Children of Japan

Children of Japan
Courtesy, R. John Wright

Hinges and Hearts

Hinges and Hearts
An Exhibit of our Metal Dolls

Tuxedo and Bangles

Tuxedo and Bangles

A History of Metal Dolls

A History of Metal Dolls
Now on Alibris.com and In Print! The First Book of its Kind

Alice, Commemorative Edition

Alice, Commemorative Edition
Courtesy, R. John Wright

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Emma, aka, La Contessa Bathory

Emma, aka, La Contessa Bathory
Her Grace wishes us all a Merry Christmas!

Annabelle

Annabelle

Emma Emmeline

Emma Emmeline
Our New Addition/fond of stuffed toys

Cloth Clown

Cloth Clown

Native American Art

Native American Art

the triplets

the triplets

c. 1969 Greek Plastic Mini Baby

c. 1969 Greek Plastic Mini Baby
Bought Athens on the street

Iron Maiden; Middle Ages

Iron Maiden; Middle Ages

Sand Baby Swirls!

Sand Baby Swirls!
By Glenda Rolle, courtesy, the Artist

Glenda's Logo

Glenda's Logo
Also, a link to her site

Sand Baby Castaway

Sand Baby Castaway
By Glenda Rolle, Courtesy the Artist

A French Friend

A French Friend

Mickey

Mickey
From our friends at The Fennimore Museum

2000+ year old Roman Rag Doll

2000+ year old Roman Rag Doll
British Museum, Child's Tomb

Ancient Egypt Paddle Doll

Ancient Egypt Paddle Doll
Among first "Toys?"

ushabti

ushabti
Egyptian Tomb Doll 18th Dynasty

Ann Parker Doll of Anne Boleyn

Ann Parker Doll of Anne Boleyn

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Tin Head Brother and Sister, a Recent Purchase

Tin Head Brother and Sister, a Recent Purchase
Courtesy, Antique Daughter

Judge Peep

Judge Peep

Hakata Doll Artist at Work

Hakata Doll Artist at Work
From the Museum Collection

Japanese Costume Barbies

Japanese Costume Barbies
Samurai Ken

Etienne

Etienne
A Little Girl

Happy Heart Day

Happy Heart Day

From "Dolls"

From "Dolls"
A Favorite Doll Book

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Jenny Wren

Jenny Wren
Ultimate Doll Restorer

Our Friends at The Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum

Our Friends at The Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum

Baby Boo 1960s

Baby Boo 1960s
Reclaimed and Restored as a childhood Sabrina the Witch with Meow Meow

Dr. E's on Display with sign

Dr. E's on Display with sign

Dolls Restored ad New to the Museum

Dolls Restored ad New to the Museum
L to R: K*R /celluloid head, all bisque Artist Googly, 14 in. vinyl inuit sixties, early celluloid Skookum type.

Two More Rescued Dolls

Two More Rescued Dolls
Late Sixties Vinyl: L to R: Probably Horseman, all vinyl, jointed. New wig. R: Effanbee, probably Muffy, mid sixties. New wig and new clothing on both. About 12 inches high.

Restored Italian Baby Doll

Restored Italian Baby Doll
One of Dr. E's Rescued Residents

Dolls on Display

Dolls on Display
L to R: Nutcrackers, Danish Troll, HItty and her book, Patent Washable, Mechanical Minstrel, Creche figure, M. Alexander Swiss. Center is a German mechanical bear on the piano. Background is a bisque German costume doll.

A Few Friends

A Few Friends
These dolls are Old German and Nutcrackers from Dr. E's Museum. They are on loan to another local museum for the holidays.

Vintage Collage

Vintage Collage
Public Domain Art

The Merry Wanderer

The Merry Wanderer
Courtesy R. John Wright, The Hummel Collection

The Fennimore Doll Museum

The Fennimore Doll Museum

Robert

Robert
A Haunted Doll with a Story

Halloween Dolls Displayed in a Local Library

Halloween Dolls Displayed in a Local Library

The Cody Jumeau

The Cody Jumeau
Long-faced or Jumeau Triste

German Princesses

German Princesses
GAHC 2005

A Little PowerRanger

A Little PowerRanger
Halloween 2004

The Island of the Dolls

The Island of the Dolls
Shrine to Dolls in Mexico

Based on the Nutshell Series of Death

Based on the Nutshell Series of Death
Doll House murder

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A lovely dress

A lovely dress

Raggedy Ann

Raggedy Ann
A few friends in cloth!

Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum, WI

Fennimore Doll and Toy Museum, WI
Pixar Animator's Collection

Little PM sisters

Little PM sisters
Recent eBay finds

Dressed Mexican Fleas

Dressed Mexican Fleas

Really old Dolls!

Really old Dolls!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Those that Got Away!

Today is beautiful and clear, with a cool, crisp feel in the air. Yet, there are threats of tornadoes, hail, plagues of locusts, you name it looming for this evening. The hard rain last night did not kill my geranium or other plants, and there was no flash flooding, thank goodness.

Today's blog is a brief one of rather sad subject matter. Like those who fish, we who collect enjoy discussing out of some morbid, masochistic ilk, "The one's that got away!" We should all keep journals of the cliches connected with collecting, including "strike while the iron's hot," which is my favorite. Below are a few of those that "got away" from me. Don't feel too badly, though, I've found more than adequate replacements to represent them, and the hunt is always on for the next available "desired object:"

1. 16" wood and papier mache doll with molded hair and orange boots. The body was jointed at five points and all wood, the features and hair molded and painted. I was at the San Jose Doll Show about 20 years ago. The doll was a little high at the time, and came from a collection in Argentina. It was a good doll, and I've since read articles about her, though the name of the doll and brand now escape me. I went around once, as is my bad habit when considering an expensive purchase. When I returned, someone else had it in hand. It was clearly over. I was able to buy a nice china head from the Argentinian connection, but I still feel a few regrets.

2. French bisques- when I was very small; I knew what a Bru and Jumeau were by the time I was seven because I had struggled through John Noble's "Dolls." After the age of five, I could identify an antique bisque doll. I viewed my first example at now defunct Fantasyland in Gettysburg, PA. French bisques and fancy chinas were available for anywhere from $50.00 to $500.00 when I was in school, K-12. Ralph's antique dolls used to bring amazing examples to our local antique shows. I even stumped Santa one year by asking for an antique Bru, but $500.00 for a doll for a nine year old in the mid-sixties was unheard of. Ralph did have a 3" all bisque with a red haired wig, class eyes, and open mouth I fell in love with. She was dressed in a little bonnet and white christening dress. All these years, I still remember that doll.

3. Unmarked Bru of white bisque. This was an unmarked lady Bru, as pictured in Mary Hillier's "Dolls and Dollmakers." She was at the Lasalle-Peru Doll Show over thirty years ago for $95.00. Again, we didn't have enough funds.

4. Dozens of Frozen Charlottes for $5.00 each at the old Black Hawk antqiues. There was even one in a perfume bottle. I was ten and didn't ahve $5.00. We were going to return but never did.

5. German bisque dressed as red-satin Harlequin in The Old Curiosity Shoppe, now gone. I think now it was an A and M, dressed in a red-satin Harlequin type outfit without the patterns. It was $28.00, and a smaller version of the the German bisques then popular.

6. A metal head baby alleged to be a Minerva and hand-carved puppet made by the owner of the Minerva. We had, as they say, "spent our wad" on a Schoenhut, and didn't have the extra $80.00 to cover both.

7. A bone or walrus ivory faced Eskimo at the gift shop of the Peabody museum. I wrote to them, but they denied having such a thing. They did. There was a whole family of them. One would have thrilled me.

8. A closed mouth German doll, in bad shape, but with original dress. It's my fault for hesitating. I went back the next day to retreive the doll, but the owner of the Mall would not sell it to me. She claimed another dealer was buying it, but the doll was not marked sold. I never went back to that antique mall.

9. A gorgeous Marin historical doll representing a woman in a Goya portrait from Madrid. I had to buy the 14th Century doll, Jimena, because the shop owner didn't want to get the Goya doll out for me. Years later, I bought the Goya doll from a friend in Galena.

10. Bisque heads, probably German, from The Monastiraki, flea market, in Athens. We just didn't know any better.

11. Bisque headed Pierrot, probably Verlingue, Madrid 1981. It was the equivalent of $38.00, and a litte pricey for a travelling student. Again, I returned the next day. The doll was gone, but the shop keeper told me it was actually over $300.00 and sold for that amount. I know my pesetas; don't think that was correct. Also, there were handmade dolls at The Madrid Flea Market I wish I had brought home.

12. Rome 1969: There was a shop full of dolls near the Trevi Fountain. There were Furga dolls that were over three feet tall. I bought a small marioneete of Raggedy Ann and some Lenci dolls, but those big beauties stil haunt me. Nevertheless, I didn't come home empty handed from that trip! Also, there were the many gorgeous French dolls at Orly Airport. There were some that appeared to be made from Skipper molds, but they were celluloid and dressed in rich 19th century costumes. I did get some other dolls, but the whole display there was breathtaking.

But, enough "sad stories." What I learned is that there is always another doll. I don't enjoy having a doll I'm interested in snatched right out from under me, especially when one of my friends does it, but I don't collect for the competitive aspects. I always find something else I like. The moral of the story is go alone on doll hunts.

Happy Dolling! Till next time.

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