Slide show of 1940 1950 1960 Doll Collection

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1950's 14" Hard Plastic Ballerina Doll (Maybe RB) with Elaborate Wig in Dolls Bears , Dolls , By Material , Hard Plastic |eBay

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What is there about Christmas that brings out the child in us?? It doesn't seem to matter how old we get, the Christmas holiday seems to bring back fond childhood memories. I can still remember what doll that I received on the Christmas mornings from age five to twelve! Several of the dolls mentioned in other articles are the ones that I had as a child. These dolls are the reason that I started collecting more than twenty years ago. Recently, I was looking through old photos and found a picture of me and my Howdy Doody marionette/puppet. I thought I would try to share that 1950 photo. I was five and couldn't wait to watch the Howdy Doody Show. It was in the early 1950's when TV was just beginning. All I wanted was a Howdy Doody puppet! I think my marionette was made by Peter Puppet Playthings. Maybe someone can verify that. I just know I loved him with his cute freckled face, cowboy outfit and boots, and strings that would always getting tangled. I hope this past Christmas has brought back wonderful memories for all of you. I would love to hear some of them. Let me take this time to wish all readers a very happy and healthy New Year!

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In 1964 Mattel added a new hairdo style to its line of Barbie dolls. It was known as the Swirl Ponytail Barbie or is also referred to as a side part or swept ponytail. The new style came brunette, blonde, platinum blonde and titian. This doll came with a red swim suit a change from the earlier black and white striped suit. This style Barbie had the Midge/Barbie body with the addition of the word patented on the last line. This mark was found on one side of her butt. They also had a variety of lip colors. Some were red, while others harder to find are light pink, coral, white and a "mustard" color. These dolls have become very collectible today and usually command a higher price than other dolls of the same vintage.

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My first article (found in the January 2007 archive) about the little rubber baby doll, Amosandra by the Sun Rubber Company, has inspired many readers to leave comments and wonderful stories about this very special doll. Many have said that she was their favorite doll, as she was mine also. I have enjoyed reading all the stories and can definitely feel the love that so many have for her! A reader was kind enough to send me these two photos, which I will cherish and I hope that all of you will appreciate the mint condition of the doll (please see the article about the rubber deterioration in May 2008 archive). It is truly rare to find a doll in the original box with the accessories. I hope you all enjoy the pics.

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I wonder if anyone has ever seen this early Vogue Ginny Doll dress or has any information about what I feel is a very rare outfit. A slightly different version of the dress is pictured on page 90 of the 1998 edition of the Collector's Encyclopedia of Vogue Dolls by Izen and Stover. The book dates the outfit to 1951, however, my dress has the 1952 tag. This outfit is a wonderful example of the fine quality and creativity of the Vogue Doll Company. The company was known as a cottage industry, employing many sewers who worked from their homes. They sent the finished dresses back to Vogue who then packaged them and distributed the wonderful outfits to stores. I would love to hear from anyone who might have a another special outfit or may have been one of the home sewers.

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The Ideal Toy Corporation began production of their teenage doll, Tammy, in 1962. Like the many other teenage fashion dolls of that time, Tammy had many outfits and accessories. The high quality outfits depicted the styles of the early 1960's . The 12" dolls had vinyl heads (rooted hair), legs and arms with plastic bodies. The dolls resembled the "girl next door" with a more "girlish figure" than the very popular Mattel's Barbie. It has been said that the movie "Tammy and the Batchelor" starring Debbie Reynolds may have influenced Ideal to name the new doll Tammy and also that they designed her face to resemble the movie star, Sandra Dee. The dolls could have blonde, light brown, tosca or brunette hair color and came dressed in a blue and white one-piece playsuit and sneakers. Later variations of the doll were Posn' Tammy, Grown UP Tammy and Posn' Tammy and Her Telephone Booth. My photo shows her little sister Pepper. Other dolls in the Tammy family include Pepper (sister), Tammy's Mom, Tammy's Dad, Brother Ted, Misty (best friend), Bud (Tammy's boyfriend), Pete (Tammy's little brother), Dodi, and Salty (Pepper's friends). These dolls very popular in the 60's and have become very collectible today.

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In my August 2007 article about the all vinyl Ginny produced between 1965 and 1972, I mentioned the highly collectible dolls that were made for just one year. These dolls were from the Far Away Land Series. The Stewardess #518, Pilgrim #519 (pictured in 8/07 archive), Cowboy #520, Ballerina #522 and the Bride #523. One doll in the series is very hard to find and has become highly sought after. It is the #501 American Indian. She is dressed in a lovely real white leather beaded dress, headband and moccasins. She even had a papoose on her back. She is a very pretty doll with her darker skin tone and jet black braids. Perhaps, these late 1960's Ginny dolls will soon become very collectible as are her earlier 1950's sisters.

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In 1974 Hallmark Cards, Inc. marketed party goods and other paper products with the Raggedy Ann theme. Among the most collectible of these items is the series of 5 1/2" soft stuffed dolls. The series consisted of Raggedy Ann, Raggedy Andy, Beloved Belindy, Uncle Clem and Henny. It was the first time since the early Volland days that there was an Uncle Clem manufactured and it was the first time ever that there was a Henny. Beloved Belindy was no longer Raggedy's Mammy character, but was now a little girl with a calico green dress. All of these characters were derived from the numerous Raggedy Ann story books by Johnny Gruelle. Hallmark obtained the license for Raggedy Ann and Andy from the Knickerbocker Toy Co. while the other members of the series were licensed right from the Bobbs Merrill Co. I have pictured a 1974 Hallmark & Bobbs Merrill kaleidoscope with the very same series pictured. These items are considered hard to find and quite desirable among Raggedy Ann collectors.

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The Singer Manufacturing Company began manufacturing sewing machines in 1851. In the early 1900's they produced the first small sewing machine for girls. These small machines have become known as toy sewing machines even though Singer advertised them as "portable, not toy machines". The very early ones were made of cast iron and had an oval base. In the late 1940's, the machines were made of lighter die cast metal and had a square base. Both styles were held to a table top by a "C" clamp. The machines prior to 1950 were all painted black. Very unusual versions of the 1950's model (most were black) include those painted red, green, blue and tan. There was also one made in 1951 only. It is referred to as the "Centennial" to commemorate "a century of sewing services". That machine and the colored versions are highly sought after by collectors. Collectors will pay premium prices for mint machines complete with their box and original accessories (instruction booklet, clamp, needle changing tool, and needles). Today these wonderful little Singer sewing machines have become very collectible due to their sturdy construction and their very appealing look.

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The Vogue Doll Company discontinued manufacturing their popular all hard plastic Jill doll in 1960 (see article in category 1950's). Because the doll company subsequently received so much criticism, they decided to create an "All New Jill" teenage doll in 1962. She was an all vinyl doll with rooted hair and sleep eyes with molded lashes and three painted on lashes on the outside of the eyes. She had soft blush cheeks and pale pink lipstick. Her hair was styled in an angel bob in auburn, brunette and platinum. The back of her head was marked VOGUE, which was her only identifying mark. She was sold for $3.00 with chemise underwear or dressed in one of the ten outfits that were available that year. Outfits were also sold separately. In 1963, Vogue manufactured the same all vinyl doll that also came with a beehive hair style. She was known as "Sweetheart Jill" and had eight outfits. Some outfits also matched her little sister Ginny that year. There was no Jill in 1964 and in 1965, Vogue created a "Vogue Dolls from History Land" series. The same Jill was used in this series which consisted of Colonial Days, Revolutionary Days, Frontier Days, Southern Belle, Victorian Era, and Gibson Girl. Since these dolls from the 1960's are getting very difficult to find in mint condition, they are now becoming very collectible.

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I must admit that besides my passion for dolls, I absolutely love vintage Singer Featherweight sewing machines. I bought one about ten years ago and now find it very hard to pass one up if the price is reasonable. Consequently, I am finding it difficult to store them all in my sewing room. They are a wonderful simple sewing machine that Singer began manufacturing in the 1930's and continued until the mid 1960's. They are very popular with quilters for they are portable (small and reasonably light). They have now become very collectible. Depending on rarity and condition, they can demand hundreds of dollars. The basic black machine in very good to excellent condition (looks good and runs well) can cost an average of $300.00. Tan and white machines can be priced higher. The very hard to find free arm machine (I found one last summer at a flea market!) is also worth a lot more than the more common black version. These machines are very easy to maintain. Instructions on oiling and minor adjustments are explained in the Singer booklet that comes with the machine. Attachments also come with the machine, but I have never used any of them. I just really enjoy sewing with a machine that makes such a perfect stitch!!

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The very popular American Girl Doll was first introduced by Pleasant T. Rowland, founder of Pleasant Company, in 1986. These 18" dolls, books, furniture, and accessories were available from a mail order catalog. The original doll face was designed by Gotz, a well-known German doll maker of high quality dolls. The early dolls and stories were based on the adventures of pre-teen (ages 9-10) girls from various periods in American history. In 1986 three dolls were available, Samantha (a doll from 1904), Kirsten (from 1854), and Molly (from 1944). Felicity (1774) was added in 1991, Addy (1864) in 1993, and Josefina (1824) in 1997. Since then, several others and friends of the already established girls have been added. In 1995, the company added a line of Girls of Today, and a Bitty Baby with many accessories. In the 1990's production of the dolls switched location from Hungary to China and in 1998 toy giant Mattel, Inc. bought Pleasant Co. In 2000, Kit (1934) was added and a Limited Edition line of Girl of the Year. These limited dolls have become quit collectible and realize more than their original value at auction. The original dolls directly from Pleasant Co. were sold with books for around $85-90. These dolls were high quality with beautiful hair to comb and restyle. They withstand many hours of play. At this time, I am only aware of one flaw to the dolls, which is know as "silver eye". I personally experienced this with my Molly. One eye only turned a silvery color, so that the eyes no longer matched. It happened even though I never removed her from her box. I now know of the problem and have found that one can send the doll back to the company and have it fixed. I have pictured Molly McIntire (one of the originals) and Kailey Hopkins (Girl of the Year 2003-2004) from my personal collection.

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Since my second "rescue dog", Hershey, turned two yesterday, I decided to write a little article on adopting a dog. I have been an animal lover my entire life and have always had a dog in the family. All our former dogs were purchased from very reputable breeders. My last dog, a wonderful Chocolate Lab named Toby passed away in 1995 and I vowed to never have another for it was just too hard to go through the pain of the loss. Then came Hurricane Katrina and I knew that my contribution to the tragedy was to rescue a dog. So many dogs were in need of help. In a twist of fate, we met Mickey (a retriever mix) through a rescue group in our town. The founder of Great Dog Rescue New England lives near my daughter and was "fostering" a puppy who had been transported to New England from Arkansas. I met him and the rest is history as they say! His mother had been surrendered to a shelter by her owner who had lost his home due to the flooding from the hurricane. Mom delivered her litter two weeks later. This rescue group, like many others, tries to free dogs from the high-kill shelters in the South sometimes with no time to spare. This puppy was one of the lucky ones and is now a wonderful member of our family. I had forgotten how much work it was having a puppy!! We survived puppyhood, then my husband announced that we should get a "friend" for Mickey. At first I was against the idea, but then succumbed to the idea if I could look for a Chocolate lab to join our family. After a month of searching the website of GDRNE.com and the special help of the founder and her volunteers, we found Hershey. A rescue volunteer in Tennessee had discovered a litter of what seemed to be Chocolate Labs in her neighborhood. One of these puppies was promised to me and I started preparing for the new arrival. Unfortunately, all the puppies except one wondered into the woods. Somehow that sweet little pup stayed home and was taken from those bad conditions by a volunteer and placed in a temporary foster home. A month later that pup made his journey on the transport to Massachusetts. He is a beautiful Chocolate Lab (I had his DNA tested and he is a pure bred lab!) and made himself right at home. This rescue group works countless hours to help our furry friends in the South find wonderful homes and families in New England. I would certainly recommend to anyone who is considering getting a dog to adopt one. The Great Dog Rescue Group screens dogs for personality before placing them in the program and works very hard to match dogs and families. Dogs are also spayed or neutered before adoption and have all the appropriate shots. It is a wonderful and rewarding gift to give a dog a chance at a better life. Take a look at the website www.gdrne.com if you are in the New England area. Happy holidays to all and best wishes for a very happy and healthy New Year!

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Mattel manufactured the first Barbie Doll in 1959. She was 11 1/2 inches tall and was designed with the very distinctive shapely body. The very early Barbies are highly collectible and command unbelievably high prices! Characteristics of the #1 Barbie (1959) are: vinyl solid body, very light complexion, white irises, pointed eyebrows, gold hoop earrings, soft ponytail, holes in her feet to fit the doll stand and a black and white striped bathing suit. #2 Barbie (1959-1960 only made for 3 months): same as above, but with no holes in feet and some wore little pearl earrings. #3 Barbie (1960): same as above, but with blue irises and softly curved eyebrows and no holes in feet. #4 Barbie (1960): same as #3 but with solid body of flesh-colored vinyl. #5 Barbie (1961): same as #4, but ponytail is a firmer Saran material. The marks on the butt indicate how early a ponytail Barbie is also. The very early bodies are marked with "TM" after the word "Barbie" while the later bodies are marked "R" after the word "Barbie". Does anyone know if the braided ponytail on the doll pictured is the way she came from the factory? It looks too perfect to have been done by its original owner! I would love to know for sure!!

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In 1951 the Ideal Doll Company manufactured a very cute 22" doll named Saucy Walker. She became very popular because she walked and was able to stand by herself. This happy faced doll cried and had sleep eyes that were "flirty" (her eyes would move from side to side). Her wigs were braided and could be blonde, tosca, brunette and red. She was marked Ideal/W22 on her neck and back and was dressed in very sweet high quality untagged little girls school type dresses . Saucy could also be 16" tall. This version of the Saucy Walker was available until 1955. Rare Black Saucy Walker and boy dolls have been seen.

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What is happening to our local antique shops? Yesterday my husband and I went out antiquing to an area which is about 40 minutes from our home. In the past we have visited the shops in this area at least once a month even during our long winters. Ten plus years ago, there were at least seven shops (mostly large group shops) along a road that stretched about five miles. During the last year, the number had decreased to three and much to our disappointment we found another one closed just over this past weekend! The recent closure was a group shop of more than a hundred dealers. What is happening? One of the two remaining shops seems to be healthy with lots of dealers and lots of interesting stuff. The other shop definitely seems to be suffering with many vacant cases. I also feel frustration with the lack of quality inventory... yard sale stuff at antique shop prices. Some dealers don't even know the current values of their items and price them unrealistically. Are these bad economic times having a huge impact on the antique world or is it eBay where you can just search for your item and buy it at a discounted price? I do believe that eBay is partly responsible for many items losing their values. Now we have to spend higher prices for gas and come home empty handed. It is a sad picture indeed. I wonder if others have experienced this also. I still enjoy the thrill of the hunt and hope the local antique shop will someday make a big comeback!

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Another highly sought after Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy collectible is the Camel With The Wrinkled Knees. Georgene Novelties had a version that resembled the actual character in the early story books. The camel was brown with a colored blanket. Knickerbocker's version (1960-1970's) was light blue polyester fabric with a red felt harness. In the story, the camel was originally straight legged. His legs became wrinkled when the sticks were removed to make him more lovable and cuddly! A Raggedy Ann enthusiast would want to add one of these lovable creatures to their collection. Another hard to find stuffed Raggedy collectible of the 1970's is the dog named Raggedy Arthur. Both of these items are getting much harder to find which is definitely increasing their values.

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Anyone who is a lover and collector of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy stories and dolls is very aware of their very lovable and chubby mammy, Beloved Belindy. The wonderful children's books written by Johnny Gruelle (1880-1938) from 1918 to the 1940's feature Belindy in many episodes. The actual 18-19" cloth doll was first manufactured by the Volland Co. In 1938, Georgene Novelties acquired the rights to manufacture the dolls and then in 1962, Knickerbocker offered a slightly different version of this very sweet doll. The chubby tummy doll was made of brown cotton with painted face and no hair as she wore a kerchief on her head. She usually wears a solid red jacket, flowered skirt with an apron. My doll pictured is a handmade version of the doll. I am not sure of the age (probably not old, but designed from the early 1940's pattern). In more than twenty years of collecting Raggedy dolls, I have not been successful in finding an early manufactured doll. Due to their rarity, prices for the Vollands, Georgenes, or even a Knickerbocker can be a bit high for this collector! Someday I may find a REAL one!! I can dream of finding one at a yard sale!! :)

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During the 1940's and the 1950's, Georgene Novelties created many cloth dolls. They are most noted for their famous and very collectible Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls. Another one of my favorite Georgene Dolls is the comic strip character "Little Lulu". These dolls were cloth with a painted mask face. These very cute dolls were 13-14" tall and were manufactured between 1944 and 1961. Lulu had a partial "stringy" yarn wig adorned with a red bow. She was dressed in a removable red cotton dress decorated with white rick rack, white collar and panties. Some dolls were dressed in a cowgirl outfit which are highly collectible today. During this time, comic books were very popular among young readers. Other comic strip characters manufactured at the same time were Alvin, Nancy, Sluggo and Tubby. MIB dolls are a wonderful find for the boxes alone are very collectible among comic strip buffs.

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Following a vacation trip to the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area, I became fascinated with the wonderful handmade dolls made by young Amish girls. These dolls were made for play and were dressed in the same clothing that the Amish children wore. The children themselves dressed in smaller versions of their parents clothing. Most vintage dolls that I have seen are about 12" tall and are sewn by hand using muslin and cotton fabrics. An outfit would consist of dress, smock, socks and a hat. Boy dolls had pants, shirts and hats. Fabric colors are solid and are dark (black, brown, navy, dark green, maroon, purple etc.) Printed fabrics were not allowed. The dolls were faceless for the Amish order believed that it was sinful to capture one's likeness in photographs, portraits or dolls. Very rarely you might find an Amish doll with lightly penciled eyes, nose and mouth made by a child who could not resist the temptation to add a face! One can easily find souvenir examples of these dolls today but it is truly great fun to find a real old doll from the 1920's, 1930's or 1940's. They are a fine example of American folk art.

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Since I published my first article on the Amosandra Doll a year and a half ago, I have received many wonderful stories and comments about this very beloved little rubber baby doll. The common thread in most of the stories is her terrible rubber deterioration. I had mentioned that I had previously sold the wonderful doll pictured in that first article (Jan.07) and hope that she is still in nice condition. I also mentioned that the one doll I still have is deteriorating at an alarming rate. I decided to show a couple of pictures of her showing the typical problem and also did some research to share some info with my readers. The info was taken from a August 1991 Doll World magazine article by JoAnn Johnson on doll restoration. She hopes that rubber doll owners enjoy their dolls for their life can be brief! Rubber comes from the sap of a Brazilian tree. It is made up of chainlike links that look like coils. Raw rubber has coils that slip when stretched. When rubber is heated (vulcanized), the coils return to their original position. Sulfur is added in the vulcanization process. The amount of sulfur that is added determines if it will stretch or remain hard. Rubber has an odor that remains even when it ages. It is the natural aging process that causes the rubber to deteriorate. Ms. Johnson recommends that one does not use grease on these dolls for it is harmful to the rubber and actually accelerates the aging process. Under magnification one can see those links loosening. She also recommends cleaning, drying and using talcum powder and covering the doll as much as possible. Also a climate controlled room is advised away from extreme heat, light and moisture. Don't let them touch other surfaces and definitely don't store them in plastic cases or bags. She also discusses restoration in length which is way beyond my capabilities. My true feeling is that the problem is inevitable. The dolls that still look good after 60 years are just lucky or have been kept in the best possible environment for many years. Keep them and enjoy them until the end!!

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I joined the eBay online auction community in January 1997. I actually discovered eBay one night in October 1996 as I was surfing on my brand new personal computer. At the time I was part owner of a small antique group shop (specializing in dolls, teddy bears and vintage toys) that was struggling to stay afloat with a huge overhead. Ebay seemed like a viable alternative to sell our items so after a couple of months of watching the action, I signed on. In the beginning eBay actually kept count of the members. There were only a few categories and all dolls were in just one category! I bought and sold a few items with much success. At that time there were many more buyers than sellers so it was very possible to have a bidding war on fairly ordinary items. Today is quite a different story! There are hundreds of categories and thousands of members (perhaps even into the millions!). The categories have subdivisions and to me it is mind boggling how it all works (software is not my "forte"). It has developed into the current giant that now owns many other companies.

I now enjoy selling as a hobby and sell approximately 80-100 items a year. Some items sell very well realizing a profit while others bring a loss. At this time, I have learned quite a few things. I always search an item on eBay before I list it. This gives me an idea if the item will sell and for how much. There is a listing fee and a final value fee so the item much realize a profit to cover these costs. I also try to sell items that are very good to excellent condition and it helps to be a very rare item. It is still possible to make a large profit if the item is rare and pristine. Knowledge of the item is essential. I have definitely learned not to waste my time on items that are common and not desirable. There are other online sites to sell items but I still remain faithful to eBay. I believe that it still draws the largest audience and is a true global outlet for selling quality items. I would love to hear some great eBay success stories.

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The ever popular Sweet Sue Doll by the American Character Doll Company came in many sizes and versions during the late 1940's to the mid 1960's. Similar to the RB and Madame Alexander hard plastic girl dolls, these dolls had a vast, quality wardrobe (simple school girl dresses to Sunday Best to luxurious gowns). Dolls came in 15" to 30" and were all hard plastic, partially vinyl and an all vinyl doll near the end of production. The early dolls were strung and later became walkers. Dolls were usually marked on the back of the neck (Amer. Char. Doll or American Char Doll), but not on the body. Another characteristic of these dolls is a pale complexion with blush cheeks. Some of the finest and hard to find dolls are the 1957 Sweet Sue Sophisticates. Collectors pay very high prices for these mint in box dolls for they were only made for one year.

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The Arranbee Doll Company (aka RB) was established in the 1920's and enjoyed many years of creating high quality dressed dolls. Dolls included baby dolls, toddler type dolls and little girl dolls. The dolls of the 1930's and 1940's were mostly made of composition, which was an improvement over the early bisque dolls. Both materials could crack and break easily if not handled with care. In the late 1940's, hard plastic was introduced and improved the doll industry greatly. All competitive doll companies now manufactured dolls with this new material that increased the durablility of the "play" doll. Arranbee manufactured the girl dolls Nanette and Nancy Lee for about ten years starting in 1947. They were similar to Ideal's Toni and American Character's Sweet Sue to name a few. They wore outstanding quality outfits ranging from girl dresses to beautiful gowns and ballerina tutus. Often outfits had real fur trim. Wigs were mohair, human hair, floss and saran. Dolls were strung and later walkers. My 14" doll has been partially redressed and was a ballerina. She has a wonderful floss wig which has not been restyled. These dolls are a true treasure!

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The year 1955 brought a few changes to The Vogue Ginny Doll. The walking body remained the same, but her eyelashes were no longer painted on. They were now stiff, molded plastic. The new doll was often seen with lighter cheek color and sometimes hardly any at all. Ginny had lots of new outfits. Outfit series included: Kinder Crowd, Ginny Gym Kids, Merry Moppets, Tiny Miss, Fun Time, And Away We Go, Bridal Trousseau, and the very collectible Bon Bons. In 1956 Vogue kept most series and added Play Time, Formals and Debs. Some of these gowns are highly sought after today. It was a period of growth for Ginny, even though many feel that she lacked the beauty of the earlier dolls.

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In a previous article, I discussed a very rare 1960's Black Ginnette doll. This article shows the more common white version of the same doll manufactured by the Vogue Doll Co. in the mid 1960's. She was redesigned from the 1950's doll. Her size was the same, but her sleep eyes looked a bit larger (her head may be somewhat smaller) and her eyebrows were there in the mold, but not painted nicely as the earlier doll. She was marked Vogue Dolls Inc on her backside and she also was a drink and wet doll. Her outfits were simpler and not as many. The quality and the popularity of the dolls during this period seemed to be diminishing. It is still fun to find one of these dolls in excellent condition to add to a collection.

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The German company, Steiff, changed the design of their Teddy Bears over the years. My previous post shows what I believe to be a very early example of their wonderful bears. From 1905-1948, Steiff used what is known as the "FF" button. It is a small metal button with the name STEIFF in capital letters. The last "F" has a long tale which underscores back to between the E and the I. The fully jointed bears with this button have long, curved arms compared to the legs. They have very defined ankles and have a rather small head (with glass eyes) compared to the body. (The 1950's bears have shorter, straight arms and legs and a larger, round head). They also have a very defined hump on the back. Bears came in many sizes from 3" to very large 28". The very small are popular among collectors and generally the value increases the larger the bear. Of course, condition is always very important. The nicer the bear, the more expensive he will be. My bear has the "FF" button and is 12" tall. He is a light gold mohair bear with black horizontal stitched nose and four black claws. He is stuffed with excelsior which you can see in the hole in his pad. Even though the Teddy Bear was produced in large numbers during the first half of the twentieth century, I have found it very hard to find a nice Steiff Teddy with the "FF" button.

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The Steiff Teddy Bear is one of the most beloved and sought after teddies among today's collectors. Steiff, a century old German company, manufactures very high quality teddy bears and other animals. The Steiff Original Teddy, one of many teddy bear designs, has had various characteristics through the years. If Teddy is missing all identification (ear button, ear tag, and chest tag), certain characteristics can help to identify his age and also authenticate him as genuine Steiff. The 1950's Original Teddy is one of my favorites. Teddy came in gold and caramel color and were available in sizes from 3" to as large as approx. 25" tall. Today one of these Teddy Bears in excellent condition can be very expensive. They were 5 way jointed and had glass eyes. The fifties teddy had shorter arms than his earlier cousins, four claws on his paws with felt pads. Steiff Teddies have rather large feet with very shapely ankles. The Original Teddy Bear usually had a neck ribbon and a paper chest tag. One is very lucky to find a bear with ear button (raised script design), ear tag, neck ribbon and chest tag all intact.

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In the early 1960's, Georgene Novelties lost the license to produce their Johnny Gruelle authorized version of the very famous Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls. For a decade or so, Georgene Novelties had to tolerate many Raggedy "look-alike" dolls that were produced by numerous smaller companies. Now it was their turn to produce a doll that resembled the popular Raggedy Ann doll. In 1964 Georgene manufactured their last cloth dolls and named them "Georgene" and "George". These all cloth dolls were 15" and 19" tall and had yarn hair. The bodies were the same as the earlier Georgene Raggedies. The face was all printed with a round nose and cute smile. The legs were solid red or blue. If Ann had red legs, her dress was blue and vise versa. If Andy had blue legs, his pants were red and vise versa. These dolls failed to capture the popularity of the licensed Johnny Gruelle's Raggedy dolls so it wasn't long before the latest Georgene dolls and the company itself disappeared from the doll world.

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The American Toy & Novelty Co. manufactured dolls that resembled the very popular licensed Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls in the 1930's and 1940's. Their names were "Buddy" and "Sis". These dolls were 15" tall with oilcloth heads and wigs made of yarn. The bodies of these dolls doubled as their outfits. Buddy's pants were separate as was Sis's skirt. Outfits were made from odd pieces of fabric often not matching at all! My "Buddy" doll is only in fair condition, but dolls (especially matching pairs) that are in excellent to mint condition are commanding very high prices on eBay!

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The Renwal Manufacturing Co. which was located in New York, New York produced dollhouse dolls and furniture from 1945-1956. As a young girl in the early 1950's, I spent hours playing with my "bending dolls" with my friends. I never had a metal doll house but just set up the rooms of furniture on the floor! The furniture was made of very colorful plastic with many pieces having moveable parts. The style was very typical of the that period. Pieces were marked Renwal and were also numbered. There are some very hard to find pieces (sewing machine, broom, vacuum cleaner) that command some higher prices. Some pieces had decals and some were hand painted which add to their appeal. It is fun to try to outfit a dollhouse with all the rooms available. Renwal also produced the dollhouse dolls. The family consisted of Father, Mother, Brother, Sister and baby. They was also a Policeman, Doctor, Mechanic and Nurse which are very hard to find. The dolls were made of one color plastic and then painted with flesh tones. It is difficult to find a doll with no rubs to the paint as they were heavily played with. I wish that I still had my policeman, doctor and nurse. The nurse came with and without a cap. Mine had a cap which fit into a hole on the top of her head. I have since had a nurse (pictured with the baby nursery) that didn't have a hole for the cap. The dolls could sit and move their arms and legs. I think these "bending dolls" were very innovative for their time! I have not seen any of these dolls mint in box in my twenty years of doll collecting. Their value would probably be quite high.

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The Flagg and Company Doll Company was originally located in Brookline, Mass. and produced a line of dolls made of flexible vinyl resin. These dollhouse sized dolls were designed by Sheila Flagg and were sold from 1947 to the mid 1980's. The dolls faces were hand painted and they were dressed in real cloth clothing. They had a wire inside that made them poseable. The original dolls (2"-4") consisted of family members (father, mother, brother, sister and baby) so were very suited for dollhouse play. Later the company added different lines of character dolls and were a larger size (8"). The dolls could be in pairs or dressed in clothing from different countries. The last address for the company was Jamaica Plain, Mass. Today, MIB dolls have become very collectible. The very rare black dolls command higher prices.

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The Effanbee Doll Company first produced their famous Dy-dee Baby doll in the 1930's. The doll continued to be produced into the 1950's with various changes. The first doll (Mold 1) had molded ears, hair and almond-shaped sleep eyes with human hair or mohair eyelashes. The head was made of very hard rubber which almost looked like composition or hard plastic and the body was a softer rubber. She was one of the many dolls designed by the famous New York doll sculpter Bernard Lipfert. In the 1940's the company added rubber applied ears and some dolls came with caracul wigs. (Mold 2). The eyes were rounder and larger. Later they became drink and wet dolls with two holes near the eyes for tears. (Mold 3 pictured). There was a unique system (a rubber plug in her backside) that kept her dry for many minutes after she was fed. Hard plastic heads replaced the hard rubber in the 1950's. The doll was marketed as "The Almost Human Doll". Dy-Dee had numerous outfits and came with many accessories (bottles, pacifier, rattles, furniture and carriages). These dolls came in different sizes: 11", 13", 15" and the very lifelike 20" and were marked "Effanbee Dy-Dee Baby" with patent numbers on the back. There were also many sewing patterns for their little mothers or "grandmothers" to make their own wonderful clothes. The Dy-Dee Baby doll was the first doll of its kind to be joined later by Ideal's Betsy Wetsy, American Character's Tiny Tears and many other generic drink and wet dolls. I think Dy-Dee Baby is truly an exquisite doll!

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The Bye-Lo Baby was designed by Grace Storey Putnam to represent a three day old infant. The bisque head dolls are marked 1923 by Grace S. Putnam Made in Germany on the back of the neck and were manufactured by such companies as J.D. Kestner, Alt, Beck & Gottschalck, Hertel & Schwab and others. The cloth body was made by K & K Toy Co. of New York and was often stamped "Bye-Lo Baby". The doll's hands were either celluloid or composition. The bisque head dolls came in different head circumference sizes (8", 10", 12", 15", and 17"). The larger sizes seem to have a higher value. The eyes were made to open and close. Although some people think the dolls are unattractive, these baby dolls continue to be very popular among antique doll collectors today.

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The bent knee walker (BKW) Ginny Doll was created in 1957. Now she could walk and also sit down with her knees bent. She still had a large wardrobe with a few of her outfits matching Jill and Ginnette. Many of her outfits and accessories could be bought separately. Her wig could be blonde, brunette or red and come in a flip, a ponytail or in braids. Although Ginny was still a very popular doll, many feel that this new version of Ginny did not have the same high quality of the earlier ones. The facial coloring of the dolls was not so vibrant and her wigs could not be restyled as well as before. She did have many wonderful outfits with the beautiful 1957 formal gowns being highly sought after today.

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In 1960 the Vogue Doll Company created a very different Ginny Doll called "Wee Imp". She was a Bent Knee Walker doll with molded lash green sleep eyes, freckles and straight red "carrot-top" hair. During this early 1960 era, some regular Ginnys also had freckles, lighter lip color and the usual flip styled wig. Wee Imp had four outfits. A blue jumper with red sail boat and hat, red and white striped pj's with matching nightcap, blue jeans and red checked shirt with a straw hat and a turquoise and white polkadot pinafore dress. She is a very cute, unusual, little doll who was marketed as the "mischievous friend" of Ginny. This doll's value remains high due to her rarity.

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The all vinyl version of Vogue Dolls, Inc. Ginny Doll was manufactured from 1965 to 1971. The dolls were straight leg, non-walking dolls with eyes that opened and closed. They had rooted hair and were marked "Ginny" on the back of the head and "Ginny, Vogue Dolls Inc.", on the back. This 8" doll was the last Ginny actually made in the USA. These dolls were dressed in the typical little girl dresses and outfits from the Fairy Tale Land and Far Away Lands Series. They came in blue and white boxes with cellophane fronts or the very hard to find all hard plastic completely transparent boxes. There was a group of special dolls produced in 1968-1969 which were the Nun, Nurse, Bride, Cowgirl, Pilgrim, and Stewardess. Because of their limited production, these dolls are considered very rare and highly sought after today. A comprehensive Ginny collection would not be complete without one of these last USA dolls.

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For a very limited time in the early 1970's, Knickerbocker dressed a pair of Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls in very unusual outfits. Ann wore a "two tone" dress (tiny pastel flowers on the bodice and an aqua skirt) and a white apron with a red flower on the pocket. Andy's suit had turquoise pants and matching bow with the usual red checked shirt. I do not have one in my collection...still looking for a nice example. It is possible that these outfits were influenced by the "flower power" generation. These dolls are very hard to find for the production lasted for only a short time. The "Hollywood" or "Movie" dolls were manufactured in 1977 following a full length feature film called Raggedy Ann and Andy, A Musical Adventure. Their oufits were changed to resemble the ones worn in the movie. Ann's dress was blue with red polkadots and Andy's shirt was red, white and blue plaid. Their faces were also a bit different from the usual Knickerbockers. Facial features had finer lines. Production of these dolls lasted from 1977 to 1979. Because of their limited productions, these dolls are highly sought after by collectors.

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These are some of the variations of cotton floral prints used by the Knickerbocker Toy Co. in the 1960's. I constantly search for more examples of the unusual early prints and sometimes have to purchase a doll in fair condition just to have her dress!! See the article about the Knickerbocker Anns that follows.

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Due to the popularity of the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls of the 1940's and 1950's, the very established Knickerbocker Toy Co. of New York City began producing many non-doll items such as pajama bags, vinyl toys, puppets, sewing kits, etc. in 1960. Sales of these items increased the popularity of Raggedy Ann so much that Myrtle Gruelle decided to give Knickerbocker Co. (larger than Georgene) the exclusive rights to manufacture the Raggedy Ann dolls in 1962. This began an era that lasted until 1982. Almost every little girl during this period owned a Raggedy Ann doll! For the next twenty years, these dolls were mass produced in many different countries (Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia etc.). Sizes varied from 8" to very large 36". The most popular sizes were 15" and 18". I have enjoyed collecting the Anns with many different dress prints of the 1960's. Some of the very early dress prints are very hard to find. The Raggedy Anns of the 1970's had the very common pink, blue and green flowered print. The last Raggedys had a print that featured larger pink "rose" flowers. The first pictured Raggedy Ann and Andy are a pair from the early 1960's. The second pair features the very common dress print from the 1970's. My next article will feature pictures of some of the different early dress patterns.

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In the early 1940's ('40 or '41), Georgene Novelties, Inc. added a unique design to the Raggedy Ann and Andy line. The Awake and Asleep version was 12" tall and was two-sided, one awake and the other asleep. The head, torso and arms were all one piece (the heart was printed only on the awake side). The striped legs were attached to the torso and the black feet pointed to the outside (appearing the same from both sides). The yarn hair was a simple strip across the top and sides of the head. The first version had the black outline nose, while the later version (mid 1940's) had a curved red nose with no outline. Georgene also changed the hair to rug cotton on the later dolls. Ann oufits had eyelet collars with many different floral prints. My examples are definitely not mint but do show the difference between the two versions. Mint condition dolls can be very pricey!

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Following the popularity of Molly-'es Doll Outfitters, Inc. and Georgene Novelties, Inc. Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls from the 1930's, McCall Corporation produced the first authorized pattern (#820) in 1940 to make these sweet dolls at home. This first pattern made 19" dolls with facial characteristics similar to the early black outline nose Georgenes and the multi-colored striped legs that resembled the former Mollye's dolls. The dolls had yarn hair, embroidered and appliqued faces, shoe button eyes and wonderfully designed outfits. The very old ones were stuffed with cotton rags, kapok, and finely shredded foam rubber (no polyester fiberfill in these dolls!). There were later versions of the pattern (1950's, 1960's and 1970's), but the dolls crafted from the early pattern are my favorites! Any early doll in very good condition with unusual multi-colored striped legs will definitely join my collection!! They just make you smile!

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Klumpe dolls were manufactured in Barcelona, Spain from 1952 to the 1970's. They were caricature figures that were made of felt over a wire armature with painted mask faces and dressed in very realistic costumes. The figures represented professionals, historical characters, comtemporary folks performing different tasks, hobbyists, and most commonly Spanish dancers and bull fighters. The figures were about 10-11" tall and originally had two sewn on cardboard tags. These dolls have wonderfully whimsical expressions on their faces and really do bring a smile to your face. I have read that the Effanbee Doll Co. imported these dolls in the early 1950's. Prices for dolls in very nice condition have risen considerably in the last few years.

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From 1956-1959, Ideal Toy Corp. produced an all vinyl Miss Revlon doll. This was the beginning of an era when vinyl would be used by many doll companies. Miss Revlon was a very pretty doll (influenced by the well-known cosmetic company). She had rooted saran hair that was beautifully styled and eyes that could open and close. She had moveable head, arms, legs and waist and high heeled feet. She came in 15", 18", 20", 23" and very rare 26" sizes. She was also produced as a walker. The dolls were marked on the head IDEAL DOLL/VT-18 (the number represented the height of the doll). It is hard to find one of these very nice dolls today in excellent condition for they were so loved and played with by their owners!

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Following the success of the early 1960's Thumbelina Doll, Ideal produced a doll from 1968 to 1972 called Newborn Thumbelina. She was just 9" tall, had a vinyl head, arms, legs, and a soft stuffed cloth body. She had a sweet little face with painted features and a pull string on her back that made her "squirm" when pulled. She was marked 1967/IDEAL; TT-9-H108/JAPAN on her head and came dressed in a topper and tights or pj's. Assessories, such as a cradle or carriage, could also be purchased. Different versions of Ideal's Thumbelina has become very popular with collectors.

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One of my favorite dolls is the Toni Doll manufactured by the Ideal Toy Company. She was designed by Bernard Lipfert (famous sculpter who also designed the Ginny Doll). She was first introduced in 1949 as an all hard plastic strung (jointed) doll that came in 5 sizes: 14" (P-90), 16" (P-91), 19" (P-92), 21" (P-93) and 23" (P-94). The larger sizes are much harder to find. Later, in the mid 1950's, they became walking dolls. The dolls had beautiful painted faces with glued on Dupont nylon wigs that could be platinum blonde, yellow blonde, red, light brown and dark brown. Moveable eyes were blue (brown eyes are very rare). They wore adorable very high quality, tagged school girl type dresses with attached half slip, panties, socks and leatherette center snap shoes. These dolls were associated with the Toni Cosmetic Co. and 20th Century Fox Picture Studio and came with their own Toni "Home Permanent" Wave Kit (curlers and solution). Their little mother could give them a real perm! They were marked on both their head and back to identify them (Ideal Doll/Made in USA) and their particular size (P-90, etc.). To find one of these dolls mint in original box is a true treasure.

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The Terri Lee doll was manufactured from 1946 until 1962. The Terri Lee Sales Corp. was first located in Lincoln, NE and later in Apple Valley, CA. The very early dolls were made of composition. Soon after they were made of the nearly indestructible hard plastic. The most common size was 16", but they also came in 12" and 10". The dolls had moveable arms, legs and neck, a glued on wig and were marked either Terri Lee Pat. Pending or just Terri Lee in raised capital letters. They were fashioned after a "real" family and had different names: Terri Lee, Connie Lynn, Linda Lee, Jerri Lee (boy doll) and a black doll named Bonnie Lou. They had an extensive high quality wardrobe that could be purchased separately. The dolls had a very different look so they were not liked by all little girls. This accounts for them being harder to find and very collectible today.

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To stay a leader in the doll business world, Vogue needed innovative changes to encourage the purchase of more than one of their dolls, so in 1954 they redesigned Ginny to become a walking doll. She still had the painted lashes and brows of the strung dolls but now had a special walking mechanism. To help her walk, a new plastic side fastened shoe was created. The first shoe had a flat sole, later a heel was added. Both versions had the name Ginny on the heel. These shoes would be used well into the 1960's. There were more high quality outfits added to include the series: Tiny Miss, Kinder Crowd, Fun Time, Rain or Shine, Mr First Corsage, Whiz Kids and Candy Dandy. Vogue now found it very lucrative to sell all of the outits separately. Because little girls were now likely to have more than one doll, it is quite common to find a strung doll with a later outfit or a walking doll with an early "strung" outfit. I have even found a Ginny outfit on a "look-a-like" doll. This just adds to the fun of the hunt! The third doll pictured is my original (very played with, faded lash) doll wearing my only surviving outfit (Tiny Miss #44)!

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