As I was checking our blogs this evening I noticed that today’s post was the 900th post on the blog. I thought that it would be fun to share an old post I wrote back in September of 2013 and update it a little bit. Here it is:

10 September 2013

I’ve been neglecting this blog for a couple of months so today I decided that a return to wet wintry weather was a good excuse to take some new photos in the doll room.

The dolls I’m going to show you today are a mixed bunch that came from op shops, garage sales and eBay. I’m planning a page on Canadian dolls and some of them were taken with this in mind but also to show how they looked when I got them.

My Biggest Doll

I spotted her when Naomi and I went to the Sunday morning market held at the Showgrounds at Glenorchy.  I wondered if she was an Ideal Patty Playpal as I didn’t know who else made such large dolls and I was sure she wasn’t an English doll. She wasn’t though. She was a bit of a sight, dressed in an old  T-shirt that was too big for her.

As she didn’t appear to be in too bad condition I asked how much she was and was told $15 which I felt was not a bad price for such a large doll. After giving it some thought I decided to buy her.

When I got her back to Naomi’s place where I was spending the weekend, I examined her more thoroughly and discovered that her biggest issue, which I hadn’t noticed at the market was that there were big holes in the heels of her feet. However, I decided that footwear would cover that fault and other than that she was not in bad shape.

While we were at the market I visited a stall selling dolls clothes and bought a dress that I felt would fit her and some child’s underwear. Later on, after various attempts to find a pair of shoes that would fit her, I found that I had a pair of knitted baby booties that I’d bought somewhere and they fitted perfectly and even went well with the dress.

I don’t know a great deal about her but she stands 36 inches or about 90cm tall and she is marked Regal Dolls so I know that she is from Canada.

Another Op Shop Dolly

This doll is another one that Naomi found for me, I can’t remember now if she was from a garage sale or the local Op Shop but Naomi thought I would like her and she was cheap so she got her for me.

I immediately liked her cute face and rather surprised expression. When I had a look for markings I found DeeGee, Canada. So far I haven’t been able to find out anything about that company but I did think that her face was a very similar shape to another Canadian doll I have by Star.

Update: Since writing this I think that the mark may actually be Dee Cee. The company used variations of their name over the years. including doll marks D&C, D & C, Dee an Cee, Dee and Cee, Dee & Cee. They were bought out by Mattel in 1962

Here is Dee Gee tidied up. Dee Gee is about 18 inches or 45 cm tall.

 

 

I can’t remember where I got this little doll marked “Star”, Canada. She was bought a long time ago. Star operated from 1952-1970 in Toronto. I’d say this one was from the early to mid-1960s as she is very similar to the British dolls we owned around that time. I still haven’t got around to making her an outfit.

Loved by their previous Owners

Here are a couple of dolls who arrived in outfits that had been made especially for them by some loving mum or grandma probably. A lot of the dolls I get come wearing no clothes or clothes that don’t fit them or suit them so I do a lot of swapping around but these two I decided to leave just as they were.

She does have a little discolouration around her chin, too much raspberry cordial perhaps. I haven’t tried to remove it so far. “Princess” as I have nicknamed this doll is about 18 inches tall and yes, she is Canadian too as she is marked, Regal.

This next doll I’ve nicknamed Annie because she reminds me of the little girl in the musical. Annie is made by Evergreen, a Hong Kong company. I don’t know how old she is but I’m thinking she might be the late 60s or early 70s. Annie is also about 18 inches tall.

The funny thing about Annie is her hair. I don’t know if this was the way she left the factory or if some hairdressing accident happened to her but you can see two distinct colours in the back and front.

 

September 13, 2019

All of these dolls are still living with me although apart from the big Regal girl you might only spot them in the background of display shelves. One day I do plan to give them all a bit more TLC. A wash, maybe shampoo and dry and another outfit. My other Canadian doll, Margaret, is wearing a red and white outfit and I have been toying with the idea of making a red and white outfit for the little Star doll.