A mother has spent more than $15,000 building up her doll collection over the last 40 years.
Shawna Lyon, 46, of Roseville, California, adored Cabbage Patch Kids and Barbies as a child and later fell in love with the high-end American Girl dolls, which cost around $110 (£79) each.
Mrs Lyon now has some 550 dolls, which she proudly displays on specially-built shelves in two bedrooms of the family home.
The collector, who has two children, Cheyenne, 22 and Blaze, 19, with her machinist husband Alfred, 48, estimates she has spent at least $15,000 (£10,617) on American Girl dolls and has splashed out ‘a few thousand’ on a single Cabbage Patch Kid.
However she doesn’t keep track of the exact cost of her hobby, saying it ‘takes away from the enjoyment’.
Shawna Lyon, 46, of Roseville, California, has spent more than $15,000 (£10,000) collecting dolls over the last 40 years. Pictured, the mother-of-two with a Cabbage Patch Kids doll
Shawna has given up two rooms in her family home to store her 550-strong collection, which includes more than 150 American Girl dolls, pictured. The dolls cost more than $100 each
Husband Alfred created special shelving so Shawna could display her valuable collection. Cabbage Patch Kids like the ones above can costs ‘several thousands’ of pounds each
There is also the option of selling the dolls to make money back.
She said: ‘Once, I was offered $10,000 (£7,053) to sell one of them on – but I’d never give away my favourites.’
Mrs Lyon regularly poses the dolls for at-home photoshoots, which she uploads to Instagram – much to the delight of her 10,000 followers.
The mother-of-two, who works in special education, recalled how her love of dolls began when she was given a collection by an aunt when she was seven.
Shawna regularly poses her dolls for photos that she shares with followers on Instagram
Four of Shawna’s American Girl dolls are dressed up in M&M costumes for Halloween
Shawna with husband Alfred and daughter Cheyenne, who both support her doll collection
Then in 1996, when she was in her early twenties, she was given Felicity, her first ever American Girl Doll, for Christmas.
‘I got a second American Girl Doll four years later, but I didn’t really start properly collecting until 2006,’ she said. ‘I’ve always been that way with my collections – I’ll focus on one for a few years, then sideline it and start on something else.
‘The past couple of decades have been all about American Girl Dolls and Cabbage Patch Kids, though.’
Now, Shawna has 151 American Girl Dolls, and a few hundred Cabbage Patch Kids.
Mrs Lyon prefers to buy the American Girl dolls in person, driving two hours to the store above
As well as buying clothes, Mrs Lyon also makes pieces for her dolls to wear at home
She added: ‘I’ve given a lot away, too. I donate them to charity.’
Mostly, she makes her purchases in an official American Girl Doll store around a two hour drive from her home, although she has also been known to scour doll shows and online marketplaces like eBay, and Craigslist – and has received some as presents from family and friends.
‘I prefer to see them in person first, rather than buy online,’ she explained. ‘I’m very picky – they have to have lots of colour in their lips and cheeks, be in good condition and have working eyes that open and close properly.
‘No two dolls are created equal, and I only want the best. If I’m buying a second-hand one, I restore it myself at home.’
Shawna adored Cabbage Patch dolls as a child and continues to collect them as an adult
Two American Girl dolls are posed to look at some smaller dolls in Shawna’s collection
Now, Shawna’s collections are so extensive they take up two separate rooms of her home. Her husband, Alfred, even gave up his own comic book and action figure collection, so there was enough room to house hers.
She continued: ‘He gave it up to help me, he’s been brilliant with it. He understands the collector’s mentality – that you want it all, but know you won’t get it.
‘I can’t see myself ever giving up my dolls. The best thing about having so many is I don’t even have to pick a favourite – they can all be my favourite.’
Admitting it is no easy feat to keep her displays clean, she regularly dusts and changes the dolls’ clothes, storing them on stands to prevent them from getting damaged.
Shawna has a variety of outfits for her dolls, including these Thanksgiving-themed looks
Mrs Lyon was given her first American Girl doll when she was in her 20s and fell in love
Alfred built special shelves, pictured, in a spare room so Shawna could store her dolls
‘I buy lots of accessories for them too. I have closets full of dolls’ clothes,’ she said. ‘I’ve got everything you could imagine – pyjamas, holiday clothes, historical outfits.
‘I make a lot of my own, too. My perfect day would be just sitting there, sewing for my dolls. But, as a collector, I have to buy things when I come across them, too. I’d regret it if I didn’t.
‘There’s so much out there. Even if they stopped production tomorrow, I’d probably still never be able to buy every single piece of merchandise.’
Mrs Lyon on a trip to the Cabbage Patch Doll Babyland general hospital in Cleveland, Georgia
Shawna regularly visits the American Girl Doll store to check out her next purchase in person
Boxes of American Girl doll items were left under the Christmas tree for Shawna this year
In order to keep track of her collection Shawna is in the process of compiling a log of exactly what she owns.
While many of Shawna’s Instagram followers are delighted with her doll collection, she has also been targeted by trolls who call her ‘crazy’ and ‘spoiled’.
She added: ‘I’m not a hateful person, so I choose to ignore the negativity. I’m not ashamed of my collection, everyone who knows me knows about it.
‘It’s a hobby I enjoy, and it isn’t hurting anybody. It brings me joy.’