Who We Are
Porcelain Classics, established in 1994 as a doll making studio and expanded to include a full service doll hospital in 2004.
Our mission is to preserve, conserve and educate doll enthusiasts in the history of dolls and doll making by providing restoration services of antique and vintage dolls; creating authentic reproduction dolls for the discriminating collector; and offering support and the highest quality materials and supplies to porcelain doll collectors and doll makers, world-wide.
Jennie Sykes, owner and resident artist, is a certified Grand Master of Doll Making with Doll Artisan Guild (D.A.G.)
She is also a member of United Federation of Doll Clubs, Inc. (UFDC) and participates, annually, in conventions as a workshop instructor and sales room vendor which is hosted across the country.
Jennie Sykes
I have always had an artistic bent but have been driven by pragmatic decisions. My start in doll making was driven by need. I was a single mom and an out-of-work accountant looking for an opportunity to provide a stable income.
In 1994 I discovered a Seeley Doll Studio for sale; worked out a Small Business Administration loan and purchased the studio. This is where the pragmatism ended.
As I learned about the craft of doll making through classes, workshops and competition with Doll Artisan Guild, I proved my artistic capabilities while developing and building relationships across the industry. The more I learned, the more doll making cemented its grasp. This craft became more than a financial means to ensuring family security. It has become a living community that provides creative fuel, artistic self-awareness, and personal fulfillment through the assistance to and recognition of others.
Like so many in the industry, the 2000’s impacted my ability to continue to earn a living to support her family. Although I had turned back to accounting for the needs of my family, I continued to maintain my interest in doll making along with expanding the network of doll studios, doll hospitals, and industry-related manufacturers and retailers.
Working hard to maintain a traditional job as well as the doll making studio by continuing evening and weekend classes, I also provided parts to doll hospitals across the country. Continued training in porcelain and porcelain repair has allowed additional opportunities in collection restorations. Finally, with knowledge of doll histories and current values, I can provide appraisals and assist with doll estate sales. With over 700 successfully completed restoration projects, more than 200 porcelain dolls created and sold, a current 6 to 8-month backlog of repair work, and several custom orders under contract, business has grown to a point where I have now set aside the accounting career to work full-time in a new combined retail and teaching studio. Finally, doll making has taken over my professional career!
We would love to hear from you!
We’re happy to help in any way we can. Feel free to reach out with your questions and projects!