow compared to the Howitzers and Napoleons...hence artillerymen of the time liked the smooth bores better, even 6 lbers!
