Regional doll enthusiasts can be all dolled up next week.

The Southwestern York-Penn Doll Club is sponsoring a doll show
scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. July 23 at the Masonic Temple
on South Avenue.

The Doll, Bear & Miniature Show and Sale will feature
antique and collectable dolls, teddy bears and miniatures, which
are items used in doll houses or shadow boxes.

This is the second year the doll show will be in Bradford,
according to Karen Ostrum, president of the Southwestern York-Penn
Doll Club. Previously it had been held in Hinsdale, N.Y.

Ostrum chose Bradford because “I’m the president and I get to
pick,” she said with a laugh. She added the Masonic Temple was
another reason.

“It’s big and air-conditioned,” she said. “We’re also hoping to
draw some of the people from Zippo Days. Maybe some will see the
advertisements and decide to stay a day later and check out the
show.”

This year, there will be 16 dealers and 30 tables set up. People
can buy dolls they want from the dealers who will be hailing from
Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York.

There will be dolls from Robert Tonner, owner of the Tonner Doll
Co. and S&B Doll Co., who does mostly fashion dolls and
reproductions of vintage dolls, like the Betsy McCall dolls. There
will also be some from the Raikes Doll Co., which produces mostly
six-inch wooden dolls, known as Hitty dolls. Lila Cooper, the
Hinsdale historian, will give a short presentation on Hitty dolls
as well as show some she made.

Ostrum estimated about 170 people attended the show last year
and she said she hopes to have more this year.

She said another show next year will depend on the amount of
money raised and the number of people attending the one this
year.

Ostrum is a doll enthusiast herself, who began collecting 10
years ago.

“My mom collected dolls, and I’ve always loved baby dolls,” she
said. Last year, she had roughly 400 to 500 dolls and has purchased
15 more dolls since.

She has a display at the Bradford Public Library featuring
antique to modern dolls, which will be in place throughout the
month.

The Southwestern York-Penn Doll Club will be making a donation
to the YWCA Victim’s Resource Center during a meeting in September
with the money made from the show.

There will be door prizes and refreshments at the show and there
is a small admittance fee.