Antique Q&A: Bye-Lo Baby
I found this little 4-inch doll in a thrift shop. It has “20-10” on its back and limbs. Is this an antique doll?
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Author: DOLLS Magazine Contributor
Everybody’s Talkin’ Barbie!
The big news in toys back in 1968 was the release of a talking Barbie! This had been on the drawing board for several years — Mattel’s 20-inch Chatty Cathy from the early ’60s could say several different phrases. But it was hard to adapt the talking mechanism — a miniature record player, complete with speaker — to fit inside Barbie’s 11.5-inch body.
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Antique Q&A: Made in Japan Dolls
We found these little items which are marked “Made in Japan” when we were clearing out my grandmother’s house. Can you tell me anything about them?
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Antique Q&A: Kling & Co. All-Bisque
I found a pair of little all-bisque dolls at an antique shop. They are about 4 inches tall and are marked 31-10, no maker’s name. The seller didn’t know anything about them except that they were in a box of vintage handkerchiefs at a house sale. None of my doll club members could identify them. Can you help me?
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LuLu Tatum’s Creations Are a Kaleidoscope of Creativity
Artist LuLu Tatum’s mind is vibrantly kaleidoscopic, bursting with an endless swirl of ideas just waiting to evolve into delightful reality. Her body of work encompasses original one-of-a-kind (OOAK) dolls, bears, and other animals; paintings in watercolor, oil, and mixed media; limited-edition prints; clothing and jewelry designs; and extreme primitives, all springing from the fertile wonderland in her head to inhabit the real world.
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Antique Q&A: Kestner Bisque Head Doll
By Jan Foulke Photos courtesy of Foulke Archives Q: I just recently started looking at...
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House of Nisbet: Snapshots Back in Time
House of Nisbet Dolls got its start in 1952 with a doll commemorating Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and grew to encompass a wide range of dolls, many celebrating British royals and other celebrities, along with traditional British costumes and traditions. Founded by British businesswoman Peggy Nisbet (1909-1995), the company grew to become one of Britain’s largest doll manufacturers. As Britain prepares to crown King Charles III May 6, after the death of Elizabeth II in September, a look back at Nisbet dolls reveals how they served as a chronicle of the changing tastes and tempos of their times and of their British roots.
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Curious Collector: 1960s Madame Alexander Renoir
I had a chance to buy two 14-inch Madame Alexander vinyl and hard plastic dolls mint in the box. The dolls are identical, both are tagged “Renoir,” and both are in marked boxes with the name Renoir on them. However they have different wrist tags and illustrations of Madame Alexander that are slightly different. Do you have any information on these variations?
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Shows of Note: Modern Doll Collectors Convention (MDCC) Preview
Our 45th annual Modern Doll Collectors Convention (MDCC) — Oh, You Beautiful Doll — kicks off on Aug. 16 at the Omni Severin in Indianapolis. We are excited to welcome old and new friends, collectors, and artists alike as we enjoy another 4 days full of fun, food, and dolls!
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Shows of Note: Resin Rose BJD Expo Preview
Resin Rose BJD Expo is the Pacific Northwest’s largest BJD show, held at the Monarch Hotel and Convention Center in Clackamas, Oregon. Resin Rose is a nonprofit organization run by a team of volunteers. Their love of BJDs brought them together to start Resin Rose in 2015. We are now on our seventh show, which will include over 50 vendors, including invited BJD artists.
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1950s Ginger: The Darling of the Doll World
Nearly every American doll company around in the 1950s tried to capitalize on the stellar success of Ginny, Vogue’s charming 8-inch toddler doll. Ginny reigned as queen, but Cosmopolitan promoted 8-inch Ginger as “the darling of the doll world” because she was also made from high-quality plastic and wonderfully dressed. Today, Ginger has finally come into her own among collectors after taking a back seat to Ginny for many years.
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Antique Q&A: Early China-Head Doll
I am in the process of clearing my parents’ estate and have uncovered a primitive doll estimated to be more than 100 years old. Can you tell me anything about this doll and whether it has any value for a collector?
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Discovering Reborns Leads Veronica Lale to New Career
A summary of Veronica Lale’s background gives no clue that she would become a talented reborn artist. She worked as a freelance journalist for a local newspaper for a few years and is now a part-time employee for the regional government of her country. She lives in a small village in northern Italy, on the border with France and Switzerland, with her husband, Stefano, and her two children, Corinne and Joel. Rounding out her family is their cocker spaniel, Maya. Nothing in her early life served to guide her to the craft she pursues now; she had no background in art — but she did have a passion for dolls.
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Curious Collector: 1951 Toni Doll Paper Doll
I collect everything concerning the Toni doll. At a large doll show I quite unexpectedly came across this paper doll of Toni, which I had no idea existed! It is complete with two large dolls front and back and two small dolls front and back, along with fantastic fashions to cut out!
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A Well-Turned Ankle: Madame Alexander’s Elise Could Wear Shoes for Any Occasion
By 1957, Madame Alexander’s fashion-doll lineup had never looked better. The 1957 dolls had a new peaches-and-cream finish to the faces with a perfect blend of blush — the company’s offerings were indeed spectacular. One outstanding new addition to the legendary company’s designs that year was Elise, a 16.5-inch fully jointed doll.
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Antique Q&A: American Schoolboy
Q: I found this sweet antique boy doll and just fell in love with him. He is a wonderful change from the usual antique girls that I collect. There are no marks on him. Is this a parian doll? Can you tell me anything about him?
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Curious Collector: 1971 Mattel No-Bangs Francie
I got into an online bidding war with someone over this 1971 Mattel Francie because I had looked for years for one and have not been able to find one. Why is this doll so rare and expensive?
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Lovely Little Lissy: Madame Alexander’s Follow-up to Cissy Became a Favorite
In 1956, Madame Alexander issued Lissy, a 12-inch doll with a stunning face and sleep eyes. Her body was jointed at the elbows and knees. Her age was not precisely defined.
Lissy was a perfect fashion doll for a lower price than the 21-inch Cissy.
April Norton Makes a Dream Come True
For many years I have been exclusively making Dianna Effner porcelain dolls, particularly the Little Darlings and dolls of similar size, eventually branching into Effner’s beautiful vinyl LDs by repainting factory painted convention dolls, Bonekas, and Ashton-Drakes. I was always hoping to emulate the masters (Dianna and her Doll Dreamers Guild, whose artist stylings were so incredible). I wanted to be one of them ever since I knew there was such a thing!
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Antique Q&A: Horsman Cloth Doll
A friend found this doll among some old linens when she was helping her mother downsize to a smaller home. I mostly collect china dolls, so don’t know where to start looking for information about it. Can you help? It is about 14 or 15 inches long and looks quite old. It seems to be in very good condition with just some fading and minor soil.
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