American Pickers

Happy Post Thanksgiving and Black Friday! I've been off due to severe tendinitis and carpal tunnel in my left hand. But, here I am. I've decided that American Pickers, those stars of The History Channel, need me, Dr. E, to avoid costly mistakes! In fairness, I've become addicted after a rare afternoon and evening with Net Flix. After finishing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which hadme riveted, I go into American Pickers. I'd never seen it, though we made one pilgrimage to find their hideout; it was closed up. The stories are great, and the travels intriguing, and it is amazing what people collect and have behind their front doors, an observation Carl Fox made about NY Brownstones forty years ago.

I enjoyed their strategies, tips, and preferences, but I also watched them walk right by a group of paper covered, lithographed toy and doll houses at one location, that I was sure were Bliss. I got the shivers looking at them, and I only get the shivers around something really good in the antique/collectible realm! They boys didnt' have a clue, or just weren't interested, but the Bliss houses can be worth over $1000. Go figure.

We at the museum follow Lovejoy, the antique dealer/detective created by Jonathan Gash. We shiver and have "feelings" when we come across a neglected treasure, and we've learned to keep it to ourselves.

So far, the live-sized Gualtier mannikin on display is keeping her head. I think she gained weight since I bought her many years ago. I had to carry her up to the exhibit. It wasn't easy. And, I had to re-attach her head. She does look happy in that sled, though. Photos to follow.

Woodsy Owl was finally reclaimed; after he was washed, disinfected, dried, and sort of reshaped, I made him a slipcover with an owl appliqued mask. He is now preserved and santized from the ravages of the great flood disaster the dolls and I survived a couple years ago. In the words of the late but immortal Genevieve Angione, "All Dolls are Collectible!"

There are many interesting dolls out there this Xmas, including Video Girl Barbie who is spawning lots of controversy. Not that I'm happy about it, but if cell phones do it, well . . . Another Shirley, a Patseyette, several Nancy Anns, and some lovely compos have joined our family, as well as some great Alexanders.

I had a long journey finding Egypt by Madame. I may as well have gone there. I finally found a dealer who had her, a lovely lady with a family owned business. I just wish she had her figures staight. The "discount" she gave me, which I paid before she even sent the doll, turned out to be "low." After a lot voodoo economics, I got a phone call asking for $15.00 more. I'm sending it, but I'm not the one who sent the price. The doll is bought, paid for,and in my possession. Dr. E's is not under any legal duty to pay more money. I'm doing it out of compassion. But, this is not the greatest way to do business.

On a positive note, our recent trip to American Girl Place was wonderful, and Felicity joined our ranks. There is less acquiring and more refurbishing, restoing, decorating and organizing these days. Museum maintenance is important.

At this time of year, I like to review all the dolls my mother contributed, restored, and dressed. Christmas meant new clothes for several of my dolls, that disappeared in the weeks before Xmas, but reappeared on Christmas Eve in a gaily wrapped package with a whole new outfit, even new shoes and hairdos.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and more to come from Dr. E's!

Restored dolls, vintage vinyl, Raggedy Ann, Black Dahlia, and German Costume

There are some new photos up of our newest museum displays and of dolls Dr. E has restored. If these could be fixed, there is hope for the most hopeless!

Why Dolls Should not be in Landfills

I went to another doll show, and found some amazing things, including the 20th c. F.G. Fashion, and an Emma Clear, The Gibson Girl, a Kathy Hansen baby boy, some lovely bisque dolls, a china head, glazed with blue flowers and boots decorated with bisque flowers, and these add to my finds of last week, and a couple surprises at The Salvation Army, including a Wendy Lawton Little Woman, JO, I think.

I am a sucker for a doll that needs help, and I always have a wreck or two in need. Woodsy Owl, flood ravaged, is my worst. I am rebuilding him an appliqued felt body, a la a model on Etsy that I admired. Dolls don't belong in landfills, should not be destroyed, abused, vandalized for parts, tossed in garbage, simply because, they are made in our image, and thus, someone loved them. Someone appreciated them, and they were a personal talisman, if not once a loved and important ritual object, representative of something greater. No other human artifact can claim this,though portraits, photographs of people, figurines, and other statutes share the idea. They shouldn't go in landfills, either.

Just a few thoughts on a late, lonely night. It also helps us to reclaim and to restore. It helps us to appreciate the creations of others, and to know that a little bit of their sould is in the doll they lovingly made or owned. If only they could tell their own stories. Good night, and Happy Thanksgiving from The Museum.

Stickers and Dolls

I love stickers; we still use them at school and have competitions even though we are in college. Doll stickers abound, and the Dover sticker paper dolls are both reasonable at $1.00 - $2.00 each, and lots of fun. You can have a whole doll collection for under ten dollars! Mrs. Grossman's Sticker Doll House also rocks, as do Sticker Advent Calendars. Children love stickers. There are even sticker collections on display on the Martha Stewart Sirius Blogs, e.g., Morning Living, during collectors week. I saved and adhered to a better surface wonderful new Chiquita stickers, and interesting stickers from fruit. These are free with the fruit, and encourage kids to collect, and to eat what is good for them! They could make great sticker albums for Christmas this way.

Here are a couple of new photos from our museum holiday displays. Enjoy!

A Long Weekend

It's been a long but fun weekend visiting American Girl Place and presenting at MMLA, a dream for me. American Girl Place was truly fantastic; lots of people, even late in the afternoon, and all pink, white, and pastels. Two floors of the dolls and their accessories, and life-sized vignettes of the historical periods from which the dolls come. I chose Felicity to join the rest of the American Girls, since she will be retired. The staff there is very helpful and friendly. One chooses the type of purchse from tiny post-it note photos and descriptions. There were many books and of course, the clothes for little girls. I would liekt o return to see the holdiay window and to have lunch. They don't validate for Watertower, though, and don't serve dinner.

MMLA was fantastic; I saw one of my old profs from grad school, and the speaker was Lady Antonia Fraser, noted author and authority, and widow of Harold Pinter. I also love her Six Wives of Henry VIII, The Warrior Queens, and Mary, Queen of Scots. She was the first author to respond to me when I was writing my dissertation, and later my book. The Vampire Narratives panel went great; I mentioned the vampire dolls and toys popular, and gave everyone gummi skeletons and plastic vampire teeth. We all need our toys! The conference theme was "terror" and my sister panelists were terrific. Thanks for a wonderful experience.

Today, I went to a presentation on German cooking and holiday cookies. I visited the disoplay of my own dolls, too. We learned about gingerbread figures and molds, and figures made of dough and given on St. Nicholas day. I am going to make them for my class. Dolls made of dough and in gingergread are an important part of German Christmas, along with the Christmas markets and toy markets that date to at least 1450 or even earlier. The Christmas stollen, or cake, I learned, represents the Christ child in his swaddling clothes. There is a long tradition of dough figures from Sweden, South America, the US, Greece, and other countries. There is a fertility goddess with three breasts in Carl Fox's classic, The Doll, and the 1956 World Book Encyclopedia discuss Swedish dolls made of dough and dressed in long gowns.

I have several edible dolls made of gingerbread and other types of dough, preserved and varnished for posterity. I keep them in an extra fridge, low temp, or in cool, dry, tightly sealed places. I have seen Golliwog cookies in collections, and gingerbread marionnettes as well.

Tomorrow or so, there will be new photso posted of displays of my nutcrackers and German dolls and some of the dolls that I restored which were beyond hope. Also, I hope to discuss some of my favorite mysteries on dolls and hobbies by Deb Baker, Laura Childs, Diane Mott Davidson, Tamar Meyers, Joanne Fluke, Margaret Grace, Sharon Fiffer, Sharon Holub, and Ms. Jackson's classic, Missing Melinda. Happy Dolling!