The Vintage Dolls I Loved and Lost Long Ago

The vintage dolls I loved and lost. My love for vintage dolls began as a child of the fifties; I had an older sister who had out-grown her collection and passed them on to me. I loved dolls of all sorts, baby dolls, bride dolls, storybook dolls, and of course, Barbie dolls. My collection was vast, and when my children were born (3 daughters), I brought them out from the attic with a custom-made cradle my aunt Mary had specially built for me. As a result, my children enjoy my dolls as much as I do.

As the children grew, I put the toys aside and dealt with my girls' new loves. They went to high school, college, and of course, boyfriends and marriage. During this time, I rediscovered my passion. I would travel to flea markets, shows, garage sales, and any place that might potentially have something to do with toys.

My collection grew; I started with some of my favorites, Shirley Temple, Judy Garland-the Wizard of Oz, and Baby Dolls. Dolls were mainly made during the 1930s, and composition to make their body. Similar to the ones I grew up with and loved. The romance of searching and finding these babies occupied my weekend while I read every book I could during the week. Some books explained how they were manufactured, one about manufacturers and how much they are valued as an integral part of modern history.

My LIFE suddenly changed on August 29, 2005. I lived on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, and one day my life turned from a predictable existence to one of a refugee. I live on Pass Christian Isle, Mississippi, ground zero for Hurricane Katrina. The morning of the 29th was life-changing; my father-in-law had died, our cat was missing, our home existed somewhere at the bottom of the Gulf, and our business a p, a private school for children, was, gone. We have since returned to the coast and live far away from the Gulf.

The doll that I loved was never to be seen again.

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Dolls with molded hair were popular during the 1950-the 60s. They are inexpensive to produce as the doll requires a mohair wig or stitched in hair. Moms like them because they can let their children play with them anywhere, including in water, without worrying about drying and combing their hair afterward. The doll can be found in vintage condition in second-hand stores and other resale venues. Most of the beauty will have wear to their painted hair as children played and carried these dolls everywhere.

I had a Tiny Tears doll during my childhood; she went everywhere and had clothing made by my Aunt Dorothy for every occasion. She was a well-loved little doll, so much that the hair had worn spots to prove it. I remember the Christmas I received; she came with a plastic baby bottle I filled with water and fed her. After her feeding, her tummy needed to be squeezed, and "real" tears poured from the holes in the corners of her eyes. I felt like a real mother that Christmas. Sadly, she was lost during Hurricane Katrina after having survived all those years.

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Before 1950 my sister had a collection of dolls she passed down to me. These dolls were mostly made of rubber or composition. Rubber dolls were very flexible, but the rubber quickly deteriorated since they were stuffed with tiny bits of cotton when they were injured. There was little to do once this happened aside from disposing of the doll or rushing her to a "Doll Hospital" Hospitals for dolls were top-rated at the time, and if a doll could not be parted with, the family would drop her off at the hospital. Weeks later, she was picked up and had been reconditioned to an almost new status.

The five and dime store also carried a variety of doll repair supplies. I remember piles of bagged hair used to re-stitch balding areas on a doll's head. There were compartments in the counter where a woman could help you determine the part you needed to make a home repair. She had pull-button eyes, sleepy eyes, hair, socket joint for arms and legs, and paints designed to touch-up faces and hair. We would visit this Kresge's five and dime almost every Saturday. I could hardly wait to see everything in the toy department. Shopping was a formal event that day; everyone dressed in their best outfits; I remember my mother in her grey wool suit, with matching heels, gloves, and a matching hat.

My sister had given me a "Bonnie Braids" doll; she was the baby from "Dick Tracy." She was a rubber doll with stuffing. The best part about her was that she had a painted rubber head with braids made of nylon fiber sticking out of the head. Her braids can be twisted to shorten and pulled out to grow the long. I was fascinated by the process. So when my sister had children, I gave Bonnie to them.