DOLLS OF THE VALLEY; SHERMAN OAKS SPECIALTY SHOP BUYS, SELLS AND MAKES REPAIRS FOR INTERNATIONAL CLIENTELE AND YOUNG AT HEART DOLL SHOP CATERS TO CHILD'S PLAY.

Byline: Suzie St. John Now Open

Harold Feldman says if someone had told him years ago he would one day be a doll salesman, he would have laughed till his sides split. Happily, the joke's on Feldman, who has owned with his wife, Ruth, a store specializing in dolls for 10 years.

But the Doll Shoppe in Sherman Oaks is not your ordinary toy store. It sports more than 15,000 modern and antique dolls - and a healthy dose of sticker shock. Some of the dolls cost as much as $16,000 and are more than a century old.

Despite the exclusive and rare nature of his inventory, the store has definitely found a niche. The Feldmans moved to their present location two years ago because they needed more space.

And they cater to an international clientele, with some shoppers traveling from England and Australia.

``I buy things I like. Fun things,'' said a smiling Feldman. ``The things that are here no one needs. It's all about wants. It's a happy shopping experience.''

Of course, these dolls get some special treatment.

The store's extensive collection, which features dolls dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s, is kept in a dark, locked room at the back of the store.

The collection's high value is one reason, but preservation plays a big role, too, Feldman said.

``Fluorescent lights can be very damaging to the dolls' clothing,'' said Feldman, who generally only turns on the lights when a customer is interested in viewing the dolls.

One of the most expensive items housed in this room is an antique doll made by Jumeau, a French doll designer.

She stands 25 inches tall and wears a white baby gown. Yet her $4,000 price tag is not the steepest in the store. Feldman has another Jumeau valued at $16,000, and he brings her out only upon request.

He said the dolls' values are determined by their age and condition.

Most of these rare antiques were acquired through estate sales and auctions, but Feldman also buys them directly from customers.

Some of the popular modern lines carried by The Doll Shoppe include Madame Alexander, Annette Funicello, Seymour Mann and Gene Marshall.

Made by Ashton Drake, dolls in the Gene Marshall collection are dressed in theme outfits and have names like Iced Coffee, Daughter of the Nile and Savannah. A selection of accessory packs is also available through the collection.

The dolls can even have a picnic or lunch at a quaint table for two.

The Seymour Mann dolls have porcelain heads, arms and legs, and a soft body. Most are garbed in full-length dresses replete with intricate beading and lace. Cost ranges from $24.95 to $49.95.

The Annette Funicello line is a collection of bears wearing matching coats, hats and bags. They're tagged at $24.95.

``Dolls come in a variety of brands, style and size. It's just a matter of taste, like clothing,'' said Feldman whose selection also includes traditional favorites like Thumbelina and Chatty Cathy and new favorites like Beanie Babies.

Dolls need a place to live, too. So naturally, the store offers hand-crafted doll houses and a broad selection of miniature items such as dolls, furniture, tea sets, fish tanks and specialty food items like Wonder Bread and Beefeater Gin.

A sampling of the doll houses is on display in the store's front windows, but they can be tailored to the customer's specifications.

``We had one customer who wanted us to create a copy of his cabin on the lake at Big Bear, and another who wanted her house to feature a ballet room complete with mirrors and a ballet barre,'' Feldman recalled. ``If they want to use their imagination, we try to accommodate them.''

Doll houses come in a variety of prices and sizes. The models on the main floor of the shop were two to three stories tall and ranged in price from $350 to $550, but Feldman said the price can go up according to the special wants of the customer.

One woman kept changing her mind about details like the number of rooms, the type and color of the carpet, and where the staircase would go.

Feldman just rolled with the changes because for him the most important thing was for this woman to be happy with her house.

A longtime friend who wants to be known only as Bud does the majority of doll-house constructions in a work area set up in the basement of the shop at 13300 Riverside Drive.

``Bud is a marvel at doing houses - he's the master,'' Feldman said of his friend of 30 years.

Along with the doll-house construction, the sprawling downstairs area serves as a shipping room for the store's Internet sales, a storage facility for its massive inventory and a work area for doll restoration.

Orders stacked from floor to ceiling are from customers waiting for precious dolls to be restored to their former beauty.

Doll heads are stored in file cabinets and cushioned with baby diapers. Feldman also keeps piles of old dolls used for parts.

Feldman said the cost for each job is individual, and the time involved can be weeks, months and sometimes even a whole year.

``We do a little bit of everything here, and we do it all ourselves. We're basically just a mom-and-pop operation,'' Feldman concluded.

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4 photos

Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) Below, carefully stored doll heads line the shelves of a large basement workroom in The Doll Shoppe, where dolls are repaired, purchased or sold. At right, Harold Feldman fits a door into a tri-level doll house assembled for a customer. Feldman and his wife, Ruth, co-own the Sherman Oaks shop.

(3 -- color) Violette Colla, 3, carried by her dad, Anthony Colla, of Valley Glenn browse in The Doll Shoppe after dropping off Violette's doll for repair. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer

(4) Shop owner Harold Feldman shows an antique French Jumeau doll, center, and a German Kestner.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer