KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
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The Doll Cradle has been creating life for 55 years in Johnson County, from original American Girl Dolls to recreating Taylor Swift's latest Chiefs game outfit for dolls.
The shop continues to serve customers and their dolls despite the challenges.
Owner Connie Harrell cares for dolls filled with history and sentimentality.
"We just know what a deep thing it is for a family to have a doll that has been through dust bowls and tornadoes," Harrell said.
While running the shop is Harrell's dream job, it comes with significant challenges.
Rising costs have put pressure on the small business, and the building itself needs repairs, with a leaking roof and holes in the ceiling.
"Everything, tariffs on everything," Harrell said.
The shop also faces practical difficulties, including high utility costs.
"We can't fix a doll and then have a $906 light bill. You know, things have gone up so much," Harrell said.
Despite these obstacles, Harrell's vision for the store and the dolls she restores are the same.
"We're thinking about their future, these will be around 100 years when we're all dead and gone," Harrell said.
Sherry Coulter and her great-granddaughter Rose share a passion for dolls that spans generations.
"Now she's about ready to get her first ceramic doll that I made back in the 90s for her," Coulter said.
Coulter has been a loyal customer at The Doll Cradle for 20 years. It's that connection to the future that The Doll Cradle is fighting to preserve, creating moments like the one between Coulter and her great-granddaughter.
You can learn more about ways to support The Doll Cradle here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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