Olympics, a New Edition, and News from the British Museum

The Olympics have finally arrived in London! While we celebrate the world coming to London for the 2012 Olympics, why not also discover London as a world city four hundred years ago, captured through Shakespeare’s plays. Discover this in our major exhibition Shakespeare: staging the world. Plus, it’s the perfect time to be inspired by the free collection. From a free trail on the ancient Games that inspired the modern Olympics, to a display of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic medals. Plus don’t forget the many free exhibitions and displays you can enjoy this summer – everything from Picasso prints to the horse. Race you to the Museum! Shakespeare exhibition now open The BP exhibition Shakespeare: staging the world Until 25 November 2012 Book now › Watch the exhibition trailer › This major exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Discover the world of William Shakespeare and the emerging role of London as a global city through objects and contemporary performance. How has Shakespeare spoken to you? Share your brush with the Bard and tell us your tale by visiting Shakespeare in my world › £14, Members and under 16s free Supported by BP. Part of the World Shakespeare Festival and London 2012 Festival. What’s on for the Olympics Winning at the ancient Games › Until 9 September 2012 Follow the trail to learn about the ancient Olympic Games. Sui Jianguo’s discus thrower › Until 9 September 2012 The Asahi Shimbun Displays The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games medals › Until 9 September 2012 Supported by Rio Tinto All Olympic activity › Free exhibitions and displays Gold medal of Elizabeth I by Nicholas Hilliard. England, c. 1580–1590. Picasso Prints: The Vollard Suite › Until 2 September 2012 Modern Chinese ink paintings › Until 2 September 2012 The horse: from Arabia to Royal Ascot › Until 30 September 2012 Supported by the Board of Trustees of the Saudi Equestrian Fund, the Layan Cultural Foundation and Juddmonte Farms. In association with the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities. North American Landscape: Kew at the British Museum › Until 25 November 2012 Supported by the American Express Foundation Crowns and ducats: Shakespeare’s money and medals › Until 25 November 2012 All exhibitions and displays › The Royal Gold Cup. Paris, France, about AD 1370–1380. Explore Going for gold... Or will it be silver or bronze? Gold: the Royal Gold Cup › Gold has always been highly valued across the world. This late medieval cup is made of solid gold and has had an interesting history. It is lavishly decorated with translucent enamels. The scenes shown on it relate to the life and miracles of St Agnes. Silver: a silver tigress from the Hoxne Hoard › Silver has the chemical symbol Ag, which comes from the Latin name for the metal – argentum. This tigress is part of the Hoxne Hoard, the largest hoard of late Roman silver and gold discovered in Britain. A metal detectorist found it in Suffolk in 1992. Bronze: a bronze shield from the River Thames › Before iron was first made, bronze was the most commonly used metal – hence the Bronze Age. Sheet metal shields such as this were not very functional as they would have become disfigured if used in real combat. It is therefore likely that this shield is parade armour, designed to be worn for display by important warriors. Discover more gold objects in the collection › Shopping Olympic Games range A wonderful selection of Olympic souvenirs. To celebrate the arrival of the London 2012 Olympic Games, discover a fascinating range of books and souvenirs related to the original ancient Greek Olympic Games where it all began. Every purchase supports the Museum – shop now › Also on in London David Nash at Kew: A Natural Gallery Kew Gardens, until 14 April 2013 Don’t miss David Nash at Kew: A Natural Gallery, a major exhibition from a celebrated British artist. Be inspired by sculptures, drawings and films in the majestic surroundings of Kew Gardens, its glasshouses and gallery spaces. The Olympics have finally arrived in London! While we celebrate the world coming to London for the 2012 Olympics, why not also discover London as a world city four hundred years ago, captured through Shakespeare’s plays. Discover this in our major exhibition Shakespeare: staging the world. Plus, it’s the perfect time to be inspired by the free collection. From a free trail on the ancient Games that inspired the modern Olympics, to a display of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic medals. Plus don’t forget the many free exhibitions and displays you can enjoy this summer – everything from Picasso prints to the horse. Race you to the Museum! Shakespeare exhibition now open The BP exhibition Shakespeare: staging the world Until 25 November 2012 Book now › Watch the exhibition trailer › This major exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Discover the world of William Shakespeare and the emerging role of London as a global city through objects and contemporary performance. How has Shakespeare spoken to you? Share your brush with the Bard and tell us your tale by visiting Shakespeare in my world › £14, Members and under 16s free Supported by BP. Part of the World Shakespeare Festival and London 2012 Festival. What’s on for the Olympics Winning at the ancient Games › Until 9 September 2012 Follow the trail to learn about the ancient Olympic Games. Sui Jianguo’s discus thrower › Until 9 September 2012 The Asahi Shimbun Displays The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games medals › Until 9 September 2012 Supported by Rio Tinto All Olympic activity › Free exhibitions and displays Gold medal of Elizabeth I by Nicholas Hilliard. England, c. 1580–1590. Picasso Prints: The Vollard Suite › Until 2 September 2012 Modern Chinese ink paintings › Until 2 September 2012 The horse: from Arabia to Royal Ascot › Until 30 September 2012 Supported by the Board of Trustees of the Saudi Equestrian Fund, the Layan Cultural Foundation and Juddmonte Farms. In association with the Saudi Commission for Tourism & Antiquities. North American Landscape: Kew at the British Museum › Until 25 November 2012 Supported by the American Express Foundation Crowns and ducats: Shakespeare’s money and medals › Until 25 November 2012 All exhibitions and displays › The Royal Gold Cup. Paris, France, about AD 1370–1380. Explore Going for gold... Or will it be silver or bronze? Gold: the Royal Gold Cup › Gold has always been highly valued across the world. This late medieval cup is made of solid gold and has had an interesting history. It is lavishly decorated with translucent enamels. The scenes shown on it relate to the life and miracles of St Agnes. Silver: a silver tigress from the Hoxne Hoard › Silver has the chemical symbol Ag, which comes from the Latin name for the metal – argentum. This tigress is part of the Hoxne Hoard, the largest hoard of late Roman silver and gold discovered in Britain. A metal detectorist found it in Suffolk in 1992. Bronze: a bronze shield from the River Thames › Before iron was first made, bronze was the most commonly used metal – hence the Bronze Age. Sheet metal shields such as this were not very functional as they would have become disfigured if used in real combat. It is therefore likely that this shield is parade armour, designed to be worn for display by important warriors. Discover more gold objects in the collection › Shopping Olympic Games range A wonderful selection of Olympic souvenirs. To celebrate the arrival of the London 2012 Olympic Games, discover a fascinating range of books and souvenirs related to the original ancient Greek Olympic Games where it all began. Every purchase supports the Museum – shop now › Also on in London David Nash at Kew: A Natural Gallery Kew Gardens, until 14 April 2013 Don’t miss David Nash at Kew: A Natural Gallery, a major exhibition from a celebrated British artist. Be inspired by sculptures, drawings and films in the majestic surroundings of Kew Gardens, its glasshouses and gallery spaces. There is also an exhibit for Shakespeare on. Oh, to be in England! I'd never leave!!! We were very lucky to be able to add a late Tete Jumeau to the Museum. She is lovely and in very good condition. We also added a 12 in "Mabel" head dressed as a little boy in knickers, cap, and button down shoes. We found in timely fashion one of the Franklin mint dolls dressed as QE II, Royal order of the Garter, and an Innuit doll, very nice, from Alaska with a porcelain face. At the same sale, for a mere fifty cents, we found one of the B. Ravca clothespin dolls. Emma cat has decided she is also a doll collector; she routinely plays and slepps with about six Mousie dolls, a clown, a catnip rabbit, and a catnip lush rocket. Some of these squeak and light up, and she enjoys embracing them while asleep on her pink and green plush baby blanket. Some cats have all the luck!

We are over 20,000!

I am thrilled to have had this many readers view my blog; also, many thanks to my 17 followers. I welcome all followers and family friendly comments. So, please forgive me for the rant to follow, which may continue for a few blogs. At leaset one other commentator on the About.com Doll Collecting Blog, has noted the negative publicity aimed lately at collectors in general, doll collectors in particular. It has disturbed me considerably; I don't appreicate being lumped in with "hoarders," which are no decried by the local pop psychs and psychobabblers as "sick." While anything can get out of hand, to doll collectors deserve to be put in a category with someone who has a festish for bags of dirty diapers that s/he can't throw away? I think not. There are many comments about Phyllis, the CNA grandmother who allegedly collected 50,000 dolls. How awful of her; she spent $2 per week or so on herself buying dolls to restore, as a break from dealing with two lazy, whining sons who had money in their eyes and aimed to take her house and everything else she had. I can refute point by point everything on that show. I also admit a sick fascination to watching it; sort like when one can't avert his eyes from an accident. There were other shoes about dolls, too, like one episode of the lesser known Buried Alive, where a woman with 1000 dolls was targeted, and Collecting Obsessions where a minor actress and ehr 500 dolls was features [The actress has been on the TV Tabloid shows before with some of her collection]. Back to Phyllis, some snotty little alleged psychologist, note I didn't say psychiatrist, waxed poetic on how Phyllis's two dollars per week was taking food out of her family's mouth. Hmm; the dolls shown that were being hauled off in dumpsters were worth by today's price guides from $1.00 - $20.00 each. Muliply that by the alleged 50,000 number. Wow; she threw out $50,000 of dolls, at least. At .50 cents, she tossed $25,000. Her little boys argued they needed a furnace, and the lazy one who didn't even live there argued the attic floor was going to cave in [though the stuffed dolls and soft toys in bags probably weren't what was causing the stress to the floor]. They could have put a downpayment on a new house and then some if they'd let mom handle it. If, that is, she really wanted to dispose of her collection. Psycho, sorry, Psych No. 2 came in and said that Phyllis' house was clean and pretty organzied, not really a hoarding pattern, but he would gamely try to come up with one for the show. How nice of him. Maybe he could review his colleagues hidden and hoarded collection of plastic sex toys with her; now there's a how I'd like to see. As for sheer numbers of collectors, it's interesting when I googled the term "doll hoarders" I really only found stories related to the three examples above. Again, morbid fascination. Many collectors who responded seemed to be just as upset the sites that featured Phyllis. It seems we've found another way to gang up on the elderly and prey on them. Especially if you are in a lower economic bracket; how dare you have a hobby, yes to help relieve stress and anxiety. Of course, gardners can collect their trasn and manure, but of course, that's for compost. Librarians can have their books; tools of the trade. HM? Do wealth and class have anything to do with this? Here are some collectors with astounding numbers of items in their collections. The Smithsonian Institution, founded on the collection of one man. America, we're all hoarders! Margaret Woodbury Strong; Strong National Museum of Play and Toy Hall of Fame; up to and beyond 34,000 dolls at any time, plus over 100,000 other artifacts and toys, including a library. Strong also collected many other things including 600 doll houses, perhaps that many claw foot tubs, shells, fine art... Her husband, Homer, founded Numismatics magazine. William Randolf Hearst of Hearst Castle Fame; started with postcards bought on trips. Isabella Stewart Gardner Peggy Guggenheim Miss Ima Hogg Umberto Eco, author of The Name of the Rose, over 50,0000 books Shirley Jackson, author, over 100,000 books and a complete colletion of withcraft memorabilia Jay Leno, anything and all things auto, including every issue of Car and Driver bought since he was 15 Alex Jordan and The House on the Rock. Google it; words won't desrcibe it. I love it! My friend EJ, over 5000 Pez and counting Numerous articles in House Decor magazines re collectors who hae "10,000 dolls and more." Marilyn Gelfman Karp, author In Flagrante Collecto, and host to over 2000 collections Harry Rinker, the guru and collection insprector himself, who used to live an old school rennovated to house his treasures. The Louvre The Mme. Galea Colletion, now in Monaco Aunt Len's Doll Musem The Samual F. Pryor International Doll Library collection; he was friend to C. Lindbergh, who also collected dolls and automatons. Neil Diamond; has a warehouse with all his costumes and memorabilia Marlena Dietrich; used to do the same Jane Withers, actress, former Josephine the Plumber; over 10,000 dolls at one point Well, enough. I think we all get the idea. Myself; I'm going out for more to add and to enhance our museum, though, I wonder if I should open it in brick and mortar fashion to the public at all. Clara Scrogins Johnson; over one million Christmas ornaments. Think Hallmark

Maida Today: Studying and Making Antique Dolls

Maida Today: Studying and Making Antique Dolls: When I first started making dolls almost 4 years ago Teresa Baker gave me a list of books to get that would be good to study. At that poin...

Maida Today: My Antique - Vintage Cloth Doll Collection

Maida Today: My Antique - Vintage Cloth Doll Collection: As I was taking pictures of some of the cloth dolls I've collected to get the ready to list a few online, I thought some of them might be...

Maida Today: Incredible Vintage Wooden 1950's Hitty Doll with ...

Maida Today: Incredible Vintage Wooden 1950's Hitty Doll with ...: Yesterday I went to Lucy's Doll House for my "spring trip".   I usually try to get down once a season, but my spring trip is my favorite...

Maida Today: The Charm of Old Fashioned Cloth Lithograph Dolls

Maida Today: The Charm of Old Fashioned Cloth Lithograph Dolls:   I "accidentally" bought a group of vintage/antique cloth dolls online.  ;-)  The seller clearly stated they were in tough shape.  Bu...

Maida Today: Antique Izannah Walker Type Doll and Izannah Walk...

Maida Today: Antique Izannah Walker Type Doll and Izannah Walk...: If you don't know about the Izannah Walker Chronicles , you will want to visit to learn about Izannah Walker dolls.  Today I posted abou...

Zombie Boy

Tonner's outdone themselves, though these dolls are a little pricey. We do look for them on sale, and would like to add Miss Dreary and Dr. Who to the Museum!! Having trouble viewing this email? Click here http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=b8clxgcab&v=001aTnFgKol9s6H8i_Y6h8Dx8kWxIaerPO42ldx4io7x-TIrg4gIelJQtgnIQalx_QeD31wgXRhxc-cOENLN2icfSxFBhl3bMY7c_ljVwDzb3DNH2W9SwjpXTDmAloUyMndoeKHteWY_AIEGMxrlPV-NtCrkJLkYoQ_xi5lD0DbYhJ30EoFHgyq1PBJT6D7Af-GdaWXGAYN4q8mGZiG431N31i3aa22CzLyHbdlimo7qejZaAwGS-fvTS28Y-IiFgTQYq1q5QTEVyg%3D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ July 19, 2012 Hello from Tonnerville! We write bearing good news: Zombie Boy, our 2012 San Diego Comic Con Exclusive, will be available on our website [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017nKGyIktVb81zAC2PoiA76ovmbxnkIfPkv8JvgYs4jcqNFEToD5B8KwQtUZIdVHNqfSq8N6viOMHQkXuypnh9CvXHtIS5c-nvi5gRALtYqRX6qsSmfWUddA5_uqi_kPU] as of Thursday, 7.26! He will be priced at $159.99, and he ships WORLD-WIDE! ...and as an EXTRA bonus, the Certificate of Authenticity will be autographed by Rick Genest aka Zombie Boy himself! So, mark your calendars and synchronize your watches, because this Zombie is going to go FAST! Enjoy! Team Tonner Click HERE to [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017nKGyIktVb9RBEJRP3x629ecTUdSb69SmPfbzLasMWqWmx0VVWfLWxQyv5XrX9WctFTidwtJhSrUu5k-8q2h0pjGyTaRGqp6b2i6MKVfP6klgv4eUKpLyW2jxfhqEl65inBaLVgoKreM-zsGULW5AaJI-SNsxK4u3VrqbxOmwuUwpeYm9nyYwndyhuZgcdTzrDEePigHJJY=] revisit [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017nKGyIktVb9RBEJRP3x629ecTUdSb69SmPfbzLasMWqWmx0VVWfLWxQyv5XrX9WctFTidwtJhSrUu5k-8q2h0pjGyTaRGqp6b2i6MKVfP6klgv4eUKpLyW2jxfhqEl65inBaLVgoKreM-zsGULW5AaJI-SNsxK4u3VrqbxOmwuUwpeYm9nyYwndyhuZgcdTzrDEePigHJJY=] the Zombie Boy Press Release that announced his debut! [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017nKGyIktVb9RBEJRP3x629ecTUdSb69SmPfbzLasMWqWmx0VVWfLWxQyv5XrX9WctFTidwtJhSrUu5k-8q2h0pjGyTaRGqp6b2i6MKVfP6klgv4eUKpLyW2jxfhqEl65inBaLVgoKreM-zsGULW5AaJI-SNsxK4u3VrqbxOmwuUwpeYm9nyYwndyhuZgcdTzrDEePigHJJY=] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Tonner wants you to be elated with your Zombie Doll, and as such, is advising that, due to the delicate nature of the hand-painted and hand-applied "tattoos", Zombie Boy needs to be handled with extreme care, or the finish may become damaged. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - 2012 SAN DIEGO COMIC CON EXCLUSIVE - ZOMBIE BOY T12ZBSD01 LE 500 $159.99 ETA 7/26 * Dressed Tonner Character Figure(TM) * Face includes decals and hand-painted details * Fine quality vinyl and hard plastic * Zombie Boy head sculpt * 17" Matt O'Neill(TM) body * Grey/blue painted eyes * Cameo skin tone * "Tattooed" head and body * Black faux leather pants with silver buckles * Black faux leather boots with silver buckles * White socks * Nose ring * Bridge piercing * Stand * LE 500 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join us in Vegas for Modern Doll! Wednesday, September 19th! Click HERE for more info! [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017nKGyIktVb8uWEqTdOnkzpma1Pod8CJXaFTaEaMQ4cvpFRm-h2BaP4u_hlcEkmKoazaLlFSZRN5n8gAxBTiNceDSSo7EJ6ZFr9Sd_UPldN8y5m-c5FxjhUAtxE9JSmL1] Find us on Facebook [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017nKGyIktVb9r_b5UsWpg5_GHG1TDbuNcdfGkCUX4t1kYedZy22V0E__XiTK2_CVgvh4Z4SOqZH3WIF8Zek0NLiPYK6uq7Qz687n6coEhQuYOr9ZpE6eo_ZBimx61fMmV] Follow us on Twitter [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017nKGyIktVb-zwa9SyBlZkzT9Yqajz6-yZvIPKGzzdz6N0ARjOXEUSGdAeQFo7I4x6xEiS-4sqzFwse5SE5WckvNutXrO37A6rioHJ-tVruwkE7RlI6QP7nyrH_3k0NjOCYtc-3ITUQg=] View our videos on YouTube [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017nKGyIktVb_Toq2vHhlh4B7HqJvejOrNa5Q9kwg1crYoC93Po7ASnOBxaYJTpiR142dSu8flg2Al3TG4bmT27HasGCSRuGATxuWp0Haqe-5D33s3e8cbIJrG7uOag2U2wcTs4gh41z7qTDLsywwEojAzog9v6slz8peQXJTIHSU=] Visit our blog [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0017nKGyIktVb-IF8CKkyJBOp23R-zN0MxPCUTPiKsmdtSLzXu7VeAf30Fr7i2J28HGinWEBz1YKxFwqd3YjvF-HFRwFobkWU_Er-_pSmLvSDtOPIfe3Mq_hUJBiJlMySf6] Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube and the Tonner Blog! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forward email http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=b8clxgcab&m=1101884918625&ea=etsag1998@aol.com&a=1110513362593 This email was sent to etsag1998@aol.com by tonnerdirect@tonnerdoll.com. Update Profile/Email Address http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&mse=001P3AZIpApn2BdrvJb1dNyIhic73CtXuXAOKRYvxfL3FU%3D&t=001TSiirZQO7_52QZEY_SXG_w%3D%3D&reason=001IqezpQbqEsU%3D&llr=b8clxgcab Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(TM) http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001P3AZIpApn2BdrvJb1dNyIhic73CtXuXAOKRYvxfL3FU%3D&t=001TSiirZQO7_52QZEY_SXG_w%3D%3D&reason=001IqezpQbqEsU%3D&llr=b8clxgcab Privacy Policy: http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp Online Marketing by Constant Contact(R) www.constantcontact.com Tonner Direct | 301 Wall Street | Kingston | NY | 12401 Actions Flag Clear flag Create a Filter Print Message Show Message Status View Message Source --------- Move to: Old Mail Sent Spam Recently Deleted Saved Mail Saved Chats Go to the previous message control+alt+pagedown Go to the next message control+alt+pageup Close message escape © 2012 AOL Inc. 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An Apologia for Countess Erzebet Bathory: A Novel for Erzebet

An Apologia for Countess Erzebet Bathory: A Novel for Erzebet: I am writing a novel for young adults which will feature Erzebet. We live in more liberal times, and there those sympathetic to the plight ...

So Many Doll Blogs, So Little Time

I don't know where to start, I hav so much to say. I withstood the heat, and nearly melted, to try a new experience; I got to an estate sale super early and got a number, and nearly melted in the awful heat. I came back, and was nearly beat out by dealers and other interested people, but got in right away. I've never done this, but my friend D, who priced the dolls at this sale, called me at work earlier in the week, at about 8 am, and said I had to go!! If he says I have to go, then I really have to go to a sale! For about half an hour, I chatted with a friend. I was the first one there earlier, or thought so, but I got in with the first ten people. It helps to read; the door sign said ring for a number. Duh; I waited until someone else went ahead, but it didn't matter. When it was time to go in, we were lined up in numerical order. I sent another friend, M, to get another number at another sale about five miles down the road in the next city. He already had some goodies there for me.

At my doll sale, very near home, I headed for the dolls, and picked up what I wanted right away, and didn't put them down. I avoided a debate over whether a Dream Baby's hands were original; they were old Japanese stone bisque hands, probably from a small jointed doll, but not original to the Dream Baby. She was insisiting, not my problem. The owner had been a dealer and repaired dolls, so I stick with my original point that the arms were old, but not original. The baby was 75.00. The dolls were below book price, way below, some were a little expensive. All the better for me; dealers would shy away, because justifiably, they wanted to make a profit. I won't be selling, at least not till I'm 1000 or kaput. I came away with a large Kestner Hilda type baby, about 24 in., with original factory outfit, wig, and body. She has a faint hairline, but the doll was like, 90% off book value. She is wonderful. Then, I got a Queen Louise head, and an A and M 370 on its body, no eyes, wig, and lovely period dress for $50.00. I wish I had bought her 28 in. 390 sisiter, but she was over my price limit for one doll. I went back to place a bid, but she, and the 30 in Handwerck I passed up because I had one, were gone. Next, I picked up a brown bisque Native American doll head, very nice, either Heuback Kopplesdorf or A and M [There was a family and business connection b/t the firms]. I also bought the legs and arms for the doll. I went back later, and bought a gorgeous little Heuback Kopplesdorf girl and put a bid on a Nippon doll, 18 inches. The HK girl had a pink velvet vintage outfit, and wooden hands. The Nippon girl, marked RES in sort of a diamond, was very cool. The next day, the dolls were 20% off; a few more had gone, as well as part and wigs, but the Nippon was there. I bought her anyway; 20% was close to my bid. A large Minerva with wig and glass eyes was still there; she was sort of high.

Saturday, I got up and went to stand in line again! My husband says once a philosopher, twice a pervert. What does that make me? There was a rush to the dolls; three went to dealers before I could act, but they were duplicates of dolls I have. I bought a great HK painted bisque head, another Nippon head, a 370 head, the Minerva, now all at half off, and a great doll house sized HP German doll, who jus spoke to me.

All in all, I paid less than a reasonable price for the German Hilda Type. I am posting photos of similar dolls here. I hate waiting and standing in line, but the early bird did get the worm here, and it goes to show that antique German and Japanese bisques are still sought after, as are parts and wigs. I have a lot of the former, so laid off this time, but they were not exactly cheap, either. The wigs, most in need of restyling, began at 20.00 and several were vintage synthetic, but they went. I also bought some nice figurines and miniatures, and a mud figure for my friend M. I found vintage doll dishes, several minis including a great little kiln, and vintage shiny bright ornaments in their boxes at the second sale, but there, a low brow Esther china head, bout 11 ins, went for $75.00. Again, a little pricey for what I have. There was a Revlon type Effanbee for 20.00 and a Crissy with shoes for 25. Not bad; had I not already indulged, I might have brought them home. Happy Dolling, and more later about model RRs and other hobbyists.

One doll at a time

Sometimes I get through hard days one doll at a time. Before I nearly cut my hands to pieces on an antique glass lawn ornament today, I had out a vintage comp baby to begin restoration. I am going to put her perfect compo head back on; I use adhesive tape for this, for dolls and crafts, it's my "duck tape." I have a beauitful antique baby dress for her. She is a 1940s Ideal type, with no crazing. Only her owner is craxed. :) Last week, I put together "Mrs. Plantaganet" of my orginal dollhouse family,inspired by te papers I'm writing on Rumer Godden. I also fixed a tiny, 100 yar old Japanese Ningo, ready for a wispy silk mini kimono. I dressed some of my forlorn Barbies, and my 13 year old son bought me an outfit for a Ken, late birtday present. That was a sweet gesture. I am constantly arranging and rearranging, and am expecting some more "forlorn" projects from my friend, M. I have a vintage French body and a head and shoulder plate for it, and I repaired a tiny German all bisque baby with tie-wrap wire. She lies in the arms of hand painted figurine. They were made for each other.

At a local estate sale of a former, prominent gallery owner our families knew, I found some great books that were doll related. One is an anthology of Japanese Plays which include the "doll plays" for Bunraku puppets. The other is a catalog of the Foundation for the artist Maillol, founded by his student and model, Mme. Dina Vierny. When she was around 89, Mme. Vierny sold her fantastic doll collection, which included the automaton Zula the Snakecharmer, to fund the museum. I have the article, and will place it with the book. The catalog is wonderful, and has paintings of Dina working as a model for Maillol and his contemporaries. There are also paintings with dolls in them.

I also found a book of Lautrec drawings; Dina Vierny had met him. Here is one of Chocolat in the Lautrec book, and Chocolat was one inspiration for The Golliwog, at least in Debussey's "The Golliwog's Cakewalk." Perhaps August will be my month; who knows? Meanwile, I keep plodding along, and am looking for publishers to finalize the Metal Doll Book and A Cultural History of Dolls. Happy Dolling, and thanks for helping us approach 20,000 readers just on this blog!

American Picking and Musin

Watching AM Pick on Netflix, and taking notes for my paper. Thinking of my other papers on Sara Crewe and Rumer Godden. Sarah pays her debts by paying it forward. I have had lots of chances to muse about collecting and its nature. One comment made by critics on Am Pick is that the collectors there like to express themselves individually; they don't want to live where, or how, te McMansion people live. They don't want to simplify their lives, and their collections define that. Some build tunnels and create art, others flaunt societal norms as judbges and lawyers bymoving their collecitons just outside city limits. Most aren't taht poor; they know what tey have. Wis they could ave helped that poor woman with er odll collectionson Hr***drs. I hate that show. What is the future of collecting? One more reason dolls are important in the istory of play is that cildren don't seem to play with them or form bonds iwth tjem as muc. They play electornic games and they play soccer and T-ball, and little league. Children have playd ates and the toys juwst acceorize them. they are more into kiddie lingerie and fasions. Even boys are label conscious. Dolls will be true artifacts, soon, examplesof a history lost. Even the played with examples need to be cherished. Then, there is the high end/low end debate. Doll prices have become, in the words of my late friend M. Hillier "madness." I woudl say obscene, and I can afford to buy someo f the pricer one,s sometimes. :) You are not repspected as a "serious" collectgor unless like one woman in Dallas, wo is relatively new to the game, you can average $10,000 per doll. Boring, I say. But, let me pose the riddle I posed to a friend of mine. Dos an expert in Leonardo Da Vinci own a Da Vinci? Probably not. She studies Leonardo, wrteis of him, studies in museums and galleries, has reproductions, and can maybe afford a minor maestro of the period. The fact that she isn't Bill Gates who can buy the tirty milliion dollar Leonardo notebook because he can does not make her any less an expert. Food for thought, oh high end doll snobs among us! We are played on for our emotions; the passion of the collector, acquisitivenss, the pride of ownership, and dolls are our other, they look like us. They are made in our image. As collecgtors, we have been called the most emotional of all collectors. Maybe. And, those emotions get played on.

Happy 4th!

A happy 4th, and more doll memories. My Floradora came home July 3d in 1974; my mom dressed her in silk remnants of my Grandmother's wedding gown. She had a marked, near mint leather body, and sleep, threaded grey glass eyes. She still holds a special place in my collection. We toured many stores to find her before the Marionnette Doll hospital near El Paseo Saratoga, including the famous Indiana Antiques, whic later provided my 1906 Earthquake survival doll, one of the Disaster Dolls exibit from the museum. I have been dressing and repairing, reviewing the troops, as it were. Organizing other collections, like souvenir pencils in frames, repairing tiny limbs with tie wrap and beading wire, and adhesive tape. Mrs. Plataganet, a comp China Poblana about 9 in., with red painted books, is now back together. Her bright dress had gone gray with age, and my grandma redressed her overnight. She came from a little stall in Old Spanish Town, where the elderly owners showed me oen of their psecial dolls, which often happened, as it did locally in the old store, Johnny, I got For you, where I got a small, mechanical vinyl baby that played music. Both owners, miles apart, had saved little wire wrapped dolls made of silks, now faded. OST was a great place in Alubquerque to find vintage dolls, and dozens of unusual Mexican and Native American dolls, of all sapes and sizes. THe largest Marin Spanish Flamenco dolls were there, and the most miniscule Kachinas. Microscopic piggy banks and Mexican pots found their way to my doll houses, and a doll shoop there provided French hard plastic dolls and Lenci type Italian girls. Those were the days. I hear the fireworks; I am too tired to go see them. Peraps next year . . .