As I mentioned recently, I really miss fixing up dolls from the Op Shop and posting about them so this year I’ll be looking out for cheap dolls to buy and fix up. I may sell off the ones I don’t want to keep to recoup the money I’ve spent buying them.
On Sunday we decided to visit markets at Wynyard and Penguin and I got quite lucky.
I bought three dolls at Wynyard. Two were not cheap rescue dolls, they were vintage and I will tell you about them in another post. The other one was a Wee Three Friends doll who just needs a bit of a clean and tidy up. She cost me $2.
One of the stallholders at Penguin Market sells dolls and we found a pile of fashion dolls for $4-5 dollars each. That’s about as high as I’d go for fixer uppers but some of these were interesting. I deliberately bought some dolls that I have no interest in collecting just because I thought they would be fun to fix up. As Naomi says, I need to wear a different hat for this project. I picked up dolls that would total $25 but the seller let me have them for $20 so that was good.
Here are the girls
I recognise a few of these from Op Shop fixer-uppers.
- Jo Jo Siwa, she works too;
- Monster High Draculaura
- Wee Three Friends Lila 2004 – I know her from looking up Naomi’s Tap Dancing Stacie
- Belly Button body Barbie – I haven’t worked out who she is yet
- Pink Sparkle Fairytopia Barbie 2003
- Hasbro Disney Descendents Jane Aurodon 2014 (I had to look her up but I think I got it right)
- Fashionista non articulated body Barbie – still searching for this one.
Most of the girls are only grubby and/or have crazy hair. Fairytopia has lost her wings and some of them need a new outfit. Jo Jo has some marks that may need Oxy10. Nothing I can’t handle. They will soon be off to doll spa and I’ll post some before and after pictures when they are done.
Dolls, Dolls, Dolls 
I wonder is that an actual Draculaura or a knockoff? Or maybe a rebodied one? The body doesn’t look right for Monster High. Jane is a cutie, I enjoy the Descendents dolls.
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When I do the clean up I’ll check her markings and see. I have a photo of a Draculaura from the Op Shop and can see if the body is the same.
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I brushed out the tangles on the worst dolls this afternoon and while I was at it had a closer look at the “Monster High” doll. I think you are right. She is not articulated so either a knock off or a frankendolly.
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The Hasbro Disney looks to have a nice articulated body. I have one or two of these ( unintentionally- as part of a bundle) and they are nice dolls with good articulation, fairly solid and with good hair. Good luck with your make overs. Have lots of fun – it’s the hair that always defeats me, when it’s really tangled.
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Look forward to seeing them cleaned up. Hate to say it, but Draculaura may be a clone. Her body doesn’t look quite right.
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I think you are right Jen. When I undressed her, I saw that she had no articulation. Not bothered as I don’t collect these and will probably move her on after I’ve tidied her up.
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You’ve got a great selection of dolls to restore. It’s always satisfying to make a doll look beautiful again. I just finished shampooing & conditioning some Barbie dolls and am now working on a doll with the worst tangled hair I’ve ever seen. I’ve literally been using a knitting needle to separate sme of her matted hair.
It can be hard to identify Fashionistas as sometimes previous owners have switched the bodies from one body type to another. This site identifying face molds can sometimes be helpful if it’s an older Fashionista: https://www.flickr.com/photos/134563498@N05/sets/72157670890391515/
Have fun with your rescue dolls!
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i managed to amass 30 barbies disney and clones renovated and cleaned them all , cobbled an outfit for each then donated them just before xmas. just for something to do during the winter , theres a couple in the box waiting for next year
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It’s quite satisfying isn’t it?
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Looking forward to seeing how they turn out. You have done some amazing ones in previous posts. I have done a few , usually the hair.
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There are a couple of posts coming up shortly.
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I have Freddie, Jay and Ben from the Descendant line, when I wanted to by more of those dolls, they were sold out.
That Draculaura is a really well made clone. Most clones have really poorly rooted hair that is not the case of this one. I used to have a green Clawdeen clone doll, but the material of these clones are waay inferior than the originals. One leg broke, and her neck was starting to break in the back. I had to get rid of her because after a few years after I bought her because the plastic of the body was starting to get brittle and her hair had bad quality. If you want to collect clone dolls, be extra carefull, their plastic is quite fragile. On the other hand, play dolls from Mattel are sturdy as rocks. Even the cheap ones, they can stand rough play, I know by experience.
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That is true. I have had clone dolls I brought home from the Op Shop whose hair literally fell out. They are cheaply made and it shows. I realise these dolls only retail for a couple of dollars but it’s wasted money if they don’t stand up to normal play and for a child probably very upsetting.
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