A Plea for Dolls no one seems to Want

A Plea for Dolls no one seems to Want

As with everything else, doll collecting follows trends.  During the thirties and forties, Parian dolls, French bisque, and later, Kimport dolls, were popular.  When author and artist Helen Young was writing, half dolls and metal dolls were called “secondaries.”

Modern dolls were looked down upon, especially plastic and vinyl, until Pat Smith began her Modern Collectors’ Dolls Series in several volumes and Johanna Gast Anderton wrote her Twentieth Century Dolls books.

Doll Snobbery was not that obvious at early doll shows, and there were not too many doll divas, whatever they seem to be.  I take it to mean collectors who love to bring high drama and super high doll prices to the hobby.  Define it for yourselves.

During the late 80s and 90s, lots of reproduction dolls spilled onto the doll scene. Also, toys of all types joined dolls at the shows.   Collectors soon grew tired of reproductions and toys at their shows, it seems, and they were more or less banned.

Also during this time, dolls made just to be collected were being created by Ashton Drake, Hamilton Mint, Franklin Mint, and other companies.   Mass produced porcelain dolls began with Walda, and appeared at grocery stores, dollar stores, big box stores, literally everywhere. They remind me of gas station dolls and the teen supermarket dolls that were popular during the fifties and early sixties.

Some dolls once not so popular have soared in popularity today.  Blythe is a doll from my childhood.  I love her and always have.  It wasn’t till about 15 years ago that she became a much imitated cult doll figure.

Barbie Clones like Maddy Mod and others sold in baggies were ignored.  Now, there are collectors of non-Barbie teen dolls, and they can be pricey.

Plastic toy soldiers were once not taken seriously, but they now have their own collectors’ Facebook groups and clubs.

Today, collectors seem to disdain these modern porcelains, and they appear in thrift shops and junk stores for a couple dollars.  Here are some dolls that are ignored, or even ridiculed, by some collectors.  Me, I like variety, and my dolls range from the sublime to the ridiculous. 

Precious Moments dolls and figurines.  They still have their own club and blog, found here: https://www.preciousmoments.com/collectors-club-information.  Yet, they, and other collectible figures seem to end up at thrift shops.  Perhaps it’s because no one has time to dust or arrange such things in today’s phone driven fast-paced society.  I still think they are cute; when I find a doll or figure I like, I buy it.

Beanie Babies:  John Lithgow even devoted an episode of Third Rock from the Sun to them.  They seem to have fallen out of favor, yet I notice many YouTube collectors and others are rethinking them, and a few are soaring in price.  If you don’t have any, now may be a good time to grab some new ones, or find vintage ones.

Modern porcelain dolls from Asia, Walda’s cousins. Walda has her own following on YouTube and Face Book.  I see many from Gold Key, Dynasty, Franklin Mint, Paradise Galleries, etc., online and in stores.  I buy them if I like them and their dresses, which are often lovely.  Resist turning them into monster dolls, or scavenging their clothes.  Try sewing for them, using them in doll scenes, inspiring a young collector.  They aren’t really made anymore, and are now Vintage.  They won’t be around forever, and are part of doll history.  They seem to do very well on Amazon.

Reproductions of antique dolls:  They can be quite pricey, and some artists like Branka Scharli and Connie Zink are still making top quality examples.  Other artists recreate 18^th century wooden dolls  and Leo Moss dolls.  They are worth a look or two for the quality.  Earlier examples are now over 70 years old in the case of Emma Clear dolls and others.  They are becoming antiques and collectibles in their own right.  Interesting molds, especially of china heads, are great additions to fill in a collection of molded hair dolls.

Vinyl dolls from the 90s, usually play dolls like Citti Toy. In good shape, they can be lovely.  Berenguer dolls were once ignored from this era, but now, they have followers, too.   Dolls like this with the Toys R Us mark/brand are collectible because of the demise of the toy shop giant.

Magic Skin dolls from the fifties, with either hard plastic or composition heads. I have one in mint condition, but the dolls bodies deteriorate.  They can be repaired, or put on a different body.

Undressed Barbies and similar dolls from the 90s on.  Some collectors now prefer these, as discussed in the book Forever Barbie.  Inventors, film makers, and costumers are interested in them, too.

So called tourist dolls or souvenir dolls; my collection began with two Greek dolls.  My grandmother had dolls from all over that she and her children brought from their travels.  Such dolls are often the last artifact of cultures now gone from Earth.  I don’t get the snobbery, or why people don’t like them.  They show us how small the world can be, and build bridges.  Sam Pryor, once VP of Pan Am, had a huge collection, and it inspired Disney’s It’s a Small World.

Hummels and Hummel dolls :  They also have their followers, and R. John Wright has reproduced some in felt.  I don’t get why anyone would not like Hummels.  I treasure mine, the dolls, my other Goebel items, and the memories they bring.

Gas station dolls, usually 7.5 inches, and dressed as story book characters or in international costumes. I love these; I have many dolls from many companies dressed in assorted outfits.  I loved getting gas and finding these as a premium.  They were fun, and fun never hurt anybody.  Carlson dolls used them to create historic costume dolls from American History.

Madame Alexanders post 1990, out of the box. I’ll take opinions on this.  I don’t get it at all.  New dolls in the box are still lovely, but pricey.  

Many of the above unloved dolls still appear in collections and disappear from thrift stores and antique shops.