Mod Barbies

In December, I wrote about getting my first ever Barbies for Christmas this past year. I never liked Barbie as a child, but became interested in her during her 50th birthday hoopla last year. I decided I needed "just one" for my toy collection, reasoning that no generalist toy collection could be complete without a representative Barbie.

Well...it turns out Barbie is quite addictive! I now had one of the early ponytail Barbies, yes, but what about the Bubblecut, or the Twist n Turn, or the Mod dolls, or the houses, or cars, or Ken?! Gah!!!

"Just one" Barbie has now turned into seven so far, with the addition of these mid 1960s Mod period dolls. The long haired girls are Twist n Turns  with the "new, youthful face" and "real eyelashes" that replaced the molded eyelash, vampy-looking early Barbie. The two short haired dolls have Hair Fair heads, disembodied craniums that were sold separately with wigs and wiglets, to swap out on your existing Barbies. I love their cute bobbed hairdos.

Christmas Loot 2009

Well, the Christmas bacchanalia is over. Here's a glimpse of some of this year's loot: vintage Barbies, antique doll furniture and dishes, a tin toy grocery store, teddy bears, books, and a new camera (thanks to my brother Jody, the quality of pictures here will be much improved). Details in the following posts!

Hope everyone had a very happy holiday!

Vintage Barbies

I never liked Barbie as a child, but I decided to take another look at her this year, during her 50th birthday hoopla marketing blitz. After all, I reasoned, what toy collection can hope to call itself reasonably comprehensive without a Barbie or two?

First I came across a big pile of vintage 1959-1963 Barbie clothes at a local antique mall, being sold for only a few dollars each, and I was surprised to see how beautifully they were made. The coats have full linings, there are tiny little zippers and toggle buttons, and every piece features more careful and precise stitching than is seen in most grown-up clothes today.

After I got the clothes, it didn't take long to find a few dolls to go with them. I started as close to the beginning as I could, with a blonde Barbie #3 from 1960 (pictured above and below). She has a solid body, vinyl that has faded to an ivory tone, and a very brightly made-up 1950s couture face.

I also got a blonde ponytail Barbie #5 from 1961, to see how Mattel continued to change the design (this is actually a rather interesting thing to observe) and a red-headed version of the first Bubblecut Barbie, from the same year. The Bubblecut came with a trunk and some more clothes and shoes, which she is graciously sharing with her sisters.

Another happy surprise was finding that Barbie is in perfect scale with my 1950s Marx and Ideal robots, who are enjoying having someone to menace...

Handmade Doll Dresser

Here are two of this year's Christmas presents: a handmade doll dresser, circa 1900 (the mirror has been replaced), and an antique dolly's chamber set. The dresser measures about 14 inches tall, and is signed on the back with the original owner's name, "Ludwina Stachler." Doll dressers are frequently found with their young owner's names pencilled on the back, often along with the date they were made or purchased. Must have been the thing to do back then.

German Dollhouse Man

Here's a little Christmas stocking stuffer: a 3 1/2 inch tall German bisque dollhouse man, made in the 1920s.He still has his original felt tuxedo and molded top hat, although it does look as if he's had a rough night out on the town...

Christmas in the Dollhouse

The denizens of my 1890s dollhouse have decorated for Christmas and wrapped their gifts. Dad looks as if it wore him right out...

Miniature German Doll

This little 7 inch German bisque and composition doll was included in the Victorian trunk lot, described in an earlier post. Isn't she lovely? Santa did a good job bringing her this year!

Antique Christmas Doll

It's always a happy event finding any great antique toy, but finding one in unplayed with condition and with provenance is especially thrilling. This doll has all these features, and was one of my happiest discoveries ever.

The 14 inch German made Armand Marseille bisque head doll is their common 390 model, but she's made uncommon by her condition, which is factory mint. She wears her original dress and undergarments (still tacked to her papier-mache and composition body), shoes, and bonnet with never-untied ribbons. And she comes in her original box, which even has its waxed paper lining.

As if this wasn't enough wonderfulness, she also comes with her provenance. The original owner's name, Nona Douglass, is pencilled on the box lid, and inside the box is a Christmas postcard to Nona dated 1915, bearing this message:
"December 18 1915: Dear Nona: How are you getting along. I suppose you are a nice big girl. I hope Santa brings you a nice doll. Tell mama I will send her a card later and a letter. I have been very sick. I haven't been out since 8 of Oct. I am lots better but can't go down street yet. I can't buy any presents this year. With love to all and a Merry Xmas, Mrs. Barry."
I'm guessing Mrs. Barry did indeed manage to do her Christmas shopping, sent this doll for Nona, and it was secreted away until Christmas.

As much as I love this doll and the condition it's in, I do wonder why it was never played with. Was it only brought out during the holidays, with its play carefully supervised? Was Nona an early version of today's MIB Barbie fanatics? Or was she an Edwardian-era tomboy, fiercely resistant to all toys domestic?
Sadly, the usual reason antique toys are found in mint condition is because their young owners met with untimely ends, not an uncommon occurrence in days gone by...but I prefer to think of Nona tucking this doll in the attic, before heading off to the sandlot to play baseball with the boys.

Victorian Doll Trunk Full of Toys

A few months ago I mentioned a wonderful Victorian doll trunk filled with its original owner's toys that I was going to buy for Christmas. Well, it's here now, and it's awesome!

The trunk dates from the 1880s, and the toys are from the same time period, up through the early 1900s. The trunk measures 16 inches wide by 9 inches tall, and is made of lithographed paper over wood with metal trim. There's a tray inside, under which is the main compartment.

Inside the trunk are: 2 small dolls, including a 7 inch German bisque head with tiny blue glass sleep eyes, a beautiful mohair wig, and a composition body, and a 6 inch French Unis doll of similar make; a wooden doll table with a handmade linen tablecloth featuring a "pulled work" design and a miniature tea set; a handstitched needle case (probably the child owner's project); handmade dolly stockings; a gorgeous green silk doll bonnet covered in delicate lace; an 18 inch tall Armand Marseille Mabel doll with lots of play damage, but in her factory original outfit, with beautiful brown glass eyes; and a lovely German made children's tea set.

Each toy individually is a wonderful item, but this is definitely a case where the sum of the total is greater than its parts. For all these toys to have stayed together for over 100 years, safely tucked away in their trunk by their original owner, is amazing. As I look at these toys, I feel I've been given a glimpse into the world of the little girl who owned them so long ago.

Victorian Cabinet Full of Antique Toys

I just got one of my Christmas presents early, and couldn't wait to post it: a Victorian secretary with its original finish, in a great petite size. I'm using it to store and display my dollhouses, doll furniture, and doll tea sets, dishes, and play food. The Dunham's Cocoanut Dollhouse fits perfectly into the side cabinet, with room left at the top for some china dolls and their dining room set. The various cupboards, drawers, and pigeonholes house the rest, while my lithographed dollhouse and Noah's Ark found a spot above the desk.

Free Toy Giveaways for Christmas! UPDATED: We Have Winners!

It's time for another Free Toy Giveaway!

This time the giveaway features Girls Toys & Boys Toys for Christmas. Growing up in the 1970s, that's how the big Sears Wish Book and JC Penney catalogs divided up their offerings (not that we paid any attention to such distinctions) and so it is with a sense of nostalgia, not misogyny, that I offer these two lots. (Click on the pictures for more detail.)

First up is a set of 1960s Skediddle Kiddle Magic Stay-On Dolls. Included in the original box are all 3 glossy hardboard dolls, tons of paper clothes (some cut out, but many not), 2 doll stands, and the original pink plastic scissors. These dolls are so cool: the paper clothes just stick to them like magic (hence the name). Also in this lot is a Shirley Skediddle Kiddle doll, with her original clothes, molded shoes, hair bow, and pusher!

The next set is a lot of vintage James Bond action figures made by Gilbert Toys in the 1960s. Includes M, Miss Moneypenny, Dr. No, Bond in "casual wear", and Oddjob with his deadly hat. These are unplayed-with old store stock, but they do have the many imperfections common in these crudely made old toys. Still fantastic vintage items for the Bond aficionado or spy toy collector.


The fine print: Free Toy Giveaways are open to adults in the United States, and are intended for people who want the toys for themselves, not for dealers intending to resell. I pay the shipping, so they are totally, incontrovertibly free. I just like sharing toys and making people happy. No hidden agenda other than that! To enter, just leave a comment telling me which lot you'd like and why. It's probably best not to put your address in the post: we'll get that info. later if you win. I'll take entries from December 1 -11, choose 2 winners at random, and send the items out in time for Christmas!

UPDATED: 12-11-09: We Have Winners! Yay!
The winner of the Kiddles is Mary Ann from California! Congrats! I'll get these out to you as soon as I can.
And Barty is the winner of the Gilbert Bond toys! Barty, send me another comment with your address (I won't post it) and I'll get these in the mail to you. Hope you like them!

Antique Doll Chamber Set

Just found this wonderful doll-sized chamber set, dating from the late 1800s - early 1900s. Includes a pitcher (4 inches tall), chamber pot, soap dish, and toothbrush holder. The porcelain appears to be handpainted, and the set was probably made in Germany.

Looking at the chamber pot makes me really grateful for modern plumbing...

Victorian Dolls Tea Set

Along with the larger doll-sized dinner dishes shown in the post below, I found this wonderful miniature tea set, still in its original box.
Made in Germany around 1880, these sets were churned out rapidly and are consequently rather crude, but still quite charming.
Sized for small dolls or children's play, the set includes 6 cups and saucers along with a teapot and creamer. Each teacup is 1 inch tall.
The box lid, though faded with age, still bears its original lithographed label portraying little girls at a tea party.

Antique Dollhouse Food

These two sets of French or German-made dolly food date from the late 1800s - early 1900s.
They're made of hand-painted plaster, and the largest pieces measure about 2 1/2 inches across. They're a bit large for most dollhouses; perhaps they were meant for toy kitchens or doll play.

These pieces are wonderful on their own, but what makes them even more special is that most are still tied down with twine in their original packages. The boxes themselves are quite beautifully lithographed with scenes of children cooking and eating.

It's always especially exciting to discover such a fragile old toy that has survived in this condition: these were one of my greatest finds ever!

1920s Miniature Googly Tea Set

Here's one of my favorite children's tea sets: a Googly character set from the early 1920s.
Googly eyes were a popular motif on toys at that time, appearing on dolls, in illustrations, and on this little tea set, which was made in Japan. The teapot is about 2 1/4 inches tall with the lid, and is marked Nippon on the bottom, while the cups are each 3/4 of an inch tall.

Antique China Head Doll

This German-made china head doll, circa the 1870s, is the largest in my collection, measuring in at 22 inches. She has a beautiful, rosy-cheeked shoulder-plate head in minty condition, along with her china arms and legs. Her dress is a recreation, but suits her beautifully. Here she is having a cuppa with her feet up after a long day...

Armand Marseille Floradora Doll

This was my first antique doll: a 13 inch Floradora by Armand Marseille, made in Germany in the late 1800s or very early 1900s. She's a special one because she's unplayed with, and still wears her factory-original undergarments, shift, socks, and felt booties. She would have been sold this way, and her first little owner would have made her dresses, probably with help from mom and grandma. This Flora has a beautifully done bisque shoulder-plate head with stationary, painted blue glass eyes and her original human hair wig, on a cloth, rag-doll style body.

Antique German Doll

This large, 19 inch German doll is one of my very favorites. Her bisque socket head has a great chubby face, with a roll of baby fat that makes her adorable. She wears a lovely old doll dress, and has an antique human hair wig that suits her beautifully.

Frozen Charlottes

These small immobile dolls are called Frozen Charlottes, and they date from the late 1800s - early 1920s. Sometimes called bathing dolls, they were usually crudely made of china.
The tiniest in my collection measures just 1 inch tall, while the largest is 3 1/2. The first doll is atypically made of clay, while the third doll is also unusual, as it appears to be a boy, and has a small thatch of hair and gold painted boots.
Frozen Charlottes look great in groups or clustered in arrangements, and also make good dollies for larger dolls to hold.

Victorian Dollhouse Dolls

This family of small bisque dolls were made in Germany specifically for dollhouses in the late 1800s. They live in my Dunham's Cocoanut Dollhouse, which dates to the 1890s, so they feel right at home. Mom and Dad measure 6 inches tall, and are wearing their original clothing. The little all-bisque girl, made by Limbach, is 4 inches tall, and wears her original dress. She's a sweetie...