I've been wanting a shelf to go over Elizabeth's bed and I found a nice one, a little shorter than I wanted but "a bird in the hand" was too good to pass up, even though the price was a bit high for a yard sale. I also got a huge Boyd's bunny which may end up in an Easter basket someday if I can bear to part with it. I got a lot of other fun stuff, clothes and books and a Mickey Mouse pancake mold. And a signed teacher doll pin which will be fun to wear on day's when I'm in the elementary. She's tiny but has stuffed moveable legs with painted shoes.
And of course, I seemed to find a lot of dolls, even when they weren't advertised.
At three different places I found these next four dolls for a total of $7.50 !! so I don't think I was too big a spender! One older lady was selling some of her 300 dolls as she needed to move from her teeny tiny house into an apartment. The garage she had her sale in was very old and the dolls were a bit dusty and possibly dry rotted. But I got two.
The Duchess doll, from about 1948, has beautiful fine lace around the bottom and on the skirt. Unfortunately the lace in front has a lot of splits and a couple of tears. It seemed to have been stiffened and if it was starched that would account for the problem. Items which will be stored long term shouldn't be starched. But she's still pretty and I will try to mend the worst two tears so that they're stabilized. The cream ribbon used for a bodice is stained red from the cape, as are the arms. I'll wrap new cream ribbon over the old. The cape will have to stay as it. The nap is falling off but I won't replace it. The Duchess dolls were made beginning in 1948 and I know that molds weren't always updated so that she could be later than that. These little dolls were about 7 1/2" and had moveable arms but frozen legs. They were often costumed elaborately.
I wish, again, that I'd done a before photo because Tubsy was a mess as far as her hair. I think she was marked more than I paid but the woman twice offered her at a lower price. So I brought her home and poured Downy on her hair. I thought it was dry rotted and would break off when combed but it combed out from it's matted state into very uneven hair with some shiny strands, some fuzz, and a few bald spots. The elderly collecter knew nothing about her but at home I looked her up and discovered that this Ideal doll is from about 1967. She has an intentionally wobbly head so that it moves when she is moved and comes to rest in various positions. When she is placed in water up to a line on her bottom she is supposed to splash in the water. I haven't figured out how to get the inner battery box open so haven't tried her out in a tub. :-) The outfit she was wearing was too big so she has on one of Elizabeth's first dresses for now. I love her face (although I think her teeth were set a bit too far to the side at the factory) and she makes me smile!
At another garage sale of collectibles I got this newer Zapf doll with a lot of her accessories in a zip bag--plus her potty chair. This, and several other baby dolls I've bought recently, will go on ebay someday if I don't have granddaughters. I'm buying baby dolls to be played with but with collecter value.
And finally, here is the Thanksgiving cornhusk doll which reminds me of my Nan's cornhusk dolls. I found it when I went back to the Hope Haven thrift store for a large 1960's fashion doll, found her gone, and was directed upstairs. I didn't know the thrift store continued upstairs. For anyone local who hasn't been there. Wow!!! What a lot of stuff. I don't know if there are very many treasures there but it's interesting.
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