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History
According to Linda Rodriguez McRobbie, the concept of malevolent dolls gained attention in the 20th century when film and entertainment technology was able to realistically portray "safely inanimate" dolls as "dangerously animate". McRobbie cites examples such as the 1936 film The Devil-Doll by Tod Browning, the Living Doll episode of the TV series Twilight Zone, the clown doll from the film Poltergeist, the Chucky doll featured in the Child's Play film franchise, as well as "B-movie variations on the homicidal doll theme" such as Dolly Dearest, Demonic Toys, and Blood Dolls. More recently, a character based on the doll named Annabelle owned by Ed and Lorraine Warren has been featured in The Conjuring series of films.

The popularity of films and entertainment about haunted dolls has resulted in the sale of dolls claimed to be haunted on eBay, Amazon, Etsy and many other sites. According to Katherine Carlson of The New Yorker, sales listings are often accompanied by claims of paranormal phenomena associated with the doll. Carlson wrote that such dolls bring with them a certain fascination that a regular doll does not, since "a haunted doll requires proof — or at least enough of a backstory that a prospective buyer can embrace the possibility of the supernatural".

According to folklore professor Libby Tucker, "Ghost tours, ads for haunted hotels, and other monetary transactions build on preexisting beliefs and narratives. The fact that people buy and sell ghostly materials takes nothing away from these materials’ value for folklore researchers, which is considerable".

Notable haunted dolls
A number of supposedly haunted dolls have appeared in popular culture in recent years.

Robert


Robert is a doll claimed to be possessed by spirits that is on display at the East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida, that was once owned by Key West painter and author Robert Eugene Otto.

Annabelle
Annabelle is a Raggedy Ann doll alleged by Ed and Lorraine Warren to be haunted and displayed in The Warren's Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut, the United States. The doll served as the inspiration for the films The Conjuring and Annabelle.

Letta the Doll
Kerry Walton, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia has appeared on a number of television programs with a doll he claims to have found while visiting an abandoned building in 1972 in Wagga Wagga, Australia. According to Walton, he named the doll "Letta Me Out" because of its supposedly supernatural characteristics. Walton claims that people have seen the doll move in front of them, and that the doll has left visible scuff marks around the house.

Okiku
According to modern Japanese folklore, in 1918, a teenager named Eikichi Suzuki purchased a large doll from Hokkaido for his younger sister, Okiku, who gave the doll her name. When Okiku died, her family came to believe that Okiku's spirit was inhabiting the doll and the hair on the doll was growing. The doll resides in Mannenji Temple in Hokkaido, where it is claimed that a priest regularly trims Okiku's still-growing hair. The priest cut the hair and sent it to scientists to examine. It came back as human hair.

Mandy
Made in England or Germany between 1910 and 1920, Mandy is a porcelain baby doll donated to the Quesnel Museum in British Columbia in 1991 that is claimed to have supernatural powers: Mandy's eyes supposedly follow museum visitors. The legend with Mandy is that a girl was trapped in a basement holding the doll and died. The doll has been featured on the Montel Williams Show.

Pulau Ubin Barbie
According to Singapore legend, Pulau Ubin Barbie is a Barbie doll displayed in a memorial temple said to have supernatural powers.