American Doll and Toy Museum is Open!!

 Yes, it's true!  Our preview was a smash, and our regular hours for a while will be Saturdays 11-3 or by appointment. We welcome groups and well supervised children, e.g, the Scouts, Sunday Schools, school children, home schoolers. 

Admission is $5 per person, for the time being, with children under 12 free.  There will be days for special admissions, e.g., half price, donations only, free days, days where you bring a can for the food pantry and $1.

We also have memberships as follows, with membership cards issued:

Annual Memberships:

25.00 per year individual for one year's visit to museum and programs

35.00 per year for families

100.00 annual patron, for self and family members with a 65.00 donation

Friends of the Museum Donations

Marque    Those who donate 1000.00 or more

Huret       Those who donate 500.00 or more

Bru           Those who donate 100.00 or more

Heubach   Those who donate 75.00 or more

Marseille  Those who donate 50.00 or more

Kestner     Those who donate 25.00 or mroe

We welcome donations, especially monetary, because we have to maintain the building and pay utilities.  As many of you know, it isn't cheap, and like other small businesses, we have been hit hard by Covid.

All of our proceeds go to maintaining the museum, all items donated to us stay with the museum.

When contacting us about dolls or toys, please think if you are donating (we are a not for profit organization), selling, or wanting appraisals.

I don't by dolls per se because I need to check with our board, and because we need the money for our expenses.   

Appraisals are $50 per doll.

We are always happy to accept donations.

The Museum has a gift shop of nice costume jewelry, toys, books, old postcards, doll related items, and toys. Again, all proceeds go to the museum.

Thanks to the many kind folks who have donate to us.  If you gave us dolls or toys, they are here safe with us.

We hope to see you soon! 

Ellen

Executive Director

Preview Opening American Doll and Toy Museum

 

Preview Opening American Doll and

Toy Museum

 

3059 30^th Street

Rock Island, IL 61201

 

September 17, 2021 4 pm to 7 pm

September 18, 2021 11 am to 3pm

 

Special Half Priced Admission:  2.50

 

Come see us and hear about our

Future plans!

Masks Required

 

 

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American Doll and Toy Museum Update

 

I thought it might be time for an update.  Our museum progresses, and we only have one case to move in.  I’m creating labels with my intern, Larissa, who is enthusiastic, intelligent, and very helpful.  We finished loading an Alice themed case, and a case with artist and other dolls donated by our friend Harriet Brinker, which is also our tribute to the UFDC.

 

We have finished a case of primarily china heads, and another with antiques and some of our Shirley Temples.

 

Many friends have visited us while we are in progress to offer moral support, which is always appreciated.  I work here 7 days a week, and it is often a lot of cleaning, moving heavy things, and basically, hot work.  We do have air conditioning, but I am still going in and out a lot.

 

Also caring for our flowers and lawn, with the help of J. Cooper of CMS Snow, who is also a generous donor.

 

I’ve loaded a gorgeous baby carriage from Jan Walker with reborns from the Ann Sheley collection, and also have a great alpine German doll house with furnishings from my neighbor, Suzie Crawford.

 

We are working on a grant with Larissa, and my husband setup Square for our gift shop, memberships, and admission.

 

Our admission will be $5 with $3 for Seniors and Veterans and $1 kids under 12.  We will also have days where admission will be free.  We always appreciate donations in our jar, though they are not expected.

 

Our toys are arriving, too.  We are hanging model airplanes and puppets from the ceiling, and we hope to host a car show with a special viewing display of our own pedal cars, Hot Wheels and other toy cars and boats.

 

Our board game display is also taking shape, and we will be adding computer games.  I’m hoping to get to the toy museum in Branson in the fall for inspiration, too.

 

Happy Collecting!  Thanks for following us!

I'm on Patrick Miner's Podcast!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/849880/8827056-children-play-alongside-cultural-anthropology

Children play alongside Cultural Anthropology

 

Museum Update; The State of the Doll House

 

Today started out as another Monday with a lot of potential to go wrong.  So, I gave up and went thrifting for awhile.  I read everything, and have started to read the Bible cover to cover, but have also binge read Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels.  They are clever, but simple, and they make me laugh.  In college, I had a good friend named Janet Dijanovich.  That may be another reason I like her books so much.  Still, I get to the museum.  We are trying to build frames to encase the shelves already up, and need to move glass cases around.  We also need to move more glass cases into the building.

 

As the photos show, we’ve done some landscaping.  Our biggest expense is building maintenance; I have been paying out of pocket with my own money.  Until we can open, this is my only option.  We need financial donations, but we truly thank all of our friends and mentors who have donated cases, dolls, toys, stands, furniture, books, etc.  We do not sell our donations, and have provided homes for treasured items for those who could no longer keep them.

 

I put together a case of international costume dolls, primarily the former collection of Mrs. Doris Olson of Do Travel; she collected them on trips all over the world.  I began collecting with these types of dolls, and I still am very fond of them and look for them everywhere.

 

I have been dressing and repairing dolls where needed, and refurbishing toys.  Today, I added Chinese Checkers and a Texas Hold ‘Em set to our board games. I also added a small super soaker type water gun; believe it or not, these water guns have a huge following of collectors. 

 

I am rearranging some of the shelves, and making labels for displays.  Also, unpacking and repacking some things as I arrange the displays.

 

We hope to open late summer, but I’ll keep you posted.  One of our first programs will be geared towards helping the local food pantries.  We will also get our puppet theater going, and our Fairy Land display assembled.

 

Thank you to those who support this page and my other pages on dolls, Dr. R., Antique Doll, and Dr. E’s Doll Museum.  I will also post this on our American Doll and Toy Museum Blog.  Thanks to those who have supported my Ellen Tsagaris, aka Liz Borden authors page, and our family business page, On Guard Security.

 

My book, Thinking outside the Doll House, a Memoir, is being sold in paperback, hard back, and eBook format.  It is available online at Austin Macaulay, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and elsewhere.  I’ve found it is being sold around the world.  Proceeds go tot support the museum.

 

We will move forward, and recover from the months we were shut down by COVID.  Hopefully, we are all now healthy and recovered, and life will follow its usual rhythm and routine.  Good luck to all, happy collecting, and again a big thank you to all who have helped us.  More updates will follow.

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