I was born a collector! Since I was a child, I have loved collecting this and that, and some of what I loved as a child spilled over into adulthood. I also like to keep busy in my downtime, and love doing things that require detail, even activities that others might find tedious. I also always enjoy bringing old things back to “life” – making aged and worn items beautiful again, without completely re-doing the item, keeping things as original as possible. That’s how I stumbled on a hobby that has become a passion.
My big sister had a Patti PayPal like one in your first picture with the short hair. She wore a purple dress. I was never looked to touch her. I know she had her still after she was married but I don’t know where she ended up after sister passed away 8 1/2 years ago. I had a doll with molded hair and some years ago I found an identical one at an antique store. She has one eye kind cloudy or something now. It is lighter blue than the other one. If you have any ideas on how to fix that I would appreciate any help. I received all my mom’s porcelain dolls when she passed away.
I don’t know how many doll collector’s are still around these days.
Denise
Hi Denise, I am so sorry to hear you lost your sister. I can help you with your doll’s eyes. I will email you so you can send me a photo, because it depends on what kind of eyes they are.
There are actually a lot of doll collectors still. I am a member of two very large Facebook groups online, and I have sent in my application to join a local doll collectors’ club. Doll shows are also very popular and there are some very, very serious collectors out there!
I will email you soon.
Farmgirl Hugs,
Nicole
What a lovely trip down memory lane. I had a walker doll in the fifties. I never knew what she was. If I was going to collect anytime would be dolls. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Celia, thank you! Collecting dolls is such a fun hobby. Let me know if you get started. Find them in thrift shops, tag sales and online. Happy hunting! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
I loved seeing your restored dolls! I still have my dolls from 50s/60s and I have a Ginny doll with her red trunk-she needs a real make-overbut I have some of her clothes. If you would like to have her I’d be happy to send her to you.
Marge, thank you for writing! I love Ginny dolls. A dear friend just gave me her Ginny! You are so sweet to offer, but how about I help you spruce your Ginny up? I will email you so we can talk privately. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Thanks for the memories! I have a Kissy doll! I got her for Christmas when I was 5 years old (so 1962). It was the only thing I asked Santa for that year because she was in commercials on TV. My Kissy still kisses (the last I tried, anyway!), but her looks could use some TLC. She wears a dress that my sister sewed for my daughter when she was a newborn. Kissy’s original dress wasn’t in good condition anymore, but it’s around here somewhere. Like you, I still love dolls!
Hi Colleen, How sweet that you have your Kissy Doll and that she wears your daughter’s dress. I love doing that with dolls in my collection. Kissy is such a cutie – one of my favorites! Thank you for reading and commenting! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
I only kept one doll from my childhood- “Penny Brite”. She has a crazy hairdo now (bed head). My first doll memory is my Betty. I must have been 4 or 5 and my mother made us matching dresses. Thank you for your wonderful doll story.
Hi Roseann, I am so glad you enjoyed this post. Penny Brite is such a cute doll! I love that your mom made you matching dresses. My daughter and her American Girl doll had matching dresses when she was little. So adorable! Thank you for sharing your sweet memories! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
How do you get the matted hair back to good condition? I would love to fix my old dolls’ hair.
Hi Julie, it really depends on what time of doll (different dolls have different types of hair), what kind of style they have, and how old the doll is. Do you have one or multiple dolls that have matted hair. Do you know the type and age? Let me know. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
I absolutely loved this! I wish I knew how to do the restoration of dolls! Wow!! Great job.
Hi Karen, thank you so so much! I learned through instinct, research, and from others. I enjoy the restoration and “spa day” care of dolls so much, I am wanting to be a doll hospital on the side. So many have gone away; I feel it is a lost art. Thanks so much for reading and commenting. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
I enjoyed your article. I collect vintage pictures, boxes and pitcher/creamers.
I understand the love of items that have stood the test of time.
Hi Judi, sounds like you have a nice variety of collections! There are so many neat pitchers and creamers out there, I bet that is a fun thing to collect and display. I have a few, mostly milk glass ones. Don’t you love old things and wonder what stories they could tell? Thanks for reading and commenting! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Hi Nicole, I’m a 76 year old doll lover (baby) I also have a patty play doll which my grand daughter cut her hair so I got her wig which serves the purpose. I also have many other dolls which I change their outfits accordingly. When I was a child I always would take care of my babies pretending to feed them and get them ready for bedtime.There was a little laspe when I married and had 4 real babies but now that I’m retired I have all the time in the world lol to again take care of my dolls
Hi Terry, I love your comment! Oh dear – your Patti got a “Mommy Cut”, but that’s okay. The wigs look so cute on them, too. Some day I hope to be a grandma and will share my doll collection. I am imagining tea parties…! Enjoy your Patti and dolls, (and grandgirl). Thanks for commenting! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
I still have my lady doll I received for Christmas in 1952 and a suitcase full of clothes.
Hi Judith, I love that! That makes her extra special since you had her as a child. The lady dolls are one of my most favorites. I think mine is just so elegant. I bet as a child they were lots of fun to play with because they are a great size – not too big, not too small. Thanks for reading and commenting. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Hi Nicole, I was so interested in your post today. I am a doll lover also, but when our family moved from Chicago, my mom gave away most of my dolls. I kept my Barbie’s and my mom’s friend had a doll room filled with dolls from all Eras. She gave me 2 dolls that are made of the celluloid plastic. I still have one. The other one fell apart when I was a girl and mom threw it out. How did you learn how to restore old dolls? I picked up a bigger celluloid doll from a resale shop, but the rubber bands are all stretched out, and I don’t know how to restring or restore except to make new clothes. I have put together kit dolls that look like German china head dolls, and I have purchased hand made Porcelain dolls from resale shops that senior citizens have made in the past at the senior citizen center. I have all my dolls propped on a daybed in my sewing room. Lately, I found an American Girl doll at a resale shop, so I plan on making a new outfit for her and adding her to my collection. I’m glad I am not the only one who still likes dolls. Thanks for all your wonderful pictures. The restoration work you do is wonderful. I wish that I would have someone like you near me to get help from. Thanks for your wonderful doll story. I learned so much about your different dolls. Patti D from Janesville, Wisconsin
Hi Patti, thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed the post. I hear ya, I lost most of my dolls (and my beloved doll house my daddy had made me) in a move, and my mom threw out the rest, because back then, my dolls had been all played with and loved and no one thought about preservation or restoration back then.
I learned to restore old dolls from research, instinct, and from other doll restorers. I feel like restoration is an art. For your big celluloid doll, there are restring kits and supplies online. Your sewing room sounds like mine – part doll room, too!
Which American Girl doll did you find? My daughter has hers from her childhood. I used to surprise her and fix them up and redress and pose them as a surprise when she would get home from school. My favorite they made is “Molly”.
If you have any other questions, or need help with your dolls, let me know. I can email you. I love that there are other adult collectors out there! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
I had a Patty Playpal, Chatty Cathy, Kissie, Barbie, Ken and Skipper, but my favorite was my Thumbelina. I hope you can add one to your beautiful collection.
Hi Beth, sounds like you had a memorable childhood! I have not yet found a Thumbelina or Chatty Cathy yet. Both adorable dolls, that would be great to add. I would also love to find the Skipper like the one I had as a child. I remember the day I got her. My daddy took me to lunch at an old fashioned luncheonette (maybe Woolworth’s), as my mom was at a Mother’s Club luncheon. It was raining cats and dogs but we were having fun, as we did not get much time together, and not much one on one time. He then took me to the five and dime, and bought me a Skipper to go with my Barbie. It was a special day. Don’t you just love the memories dolls create for us? Thanks for reading and commenting. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Hi Nicole , What an enjoyable post. My twin sister and I are doll collectors. We have our original Ginny dolls. We have Shirley Temple dolls and many American Girl dolls plus many other ones. Thank you for sharing your love of dolls.
Marilyn and her twin Marion
Hi Marilyn and Marion! It always good to hear from you! I love that you are also doll collectors! Ginny dolls are one of my favorites; I had one as a child, too. She is one of the best dolls ever! Sounds like you all have a great collection. Thank you for reading and commenting! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Hi Nicole. I still have my Dancerina doll and talking Matty Mattel. I had a wood core doll but our Texas humidity did it in. I enjoyed seeing your dolls. Thank you for the happy memories.
Hi Donna, I remember both of those dolls! I did not have them, but remember playing with Dancerina at a friend’s house. She is an especially sweet doll. Do you remember the commercials on television? I do.
This summer here has been really humid for a few weeks, and I have been worried about my dolls, as well. Have moved them and placed fans and dehumidifiers to keep the humidity at bay. It really does damage the wood and composition dolls. Thanks for reading and commmenting! Stay cool down there in my home state! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Love this post, I am enjoying a second wave in my life of doll love. I am retired and active with garden, home, rural life and now dolls. I am sewing for them and enjoying every minute. I would like to re-hab a wellie wisher’s hair for a friend, but would love your advice on how to do the wild hair correctly. My granddaughter is 15 and out of doll love for right now, but I will man the ship until she comes to port with them again. Thanks for sharing, Kathy
Hi Kathy, love your comment! Sounds like we have a lot of common interests. For your Wellie Wisher, do not immerse her head. Washing a doll’s hair risks getting water behind the eyes, which can damage them, so try not to wash the hair. I would start with a spray bottle of water with a bit of conditioner (a few drops), and starting from the tips, mist the hair and comb it out. American Girl makes a great wire brush for doll’s hair. If you do not have one, a comb is okay. You do not want to comb too hard so that you do not pull hair out of the roots. Sometimes, I do this process several times, allowing the hair to dry between comb outs. Some dolls have hair that responds well to fabric softener, but if you read that anywhere, do not do that on American Girl (and Wellie Wishers are a type of AG doll), because it can damage American Girl doll hair. If you have any other questions, please comment again and I will email you directly. 🙂
Don’t worry – your granddaughter will come back around with dolls. My daughter is now twenty, and she loves them again, too.
Farmgirl Hugs,
Nicole
I had a Betsy Wetsy doll, but I let her sit in her “pee” too long and it melted her butt.
I had another doll as tall as me till my brothers dropped her from the top bunk bed and broke her head. I had a Jenny doll that I swore I would keep forever. She had a wardrobe and a suitcase and loved to travel. I left her somewhere. I hope whoever found her loved her as much as I did. Your post was fabulous. Thanks
Hi Marlene, I always love hearing from you! Oh my goodness, your doll stories! My heart breaks for you! I had a beloved teddy bear with my dolls, that was my favorite. My mom had gotten him on a special day, and I had picked him out. He went EVERYWHERE with me. Well, we went on a family vacation and on the way, we stopped at a Burger King in Columbus, Texas. My mom told me to leave him in the car (a station wagon), because I might get him greasy or dirty. I remember strapping him into the seatbelt in the backseat to wait for me. When we came back to the car, someone had broken into the car, left our luggage and things like that, but STOLE my teddy bear! We looked everywhere, and my parents even called the restuarant later to see if it had been found, but he was long gone. I cried and cried. (I was about five or six at the time). I always hoped he was loved as much as I had loved him! Sorry you lost all your childhood pals! Still, I am glad you enjoyed the post. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
Nicole!
Great work on the dolls! You certainly have a talent for this hobby. The dolls look brand new! Enjoyed the photos and story!
Hi Jackie, thank you so much! You will have to come by sometime so I can show you the dolls in person and we can catch up! Glad you enjoyed the blog! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
In the 1980’s I got the Pleasant Company catalog in my mail. I fell in love with the historical dolls and the beautiful and functional way they were made. My daughter enjoyed the book and dolls as Pleasant Roland added more dolls. In the early 2000, American girl was sold to Mattel. It didn’t take long for the historical dolls to be eliminated and the beautiful quality items once made in Germany, Italy and the US to be relegated to China. And the history of ‘American Girl’ became a plastic and cheap, yet very expensive must have ‘doll’. The Bitty Baby dolls gone, too. Have you noticed there aren’t many baby dolls for our children now? I Have. Most of my collection is passed on. But I too enjoyed my doll playing collecting well into my senior years. My favorite baby Doll was Horsemans Thirsty baby’ Thank you for sharing a beautiful joy.
Hi Melody, I hear you! I loved American Girl Dolls and before my daughter was even born was on the mail list. She got her first AG doll from her grandma when she was seven. We were lucky to get to go to the AG store in NYC several times when she was little, and took her and a friend for a small birthday party there. We loved it, and it was a dreamy experience for all. I did notice they have changed a lot. Recently, I also was looking for shoes for a vintage doll I was restoring, and went to Michael’s. When my daughter was little, they had a whole doll aisle with accessories that fit the AG dolls. The aisle is gone! No dolls or accessories. We also were at a model train store that has been in business for decades. They recently downsized. The store always had whole “worlds” of trains going, like a museum. The salesman told us how he had recently had kids from a field trip come through. This bored little boy said, “Why do we need these? I can do it all on my phone on an app!” So sad! Kids are missing out, and I believe imaginative play is really important. I am so glad my daughter still had dolls as a child. I wouldn’t trade those years of tea parties and dress up for anything!
I am familiar with Horseman’s Thirsty Baby. I do not have one myself, but they are very, very cute! Enjoy your dolls! Thanks for reading and commenting. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
I loved your article! I have several of my dolls from childhood. You do beautiful work with them! Thank you for sharing, it was so fun to read about each one.
Hi Denise, thank you so much! It is fun to look at a doll and make her “minty” again. Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole
I have a Ginny doll. My daughters and granddaughter are not interested.
I also had a Tiny Tears.
Enjoyed your post!
Hi Ginny, I love Ginny dolls. I have a blonde and a brunette that a friend gave me and they are just the cutest! I remember mine from childhood – she was a “Sasson” version in the 70’s and 80’s. Vogue had given them the rights. I don’t see many of them. I am also currently working on fixing up a Ginny for a fellow farmgirl. They spanned generations. Maybe someday little girls will love them again. It seems, sadly, that dolls for children are not as popular right now as “electronics”. Hopefully that will change. Thanks for reading and commenting! Farmgirl Hugs, Nicole