This week is Christmas, and for many collectors, it isn't Christmas unless there is a Christmas or holiday doll under the tree. There are usually many dolls to choose from, in traditional as well as un-traditional styles. You can see dolls from trolls to Barbie dolls dressed for the holidays in Dolls Dressed For Christmas And The Winter Holidays.

In the spirt of the holiday season, Mattel auctioned some beautiful one-of-a-kind Barbie dolls to benefit Project Angel Food this past week. You can see these unique Barbies at Charity Buzz. The mission of Project Angel Food is to nourish the body and spirit of men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses. The dolls auctioned were awesome, and I hope that Mattel continues with auctions of this type in the future.

Just yesterday, an appeals court stayed the pending court-ordered recall of MGA Entertainment's Bratz dolls. The dolls can now stay on store shelves during the continuing appeal process of the Mattel vs. MGA litigation. For more information, visit Playthings.com.

With the release of the Princess and the Frog and the Princess Tiana and other dolls from the movie this Fall, black and other ethnic dolls have been in the news, and doll diversity has been both criticized and praised. I recommend a thoughtful look at these issues in Do Our Dolls Have To Look Like Us? in the Wall Street Journal.