My New Finds - Roddy Doll and Berg Bear

It is very rare that I find any toys in an antique shop that I like enough to buy.  They are either not really old enough or much too expensive for what they are.
We went for a ride out yesterday to Bungay in Suffolk near where we used to live.  It is a lovely little town with a Buttercross in it's centre, a thriving market café, and enough little shops to keep me occupied browsing (and occasionally buying). 
We called into the café for a roast lamb dinner which was very good as usual and looked around a large antique emporium.  I was very impressed at how well kept and organised it was, and much to my surprise, found a Roddy doll and Berg miniature bear that I just couldn't leave behind.
I sat them on the table when I got home against a strange dog that I received last week.
The doll and dog looked as if they belonged together, so I took photos.

The little group of friends
 



The dog is a mystery, I have no idea of his maker.  He has a long tongue that hangs out of his mouth and a tail that curls over his back.
The pretty Roddy doll is 11 inches with her original dress.  Her hair is a bit thin at the back as many of these type of old doll wigs are.  I may try making her a cape and hat to go with her lacy dress.
The miniature bear is white mohair and has glass eyes and still has his tiny metal heart shaped tag with Berg on the back.
Look out for them in a few days when they will be listed in my Etsy shop - www.etsy.com/shop/PollysVintage Bears

The Dolls are Trying to Take Over the Bears' House!

I have always been a soft toy person.  I even preferred my teddy Cuddly, to any dolls that I was given as a child.
Just lately though I find myself drawn to 1950's dolls - miniatures and small baby dolls especially.
I found these tiny 3" baby dolls with no clothes, and had great fun dressing them.  They are all dressed using lace, with cotton brodiere anglais type lace being my preferred material.  I gave them all names, as I do my bears and they are proving very popular with my customers.



Little SOLD



Eric SOLD

Chrissie SOLD

Beatrice SOLD



Bella SOLD

Anna SOLD

 I then searched for more to do as I enjoyed them so much.  I couldn't find more tiny ones and found these four 6", 8", 10" and 11" already dressed, but needed a bit of tidying up.


Add caption



Haley

Rosy



Ceppiratti Doll Co

Blue Box Toys SOLD

I particularly like Rosy in the pink coat.  Her wrists are even jointed enabling her to twist her hands in different positions.  Her maker is a mystery, she has AGAESPOLY  0206 Hong Kong on her back and I have not as yet found out who used this wording.

The bottom left one is a really cute little doll made in Italy by the Ceppratti Doll Co.  I identified her by the 'Stork carrying a baby' mark on her back.

Blue Box Toys (doll bottom right) is a Hong Kong company that has been making dolls since 1952, starting with the first drink and wet doll.  They are still producing toys, including Thomas the Tank and Hello Kitty, and have won many awards for toy excellence.

Haley is a very lightweight celluloid doll who used to have a 'Mama' sound box, but sadly it is now missing.  Her all in one underwear covers the hole that is left in her back.  She is the only one of the four without open/close eyes, but her blue eyes are very large and pretty.

For the bear lovers amongst you, don't worry I still have 3-4 lovely old bears to tidy up for my Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/pollysvintagebears including this large Chiltern bear.

 

 



 

More Dolls House and Miniature Dolls

Between restoring the old bears and dogs I have been dressing and photographing the little dolls house dolls that I came across in my searches for bears.
The ones that I have posted on Etsy have proved to be very popular and some have already sold.
I have just 3 babies left to dress - the 6" Schildkrot one in a grass skirt called Mambi  I am knitting a little lemon outfit for him so that there is a choice of clothing.


Mambi, a Turtle marked doll SOLD

Tiny Rubber Doll SOLD

Then there is the little bisque baby made by Hertwig in the Thuringia area of Germany 1940's-1950's.   Her elastic had perished, and broke when I tried to tighten it.  Not having strung a doll before I went to the internet to get instructions.  Here are her before and after pictures.  It took a few attempts and some wasted elastic to get it right.  As you can see she has a bit of damage to the surface of the bisque. 
The next job is to dress her.  I cut nappy shapes out of soft white material for all of the tiny baby dolls.  She is the last one apart from a little rubber doll that already has her nappy on.  These dolls are just 3"/8cm tall.

Poor little baby all broken



That's a bit better SOLD



Then there are the dolls house dolls I have available now -2 girls and a boy, in their original clothes.  These dolls are 4"/10cm tall.  The one in the hat has no markings, but the other two have a Fleur de Lys mark on their backs, which means they were made by a Japanese company. 

 

The other 3" baby doll I have is dressed in knitted clothes.  This is not proving as popular as the cotton and lace outfits I have put the previous ones in so I may make her a new dress and bonnet.

Awake

Asleep

I didn't notice until I put her away in my cabinet that her eyes, as well as open and closing, actually look from side to side.  I have not seen a doll that does this before, let alone one this size!

She can look from side to side if you tip her SOLD

These dolls will be available from my Etsy shop shortly www.etsy.com/shop/pollysvintagebears




Miniature 1950's Dolls

I have come across a few little dolls whilst searching for teddy bears.

They are really cute and I am enjoying fidddling about dressing them.  I have dressed 2 babies and one toddler (bottom right in picture above), and a 1950's miniature pram that I have made bedding for, and I dressed the doll that was with it.

3" Baby Doll with Clover Mark and
open/close eyes SOLD

3" Baby Doll with Turtle Mark SOLD

The doll middle top in the group picture is a pot one and when I tried to tighten her joint elastic it was perished and broke.  I have managed today to get suitable elastic to mend her with.  I've never restringed a doll before, so watch this space :).

Miniature Pram with lace frilled pillow and cover with pink roses
with dressed 2.5" doll SOLD

1950's Little Girl Dollshouse 3" doll
Marked ES Germany and with open/close eyes
SOLD

SOLD

I have 2 more tiny babies to dress plus I am knitting a pretty outfit for this Turtle Marked 6" black doll.  He was called Mambi, made in 3 sizes and originally sold in this grass skirt.  He also had a sister called Wumbi.  This one has one of his earrings missing, but apart from that he is in excellent condition. 

The finished dolls and pram are in my Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/pollysvintagebears and my Weebly website www.pollysvintagebears.weebly.com

The Mambi doll and the other little dolls will be available shortly after I have finished the Chiltern bears from the previous blog page.