Debbie Garrett's interest in collecting black dolls commenced after the 1991 catalog purchase of a 'collectible' porcelain doll intended as a gift for her daughter. After the doll's arrival, the decision to keep the doll and to begin a collection ensued. Her avid interest in black-doll history prompted research on dolls made during and before her childhood. She began freelance writing in 1998 for Black Doll-E-Gram. Prior to writing her first black-doll reference book, The Definitive Guide to Collecting Black Dolls, Hobby House Press, Inc., 2003, Garrett's efforts to connect with other like-minded collectors culminated in founding the WeLoveBlackDolls Yahoo! Group, in January 2001, which is now a private Facebook group. In February 2002, as co-founder and editor of The Black Doll-E-Zine, 'the first and only e-zine devoted to collecting black dolls,' her doll research, writing, and networking with doll collectors and artists continued. 

 

In 2008, Garrett self-published Black Dolls: A Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating, Collecting, and Experiencing the Passion, a full-color book that references and values over 1000 black dolls. Her most recent work, The Doll Blogs: When Dolls Speak I Listen, first introduced as an eBook and sold through Google Play, became available as an ultra-limited edition paperback in April 2011.  The Doll Blogs is the first book featuring dolls that blog their experiences with their human. Hard copies are now out of print.  The electronic versions of Black Dolls:  A Comprehensive Guide and The Doll Blogs are available through Google Play.  

 

As a United Federation of Doll Clubs member, Garrett has contributed to their Doll News quarterly publication and their 2017 convention souvenir Journal. Garrett's articles have also been published in Doll Castle News, Contemporary Doll Collector, British Doll Showcase, DOLLS magazine, DollReader, and Fashion Doll Quarterly.  Garrett maintains her personal Black Doll Collecting blog and the Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black blog where she periodically profiles past and present doll companies, artists, and collectors. In August 2020, Garrett founded DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum.

 

A native Texan, she is the married mother of two adult children and a doting granny of two boys. Her non-doll-researching/collecting time is spent with family.  She enjoys reading, writing, editing, and publishing.