This has been the busiest year ever for paper dolls! To my surprise and delight, so many people have turned to paper dolls to keep busy and entertained at home. Collectors are collecting, crafters are cutting, artists are drawing, friends are gifting, grandmas are sharing, and kids are playing paper dolls!
In March, when we began hunkering down in our homes, I offered a Paper Doll Care Package of 10 books for $25, hoping to spread some paper doll cheer. Through my publishing branch, Paper Studio Press, I had excess inventory on many titles and wrapped up a few dozen bundles, marking each with a heart. Considering sales had been dropping over the past few years, I was expecting 2020 to follow suit. In fact, at the beginning of the year I met with business consultants to form a plan to cut back and lower costs in order to remain profitable enough to stay in business for many years to come.
Surprise! Instead of selling a few dozen care packages, we sold close to four hundred! Through our care packages alone, nearly 4,000 paper doll books have gone out into the world, bringing joy to so many. In addition to care packages, we've sold over 11,000 paper doll books... just since mid-March! And just one person, Margie, carefully packs and ships it all to you.
Adding to the excitement, we've got more new paper dolls than ever before. The collection shown here represents 30 new titles that have come out just in the last few months. All but two were produced through Paper Studio Press and Paperdoll Review including glorious new books by David Wolfe, Marilyn Henry, Brenda Sneathen Mattox, Tom Tierney, Julie Allen Matthews, Guillem Medina and Andrea Helen Smith. Plus tons of wonderful reproductions! I couldn't have done it without the digital design wizardry of Julie Allen Matthews, who has a hand in nearly every book we produce. Check out her Paper Doll School Blog! And find all these paper dolls and more on paperdollreview.com!
Are paper dolls the new trend? I hope so!
