REAL LIFE
When Kiersten Haley reignited her love for an old hobby, she never imagined how much it would take over her life…
Playing with dolls is something most people grow out of – but not Kiersten Haley, who is the proud owner of over 32 dolls.
Her collection of plastic tots has cost her over £10,000 – and amassed her over 90,000 YouTube subscribers, who love following her journey.
However, not everyone is a fan and the 28-year-old has faced insults and death threats due to her hobby.
But undeterred, Kiersten is determined to continue to add to her brood. She says, “My dolls make me happy. I don’t have a total number in mind – I just bring home dolls that connect with me.”
LONELINESS
Kiersten’s obsession with dolls began was she was young. She says playing with them helped combat her loneliness as an only child.
She says, “I always had lots of dolls, but my favourites were Lily, Lillian and Kirsten. They were more than dolls, they were like best friends and siblings all rolled into one.”
And it wasn’t until Kiersten was 17 and she enrolled into the military that she decided to sell her collection.
She says, “Even though it was heartbreaking to lose them, I told myself I was too old for them. But military training was harder than I expected and I missed them so much.”
In May 2014, Kiersten was posted to her first duty station in Hawaii, and that’s when homesickness really hit her. She says, “I found myself wishing I still had my dolls to confide in.”
So when she was browsing the island military store one day in 2015, she was thrilled to come across dolls for sale.
“I grabbed one and headed to the checkout,” recalls Kiersten. “Back at the base, I named her Claire, and started buying more. I spotted another doll for sale on eBay so bought her. She had such a grumpy expression when she arrived, but I kept her and named her Amethyst.”
FASCINATED
As her collection grew, so did Kiersten’s fan base. She says, “I started posting about my dolls on social media so I could connect with other reborn lovers”
Inspired, Kiersten, who lives in California, USA, started her own YouTube channel, and the views soon started flooding in. In November 2017, Kiersten started dating Ethan, a friend from the military.
She says, “I showed him my dolls and YouTube channel, and he was impressed that one of my videos had over a million views. I worried he might be put off, but he accepted my hobby.”
With an ever-growing “brood”, Kiersten set up a nursery in her home – complete with cot, rocking chair and bab
