The Toy Collectors: 'You're never too old for dolls — or too young for models'
With & Monster Dolls Rainbow Photo: Dublin In High Heather Chaney Raheny, Nash Her Gareth
At an age when most girls have left toys behind in favour of make-up and nights out, Heather Nash is only truly learning the joy of playing with dolls.
The 17-year-old collector, who lives with her parents in Raheny in Dublin, was motivated to start purchasing Monster High dolls two years ago after being captivated by their beauty and eye-catching aesthetic.
Heather’s appreciation of the toys takes a different form to the kind from her childhood. Rather than acting out their secret lives through play, she now immortalises them in vivid illustrations. Armed with a sketch pad and pencils, she imagines how her dolls would interact with each other if they were living creatures.
A keen eye for art, the fifth-year student says her dream is to study fashion design when she leaves school. When the time comes to fly the nest for college she will leave her dolls behind. However, her collection will remain intact for the foreseeable future. In her time collecting she has amassed almost 50 dolls which now line the shelves of her bedroom.
“I love looking at them on my shelves,” Heather said.
The youngster is glad that family and friends support her pastime.
“What I love most about the dolls is their make-up and the outfits they wear. When I bought my first one I was really excited about it. I told my friends and they were very positive. Most people at school don’t really know about my collection. I only tell the people that I’m closest to.”
The teenager’s dad Paul is probably the biggest fan of her collection. “He likes them,” she jokes. “He’s bought me a few. He often comments on their make-up and what they’re wearing.
"It’s all been positive even though some people do find it hard to understand. I can remember one time when my aunt was trying to explain it to my uncle. His reaction wasn’t negative but he was very puzzled.”
She enjoys connecting online with other members of the doll collector community. “I’m probably one of the youngest,” she admits. “A lot of them are aged in their 20s. Most of the people I follow online who collect dolls are gay men.
"However, there’s not one specific person who enjoys it. There are lots of women who collect dolls too. Some are married, others are single. They work in different jobs and come from different places.”
Heather has a special ritual that follows the purchase of each Monster High doll. “When I get one I wash their clothes. I do this with all the dolls. Brushing their hair is something I also really enjoy.”
She plans to pursue collecting for as long as she can. “I don’t think I’ll stop. Even though I might put it on hold I don’t plan on quitting collecting anytime soon. The collection will be staying at home when I go to college even though I might bring one or two with me.”
Heather’s grandmother often admires her new additions on visits to their home. “She loves them,” Heather said. “Whenever I get a new one she always comments on their clothes and how nice they look.”
While her loved ones are supportive, strangers can be that little more wary. She recalled how one visit to a toy shop in Spain raised an eyebrow or two.
“I was on holidays in Spain when I went into a toy shop. When I went to buy a doll the lady at the till asked me if it was a gift or if it was for myself. I pointed to myself and she looked very taken aback. She didn’t say anything after that and we went our separate ways. It was quite a funny moment.”
At 16 years old, David Hurley is one of the youngest of a dwindling bunch of model kit collectors left in Cork City.
However, he laughs, insisting his pastime is “not just an old man’s game”. Just months after the sudden death of his father Chris last March, his array of self-built military tanks, motorcars and aeroplanes have now taken on a deeper significance for the teenager.
“He is one of the biggest reasons I still do it,” David said of his late father.
“They are a reminder of him. I’m always thinking about what he’d say about my latest model. I remember the reactions he had to them. I imagine him looking down on me and still smiling as I make them.”
David started his collection at the tender age of six. “I remember walking through town with my dad. One day after going for dinner we passed Mark’s Models on Oliver Plunkett Street. He had been into models when he was a child so he brought me in there to buy one.
"That night we sat down and made a model together at the dinner table. I was only four at that stage. At the time I just wanted to see the toy but now I appreciate the process. We were always making things together.
"If my aunts ever needed furniture put together he would take me with him. We always bought a bag of chips on the way home to congratulate ourselves. Together, we were the best handymen.”
The student of Edmund Rice College in Carrigaline has around 60 models displayed at the family home in Togher. A further 40 are yet to be unboxed.
“It wasn’t like I went back making models the day after my dad passed away. It took time to build up my happiness and confidence again. I had good days and bad days.
"There is no way of knowing when the bad days are coming. That’s why I have so many unopened boxed. I was saving them for a day when I was upset. If I’m feeling down, I can cheer myself up by making a model.”
David’s mother Mairead is so supportive of her son she devoted an entire room to his collection.
“My mum is amazing but she always has been. We have a second living room that is now known as 'David’s workshop'. I don’t want to sound like an old man but it’s nice to have something that takes you away from the screen. I like having something to show mum at the end of it too.”
Reactions to David’s pastime vary.
“There is a mixed bag of reactions. Some people my age appreciate what I’m doing, but they still don’t understand it. They don’t see the entertainment in it because they would rather play computer games. While I play the odd computer game, I know there’s a lot more to life than just having your head stuck in a computer.
"I got the chance to do my work experience in Mark’s Models and one of the best things about it was talking to people who are still passionate about this.”
The Cork teen is eager to see more young people explore the pastime.
“I’ve gotten friendly with some of the collectors. Often, I forget how much older they are than me. Then they’ll start giving out about the ridiculous price of fuel or a fight they had with their wives. It reminds me how different our lives really are.
"I think that seeing so many older people in these shops can be a deterrent. Some young people see these older men who are very experienced and skilled after being at this all their lives and that can be intimidating.”
David’s love for modelling has sparked ambitions for the future.
“I always had a technical mind but it was the modelling that swung it for me. I would love to be an engineer in the biomedical or pharmaceutical industry.” The schoolboy tries to keep his hobby as cost effective as possible.
“I have seen models for €5 and ones for hundreds. It can be as cheap as you want. While I try to take it easy for most of the year, I’ll always live a little on birthdays.”