As I was researching Blythe dolls to make my first purchase, I discovered Gentle River. Many so-called "grail girls" don't really do it for me... Kenners are so expensive that they are not on my radar at all, unless I were so lucky as to discover one in a thrift store. Hollywood is cool, but I'm sort of "meh" for blondes in general. Kozy Kape is okay, but there are so many other girls I'd rather have for just one of her. Bloomy Bloomsbury is adorable, but it's mostly her stock that makes me like her, not so much the doll itself that I covet... but Gentle River makes my heart skip a beat. I love her stock too, but I wouldn't need the stock to be thrilled to have her, nor would her stock w/o her make me that happy.
I just love her look, regardless of what she's wearing. I love her face-up & her hair cut and style... she's so bright and vivid - I can imagine her in all kinds of outfits from that sort of eastern European woodland style of her stock, to rock-a-billy, to 1940's glam to super-cutesy... she would be really fun to sew clothes for and take pictures of... I like all her stock eye chip colors... if I could have one grail-girl wish, I would love to adopt a Gentle River - but she's usually so expensive that I just liked to daydream about her and I never really entertained the idea of adding GR to my dolly family.
That was until this weekend when I saw a GR w/o stock up for adoption for $300 on BK. I could actually have bought her... it would have been a really, really bad move financially... but I could have done it. For a couple days, I kept looking at her. I kept thinking of what it would be like to get her. I felt a little giddy and naughty every time I thought about how I could actually get my hands on a GR! But I just couldn't justify it; even at my most wildly irresponsible, it clearly would have been a terrible idea to buy her.
Still I liked to see her available... daydreaming that if I got a sudden windfall of money, she'd be there. And today she sold. She isn't there any more... there's a thread on BK about Blythe regrets and I wondered when I first saw her go on hold, if I will look back and always regret that I didn't throw caution to the wind and spend money that should have gone towards bills and ordering save-the-date cards for my wedding on a dolly.
But after I checked back later and saw she'd gone from hold to sold, I was suddenly strangely at peace with the whole thing. The more I think about it like a grown-up, the more I know I won't regret it in the future. Even if I never get a Gentle River or never even see one at that price again, in all my days... I won't regret passing this one by. If it's right, I know she'll find me. This one sort of gave me hope - I know it could happen... just like the amazing story (with pictures) on BK of a member finding a Kenner for $2.00 at a thrift store totally makes me smile because I know it's a real thing that could happen. (Not that I am holding out on it actually happening to me, but I know it could!)
I don't want to be so obsessed with dolls that I am not responsible. I want to pay my bills on time and, even as fun as dollies are, getting married is far more important and exciting to me - so the choice between GR or holding off on ordering save-the-date cards and having $300 less saved toward my honeymoon was a no-brainer! It's all about having one's priorities in order.
Also, I still feel like I am getting to know and bond with Wondie and she and Charlotte are just becoming buddies. I want to take the time to get to know them and give them the attention they deserve & savor the process. What I like about dollies isn't just shopping for them. This is a good reminder of what's important. So, I'm not going to have any regrets... but I am still just a little wistful that a beautiful Gentle River has passed me by today.
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