Doll Collection 2024

 I have a Facebook friend that collects dolls, and she shares her collection and any new dolls that she adds sometimes. I love to see her dolls and often comment on them. We have become friends because of it, so I decided to make pictures of my collection to share with her. We have similar tastes in what we like. Anyway, I decided to share here, as well. Who knows? Some of you may enjoy dolls, as well! (Sorry about the picture quality! I couldn't get to them to get very good shots.)

I don't have any real valuable dolls, except in the sentimental department. I still have about seven of my childhood dolls from the fifties. Some were gifted to me. Several are handmade by me, with a few handmade by an aunt. The rest I started collecting in the late seventies after I was married and enjoying going to flea markets. Many were in bad shape, and I thoroughly enjoyed cleaning them up and/or repairing them, making them pretty again.

The Asian doll is a large porcelain reproduction that I fell in love with at a huge flea market a hundred miles from my home one month, but didn't get her. I immediately regretted it and couldn't wait until the next month to go back with fingers crossed that the lady still had her. She did! She came home with me, and I've loved her ever since.

The other little doll is also a reproduction. I ordered a kit from a doll catalog and put her together. My mom made her clothes, and the tiny brooch is actually a hat/tie pin that I found in the bottom of a little vase I bought at a yard sale. It has a tiny fox and hounds hunting scene painted on it, and the colors just matched her outfit. 

The lamp was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law, the pitcher/bowl was made and gifted to me by one of my best friends, the tortoiseshell powder box came from hubby before we married when he was in the air force, and the photo is our niece and nephew in high school. All loved very much!

 

The large collectible doll house was a gift from hubby for Christmas years ago and kept me occupied for years. That's a story for another post! It had to be included to get the large dolls in the corner. Not all the dolls are visible in the photos, but they are there and just as loved!

This gorgeous boudoir doll was gifted to me by the FB friend, whom I mentioned above.

Each doll has its own story, and they are all special to me, but this Sasha doll in the blue gingham is one of my most favorites. I found her at a huge flea market and made a couple of trips back to the lady's booth before deciding to buy her. I had blonde hair at the time, and the lady said she favored me. I've never regretted bringing her home. 

Her friend in white satin was a gift from my sister-in-law, another treasure. My sister-in-law and I were exactly the same age, and she passed away when we were sixty, almost fifteen years ago. I miss her.

I gave very little for this posable jointed plastic doll at a flea market, but I love her and used her in different poses to practice drawing figures until her parts started to droop because the elastic holding her joint together rotted and stretched. She is currently nestled in this tin waiting to be re-strung. My mom made her pink satin dress. I think she may have originally been a bride or a ballerina in a gorgeous outfit, but she was practically nude when she came home with me.

Health wise, I've not been able to really take care of the dolls like they should be, and they all need cleaning and/or re-stringing, which is a huge job in itself. One day...

I know how to sew, but it's not really my thing, and I don't really get along with sewing machines, but I sewed, or crocheted some of the outfits. Mama made several of them, and her sister made and gave me some of the cloth dolls and a crocheted outfit for one of the Barbie type dolls. Some of the others were made by a couple of my other aunts, and they are all treasured, because they have all passed away now, except one, who is almost ninety and not in the best of health.

A few of the dolls got left completely out of the photos, because they were in a different place, and I forgot about them. Now they are pouting. Maybe they will make it into the next photos!

Maybe one day I'll feel better and get up the energy to do a good picture of each doll and write her story and either post them here or make a book. Wouldn't that be fun?

Thank you for visiting! I hope you enjoyed seeing my babies and maybe it will spark a beloved memory for you somehow. We're never too old to enjoy the toys and memories we loved as children!