I’ve always been moved by art. It’s the one thing that’s remained constant in my life. No matter what age I am, no matter what life circumstances I’m in, no matter where I am—art compels me.

I learned last week that Mr. Jack Friedman, the founder of JAKKS Pacific toy company, passed away on May 3, 2010, from complications due to a rare blood disease. He was 70 years old and had spent 50 years of his life in the toy industry.

There’s a commercial airing these days for a package-delivery company, where a whole family is held at bay, outside their home, afraid to go inside because of a mechanical clown doll. I was watching that recently with a friend, who remarked offhandedly, “Yeah, dolls are scary.”

The other night, when I was putting my daughter, Jane, to bed, I spotted, out of the corner of my eye, something gleaming and glistening. It didn’t look right.

My mother accompanied me to a doll lecture several years ago to help set up the exhibit dolls. As a result of her "oohing and ahhing" over one of the reborn dolls included in the exhibit, I had an identical doll made for her. It was part of her birthday gift from me that year, which was 2004.

We all know the famous Shakespearean line, “All the world’s a stage.” I like to expand on it, turning it into one of my favorite philosophies—“All the world’s a stage … and a playground, too.” 

We have just undergone a heck of a month in my hometown. It was a combination of Mother Nature seeking revenge and technology breaking down simultaneously.

I’m one of those collectors: the impatient kind. If waiting for a doll to arrive is the hardest part of placing an order, this post is for you. 

Reborning… it’s a topic that draws mixed reactions from both those who have collected and created dolls for years and from those in the general public.