The "little-bit-country" girl has grown up and created her own line of dolls. Marie Osmond has been making dolls since 1991, but has had an appreciation for them for a long time. As the only girl in a sea of nine brothers, Marie's fondness for dolls translated into cherished time with her mother, Olive. Marie's unique upbringing as a performer meant that she was constantly traveling around the world from a young age. She and her mother collected dolls during those trips and they are still treasured today. When Marie ventured into the doll business, she decided to take them to the airwaves first. She had quite literally grown up on television and considered it to be the perfect avenue for marketing her dolls. The massive televised retailer, QVC, was Marie's choice. The fact that she would be able to explain each doll to the audience was important to her so she could make people realize that she wasn't just using her name for profit, but that she really is an avid doll collector. Though not a sculptor in her childhood or early adult life, Marie has begun sculpting her own creations. The first one that was sold was named after her mother and set a collectible record on QVC when it premiered. Her dolls are now enjoying continued success. Widespread enthusiasm for her creations is evident in her nomination for a "Trendsetter of the Year" award in the collectibles industry in 1997. Today, there are themed lines of dolls--such as the Little Miracles, New Millennium, and Christmas dolls--that are quite popular. Though the limited edition numbers are not quite as small as those of other doll makers, Marie's special place in popular culture can make her dolls highly prized collectibles.
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