Sunday, August 19, 2012
Parian Dolls
Originally made in England, Parian Dolls were manufactured primarily in Germany with the majority being made during the years of 1860 to 1880, and continued to be made into the 1930's. Today many are made by reproduction artists. These dolls are sometimes referred to as Dresden dolls because the quality of the porcelain is so fine. The parian dolls are like China dolls in that the head, arms and legs are made of porcelain and the body is either cloth or leather. Most parians are shoulder heads as the the head and shoulders are one piece. Swivel heads, where the head and shoulder mold are separate, is considered very rare. The primary difference between a parian and a china doll is the parians are made of untinted porcelain that has not been glazed to have a shiny appearance, but has a matte finish. Nearly all parian dolls have closed mouths. The term Parian refers to the appearance of the fine white marble of Paros, Greece. The United Federation of Doll Clubs accepted definition of the parian doll is: "Parian Doll: made of fine white bisque (unglazed porcelain) without tinting. The features, hair and cheeks may be painted,"
Parian dolls range in size from seven inches to over two feet, with most being fourteen to twenty two inches tall. The majority of parian dolls represent ladies and most have pierced ears. Parian dolls can have glass or painted eyes with the ones with glass eyes being most sought after by the knowledgable collectors.
The hair is usually molded and painted blonde, with a few being brown or black. Some will have a bald head and wear a wig, but they are rare.
Parians are known for their elaborate decorations with colored stones inset into the porcelain creating elaborate necklaces. They are also decorated with molded combs, flowers, scarves and ribbons. Some have elaborate molded collars or ruffs. molded hats or bonnets.
Most parian dolls are unmarked. Most were made by the firms of Alt, Beck & Gottschalk, Hertel & Schwab, C. F. Kling, Simon & Halbig, Bahr & Proschild, and many others. Parian dolls are some of the most beautiful dolls made.
The value of a parian doll with out decorations are usually valued at about a thousand dollars a piece. If the parian has a rare hairdo or elaborate decorations they can be sold for several thousand dollars. The main factor in valuing is the rarity of the hairdo and the decoration and accessories, as collectors pay great attention to these. Also the quality of the painting is also given much consideration.
I love my parian dolls. I have in my collection a few low grade Parian dolls form the 1930's. They were made in the Orient and imported and sold by Kimport Doll Company. I am including on my blog pictures of my dolls. They are not considered valuable as they can still be bought on e-bay very reasonably as kits. My dolls although very pretty do not compare with the antique glass-eyed beauties, but I own them and I love them. Most of the dolls were bought already put together, but have been dressed by me. Following are the pictures of my parians.
Parian dolls range in size from seven inches to over two feet, with most being fourteen to twenty two inches tall. The majority of parian dolls represent ladies and most have pierced ears. Parian dolls can have glass or painted eyes with the ones with glass eyes being most sought after by the knowledgable collectors.
The hair is usually molded and painted blonde, with a few being brown or black. Some will have a bald head and wear a wig, but they are rare.
Parians are known for their elaborate decorations with colored stones inset into the porcelain creating elaborate necklaces. They are also decorated with molded combs, flowers, scarves and ribbons. Some have elaborate molded collars or ruffs. molded hats or bonnets.
Most parian dolls are unmarked. Most were made by the firms of Alt, Beck & Gottschalk, Hertel & Schwab, C. F. Kling, Simon & Halbig, Bahr & Proschild, and many others. Parian dolls are some of the most beautiful dolls made.
The value of a parian doll with out decorations are usually valued at about a thousand dollars a piece. If the parian has a rare hairdo or elaborate decorations they can be sold for several thousand dollars. The main factor in valuing is the rarity of the hairdo and the decoration and accessories, as collectors pay great attention to these. Also the quality of the painting is also given much consideration.
I love my parian dolls. I have in my collection a few low grade Parian dolls form the 1930's. They were made in the Orient and imported and sold by Kimport Doll Company. I am including on my blog pictures of my dolls. They are not considered valuable as they can still be bought on e-bay very reasonably as kits. My dolls although very pretty do not compare with the antique glass-eyed beauties, but I own them and I love them. Most of the dolls were bought already put together, but have been dressed by me. Following are the pictures of my parians.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Suzy Cute by Deluxe Reading/Topper Toys
Suzy Cute was made by Deluxe Reading also known as Topper Toys Suzy made of vinyl was seven inches tall and when you pressed her tummy she would lift her arms to be picked up and her facial expression changed. She was also a drink and wet doll. The marks on her head are: Deluxe Reading Corp. (c) 1964 268 GFX.
Suzie had many clothing sets and even had her own line of small furniture. She came with a crib, complete with mattress and a book and accessory guide listing all the pretty things for Suzy. Some of the furniture sets were a walker/feeding chair combination, a pram type baby buggy, baby crib. The furniture sets came in red and yellow or pink and blue color combinations.
Some of the clothing sets were: Hop, Skip 'N Jump. This set has a white cotton top with lace and blue trim with elephants embroidered on the front and a matching set of panties. Also included was a pacifier and a bow for her hair, a pink plastic bunny and a catalog booklet.
Fancy Frills has a pretty blue dress with white flowers for her own first birthday party.
For a ride in her stroller Suzie has Sugar and Spice which is a yellow and white and has a pretty bow for her hair.
To swing and slide on her own swing set she has a blue and white jumpsuit called: Skip, Hop, Jump.
When winter comes Suzie will be very warm and snug in her red snowsuit with white fur trim.
After a day of fun she can cuddle with her stuffed animal in a soft white sleeper.
There were many other clothing sets including the pink dress with coat and matching hat pictured on my Suzy Cute.
Suzy is all vinyl with painted blue eyes and small white teeth and rooted short blonde hair. She is a very pretty and well made little doll. A nice small doll to add to your collection.
Suzie had many clothing sets and even had her own line of small furniture. She came with a crib, complete with mattress and a book and accessory guide listing all the pretty things for Suzy. Some of the furniture sets were a walker/feeding chair combination, a pram type baby buggy, baby crib. The furniture sets came in red and yellow or pink and blue color combinations.
Some of the clothing sets were: Hop, Skip 'N Jump. This set has a white cotton top with lace and blue trim with elephants embroidered on the front and a matching set of panties. Also included was a pacifier and a bow for her hair, a pink plastic bunny and a catalog booklet.
Fancy Frills has a pretty blue dress with white flowers for her own first birthday party.
For a ride in her stroller Suzie has Sugar and Spice which is a yellow and white and has a pretty bow for her hair.
To swing and slide on her own swing set she has a blue and white jumpsuit called: Skip, Hop, Jump.
When winter comes Suzie will be very warm and snug in her red snowsuit with white fur trim.
After a day of fun she can cuddle with her stuffed animal in a soft white sleeper.
There were many other clothing sets including the pink dress with coat and matching hat pictured on my Suzy Cute.
Suzy is all vinyl with painted blue eyes and small white teeth and rooted short blonde hair. She is a very pretty and well made little doll. A nice small doll to add to your collection.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Small Doll Displays
I love the small dolls, usually under 6 inches. You can have so much fun with them and the cost of them is cheap. I know I should use the word inexpensive, but those of you who know me know I like cheap. I get most of my small dolls at garage sales for .10 to .25 cents and the more expensive ones I get at the Dollar Tree for a dollar. I have another love and that is doll trunks. You can take a small trunk or if you want you can also use a wooden box, or a small basket. Just use your imagination. You can get fancy in your display or use the kiss method (keep it simple stupid) which I prefer. You can take a small basket, trunk or a box if you don't have a small trunk and do the same display. No scarf, just use a small piece of pretty material. Also you can add small doll clothes or crochet items to the display. Always when shopping at a mall, thrift store or garage sale be on the lookout for display items. Dolls in a display no matter the size always look better in a display than just the doll on a stand just standing there or sitting there. I am always on the lookout for things to use. I have a box I put things in when I find them and whenever I want to make a display they are readily available. It is amazing what you can use. I have a small wooden sewing machine, and musical instruments that are Christmas ornaments that are just the right size for a doll. Small wooden jewelry chests that look like small chests are perfect chests for dolls. I am going to do an article on Dolls and their trunks and the clothing that was in them. The ones from the forties and fifties are adorable, but the antique dolls and their fabulous wardrobes are to dream about. I'm dreaming............
Trunk, Dolls, Scarf. How easy is that?
This small display has four items. The small
wood box and the small doll in the pink dress came from the Dollar Store. The other doll came from a garage sale. The scarf I have had a long time and I don't remember where I acquired it.
Another Trunk and Doll Display
This is a larger display, but still is a small display. There is a doll Quilt, and four dolls in this one as well as the trunk.These small displays can be used as decorator items in rooms other than your doll room.
More Small Doll Display Ideas
These doll displays are very simple and are simply made by taking some items you have and putting them together. You can use them in any room in the house that has a flat surface. If you don't have a collection of props to use, start collecting them now. the great thing about these small displays is they cost almost nothing and get lots of comments from friends and the big thing is you will enjoy
your dolls more.
This display is made using a small collection I have of small Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Some of the Mickies are paper that were printed from the Disney web site. Just use your imagination and have a good time making some small displaysWednesday, August 1, 2012
Dropping Into Local Thrift Store
We have a Thrift Store in our small village. I sometimes go there to see what is available. I have found some really good things there. I have only bought two dolls there. One for the clothing, and another was a Berenguer baby. At my last trip there, I found a small plastic bag with several crocheted pieces of doll clothing for $.50. In the bag was a sweater and purse that were perfect for a Toni I had just crocheted a dress for and the color was perfect. A lighter shade of the color of the dress and it made a perfect contrast.
The other clothes in the bag was a swimsuit and hat for Barbie. It was just the perfect outfit for a vintage Barbie I had bought several weeks before. The pattern it was made from is an old Barbie crochet pattern and was just the vintage style this Barbie needed. Whoo Hooooo!!!!
The other clothes in the bag was a swimsuit and hat for Barbie. It was just the perfect outfit for a vintage Barbie I had bought several weeks before. The pattern it was made from is an old Barbie crochet pattern and was just the vintage style this Barbie needed. Whoo Hooooo!!!!
Crocheting A Dress For Toni And A Thrift Store Find
I found a crochet dress pattern on the internet that I could adapt for Toni. I had some soft baby weight wool from an earlier trip to the Thrift store. Below are two pictures of toni in the finished dress and hat. This Toni is the Pre-Toni I restored a while back. She had a severe haircut, but since it was her original mohair wig, I decided to not replace it. I think the hat is perfect on her as it covers the hair and enhances her face,
In the bag from the Thrift Store was this sweater and pocketbook. It goes perfectly with Toni's new dress. The color is not a match, but it is a lightrer shade of the same green. How great is that! 
See what else was in the bag!What Else Was In The Bag
Isn't Barbie pretty in her new crochet swimsuit. This is a vintage Barbie picked up some tme ago probably at a yard sale. She was naked as most of the older dolls are, but in good shape. She needed a vintage outfit. Whoo Hooo! In the bag was also this crochet swimsuit and picture sun hat. I recogniae the style as an old barbie crochet pattern. I love to be surprised by finds like this. This little plastic bag of crochet doll clothes added some doll clothing that my dolls needed. What will you find?
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