Name Mildred Seeley Role Author | Died December 10, 2001 | |
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Books Doll costuming, The complete book of all-bisque dolls | ||
Mildred Seeley (1918 - 10 December 2001) was a doll collector, doll-related entrepreneur, and prolific author on the subjects of doll making and doll collecting.
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Life and work
Mildred Seeley lived in a "small village in upstate New York" and in Green Valley, Arizona. She never visited the countries where her beloved dolls were made. Yet, she built "an international network of doll lovers and a world-class doll collection". She is widely recognized as a primary force in raising the profile of antique doll collecting and increasing the value of antique dolls. In 1986, Mildred Seeley initiated the designation of the second Saturday in June as World Doll Day.
Professional Accomplishments
In 1946 Mildred Seely founded Seeley's, a company which refers to itself as the leader in "the fascinating world of porcelain dollmaking and related arts." In 1977, Mildred Seeley co-founded the Doll Artisan Guild. The Doll Artisan Guild offers special recognition in dollmaking competition, including the "Millie" (named for Seeley). It also publishes the quarterly "DOLLS Beautiful" magazine. Seeley established a chain of franchised "Seeley Doll Studios". She also created lines of limited-edition doll-related collectors' plates, valued by both doll collectors and plate collectors, often featuring dolls from her own collection.
Doll Collection
Mildred Seeley became known internationally for her collection of French dolls. When the collection sold in 2002, it set new world records (since broken) of US$1,800,000 for a single doll collection and US$215,000 for a single doll.