9,000 dolls at a cost of £250,000 - PHOTO

A real-life toy boy has spent 20 years and £250,000 on a-less-than-macho obsession with collecting dolls - but claims his hobby has made him a hit with the opposite sex.Jian Yang, 34, from Singapore, has filled his bachelor pad with 9,000 dolls including 6,000 Barbies.He said: 'Anyone that knows me knows I'm a classic male stereotype.'I leave the toilet seat up. I leave the cap off the toothpaste. I eat off pot lids to avoid doing the dishes. But I just have this passion for collecting dolls.'Mr Yang started collecting in 1984 and his first doll was Great Shape Barbie, which belonged to his sister.He said: 'The collection really took off in 1994, with Gone With the Wind's Scarlett O'Hara Barbie which I had to have.'So far I've spent about £250,000 collecting all my dolls and the accessories to go with them, during the last 20 years.'Jian sources his dolls from all over the world.He said: 'I travel a lot, and I make it my mission to find dolls wherever I am. I'm not a big internet shopper because I need to see a doll in person before I buy it.'He said: 'My collection is not as scary as it seems. The dolls are well displayed, but understandably overwhelming.'Female reactions are always positive, since people who come by already know me.'A lot of it is nostalgic, since I probably have the 'doll she had as a child' somewhere in my collection.Jian is currently single but he said: 'Ironically, the doll collection makes for a more natural segue into a comfortable conversation with women.'And the bedroom is definitely a doll-free zone.'Just a few of the extraordinary dolls in Jian's collection include: a Swarovski-encrusted doll, bought at an auction for charity in Singapore and Kate and William Royal Wedding barbie dolls.Jian said: 'I now have a four month old niece, who will probably one day appreciate what she stands to inherit.'Despite his house being crammed full of dolls, Jian has no plans to put his doll collection to bed.He said: 'I'm still collecting. I'm very fortunate to have very attentive friends - and every birthday and Christmas they always buy me more dolls for my collection.'I'm not greedy for more. I'm just constantly grateful to be surrounded by understanding, empathetic friends who understand how passionate I am about dolls.'(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az