You Gotta Love a Junk Store! Great Finds!

   I do love me a good junk store! For years Ken and I have been passing a place on the highway. It has loads of cement lawn decorations and not one, but TWO big signs that say ANTIQUES. For some reason we had never gotten around to stopping, even though every time we pass I say, "I want to stop there sometime." Well we were passing there yesterday, on our way to absolutely nowhere, and I decided I would finally stop. I accidentally passed the exit onto the access road where it is. I could have said, well, maybe next time. But I went on down the highway to the side road that leads to the access road, and went back to it. Am I glad I did? Ah! I said to Ken just a week or two ago that what I really want is to come across an amazing old junk store with all kinds of cool stuff for amazing prices On this day, that happened. 

  On pulling in we see signs that say everything in the first building is $1 each! So we go in. Ken is ready to leave pretty quickly. I'm not. The farther around I go, the more stuff I see that I want to look at. When dealing with second hand stuff I have a thing I do: I use one hand, and keep the other hand clean for things like scratching my face, blowing my nose, or getting in my pocket for car keys or money. Well, I started out that way, but this place was so piled up with things in boxes and tubs, and things under tables, and all over the floor. It wasn't long before I had accidentally scrubbed my clean hand through a bunch of stuff anyway, so it was dead to me. No point in not diving in, into what turned out to be up to my armpits, in stuff. I was busy digging in some tubs and finding some amazing stuff. Ken, who did no digging, was ready to go outside, where it was at least a little cooler. It was hot in there, with no air conditioning or windows, and just a screen door open, I have to admit. He went around quickly, and while I was digging in the tubs he said, "The good stuff is over there." "I'll get to it. I'm finding stuff here." He actually popped back in after sitting outside the door for a while, before heading to the car for his nap, and said, "You're going to want to go over there." "I will. I'm working my way over there. 

  I'm in between some table with tubs on top, and some free standing shelves, and I can't even see what Ken's referring to.  In digging through the tubs I found a vintage Barbie/Midge body, and eventually, a Twist and Turn Barbie head. I found bags of doll shoes, which made me think, I think I saw the match to that shoe in that other tub. I went digging/back through a tub I had already been through, and it was a good thing. I found the Twist and Turn body! When I finally finished with the tubs, I went back and found some other things I was going to just leave, because, for instance, what was I going to do with one Crissy family shoe? (Not like me!) 

  Then I moved on. There was a small room just past the tables. Nothing. There was another little room at the back as I went along. Nothing. Then I turned the corner of the shelves, and saw the room beyond. It was then I knew what Ken was talking about! Yes! I was indeed going to want to go in there!. But I made myself check the other side of the shelves first. That was difficult, but I did find a flowered vinyl Barbie sized couch and chairs.

  Okay. What was Ken talking about? In that room there was a big table, the kind stores pile stuff on because it has sides and will hold masses of loose stuff. This table had four separate sections, and they were all piled high with old dolls, and doll clothes. When I was telling my sister about this, she said, "Did the angels sing, like when we came around that corner at the bicycle museum and saw Pee Wee's bike?" I said, "YES!"

  There were 60's dolls, 70's dolls, 80's dolls, and even a very few that were more recent than that. I had to take some fake greenery out of a box and start loading the box with stuff. When I was done, (And there was still loads of stuff left.), I gave the tub area one more going over. Then I started trying to get all my stuff outside. There were three bags of doll shoes, two boxes of dolls and clothes, and that couch and chair set. Ken suggested wryly that there was a wheel barrow over at the side of the barn where we were supposed to go to pay.

  We finally got the stuff over to the barn, with a lot of picking things up that kept sliding off, and shoes that kept falling out of the bags. I told the guy I hoped we could make a bundle deal of some kind. He said incredulously, "Better than a dollar?!" "Well, there's kind of a lot of stuff." He started counting things. Luckily, he did count the bags of vintage fabric as one thing each, and the bags of shoes as one thing each, instead of by the pair! I kicked out one doll I had doubles of. It was a tough choice, because one had brighter pink pants, but messy hair and no skirt. In the end I ejected the one without the skirt for the dressed one with better hair. I also kicked out a faded Betsy Clark doll with somebody else's dress on. I can't remember the other one I kicked out. When we got to 25, he stopped me, and said how about 10 for the rest of the box. I said yes, while Ken moaned. Then while Ken was paying, I realized there were loads more things to look at in there. That place was HUGE. it went on forever, with room after room. As I started out, the guy said he would give me half off any doll in found in there. Things in there were higher priced though. For instance, he had a Danny O'Day ventriloquist dummy with a broken mouth for $200. As I went to the back I saw that there was a whole side of the barn open, and there was a covered area outside with even more stuff, furniture, baby carriages and doll carriages, vintage dish sets, and all sorts of things. Beyond that there was a building like a huge garage, with more stuff.  I went through as quickly as I could. It was hot, my leg hurt, and Ken wanted to go. We had both already been starving all day. I found nothing until I went in that last building. I went down the one side, and turned the corner around the tables piled high with stuff that went down the middle of the building. On the opposite wall I found a familiar form. I picked it up. It was Chatty Cathy, made even more obvious by the pinafore she was wearing that had 'Chatty Cathy' embroidered across the front. In the dim light of the shed I thought she looked too clean to be a vintage doll, and her clothes looked new. Plus, I didn't remember a CC outfit like that. But when I pulled her dress up to look at her chest, she had a cloth covered speaker. The first issue Chatty Cathy! So I carried her, planning to ask how much she was. When I turned I saw a vintage Christmas Elf stuck to the front of a basket. I hadn't been able to see him from the other side of the table because the back of the basket was facing me over there. I couldn't reach him from there, so I headed back to the other side of the table, when the guy came in. He said, "I meant to tell you that everything in the middle and on that other side is $1 each. Ah!! Chatty Cathy and the elf are $1 each! I could hardly reach the basket from the other side either, but I got it. Elf: rescued! I didn't bother to haggle about the half off on dolls, and paid the whole dollar for Chatty Cathy.

  I thought, I have to get out of here before he decides to charge more. And lest you say I should have offered more, let me point out that this stuff was in an outbuilding, broiling in hot weather, and  unheated and damp in the winter, with the possibility of mice. This guy probably doesn't sell much. He is old, and probably is one of those people who only open their store to fill their time. He had the main barn merchandised in a fairly orderly manner, but this building, and the one I was in first, were just junk holes. He had beautiful antique carriages, furniture and dish sets sitting outside, where rain and sun had already ruined a lot of things. I felt I was rescuing the stuff I got.

  The poor elf had been glued to the front of the basket, and I didn't want the basket. But how to remove him without tearing him? Luckily he came off easily, and I gave the basket back to the guy.

    Let me say, I won't be keeping most of this stuff. It's mostly available of you're interested. 

  So, let's see what I got for $37. Here's the whole haul.

  I got some vintage fabric.

A couple of vintage table cloths. They have some stains, but we'll see what we can do.

  I got this cute and very old Peter Rabbit book.

The front cover is missing. I think this is a 1916 edition.

'To (somebody) and Joseph from Santa.'

  Here are most of the Barbie and family dolls I got.

Buffy, a Quick Curl Skipper head, TNT Barbie, Barbie/Midge body, a more recent doll with the Steffie head sculpt, and a random head, also with the Steffie sculpt, and rooted eyelashes, the Mermaid Sea Twins mermaid baby, and little brother Tommy in his carrier. He's the doll I made  Fuzzy the Doll out of. 

  Twist and Turn has had a haircut, and had straight pin earrings, but she doesn't look bad. She has good lashes, and her legs bend and hold two clicks. I am short of Twist and Turn or Talking bodies from this era, so I'm definitely keeping her.

  Which Steffie head is this? Remember, she has brown eyes and no lower lashes or blue eye shadow.

I thought this was Miss America, but it isn't after all!

Very good lashes.

  Buffy is beautiful! Very pink, no greening, just a little paling on the tips of a couple of fingers, and she has complete working limbs! I have mine, and a spare, so I won't keep her.

  Her ringlets will be easy to put back too.

 

  Remco's Heidi and her sister Hildy. Heidi even has her dress and one yellow shoe.

Fully dressed except for her bonnet, Knickerbocker Holly Hobbie Sunbonnet Babies friend Molly, and friend Amy in a... Strawberry Shortcake suit?

Miss Yvonne from Pee Wee's Playhouse! We have the playhouse and people, and Emma used to love to play with them when she was little. We had a cat that took a particular liking to Miss Yvonne, and any doll with big hair. She stole Miss Yvonne when she got the chance.

  This baby is about the size of the 70's Barbie or Sunshine Family babies.

It's an  ABC Triplets doll, by Tara Toys. 

  This little kid is about 7 inches tall, and I thought he was really  sweet. I'm keeping him.

He's hard plastic, with sleep eyes and movable limbs. 

He's marked CS, which is for Cavicchi. He was made in Italy.

I found a Uneeda Pee Wee doll,, and a 1964 Uneeda Wishnik Petal People doll. 

The Petal People girl is 7 inches tall.

The Petal People doll looks like a giant Pee wees doll. There were at least four Petal People in the series, I think, and they all had flowers on their heads. I think this one is Daisy. Her flower had a bumble bee on it.

 

  This doll is an Itsy Bitsy Baby Bonnet Beans doll named Honey. (I've posted loads of Baby Beans dolls. Click 'Baby Beans' in the sidebar to check them out.) Now that's a name and a half.

  She's missing her white bib. I think I might have seen it!

  Remember my recent post on the antique mall, and the doll the dealer called My Friend Mikey, but he wasn't? This girl matches him. Same size. Same Style.

Similar face. I've since found out that they are Fisher Price Kids dolls, from the late 70's. His name is Mikey, but not 'My Friend' Mikey. Her name is Bobbie. They both would have originally had hats. His was a baseball cap type hat, and hers was more like Madeline's big hat, only in navy blue.

  She's the doll there were two of. I put the other one out of the counting, since she was the one without her skirt.

  I found a boatload of Heart Family kids. I left one behind because it was all chewed up. Sorry kid!

I think the other pink shoe was in the stuff! See below.

I even found a pair of their tights.

I found FOUR Cherry Merry Muffin dolls.

Banancy and Cherry Merry. Apparently that pink haired one is from the third series of dolls, and is called Peach Perfection. First series Chocolotti on the far right.

These dolls are sort of Cherry Merry Muffin clones with Strawberry Shortcake bodies. I think they're Sweet Scents dolls. The pink haired one is probably Bubble Gum

These more resemble Strawberry Shortcake dolls, but they aren't. 

 

There's something on her back, but I can't tell what it is.

  This doll has something to do with chocolate or cooking, or something. 

She looks just like the dolls by Lucky Bell that had a flower theme, and were flower scented, but she's obviously food, not flowers. 

Coffee beans or chocolate jelly beans?

  She's really cute, and more realistic than the previous two. She has all her clothes, and her shoes. Who is she?

This hat says Cook Nik. I found out it goes on a bendable flat Wishnik troll doll. I didn't find the doll.

 This pretty girl is a Love-A-Bye Baby by Hasbro. I found her clothes in the tubs, and her in the last room!. 

Emma and I had several of these dolls, and this one was always my favourite. Fuzz thinks she looks demonic!

  They were pretty dolls, and they came with real wooden furniture.

  I found Linus. He's from 1969, and very bendy.

These dolls are a Lesney Miss Matchbox doll, Suzy Cute, and the main part of a finger Ding doll.

Suzy Cute is  a Deluxe Reading doll from 1964.

I just gave her a preliminary wipe down, but I didn't clean her eyes. She'll get better.

Miss Matchbox is called a 'foldable doll' because she has a crease where her legs meet her hips, (which my sister referred to as her 'leg goes on' when she was a kid.), that allows her to sit.

You can see it pretty clearly here, and also her Lesney marking.

  She has red hair and brown eyes. She'll probably stay around a while.

  The Finger Ding doll is Millie Mod from 1969. The Finger Dings were made by Remco, and were operated by the child using their fingers to be the legs of the doll, by putting their fingers in the empty  legs of the doll's tights. You can see it explained in my Finger Ding post HERE.

Some people like to put the heads on Azone bodies and the like.

I know the doll with painted hair and pink and white striped pants is a 1985 Playmates Pixie doll. But who are the others?

This cute kid is marked 1991 Mattel. 

This one looks very anime. I like this one.

This one is familiar, but not my era.

And here's Pixie.

This is Sweet April. I have posted one of these before.

She was made by Remco in 1971.

  

But the walker is marked 1988 LGTJ. 

Could it be Pixie's?

And whose is this?

This is a Rose Petal Place doll, but she's wearing someone else's dress. She's otherwise in really nice condition.

Three, count 'em THREE, My Little Pony Megan dolls! 

All are in their original dresses, and one even has one shoe.

  They all look slightly different, and even the embroidery on their dresses is different.

  These two are dollhouse size dolls, but they aren't a pair.

"Aw, come on baby! We can be a pair!"

  He's bendy, and she has jointed knees. She's by Tonka.

  It's obvious this sweet looking kid was made by Mattel. She's Bouncy Baby Go Bye Bye from 1968.

She's wiggly, because she came with a car, and was meant to sort of wiggle around in it when it was pushed.

This kid is a Mattel Small Shots doll named Breezy Bridget. Small Shots were made by Mattel from from 1971 to 1973. Complete explanation on Small Shots in my post on my childhood doll. I love her goofy face and teeth. Keeping!

  In the tubs I found a wig that I gasped at. "It's White Growing Sally's wig! I know it is!" I have an African American Growing Sally from when I was a kid. I always loved her, and recently I decided I like the silly face on the Caucasian one too. I got really excited in the last room when I found Sally herself!

  Her wig needs a comb out.

  In the tubs I got excited again when I found this little cardboard mirror. It came with several vintage Barbie and family doll outfits.

  It's not in terrible condition, considering it was thrown around in that tub full of crap.

This Western blouse and skirt, and this pink skirt are Barbie's. The pink skirt goes to Day to Night Barbie. 

Fuzz says the Western shirt would be cooler paired with these fringy pants.

The black t-shirt is fairly recent.

I found a few random items: a belt and holster set, a tiny plastic rocking horse, a plaid shirt, and a random vintage arm.

  Then there was the big doll clothes pile. There was some Strawberry Shortcake stuff.

The big outfit goes to the Baby Apricot Blow Kiss doll.

  This is really familiar. Strawberry Shortcake line, or clone?

It's a mob cap.

  I found a Betsy McCall Pony Pals outfit!

These clothes are all older.

The little red dress is velvet.

  This is Barbie sized, but not Mattel. Anybody recognize it?

I thought this might be Dawn, but it's sort of stretchy knit fabric, and maybe too modern.

  This is bigger than it looks. It would probably fit a doll about the size of  a Corrine, or my Clover doll. How groovy is it?

  I KNOW this pillow, but my brain is fried! Is it Sylvanian Families? 

This blue felt dress has a snap in the back. It's too big for a troll. or a Pee Wees.

  This skirt is modern, because it has Velcro. Whose is it?

  This is a random grouping: a pink What's Her Face shoe, (See What's Her Face in the side bar.), some vintage Ken shoes, a baby bottle, a Barbie bow, a Kelly shoe, vintage bloomers, a vintage GI Joe glove,  and some miscellaneous combs and brushes. And there's that pink shoe!

Here's another shot of those fringy pants.

Who does this hat with a clear bill belong to?

  A dress for the full size Holly Hobbie rag doll.

  Some possible Cabbage Patch clothes, The cat shirt is the only one that says Coleco.

 A pile of vintage flannel clothes. I love old flannel. It's not the same these days.

  A possible Maddie Mod raincoat, and a couple of other things.

  This is a real baby shirt, but it has a paint palette on it.

  That Barbie size vinyl furniture. Anybody recognize it? It's like those late 60's Barbie house cases that were cardboard, covered with vinyl.

 

  Three non matching Crissy and family shoes.

  And shoes and socks galore! A lot are Cabbage Patch, or at least that type. Most are pairs but there are some singles, in the top right.

The big red ones are Shillman.

The singles. In front is a pile of Cabbage Patch socks.

  All those shoes, and only one of these!! I have been wanting a pair like this for Effie.

  I love these vintage socks, but I didn't know I had two until today! I only found one, but the other was in one of the shoes!

I don't know if they are for dolls, or real babies. Real babies, I think.

  And now for Rescue(d) elf.

He's so happy to not be attached to a basket anymore, and to be rescued from that shed. He will live with my ever growing collection of Christmas elves.

  And finally, Chatty Cathy.

Her hair isn't red. It's blonde. It just looks like this in the sun.

 

  She has a soft face.

  Her name is embroidered on her pinny, which is attached to her dress.

  She has a cloth covered speaker.

  There was something strange looking about her

No teeth?

She does have her teeth, but they are way inside her mouth. I was able to work them down, to the point where they showed better, but I think they kept slipping back up inside.

  I'll have to look into what I can do about her teeth. She probably won't be staying anyway, so maybe her next owner can take care of the problem.

  That's it. What do you think? Did you spot anything you collect? Anything you remember fondly from your childhood? Comment and let me know. Talk to you again soon.