Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Hina Matsuri - March 3 - Girls Day Japan





Hina Marsuri

Girls' Day Celebration

Hina Matsuri is the annual Girls' Day Festival celebrated on the third day of the third month by Japanese families. Girls display their collections of elaborate dolls portraying the Japanese royal court, arranged on up to 7 tiers. The Emperor and Empress sit at the top and are attended by guardians, musicians and servants. These treasured dolls are passed down from generation to generation and are beautifully detailed, with brocaded silk kimonos, fans, and musical instruments.  The wealthier the family the more elaborate the display. It is said that the display must be taken down on March 3rd or the girls in the family will not find husbands.  Hina Matsuri evolved from ancient Shinto purification ceremonies. Using origami dolls, girls could rid themselves of impurities by breathing upon the paper dolls, rubbing the dolls against their bodies, then casting away the dolls, and thus their sins, into a river.  The celebration of this festival in Japan is traceable to the Edo period. (1603 - 1867).  






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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Doll Value And Keeping Records


Doll # 1
A parian
(white unglazed porcelain) 

Doll # 2
Ideal Toni with original wig, hard plastic, no haircut
clothes not original

Doll # 3
Bleuette reproduction made by Barbie Kanter Goldberg
Porcelain head, composition body

Doll # 4
Ideal Toni, original wig.  Has had a haiircut.
Hard plastic.  Clothes not original.

Doll # 5
Ideal Toni.  Hard plastic.  Original wig, no haircut
Clothes not original


What is you guess at the value of the above dolls?
Why do we need to know and have a record of our dolls?
It is important that you read the next article.


Answers to the above,,,,,,
1 - This doll was sold in a kit to be put together.  The kits were imported from
Japan, by the Kimport Doll Company in the nineteen fifties.  Even though she is beautiful and beautifully dressed she is worth about
25/35.00 as is.

2 - Doll # 2 is all original except for her clothing.  She is in very good condition
Her value about $100/125.00.

3 - Doll # 3 is a reproduction of the french doll Bleuette.  An original Bleuette would cost $4000/5000.  This is a very good reporduction made by one of the better doll artists.  This doll would be worth about $300/350.00.

4 - Doll # 4.  She is an original doll in that she has her original wig, but she has had a haircut.  She also has a small ding in the side of her chin.  While a beautiful doll and beautifull dressed, she would probably sell for about $40/50.00.

doll # 5 is an original Ideal Toni.  Has her original wig and is in very good condition.  Her clothing is not original.  But what made this Toni valuable is she has "root beer"  brown eyes as they are called.  Toni dolls with brown eyes are very rare and valuable.  So even without original clothing, she would be worth about $300/350.00.

Know why should we keep records and know the value of our dolls, the above five dolls have an approximate value of 900/1000.  If I were to die, my family would have no idea of the value of my doll collection.  This is why the need for records on our dolls.  See next article.
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Sunday, February 17, 2013

Introducing Tipi

Introducing Tipi.
My daughter came in the other day and handed me a bag with the declaration:  I brought something.  This doll was in the bag,  My daughter and I sometime will buy a doll if the price is right for the clothing.  Cheryl said she thought I would like the clothes for Toni. (This doll is the size of the P-90 Toni)  She knows there are very few vinyl dolls I care for.  She had found her at a local Goodwill for $1.99.  I put the doll back in the bag and forgot about her for several days.  When I took her out of the bag for a closer look I realized she was in near mint condition, she began to speak to me.  I had no idea who she was or even how old she was.  I looked at her markings on the back of her neck and wrote them down.  I went to my computer and googled her marking.  Tipi immediately came up.  I have done a copy and paste below from the Playmate Toy Company web site showing the information on Tippi.  I have decided she is a keeper, at least for a while.   


 
 
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Playmate dolls - Tippi From Laos

This was taken from the Playmate Toy Company web site. This is the information I found when I googled the markings on the back of my doll.

Hearts For Hearts Girls

Hearts For Hearts Girls

Every Hearts For Hearts Girls® doll is inspired by real girls from real places around the world. Each doll has her own story to tell, with ideas about how to make life better for her family, community, country, and the world around her. When you buy a doll, part of the purchase price creates a donation to programs that support children in that doll's region.
Hearts For Hearts Girls also has a colorful, kid-safe website where you can read each doll's story, play fun games and activities, and view inspiring stories of real girls: www.hearts4heartsgirls.com. For information on our dolls in Canada, visit: www.hearts4heartsgirls.ca.
Click on the images below to learn more about each doll.

Tippi's Story From Playmate


Tipi

Tipi is an artistic and adventurous ten-year-old girl living near the Mekong River in Laos. She loves to imagine the faraway things the river has seen. She also likes to draw and dance, and to help her father—a shadow puppet maker—tell the traditional stories of her culture.

When Tipi’s teacher enters their class in an art contest to win schoolbooks, Tipi’s determined to win the prize. But when she’s offered a change to travel, she has a choice to make. Will she be like the Mekong and visit far-off lands?






Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Valentine Pictures dolls

Toni is holding her favorite card


 
Toni shows off her new dress
 
Mickie and Minnie celebrate Valentine's Day

 
Kissy is throwing you a Kiss
 
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More Valentine Pictures


Princess Mary
 

Bleuette
 
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The Cutest Valentine Cards From The Past

Who could resist these adorable cards
 
 
 
 
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Thursday, February 7, 2013

Baby Crissy

                                                                                Baby Crissy.  A beautiful Doll by The Ideal Doll
                                                                               Company.
                                                                                Baby Crissy is an example of a doll that has been
                                                                                re-issued many times through the years as the styles of                                      
                                                                               dolls and the fortunes of the companies making them
.This series will show them through the main years of
their popularity as the brand and maker of the doll changed.

                                                                     
Baby Crissy
1973 - Baby Crissy became a part of the doll world in 1973.
 She was introduced by the Ideal Doll Company.  She has the look of the Play Pal 
series of dolls and the reason is Crissy was sculpted by the same artist.
The sweet open smile with the white even row of teeth and large brown
eyes grab your heart. She has exquisitely molded feet and legs with
baby fat. She looks like a real nine-month-old baby. Baby Crissy
also has the long gro-hair ponytail. This doll was made to appeal to
the younger girls. And from 1973 to 1982 her looks never changed.
She can wear real baby clothes and that is why she is often found in
baby clothes. You can't tell what year issue she is without her
original clothes or box. No shoes or socks were ever made for her.
She has the cutest little feet and it would be a shame to cover them.

1973 – 1978. Baby Crissy wore a two piece pink diaper set.
There are some changes in the design of the pocket and collar.
The black Baby Crissy came in an identical lavender diaper set.

I had for many years in my collection a baby Crissy pictured like the one above.
I loved her very much.  She is a beautiful baby and is the size of a nine month old baby.
Her quality when she was made by Ideal Doll Company was excellent.  These dolls still look
good today.  Lucky is the collector that has one in her collection.

Re-Issue 1981 Baby Crissy




 In 1981, Baby Crissy was again issued but this time wearing a
white bubble suit with yellow and white gingham trim. Later that
year a Baby Crissy came out in a pink and white checked gingham dress
with bloomers.

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1984 Baby Crissy


Posted by Picasa1984. In 1984, Baby Crissy re-appeared. This Baby Crissy looks
                                            different from the other ones. There are now three versions. All
                                            are 18 inches tall instead of the 24 inches. She now has molded hair
                                            with a tuft of real hair in the top front. She has sleep eyes and is
                                            a drink and wet doll. Her diaper set is now in blue and white polka
                                           dots.
                                           A second Baby Crissy also sleep eyed, 18 inches, drink and wet doll
                                           with no hair except molded hair. She is wearing a yellow and white
                                           dress and bloomers.
                                           The third version issued this year is the same dolls as the one with
                                           the tuft of hair, but is wearing a long white christening dress and
                                           bonnet.
                                          All of the 1984 dolls were issued in black and white flesh.

1985 Issue 18 Inch Baby Crissy

 
                                     1985.  Baby Crissy this year has short rooted hair, sleep eyes and is
                                     18 inches tall. She was dressed in a blue or yellow  print dress and
                                      matching  panties. There is also a version in a long christening
                                      dress with no tuft of hair. This same Baby Crissy was also released  
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1991 Baby Crissy



 
Baby Crissy was not issued again until 1991. The Ideal DollCompany had been sold to a company called View-Master Ideal Group a
subsidiary of Tyco toys.
This company issued a sixteen-inch Baby Crissy. She is
wearing a romper with the feet being covered. She has the same eyes
and gro-hair as the original Ideal
Baby Crissy. She also wears a blue chambray dress with
yellow shoes and pink socks. This is the first shoes and socks for
Baby Crissy. Also issued this year is Teeny Baby Crissy, a ten inch
version with a cloth body
and chubby arms and legs. She is wearing a non-removable romper and
has blonde or auburn gro-hair with a ponytail. She has blue glassene
eyes.
The black version (pictured) ix dressed in yellow and white.

1995 Another Baby Crissy Re-Issue


Posted by Picasa1995. The last version was released by a company called Tyco
Playtime, Inc. These dolls were sixteen inches tall. Baby Crissy had
a comb and Brush and again had gro-hair. She wears a coverall and
has green glassene eyes. These dolls were issued in both black and
white flesh.