Monday, March 14, 2011

Celebrate!


Erin Go Braugh!

Happy St Patrick's Day!  Most all of my life I  lived in Savannah, Georgia.  Savannah has a very large Irish community and is the home to the second largest
St Patrick's Day parade.  So to celebrate I have created a St. Patrick's doll display. The doll in the display is a pre-Toni.  This doll was issued by The Ideal Doll Company for at least a year prior to the Toni doll. The pre-Toni is unmarked and has a creamier coloring and a mohair wig.  Since being made for a short time they are fairly rare and command a premium price.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Other Things To Do

I haven't posted in a while.  I have been busy.  As you may  or may not know I am a collector of Ideal Toni dolls.  They are perhaps my favorite dolls.  I have unexpectedly taken over the Yahoo Groups Ideal Toni Club.  I have spent a great deal of time going through the files in that group.  There is some wonderful information on Toni there as well as some of the nicest doll crafts and accessories to make.  I have made a couple of them and will post some pictures soon.     
















Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Help To Identify Barbie Age - Maybe

On the back of the Mattel Barbie and Barbie family of dolls is always listed a country.  The country listed is the country the doll is manufactured in.  The first dolls would have been made in Japan.  Below is a chart of countries and the years of manufacture in that country:


1959 - 1972          Japan
1968 - 1970          Mexico
1970 - 1987          Hong Kong
1970 - 1987          Taiwan
1973 - 1978          Korea
1978 - 1988          Philippines
1989 - 1990          Mexico
1986 to present     China
1986 to present     Malaysia
1992 to present     Indonesia

I had a very good friend that was also a doll dealer.  She would not sell Barbie and family dolls.  I asked her why.  She said trying to be accurate in identifying Barbies would drive you crazy.  The dates listed on the back of the dolls are copy right dates for the body that particular Barbie has and has nothing to do with the date the doll was made.  The country that is listed gives a range of years that doll was made.  The faces of the dolls have been names by the collectors, but there are used in many different dolls.  It is very confusing.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Who Is She?

Marks on back above waist:
@Mattel . inc 1966
HONG KONG
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Who Is She?

Marks Mattel, Inc. 1966
HONG KONG

Going To A Thrift Store

I bought these two Barbies the other day at a thrift store. The blonde has the Superstar face with Philippines and the date 1966 on her back.  Barbies were manufactured in the philipines from 1978 to 1988, which places  her age as sometime between these dates.  The other Barbie has 1966 Hong Kong on her back. The Barbies were manufactured in Hong Kong from 1970 until 1987 which places her age as sometime between these dates.  
The 1966 date is the copy right date of the bodies.  Mattel has used this body on most of the Barbie and family of dolls and that is why so many have this date, but it has nothing to do with the age of the doll.  The darker haired doll I do not know who she is.  If you recognize her, please let me know who she is.