Haunted Dolls and Dolls of Horror

Here is a link for an eBay review on buying Haunted Dolls; nope, I'm not kidding. "Tis" the season! There are dolls on eBay and on websites describint them, which are reputed to be haunted and to host paranormal activity. Personall? No, I don't believe it, but I'm interested in dolls in all aspects of peoples' lives. These are certainly intresting histories connected with the items I love to collect. There is also the story of Robert the Doll, which can be googled. Rilke, the great poet, was a little afraid of dolls; they reminded him of corpses, but he also said that to him, they were alive, but also very dead. Freud, that great collector of ancient artifacts, figurines, and yes, a few of them dolls, also felt that dolls were uncanny, and Eva Marie Simms has written a great essay on Freud and the dolls entitled, "Uncanny Dolls." It can be found through google, too.

The creepiest dolls I've seen besides the Halloween figures and animatronics are the custom-made historical figures by Headless Historicals, and a series of altered porcelain vampire dolls that have real, sharpened human dentures fixed into their little bloody doll mouths.

Also, though cached, I love The Shelter for Misfit dolls hosted by The Little Dead Gyrl. I've tried contacting her, but no luck. The site was last updated over six years ago.

Ah well...

I spoke of spooky dolls earlier, and I'm on the hunt for new examples to add to my collection. Halloween Barbies are always favorites, and I love the new Horror High School series, and any of The Universal Studios Monsters. The Twilight and Dr. Who figures are great, especially by Tonner, who also makes the great Goth girls. I've also seen Barbie sized Brides of Dracula, and who can forget Corpse Bride?

Mego and other companies produced wonderful monster dolls that were jointed at then neck, elbows, knees, shoulders, and hips. These were all well-costumed. McFarlane toys makes the terrifc monsters from film as wellas the six faces of madness dolls/figures which include Erzebet Bathory, the Blood Countess. There are lovely pumpkin figures and witches at Tuesday Morning, Marshalls, and TJ MAXX, and terrific Native American figures and pilgrims, some very large, at major department stores including Younkers, Dillards, Von Maur, Macy's, and others. Target always has a nice selection.

More and more places are stocking authentic Day of the Dead figures, and sugar skulls and animals. These are also featured in the animated feature Ray Bradbury's "The Halloween Tree," with Bradbury narrating. There are a lot of Great Pumpkin and Peanuts dolls and figures for this time of year as well. At the museum, we plan galleries of horror dolls and Halloween dolls. I can't wait to display all my witches, vampies, ghouls, monsters and demons together. I'm especially fond of the vampires and of Elvira herself.

We spent time decorating for Halloween today, and my twelve foot, hanging pirate is holding court from his favorite tree. I have a few more scarecrows to put out, but we are nearly through. The lighted figures will go out Halloween night. Let's not forget the carved pumpkins, gourds, figural cookies and Jack O'Lanterns. They, too, though ephemeral, are dolls and relatives of dolls. They play their part in doll and Halloween history well.

As far as really scary dolls, I've been restoring quite a group, which were the kind gift to me from my dear friend Margaret. They were damaged by water, but she did want to toss them. Don't blame her; I never toss a doll, other things, sure, dolls, no. I've truly proved I've never met a doll I didn't like. They looked haunted and creepy, and their little eyes were cloudy and cracked in some cases. I scrubbed and scrubbed with gloves on, using steel wool, windex, Febreze, soap, water, and nail polish remover. I let them dry in the sun, and washed their hair. I'm now finding wigs, clothes, and shoes. Little by little, they are being reclaimed. No, I won't sell them. They are proof that one should never give up. These were dolls from the 40s through 70s. I learned that hard plastic dolls wear better than any, and that expensive vinyl, Vogue, Royal, quality Eegee, suffers far more from damp and is harder to clean. Who knew?

I hope to go on a fall scenic drive or two next week before it is over; I have my favorite doll places there, too. Don't be spooked by your dolls, though I admit my toddler Leatherface from Living Dead Dolls gives me a turn; I prefer him put away in his box, wrapped in a bag, on a high shelf! Sometimes at night, I think I hear the hum of a tiny chainsaw ...

But, Chucky, Freddy, The Cryptkeeper Dracula, these are old friends! My husband will not let me display some of my handcarved masks and animatronics, especially Spasm the Emaciated prisoner. Poor Spasm was given a new wardrobe, complete with hand embroidered sweater, vintage hat and knitted slippers. And, of course, there is my two-headed baby, Frederica the painted skeleton, my Alien queen in a red knitted dress, the dancing maggot, all these have outfits, scarves, and accessories knitted and crocheted by my Mom, whose comment in Marie Leveau's House of Voodoo when I as buying Voodoo dolls was, "Cute." I miss her terribly; she understood. Happy Halloween!