By Hannah Kelley
With a constant demand to manufacture the latest and greatest new dolls, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that some never lost favor with collectors, despite decreases in production. Fortunately, Barbara Frohlich, her team at Dollspart Supply Co., and talented artists from across the industry recognize the beauty of vintage and fine antique dolls and have joined forces to make quality reproductions and accompanying clothing, accessories, and repair and cleaning products available to the masses.
A Noteworthy Past
Dollspart has been around since long before Frohlich’s husband, David, acquired the company in 1999. Sharing what she knows of its history, Frohlich said Dollspart was established in the early 1940s on East 19th Street in New York City as part of a larger company known as Dollspart Supply Co./Teddy Bear Works, which also had a division called the Signature Collection that sold dolls directly from Dollspart.
The company later moved to a warehouse in Long Island City (LIC). “Dollspart was known to have over a thousand employees in what was then the heyday of doll popularity,” Frohlich said. “Dollspart would be responsible for making the molds and assembling many of the dolls of yesteryear. In fact, many of the popular hard plastic dolls of that era were assembled, housed, and distributed from that Dollspart LIC location. In those days, there was no internet, so Dollspart was completely a mail- and telephone-order business. Catalogs were sent out at least four times a year with a pull-out order sheet and self-addressed envelope. Dollmaking and doll collecting was a huge hobby in those days.”
During the late ’60s or early ’70s, Frohlich said businessmen Jerry Pollak and Norman Reich bought the company. “Jerry is the man who is responsible for moving the manufacturing of doll wigs and accessories to China,” she said, speculating that this could have been around the same time when dolls became more common as playthings and there was a surge in demand for replacement parts.
From Long Island City, Dollspart relocated to Brooklyn. This is where David took ownership. At the time, Dollspart was not Frohlich’s sole focus. With a bachelor’s degree in education and master’s degrees in both special education and administration and supervision, she was employed full time as a special education teacher with the NYC Board of Education. She was also busy raising four children, who have since married and blessed her with 18 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Dollspart remained in Brooklyn for a couple more years, but after the events of September 11, 2001, the decision was made to move to the current location in Midland Park, New Jersey. It was closer to home, and David had secured a suitable warehouse and office space.
Eight years ago, David unexpectedly passed away. Frohlich received immense support from the doll community while learning to adjust to a new way of life. She said, “For me, Plan B included taking over the helm of Dollspart and learning to do the side of the business that David handled.” Since then, she has poured her positive, youthful energy into the company.
Market Developments
Dollspart stocks a host of products to be used by those who work with or collect dolls. One area they’ve excelled in is replacement parts. When they first became owners, Frohlich remembers Dollspart’s offerings being purchased by respected doll hospitals run by companies like Madame Alexander and Tonner Doll Company. She added, “Doll repair and dollmaking were very popular and a huge hobby back in the day. Doll hospitals were a booming business and having many doll shops in the same areas was very common. When you think about it, this was a perfect profession for a mother who wanted to stay home and be able to bring extra income into her home. Often, doll hospitals were attached to people’s homes. So where did all of these doll hospitals get their needed supplies, be it stringing cord, wigs, replacement eyes, etc.? Obviously, they all came to Dollspart.”
By listening to customer feedback, Dollspart has successfully adapted with the times. They regularly introduce new items alongside the products they’ve carried for years. “Often these are products that are needed to make their doll complete,” Frohlich said, such as wigs and shoes, which are typically the first to experience wear and tear. While many pieces are generic and can be used even with modern dolls, others are more specific. A few examples are the Sasha doll shoes, Toni wigs, Cissette and Tiny Kitty heels, and Ginny glasses and pocketbooks.
“Our product line is huge and versatile,” Frohlich said. “We definitely do our own product development and turn to factories to produce our creations or duplicate items we want to make available to the public. This is not an easy feat, and thankfully, we have been very fortunate to deal with companies that excel at producing quality products.”
Joining Forces
Dollspart is a small business with a big heart that welcomes others like they are family. Helping keep the doll community well-supplied, Frohlich is directly supported by a small team of individuals. First, there is Bill, who runs the warehouse and handles packaging and shipping. Nina, the office manager, takes care of the day-to-day business and the financials. Cynthia Howe, who owns Cynthia Howe Miniatures, is responsible for the website and putting together advertisements.
In addition to its regular employees, Dollspart has a long list of collaborators. Frohlich said, “I have been so fortunate to work with and know talented, exceptional people who are perfectionists and appreciate the needed craftsmanship of whatever project we are trying to accomplish.” Her first collaboration was the Betsy McCall shoe, which Robert Tonner graciously allowed her to reproduce.
When Frohlich and Sheryl Williams were making an exact replica of an antique Huret doll body, Frohlich approached Tonner again, this time about producing the prototype and finding an appropriate manufacturer for the complex design. Tonner was generous with both his knowledge and encouragement, and the innovative Dollspart jointed resin body was born.
More artist collaborations followed the Huret doll’s debut at the 2016 UFDC convention (the doll was named Davida Dior in honor of David), with Darlene Lane and Mary Ann Shandor creating additional heads by Barrois and Jumeau. Lane, Howe, and Frohlich then teamed up to make Doleac, Rohmer, F.G., and Dehors head molds. Frohlich said, “Each one fits perfectly on our Dollspart jointed resin body. Cynthia created the most breathtaking patterns, which duplicated antique French Fashion ensembles for the debut of each of these dolls. Between Darlene’s painting and Cynthia’s costuming, these dolls literally took over the reproduction doll world.” They have also designed wigs, patterns, and accessories and are currently preparing the debut of a new doll head and costume.
Calling on Gregg Ortiz’s design expertise, Dollspart replicated shoes and wigs for Patti Playpal. Donelle Donery helped Dollspart expand its wig selection, as well, creating replicas for antique dolls. Michele Otey of This Old Doll worked on Dollspart’s Toni, Ginny, and Shirley Temple wigs.
Significantly, Twin Pines’ association with Dollspart began after a meeting with the owner and creator, Nicholas Hill, at a UFDC convention. “Nick was giving seminars on Twin Pines products and their phenomenal usefulness in restoration and cleaning of dolls and doll clothing,” Frohlich said. Understanding Dollspart’s market reach, Hill agreed to make them the exclusive distributor of Twin Pines products before selling them the company in 2012. It is now an important subsidiary of Dollspart.
Frohlich’s dedication and ever-growing passion for the doll community is undeniable, and the relationships that have formed over time have been reciprocally enriching. “The doll world is like a family and feeling a part of it has given me close friendships and bonds that I value greatly,” she said. “When we work together and help each other, the result is a win-win for the doll world and also creates a good feeling of camaraderie and friendship among all of us.”
Special thanks to renowned doll artist Darlene Lane, who painted and photographed each of the exquisite reproduction dolls appearing in this article.
