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Saturday, February 20, 2016

Valentine's Week Newsletter; Burmese Marionettes and More

The Mandalay Marionettes Swing Again! Happy Valentine's Week
It's Valentine's Day and President's Day tomorrow! The New York Toy Fair took place this weekend, along with one of our oldest Antique Shows!  Look for reports on both soon!  This week we take a look at the famous Mandalay Marionettes and their important role in the culture of Myanmar.  Also, in light of last week's Rendezvous Auction, an update on our girl Ginny is printed here for your approval.  Here is also a review of some lovely Chinese opera dolls and dolls for Washington's Birthday in honor of President's day.  Do you have photos of patriotic dolls you would like to share?  Email me at etsag1998@aol.com.  Note that our old "collect dolls" email address is no longer in service, and thanks to the persistent reader who found me last week when she discovered the old email no longer worked.  I'd also like to take time to remember my friend, Mary Hillier, who loved Valentine's Day, and whose last gift to me was a magazine in which she had published about antique Valentines.  Mary left this world on February 14, 1999, but she is with me every day in spirit, and her wonderful doll research lives on.  Happy Collecting, and Happy Valentine's Day, and thank you for your notes and emails.
Ellen Tsagaris
Doll Collecting Expert
burmese puppets
The Mandalay Marionettes Swing Again!  
The Burmese Marionette Theater has dates to ancient times as a means of education, entertainment, communication and religious instruction.
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ginny debutange
An About Requested Update of a Popular Little Doll  
Here is an update on Ginny, in time for an auction of Ginny items by Theriault's.
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cat-1117_378.jpgchinese.jpg
Chinese Opera Dolls; part of an Important Theater Tradition  
In honor of Chinese New Year, and centuries of Chinese doll making, here is a post about these amazing dolls.
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george-washington-debbie-ritter-uneek-designs.jpg
Dolls for Washington's Birthday-Emma Clear, Effanbee, More  
.The Father of our Country and the First President inspired many fine dolls and figurines, and as a doting parent, he also bought dolls and toys.
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More From Theriault's This March


The world’s finest antique dolls will be offered on Saturday, March 19th highlighted by important dolls from the Toby Kinslow collection. Over 350 rare and fine antique dolls are presented including a choice collection of French bébés, but there's more!
Friday, March 18. Dollmastery Seminar conducted by Florence Theriault. A six hour hands-on workshop study of some of the world's finest antique dolls. The seminar is complimentary, but reservations are required.

Saturday Evening, March 19. Visit to a Celebrated Private Doll Collection. Theriault's sponsored tour to visit the private connoisseur collection of Julie Blewis includes bus transportation to and from the auction hotel to the Blewis home where her extraordinary collection awaits your viewing - and wine and hors d'oeuvres, too. Reservation required.

For information or to reserve your place at either of these events call Theriault's at 800-638-0422 or email janet@theriaults.com.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Auction Results, Chatties, Barbie Body Makeovers and More, all for Free!

We can Stop Talking About her Physique!
This week, Barbie was on the cover of "Time."  Quite a feat, and still at the fairly young age of 57!  The new Barbie bodies are out, and available online.  Mine is on back order, but they are out there.What do you think of the new bodies? I'd love to know!  Tomorrow, February 8th, Theriault's Rendezvous will feature some amazing Ginny dolls with clothes, furniture and accessories.  PBS is replaying the first three episodes of "Anne of Green Gables", which has been a muse for many types of Anne and Diana dolls.  The setting, Prince Edward Island, is on my bucket list, how about you?  We'll take another look at Chatty Cathy prices, and during Black History Month, we'll take a survey of African and African American dolls and their importance in festivals like Kwanzaa. Finally, our finale this week consists of recent auction results as posted by our friends at "Antique Doll Collector" Magazine.  Tonight is the Super Bowl, of course, in my old hometown.  Do you know where your sports mascot dolls, bears, and bobble heads are? 
Ellen Tsagaris
Doll Collecting Expert
Barbie on Time
We can Stop Talking About her Physique!  
In response to public interest, Mattel has given the blonde maven a new body makeover; go Barbie!  These new dolls are diverse and beautiful.  They have diverse hair styles, skin tones, and body types.  We girls can really do everything now, and in our own unique shapes!
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Africa
African Dolls and Kwanzaa  
African dolls have a rich and ancient history.  They are important to many festivals here and overseas.  In fact, they play a role in the beloved festival of Kwanzaa.
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CHATTY CATHY
Chatty Cathy  
She is still talking after all these years, and prices online indicate we are still listening.
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Feb. 2015
Auction Updates from Antique Doll Collector  
Late fall and winter have proved to be busy doll auction months, with unusual dolls continuing to find new homes.  Read more about it!
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Sunday, February 7, 2016

So many dolls ....

Lately, I've come face to face with doll snobbery, and doll cyberstalking.  It started with a good deed of mine, which did not go unpunished.  A dying woman wanted a museum to take her dolls, about 5000 of them. She documented all of them in a book.  Most were modern dolls, many modern porcelains, mass produced.  These hold no values for dealers, or those who buy and sell.  She began collecting after the death of her only child, a girl.  Her husband bought her an Alexander Pussycat as a memento mori.  Other friends and family followed suit, and she became a collector. 

The response I got on my social media groups was , "what a shame she had no one to guide her so she would have a valuable collection."

Collecting isn't about money.  The stock market is.  Collect stocks.

In my area, people are still interested in dolls, but not expensive antiques.  No one can afford them, even my dealer friends who used to buy and sell them shy away.  Also, the creepy doll fad, shows about hoarders, organizing, and cleaning house, have made collecting anything unattractive to many.  Time committments take away from doll collecting, as do busy schedules for kids and their extracurricular activities.

And, of course, those phones that you can all but mate with.

Many doll stores and museums have closed their doors, the dolls ironically selling well at auction.  I think one reason they close is that dolls have become too expensive and bewildering to interest people.  I'm part of this, too, of course, but we've priced ourselves out of the market.

It gains us respect when a doll can sell for nearly $400,000, but it discourages people, too.  Only a few people can afford to trade in those types of dolls, and the dolls go back and forth among them. Perhaps its as it should be.

Another reason people lose interest is that there isn't much for them to learn at museums full of antiques that focus on mold numbers and value.  Museums should invoke interest and nostalgia, with a lot of variety to attract guests.  Story book dolls, crafts, historical characters, folk dolls, baby boomer toys, even Barbies and her knock offs,  spark memories.  Some should be preserved for future generations.

Mrs. Coleman is quoted as saying every old doll is rare.  She's right, and even my childhood dolls are now over 50 years old.  In fact, I started collecting as a toddler, and I've been collecting over 50 years.

It is disheartening to be attacked by merchants who have only been in the business about 20 years, to tell you you are full of nonsense.  I knew what a German bisque was when I was 5, and a Jumeau when I was 7.  Did they?

All personalities, aside, there as as many types of dolls as people, and as many ways to collect.

There is not right or wrong way.  I love all types of dolls; artists dolls are incredible and speak to me, played with dolls are poignant, my own childhood dolls tell countless stories, my beloved antiques are living history.  Current dolls, even the "junk dolls" are studies in contemporary and popular culture.  Let's all go back and review our Mary Hillier, our Max von Boehn, our Janet Johl, and especially our Carl Fox, "The Doll," and let's check our "egos" at the door of the doll room!





Courtesy Theriault's

Courtesy Theriault's

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Mystery Dolls, Coloring Huret, and More; a Free Newsletter

Dolls in Strange Places; What a Mystery!
Doll sleuths are always looking for dolls hiding in strange places, and I found one amid the pages of a Sue Grafton novel, "N is for Noose."   New dolls like Amelia Whistle-Wickham Ghastly is now available by Tonner, and a lovely, ghostly creature she is!  Barbie made another magazine cover, with new bodies to boot, and "Closer" Magazine has a cover story on Shirley Temple's childhood.  Below are also stories on paper doll doodling in adult coloring books, more on how to find dolls and a preview post on what's next at Dollspart Supply.  More highlights include the Feb. 2015 issue of "Antique Doll Collector" with recent Theriault's auction results, and stories in "Antique Week" on Star Wars collectibles and action figures, with a $150,000 action figure!  I love to hear from you, so remember to write, and to suggest ideas for what you would like to read.  Happy Collecting!
Ellen Tsagaris
Doll Collecting Expert
Chatty Cathy
Dolls in Strange Places; What a Mystery!  
Dolls, especially Barbie, love a mystery.  Here is Sue Grafton's "N is for Noose" which includes a Barbie collector who repairs Chatty Cathy dolls
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Kim's antique dolls
Doodling For Dolls and Doll Houses  
Coloring books for adults are the latest craze; many include paper dolls to color!
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Bali
Dolls Are Where you Find Them  
So said my friend, noted author and collector, the late Mary Hillier, about how to find dolls to collect. 
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HURET
Dollspart Huret introduces more Huret Accessories  
Here is a preview of a duet of articles featuring Dollspart Supply's great accessories for Huret and other French fashion dolls.
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