Still hand-crafted, French Petitcollin dolls standing the test of time

ETAIN, France — They have been on the market since 1912 and, despite the onset of time and competition from Asian manufacturers, Petitcollin hand-crafted dolls are still going strong.

Around 15,000 dolls are shipped annually from the factory in Etain, in the Meuse region, along with a further 20,000 collectors editions which are made by subcontractors.

About 30% of the production is exported, the rest sold in toy stores in France, the shop adjoining the cultural centre and by mail order.

Petitcollin remains the only manufacturer of hand-crafted dolls in France.

"The history of the Petitcollin company has been very turbulent since it was destroyed several times, including during fires during WWI and WWII, but also in the face of competition from Asian countries, it has managed to keep its chin up and still resist today," Stéphanie Thévenin, development manager at the Pays d'Etain cultural and tourist centre said.