I first saw  my first Japanese Geisha dolls in a shop in the town that i live.  It was  a new shop and it had all sorts of  Japanese things in it, but mainly ornaments and pictures.  In the window there they were absolutely beautiful!!  These graceful oriental ladies, i was automatically hooked," i want these "  i thought. Then i discovered Ebay.  The world of Geisha Dolls opened up to me, i couldnt believe how many different kinds there were, all with a meaning as if they had lived at one time or another.  They had names and dances or stories written about them.  And the costumes they wore were so beautiful!  Old or new they have something special about them. I have about fifty now and i tend to love the silk faced ones the most. The best countries to buy them from are Japan or America, but always email for exact shipping costs before you bid. The better the condition the more you pay because they are very hard to clean and restore as they can be very fragile, as ive found out.  To keep clean and dust free and also away from harmful sunlight which fades the dolls clothes and hair they are best displayed in a cabinet,and lightly dusted with a small soft paint brush weekly to keep looking nice and  gently polish the black laquered stands as they can flake being even more careful with the older dolls.  The silk faced dolls are mainly made by the maker Nishi & Co Ltd, which my collection is mainly made up of, but some dolls have no makers mark at all which is quite frustrating. Then you have the gofun dolls which is crushed shells made into a paste which the head, hands and feet are made out of, and still are. They also have glass inset eyes which makes them look very real. The hair in the very old dolls would of been real hair but at sometime they started to use synthetic hair, maybe someone can let me know when and why??  The facial features are hand painted which gives the doll an individual look and character.  The kimonos and obi`s (belts) which can be tied in many different ways reflect the status of the geisha from being a trainee or Maiko to the highest rank or Oiran, all are amazingly beautiful, some are hand painted, some are printed, some are silk, some are for day wear, some are specially for a bride but all are beautifully made. The same goes for the hair acsessories and the way the dolls hair has been styled also reflecting the status of the Geisha.  I love the dolls which are depicting a story or dance (Kabuki) or are holding musical instruments, i think giving them just a little bit more interest. 

                         Thanks for reading my guide.