People love collecting things – coins, stamps, rocks, records, and toys. For me, I collect dolls. Some find it strange when they hear I collect dolls, but I find nostalgia from it. 

Like many girls, I had plenty of dolls throughout my childhood. I owned Bratz, Bratzillaz, Ever After High, and Monster High, but my favorites were Monster High.

In 2016, when I was nine, I lost interest in the idea of owning dolls or playing with them. My mom tried convincing me to send them off to relatives back in Mexico, but I always held back. Instead of throwing them away, I kept them in the back of my closet.

While we were packing to move into my new house in 2020, I came across that box. My mom still wanted to throw them away, but I felt a strong attachment. Seeing the different sorts of dolls I owned brought back memories of the times I would play with them alongside my sister. 

These dolls were my prized possessions. Each doll showed a different era of time and interests.

Even though some weren’t in the best shape I was determined to fix them. Watching different videos on YouTube, I learned how to fix their hair, take off stains, or marks. 

Doll hair is easily tangled, so I had to search for videos on how to wash and restyle their hair to their original hairstyle or other hairstyles. 

Monster High dolls took up the majority of my collection when I was younger, which came from being an early fan of their webseries. I had a connection with each character based on their unique personality, especially since they were able to take what were considered scary monsters and transform them into fashionable ghouls.

I had never really thought about wanting a big doll collection, until I saw videos of people showing off their Monster High collection.

I got a bit jealous, since they would have dolls that I once had or the ones I didn’t. It reminded me of my original collection.

With the guidance of social media I was able to find channels or profiles that were solely based on what to consider when purchasing. 

My older sister introduced me to Mercari. She would order items at a more reasonable price than other websites like eBay. 

I stayed away from using eBay because people tend to put items at a low price to attract buyers, but the shipping would be an outrageous amount like $23 or more. 

I started researching where I could find their first generation of the doll line, especially the Scaris City of Frights and Skultimate Roller Maze collections. 

The Skultimate Roller Maze contains 6 dolls in total and the Scaris City of Frights contains 12 dolls. They were my favorite of the entirety of all the Monster High doll lines. 

I only have two originals from the Skultimate Roller Maze – Operetta and Ghoulia Yelps – but I do wish to get newer ones in box or preowned ones in better conditions since the current ones I own are missing pieces of clothing and accessories.

Throughout the process of trying to retrieve this collection, I had to make difficult choices because sometimes they were either sold out quickly or impossible to get. 

I started leaning more into buying from different collections. Making the chances higher to get at least one good doll for a good price.

The highs of finding Monster High dolls vary on second hand websites because of the vast variety and affordability. There are many sellers on Mercari who may not know the true value of the Monster High dolls they’re selling and sell it at a pretty low price without realizing it. 

Many of the dolls start from $19 to $26, before tax and shipping. At times when sellers haven’t been able to sell a doll, they will lower their initial price. 

It gets super frustrating and discouraging when I am viewing an item to see a doll’s condition and it says “Sold 10 minutes ago.” 

I don’t want to purchase a doll without checking the condition. It’s a hectic process of trying to make sure there aren’t stains, discoloration, or missing accessories, but it can mean someone else can get it while I’m looking at it. 

In September 2025, I was lucky enough to find a doll I really wanted. I purchased Monster High doll Freaky Field Trip Gigi Grant. The doll was missing one accessory and the hair was tangled, but it didn’t really bother me. I just cared that it came with her original attire and I knew I could fix the hair. 

I was super excited because she was one of my favorite characters and it had barely been posted ten minutes before.

When searching for dolls I look at new and in box dolls, but I know they are unattainable due to insanely high resale prices of $170 plus $26.57 shipping. 

I usually buy pre-owned dolls. If they are in good condition I will spend around $50-60, but if they are new and in box I am willing to spend around $100. 

Whilst on the journey of collecting Monster High, I recently bought my latest doll, the Freaky Field Trip Toralei Stripe. I got it for $24.86. 

As I proceeded with the purchase. I went through the profile of the seller and I noticed that they had been selling other doll brands that I also had growing up.

I instantly recognized and got excited seeing the various Lalaloopsy’s, Ever After High, Novi Star, and Bratzillaz. Now, I alternate my finds with different brands depending on which price is more reasonable, but will always go back to Monster High. 

Collecting dolls as a graduating high school senior might seem childish to some, but for me it takes me back to a simpler time and brings me joy. Most people collect things because they think or know they will increase in value over time. I don’t know if these dolls will ever be worth more than I paid for them, but I do know that right now they mean the world to me, as I’m transitioning into the “real world.”