Auctions

I've been to a number of estate auctions and some good yard sales recently. Last Saturday, I won three composition dolls which I believe date from about 1930. The baby doll in pink is a marked early Horsman doll "Baby Dimples", of composition and cloth, which some sites date at 1928. Her eyes were stuck in the closed position but I took a large, straightened paper clip and pulled loose stuffing out of the head, working through a small hole in the body fabric near the neck, and the eyes opened. The middle doll is almost surely an unmarked American Character Petite Sally, which dates back to 1930, and is all compo with one cracked leg. They are almost identical to the Patsy Ann doll. You have to look closely at the molded hair to tell the difference. I'm making her this copy of a period dress as I don't think her clothes were original, although it might be an original "beach outfit" of eyepopping color and design. The doll on the left is a shoulder flange and cloth style, with composition head and shoulders, arms and legs. The mohair wig isn't even strong enough to comb so she has an added baby bonnet for now. She is also unmarked but is possibly a Princess Elizabeth(most likely) or a Shirley Temple look-alike. Her legs are peeling badly so she will get tights or pantaloons. I was prepared to try and buy one doll, if it didn't go too high. With a few antique dealers there I was amazed to get the baby doll and Sally for $5 each and the Princess Elizabeth/Shirley Temple look alike for $12.50. I think because they were so dirty and because composition is so difficult to maintain and preserve. I cleaned them for now by rubbing a ball of lamb's wool over them as you can't use water on composition. A Baby Dimples in original clothing, in great condition except for a chip under one eye, just sold on ebay for $119. Sally goes for close to that. So, I didn't loose out!


The shelves show John's big find. He didn't realize he'd purchased a box of baskets along with a rock polisher which he got for $16. We were all stunned to see this Charleston, SC sweetgrass basket stuck between two Easter baskets.
The jadeite bowls are from another estate auction, where I also got a large set of Fire King Pink Swirl dishes for a remarkable sum.



John got me the Canadian Mountie dolls on a recent trip to Vancouver, Canada.
The modern reissue Effanbee Patsy I got at a yard sale on Friday for slightly more than the Sally I got on Sat. I peeled off the wig as I prefer the molded hair underneath but stuck it back on later.