By Marshel Couso
They call her ‘the doll lady’ and her reputation for meticulous craftsmanship is known well in collector’s circles around the country. Recently I had the pleasure of sitting down with long-time Susanville resident Gay Smedes to talk about her doll collection. Many of you probably know Gay, she babysat a lot of your kids, maybe even you, but what you might not know is that Gay is serious about dolls.
Smedes, who moved to Susanville in 1963 when the California Correctional Center opened, said she has always loved dolls but being the second oldest of nine kids, her dolls were always getting broken so she didn’t have much of a collection as a child. She started collecting dolls as a hobby when her children grew up, and before moving to Eagle Lake Village a few years ago Gay had amassed a collection of more than 5,000 dolls.
While attending doll shows Smedes noticed that there was a lack of knowledgeable people who knew how to repair them. She worked to get a degree in Doll Technology and opened Gay’s Doll Hospital which she owned for 30 years.
While Gay sold her business to a friend, her passion for dolls and their accessories has never waned. For the past six years Smedes has been creating custom clothing for American Girl Dolls, a popular line of dolls which portray American girls in both historic and modern context.
Smedes also makes bears for new residents at Eagle Lake Village that are having a difficult time adapting to the retirement home.
If you are interested in buying some of Smedes amazing work she can be reached at 530.257.2428 or 530.251.6801. Dresses are around $22, but the price depends on the complexity and material of the custom designed gowns. Smedes makes clothes, pajamas, aprons and more.
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