Fates Selection

Well, I'm back (just as I promised) and with a specific item to cover. I couldn't decide what category to cover so I placed five items in a hat, well, cards with the item name on them, otherwise I would have needed a very large hat! I mixed the cards up and let fate pick the item, a doll! and you thought we had covered everything, guess the fates thought we needed more!
So I guess we'll cover this particular composition doll tonight. Composition dolls in general form a highly collectible and affordable area in doll collecting. I got this doll at an auction in a collection of dolls. She stands 15 inches tall, and is dressed in an original cotton sundress with matching bonnet, underslip, socks and shoes. Composition dolls of this type were popular from about the 1910's to the 1950's.

Please note: you can enlarge the photos by merely clicking on them, if you want to get a better look at them.






As you can see in the photo to the left; the head, arms and legs are composition and she has a cloth body. The head style is called a shoulder head because the head and shoulders of the doll is molded in one piece. The arms are bent at the elbow and the legs are straight. The arms and legs are sewn and glued to the body. The hip joints are simply sewn seams. This doll cannot stand on it's own and would either sit or be placed in a doll stand for display.




The eyes, lashes, eyebrows and lips are all painted on as are the rosy dimples on her legs and elbows.












The photo on the left shows a closer image of the face in a side view to also show how the hair is molded as part of the head with color and detail added with fine painting. You may notice a what appears to be a small crack or split next to the eye in the photo on the left, nope it's not, it is a wayward painted eyelash!

Now you may be wondering who this little charmer is, for that we need to check for markings. There are none on the cloth body, nor does she have any hang tags so we will need to check the back of the head!

The mark on the head reads EFFANBEE PATSY in an oval on the back of the head. This identifies the maker: EFFANBEE and the name of the doll: PATSY. In doing some research on this doll in several reference books, I found that this particular style of Patsy doll, with a cloth body and composition shoulder head, was made starting around 1925, with the later Patsy dolls, with all composition bodies, being made around 1928 and after. In fact there is a whole family of Patsy dolls with Wee Patsy, Patsy Jr., Patsy Baby, Patsy Kins, Patsy Ann, Patsy Joan and the list goes on. Patsy can be a whole collection of composition dolls all by itself.

This doll has no crazing on the arms, legs or face. Crazing is fine spider web like cracks in the finish of composition dolls that normally occurs with age. The doll oes show some signs of wear and has a few spots with paint loss on her chin and back of her head. She also is missing a couple of toes on one foot, but overall the doll is in very good condition. The following photos show these areas.


This style of Patsy is listed in the 15th Blue Book of Dolls and Values (Jan Foulke, Hobby House Press) at $350 - $400, which is a reasonable price for beginning doll collectors.


That's it for tonight! I hope you enjoyed learning a little about one type of composition doll as much as I enjoyed bringing her to you! I will be bring more items your way as this blog progresses, so if you have a particular area of interest please let me know as I may also learn something new in the process.


Good night for now!

One final note on Dolls.....

The question arose as to whether one should consider a doll with damage such as a hairline crack, or fingers missing. The answer is yes, not all dolls are perfect and some are rare enough to warrant buying with damage. Doll museums will buy a rare doll with damage as it may be the only way to have an example of a particular doll, making repairs only as needed to make the doll presentable to the public.

Also damage varies from minor to severe,some repairable and some not, but as long as it reflected in the cost, and is at a level you are willing to accept, you can feel confident in buying and adding to your collection.

Repairs to dolls are not inexpensive, so you must really attempt to buy the best doll you can for your money, and if you wish, making only the repairs that are necessary to bring the doll to a level acceptable to you, and keep as much of the authenticity of the original doll as possible.

I hope I have helped to answer this question. I will be moving on to a new category tomorrow, unless another question arises about dolls, not sure what it will be yet, but it may be something that sparks your imagination.

For now, Good Night!

A difficult segue....

Ok, it's been a couple of days since my last post. My 9 to 5 job has kept me busier than usual, with a few very long days, and a couple extra.

I was trying to come up with a way to segue from the walkthrough but I can't come up with anything clever, so let's just continue a bit on dolls.

I've found over the years that it's best to go to a doll show with a particular doll in mind for purchase, several in mind actually. Carry a list of dolls you've seen that you would like to have in your collection, write down the mold number, maker, doll type, height (if it's a limiting factor) and the price range for the doll. Don't make the list too long, say, a half-dozen of so to start, add to the list when one is removed, or if your taste/budget changes.

When you first start out, go to doll shows (and antique shows) and do not be afraid to talk to the dealers, even if you are not buying! I found out my best information from them, and many helpful hints, like the tools of the trade. Dealers love talking about their stuff, and doll dealers love their dolls.

I've found that one should only ask one or two questions then let the dealer tend to business, so you don't monopolize their time. I know several dealers who will talk for hours (yes I'm guilty here) if you let them, but don't let them, there's lots to see and you won't want to miss anything either. Many doll shows also cover bears and toys, and who knows you may find them more interesting than the dolls you came to see!

If you do see a doll you'd like to look at don't hesitate to ask the dealer if you can inspect the doll, cause how else are you going to learn?

If you've been following the blog, and would like to know more about something in particular that I've covered, or you would like me to cover, regarding antiques, please ask. Also in the coming weeks I will be adding photos into the blog to illustrate things we're discussing (or have discussed), I think you'll find that a bit more helpful in some areas, like manufacturers marks.

For now, Good Night!