Doll-A-Day 2023 #334: Baby Santa

   Today's doll is one that belonged to my sister when she was a kid. I played with him too. He's...Santa Claus.

  Now this guy isn't your ordinary Santa doll. For one thing, he has a beard, but a baby's face! He also has blonde hair, which is weird. There was an African American version of this doll, and he has blonde hair too.

With little baby curls along the bottom.

  He's about 9 inches tall. He's almost exactly the same size as my Newborn Thumbelina, and in my world when I was a kid, he was her boyfriend.

He used to be much more plush I guess! He's all soft and stuffed, except for his soft rubber head.

  My sister was born in 1956, but I'm finding this doll described as a 1955 Knickerbocker baby Santa. He would have originally had a Santa hat too. We always had a little velvet Santa hat floating around in our doll clothes. I figured it was his, but all the pictures I see have him with a hat with a bell on the end. Ours has a pom pom. I have it somewhere.

  That's today's doll. Also check out the first day of The Twelve Days of Tammy World post today.

Doll-A-Day 2023 #88: Raggedy Ann and Andy

   Today's dolls are both repeats, and not. I showed you my childhood Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls a while back. (You can also read the history of Raggedy Ann and Andy there.)These dolls are the same era, but these dolls haven't  been loved as mine have. They're still new.

  They're still in their original boxes. And remember, I said these were the same era as my childhood dolls. And I'm 61 years old!

  I can tell these are the same as my dolls, (except my Ann is musical, and this one isn't. This is the Ann I wanted, when I got the musical one because she was the only one we could find.), because I still have my Ann's tag, (just like this one), and because Ann's dress changed fabrics over the years and the changes of manufacturer. This one's dress has the same fabric as mine. These dolls are by Knickerbocker, just like mine.

  Check out the J.C. Penney price sticker on Andy's box. He was originally $4.49! He was then marked down to $3.88, and finally to $2.25. Poor guy! I wonder of the reason they are still in their boxes is because somebody ended up buying them as potential gifts, since they were so cheap, and just never gave them to anybody. Andy's box is faded and Ann's isn't, so maybe they weren't purchased together, but I like to think they've been together all these years.

    Look how beautiful and new they are.

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Ann still has her handkerchief in her apron pocket. 

 Not like mine!

   They both have their tags, of course.

Just like my Ann's tag. The date is 1971. I would have been nine years old, so Knickerbocker must have stuck with this style of tag and clothes for a while. I got my Andy earlier, but I think I got my Ann for my eighth birthday. 

  They both have a cardboard wedge between their legs which keeps them upright in their boxes, and not slumping. Hey! Why haven't their feet had blowouts like my dolls' feet?!

    Look at little Andy. He's so cute. Don't tell Ann, but he was always my favourite.

 Their boxes bill them as  'America's folk dolls'. It's very sad they have fallen out of favour and aren't popular any more. I guess everything has it's day. I just think the stuff that's popular today is cold and unloving. How cozy can a kid get with a Monster High doll? (Okay, even they aren't the 'in' things any more. But you know what I mean.)

   I can't even remember where I got these dolls now. I was thinking a yard sale, but it would almost have to have been an auction. What is the likelihood of finding boxed dolls like this at a yard sale?

  Those are today's dolls.  See you again tomorrow for another one.

Doll-A-Day 2023 #25: Knickerbocker 'Cradle Purse and Doll' Doll

   Today's doll is a tiny one Emma has in her 'stuff to sell' stash. He's this kid.

He's a Cradle Purse and Baby doll.

He was made by Knickerbocker, in 1978.

For some reason his copyright says 'Morgan Inc.'

He originally came with a cradle shaped purse that he could lay in. You can see a picture of one of these dolls with their original box and cradle purse HERE.

He measures about 3 and a half inches tall.

He's all cloth, except for his face.

He even has little cloth hands.

He has painted eyes and a very pink mouth.

There's a little bit of rooted air peaking out from under his hat. 

It looks like it might have been chopped though.

  That's the doll for today. See you tomorrow for another doll.

Doll-A-Day 2019 #196: Betsy Clark doll

  Today's doll is this little girl.

This sweet looking girl is The Original Betsy Clark doll.

She either has an orange stain on one cheek,or no blush on the other one.

She was made by Knickerbocker under license from Hallmark.

She was made in 1975.

She measures  14 inches tall.

Her head is vinyl,with rooted hair.

Her hands are vinyl too.

Her body is soft, stuffed cloth.

Her dress and apron are separate pieces and her clothes are removable.

There was a similar looking doll that came in a blue dress. But this little girl is all in pink and white.

Her shoes aren't.

I'm not sure which way the ruffles on her shoes go,and it seems, neither are they.

Her apron has a fake patch on it.

Betsy Clark was an artist known for her pastel pictures of sad, pointy headed children in patched clothes.

This one in particular looks like today's doll.

Betsy was thrown out of art school for not being able to follow the way she was 'supposed' to draw. Before being thrown out she worked briefly for Disney as part of her classes.

I have detailed some of Betsy's history in a previous post on a Betsy Clark doll. You can see that post HERE.

You can read the full history of Betsy HERE.

  That's all for today. Tomorrow we'll see another doll.

Doll-A-Day 2019 # 53: Dolly Pops

  Today's doll is a little one. She's this Dolly Pops doll.

Dolly Pops were made in 1979 by Knickerbocker, better known for making Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls and other soft dolls. The dolls were plastic, with flat backs,and 'real' hair.

Their clothes were hollow plastic and snapped on to their bodies.

 This doll must have come with a smaller doll. She only fits the larger clothes,and there is a spot for a smaller doll in the double outfit.

There's even a bed for the smaller doll.

Tomorrow we'll look at more dolls.