Debbie Behan Garrett

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, Ms. Garrett's efforts to connect with other like-minded collectors culminated in founding the WeLoveBlackDolls Yahoo! Group, in January 2001. 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 third book, 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.

As an associate member of Motor City Doll Club, Garrett is also a member of the United Federation of Doll Clubs, has contributed to UFDC's Doll News quarterly publication, and the 2017 UFDC Convention souvenir journal. Garrett's articles have also been published in Doll Castle News, Contemporary Doll Collector, British Doll Showcase, DOLLS Magazine, DollReader, Fashion Doll Quarterly, and Poppen & Teddy-Beer, which is published in the Netherlands. Since 2008, she has maintained the Black Doll Collecting blog and her sister blog, Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.

On January 17, 2021, Garrett founded DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum—the first and only virtual museum that celebrates antique, vintage, modern, and one-of-a-kind Black dolls 24/7.

A native Texan, Garrett is the married mother of two adult children and doting granny of two boys. She holds a degree in Business Administration. Her non-doll-researching/collecting time is spent with family and friends and living each day as if it were Saturday.