Joan has been collecting and selling dolls for over 30 years. She previously owned a Ruby Lane store, Joan's Antique Dolls, and a brick-and-mortar store in Indianapolis, Madames, Mice & More.

My motto is: "We pursue the elusive and cherish the traditional with passion and integrity".  My shop is eclectic, but I  specialize in antique French and German bisque, European cloth, Russian dolls from pre-revolutionary times to the present artists, and Madame Alexander made in the USA. You will find lovely antique or artist-made costumes and other accessories as well. I am currently studying the Grodnertal dolls. These are my current collecting passion. Whenever possible, my dolls wear factory-original or antique costumes, and they are always dressed appropriately for their respective periods. I collected dolls as a child, then put them away during my Ph.D. graduate school years, internship, and early years as a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology. Cultural Anthropology and Russian Area Studies were academic minors of mine, which is why my interest in Russian dolls and European dolls developed. At 40, I fell in love again with Madame Alexander's Blue Fairy Cissette, and from there, I began collecting bisque Nancy Ann Storybook dolls, Russian cloth from pre-revolutionary times, and Lenci children. I then expanded my collection to include German bisque and French Bebes, and finally, early 19th-century wooden dolls. For 15 years, I had a brick-and-mortar store in Indianapolis, located adjacent to my psychotherapy office. I found the dolls and bears to be an important respite for me after a day of working with trauma survivors, and my clients too derived great benefit from visiting the doll or bear rooms.  

I still read doll books voraciously and love to continue learning and sharing knowledge with my customers. As was my practice as a professor, if you ask a question about a doll or bear that I cannot answer, I will try to help you find the answer through research or by contacting an expert in that area of collecting. I love the "hunt," including searching for special requests from clients. I am an active UFDC member and was a founding officer in the UFDC Antique Doll Study Guild of Indiana. Recently, since COVID has limited my international travel to lecture, I was able to rejoin my first doll club - Doll Circle of Indiana, and can again enjoy the special camaraderie of doll lovers. I moved to Strongsville, near Cleveland, Ohio, in May 2024 and joined the Lake Erie Doll Club.I am a member of NADDA (the National Antique Doll Dealers Association) and adhere to their strict guidelines for the accurate identification of antique dolls and ethical selling practices.  I participate in the UFDC Salesroom and NADDA Shows. 

 All our merchandise is smoke-free. Please be advised that we require insurance for our dolls, unless an alternative arrangement is specifically made. Flexible layaway and offers are welcome. We want to make it possible for you to own the dolls of your dreams.