In a few online doll groups I belong to, we jokingly refer to one another as “enabler” because we unfailingly encourage each other to add to our collections.

The thing is, it’s really the Internet that is the biggest enabler.  Thanks to the Internet, we are much more  able to find dolls and accessories to add to our collection than collectors were 10 or 15 years ago.  A couple of decades ago, doll collectors were limited to local doll stores and dealers, doll shows, and out-of-town stores and dealers that they heard about through the grapevine.  Prices were also higher, because sellers had less competition and were therefore under less pressure to set low prices.

The Internet has affected other hobbies in similar ways, I think.  For instance, take airsoft.  Once upon a time enthusiasts would have been limited to the KWA guns their local stores had in stock or could special order for them, and high prices  might have prevented them from buying as much.  These days, there are tons of sellers online selling airsoft pistols, and price wars keep prices pretty affordable.

What hobby or hobbies do you pursue, and how has the Internet enabled you to keep it up?

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