Recently, a customer presented me with an old advertising flyer she had stumbled upon.  FUTURE HEIRLOOM DOLLS by Bernadette, it announced proudly, along with a photograph of  reproduction bisque and china head dolls.  The dolls appear to be nicely made.  Bernadette’s version of an antique German bisque Alt, Beck, & Gottschalck doll, in the center of the photo, is quite convincing.  Judging by the price sheet on the back of the flyer, with many dressed dolls selling in only the $22.50-$35 range, I would guess that this flyer dates to the 1960’s.  Well, I hate to burst Bernadette’s bubble, but her reproduction dolls never did reach the “heirloom” status; reproduction dolls never have and never will reach the value of a true antique.  (Well, except reproductions by Emma Clear- these might be close.  But there is an exception to every rule).   However, although Bernadette’s Future Heirlooms probably have almost no value today, they do have quite a bit of age now- this is  important to note.  Just because something looks old and actually IS old doesn’t mean it is a true antique.   Reproduction dolls can be very convincing.  Most are not marked as reproductions.  Worse, some are actually marked just like the originals, as they were made using the original doll molds.   And because these dolls are now old in their own right, the first ones having been on the market for 50 plus years now, they have acquired a patina from age.  These dolls can and do fool even an experienced collector.   Do note that in addition to reproduction dolls, there are many reproduction doll parts on the market, and these parts also may have been replaced decades ago.   Many  antique dolls have acquired reproduction body parts (legs, arms, eyes, heads) over the years to replace original parts which were damaged beyond repair.  At Debra’s Dolls, our Doll Hospital has both antique and reproduction doll body parts and heads available;  our customers sometimes will choose reproduction replacement parts because they are a less expensive alternative to antique parts.  True, this is a cautionary tale- beware of reproductions.  Know what you are buying.    If you don’t know how to differentiate between a true antique and a reproduction doll,buy from someone you trust.  I always recommend buying antique dolls from a NADDA dealer.  NADDA stands for the National Antique Doll Dealers’ Association.  NADDA dealers are the true antique doll experts who must guarantee all of their dolls as to age, attribution, and physical condition in writing upon purchase.   Debra’s Dolls is a longtime and proud member of NADDA.  For more information, see the UFDC & NADDA page of www.debrasdolls.com or visit www.nadda.org.

Recently, a longtime customer contacted me about a problem she was having with silverfish.  She wrote:

I have an unpleasant topic – bugs!  My bedroom is where I keep all my antique dolls.  Some have very fragile silk costumes.  Only two are in a cabinet or dome.  One day I found three live silverfish!  I freaked out!  I know they eat fabrics.  I get them every summer.  So my question is what is the best way to protect my dolls?

I will spare all of you readers a photograph of this long, silvery, futuristic looking bug, and will instead illustrate this post with a photograph of a lovely antique doll dress which a silverfish might unfortunately find to be appetizing.  Those of you with silverfish infestations already know what they look like anyway.  These noctural pests thrive in humid, moist environments (like New Jersey in the summertime) and feast on (gasp!) silks, cottons, and linens.  (Curiously, they tend to avoid woolen fabrics).  A garment attacked by silverfish will exhibit telltale small holes (which are really bite marks) along with yellow staining.  Of course, silverfish do not just digest doll clothing, they also might go after your antique cloth dolls.

The best way to eradicate silverfish is by reducing the humidity in your doll room.  Air conditioning, a dehumidifier, and proper ventillation are all good treatments.  Also investigate other possible causes such as standing water (a pet’s water bowl perhaps) or leaky pipes in the walls.  As silverfish are attracted to wallpaper, wallpaper glue, and carpeting, keeping your doll room free of these adornments might also be a smart idea (whenever possible).

At Debra’s Dolls, we have an exterminator on speed dial.  JR from Ehrlich Pest Control has been treating the shop successfully for years, mostly as a preventative measure.  I have found no evidence that insecticides, when applied to the perimeters of the room, have any negative effect on dolls which are cased in the same room.  Naturally, one should never apply insecticides directly to the fabrics or dolls themselves.

If you suspect that your doll clothing or dolls are already infested with silverfish, here is a cool tip from thegreat web site www.lenci-dolls.net:

To “freshen-up” a Lenci doll, and remove odors and destroy dust mites/bugs , place your newly acquired vintage Lenci/cloth doll in plastic bag and pop it in the freezer for a week before introducing it into your collection.

(Do note that I have never actually tried this trick myself)

The writers at www.lenci-dolls.net also recommend cedar blocks as a deterrent for other pests, particularly moths.  They implore “ DO NOT use old fashioned Moth Balls the chemicals are hazardous to your health and the odour is difficult to remove.”

Have you ever had a problem with pests in your doll room?  Please share your experiences and tips, as we welcome your comments.

Little Miss E spent the day with me at the shop, and fell in love with our new Blabla knit dolls and backpacks.  I think I will definitely have to let her keep one of the butterfly backpacks (only $37.50 each), as it is perfect for preschool in the fall.  And who knew that the Corolle ring dolls, designed to hang from a carseat carrier or crib, can double as bracelets? Little Miss E sure does have tiny wrists.  She wore three or for of the Corolle rings proudly for most of the day.  Thank you, Little Miss E, for a great day at Debra’s Dolls.

“Sorry for the mess”.  It seems that I am always apologizing to my customers as they navigate around big boxes through my narrow, 300+ year old doll shop.  We receive shipments of dolls for repair most days of the week, from all over the country.  It’s a lot like Christmas- I never know what I am going to unwrap.  For those shipping dolls for repair, it is most helpful to please contact us first to let us know that the doll is on its way.  Also please include your contact information and a description of the repairs you would like performed inside the box with the doll.  It sometimes will take a week or two before your estimate and repair recommendations have been prepared, but rest assured that we will not begin the restoration process until you have approved the estimate.  Due to the volume of repairs received, please allow several months for us to complete your order.  And to Ms. E from TN, yes, your doll did arrive here (in the box pictured with this post), I was just too busy to unpack it today.  I will be in touch shortly!

Twins account for 1.9% of the world population. But in real life, I have encountered more twin babies than twin dolls. You would think that twin dolls would be more common.

After all, most antique dolls were mass-produced in factories. And although there was great variety to original clothing styles and fabrics and wigs, even by the same doll factory,  stores did receive shipments of dozens of the same doll at a time, all dressed alike, with identical wigs. Essentially, any two dolls from the same shipment were “twins”.

So why  don´t we find more twin dolls today? My speculation is that most people, back then and now, don’t buy two of the same doll. Very rarely, I will have someone buy two of the same doll, one for their child to “keep nice” & save as a heirloom, and one to play with now. Or
a child will become very attached to a particular doll, and the parent will buy a spare, just  in case the original is lost. (As a parent, I know how difficult it can be to get your child to go to sleep on vacation when you´ve forgotten to pack their special cuddle toy).

But most of the time, parents just buy one. Back in the 1880´s, I believe that this was even more typical; most people were not wealthy, and many a little girl would only receive one or two dolls for her entire childhood. Twin dolls retaining their original clothes are quite rare. I have the good fortune of offering three sets of twin dolls for sale in the shop right now: composition twins, papier mache twins, and pair of  Greiner twins (which are otherwise identical but vary in height), which I just acquired. Click on the antique dolls link (at the top of the page) for more information on all three of these hard-to-find twin doll sets.