I'm Back...Still Too Many Dolls and Doll Stuff!

 It's been almost a year since I last posted.  I moved into this house last July.  It's a one story house which is really nice, but it's 500 square feet smaller than my old house.  I didn't think 500 square feet would make such a difference.  I knew I wanted a smaller house and I'm really happy where I am now, but my doll room is a little smaller.  I didn't realize how much smaller until I started unpacking! 

I have too many dolls and too much of what I call "doll stuff."  The "doll stuff" is probably more tempting for me than the dolls themselves.  I love all the little accessories.  Around 25-30 years ago when I started collecting the Vogue Ginny Dolls a friend told me to always look for Ginny size accessories (1:6 scale) whenever I was out shopping.  She told me I'd be surprised at what I'd find.  Well, she was correct and I went crazy buying little stuff!  When Rement first came out there was even a website where I went to buy it.  And in my travels I'd often find things like keychains with Ginny sized games, etc.  It seemed like I always came home with something.  Now I try and pass by the little things.  It has just gotten to be too much.

I've been donating some of my doll things, but not nearly enough.  I enjoy setting up doll scenes but once I've used some of my little accessories I never use them again.  Of course, there are still plenty of things I just can't part with even though I should.  You know how that goes!

My new doll room is so crowded and I'm still not done setting it all up.  The old doll room had a large built in bookcase with storage cabinets and drawers.  The current doll room had no storage so I found some little cabinets online at Target.  They hold quite a bit but not as much as the bookcase and cabinets in the old doll room. 

I thought I'd post some pictures of the new doll room.  I'm still not done setting things up.  This move has been a long drawn out process.  Take my advice and be sure and move before you're  in your seventies.  The older you get the harder it gets!

Here we go.  Welcome to the new doll room.

I know the pictures are dark.  I tried lightening them up but when I brought them over to the blog they were darker than I wanted.  I definitely need brighter lighting in the doll room.  Even thought I opened the blinds it didn't really help much.  This house has screens that are darker and supposed to block out the sun.  I'm torn about what to do.  I found that some of my doll things faded at the other house even though I kept the blinds closed or only partially opened most of the time.  This room gets the afternoon sun and I'd like to keep things from fading again if at all possible. Decisions...decisions.  Anyway, in the above picture you can see the cabinets I got from Target along the back wall.

Slowly but surely I'm trying to get my little doll rooms set up.  You can see in the first picture where I've been trying to do something with Ginny's living room.  In the move the one window fell off and I discovered that the wallpaper (actually imitation Contact Paper) faded quite a bit.  The whole room really needs to be redone.  You can't tell in the picture how faded some of the walls are now.  I hope I can find something to use.

 These drawers hold some of the little accessories.  (I have more in a closet in another room.)

This will give you an idea of how everything is stuffed into these little drawers.  I have the drawers labeled...Kitchen, Girl's Toys, Boy's Toys, etc., but I still have trouble finding things.  Once again, too much stuff!  I actually have more stuffed drawers under where the Chatty Cathy dolls are standing.

I have plastic containers, boxes, and even a basket full of stuff laying around the room.  I'm tripping over "doll stuff" all the time.  I sure hope I can get this place organized eventually.  (I even have some doll outfits that I washed and ironed sitting on top of one of the containers waiting to be put on a couple of dolls.)  In the first picture you can see a small container on the floor holding all the dolls that need to be restrung.  When I was packing for the move a number of dolls fell apart when I took them off the doll stands.  Eventually I hope to get them restrung.

I miss "playing" with my dolls and hope to get this room a little more organized.  I'd love to get some Easter photos up on the blog in a week or two.  Wish me luck!

I'll be back...Betty

Too Many Dolls???

 If you've ever wondered whether or not you have too many dolls there's a simple way to find out.  All you have to do is decide to move and then pack everything yourself.  Actually, that's not entirely true.  My son has been helping me pack up the doll room.  However, we've spent hours and are still not done.

These pictures were taken last week and we've actually gotten quite a bit more done, but we're still far from finished!!!

I'm moving back to Friendswood, Texas where I lived for 23 years before moving to the Clear Lake area of Houston a little over 9 years ago.  It's only about 6 or 7 miles from here, but I missed all of what Friendswood had to offer and decided before the pandemic that I wanted to move back.  Then the pandemic came along and I didn't want to be moving then so I waited.  It took a while to find a house.  Now I'm having some work done on the new house and then hope to quickly get moved in.

Until I started packing I actually didn't realize how many dolls (and doll stuff) that I have.  Oh dear...I have way more that I ever realized.  The fun part of packing is that I also have discovered things that I've completely forgotten about.  I've made a vow to count all my dolls as I unpack.  Right now I can't even take a guess as to how many dolls I have.

I'll definitely be hit and miss around blog land for a while.  There's just so much going on.

I never had a chance to put up the last Ginny doll from the group that I won on eBay a while back.  She's been finished for a while.  This doll needed a new wig.  Her hair had been cut, but I happened to have a wig with braids.  I'm not 100% sure it's a genuine Ginny wig, but I think so.

And here she is now.

She's a 1954 painted last walker.  I had this dress from my childhood and decided she was the perfect doll for this outfit.  I still have the felt hat, but moths must have been hungry.

Here she is with all the other dolls from the group that I won.  They've all been cleaned up and restored.

I like to think that they all lived happily ever after.

I'll be back (in hopefully the not too distant future).  Betty

Valentine's Day With Chatty Cathy

At one time I became interested in collecting the Mattel Chatty Cathy doll and her family.  Sadly, I haven't paid much attention to Chatty in recent years.  I have to admit that the dolls I enjoy collecting the most are the dolls I grew up playing with and Chatty came out just around the time I had decided I was too old for dolls...1959.  (Note:  I was mistaken and I'm now living proof that you are never too old to play with dolls!)

Since I didn't get any Valentine's Day pictures taken this year I thought I'd share a couple of old Chatty photos.  

Here is Chatty modeling a Valentines Day dress that I made for her around 20 years ago.  I enjoyed sewing for Chatty because I found it so much easier than sewing for the small Vogue Ginny dolls.

Back in the old days there was an online Chatty Cathy group where I met other collectors.  I'm sure there are Chatty groups today but like I said I've lost some interest over the years.  Perhaps someday I'll be inspired again.  She is a very cute doll, but her talking  mechanism no longer works.  None of my vintage Chatty dolls speak.

Happy Valentine's Day!  Betty Martin

Latest Doll Family Member - Patti Playpal!

 I have to admit that I find the life sized dolls appealing.  Over the years I've managed to add a few to my collection.  I have accumulated a few Patti and Patti-Wannabes.  Last week I went to an estate sale and "adopted" a Patti Playpal for $25.  That's quite a bargain!  She was in very good condition...just a few tiny marks on the back of her arms that might even come off with further cleaning, but hardly noticeable.  She's the doll behind the doll carriage.  A couple of her new sisters were still dressed from Christmas.

 I have only ever gotten one Patti Wannabe on eBay and never a Patti Playpal.  I found the Wannabe listed among the Vogue Ginny dolls on eBay and no one else bid.  I believe she was $25 too and her shipping was only $50 so I ended up spending $75.  Most of these dolls go way higher than I'll ever go and shipping is usually between $50-$100.  I got the Patti on the right at a doll show and she was $175 which is the most that I've ever spent on a doll and I've only spent that much twice.  I justified the expense because there was no shipping involved.  My thing is looking for the previously loved dolls and fixing them up.  I like to think I'm saving them and saving money at the same time.  :)

I always say "no more dolls" but have to admit that I have a little trouble sticking to my own rule.  Betty

Doll Room Decorating

 I enjoy decorating my doll room with signs that I find on my travels.  Signs that say things I find very appropriate.  Here are a few:

This one isn't really a sign.  It's a coaster that I use as a sign because of what it said.

And this one is technically a button, but it says what I'm usually thinking!

Every so often I come across something online where a parent wonders if their child is too old to play with dolls.  Sometimes the child will be as young as 10 and often older.  Well, I'm here to reassure these parents that your child is never too old to play with dolls.  However, after a certain age it's better to call it "collecting" rather than "playing."  I'm 77 so I call it "collecting" dolls to most people.  I get enough strange looks just saying that I "collect."  Imagine if I said I "played" with dolls.

I do collect dolls but I find it boring when they just sit on a shelf.  I enjoy setting them up in different scenes.  I guess you can call that playing.  Yes, I still play with dolls!

Come out and play!  Betty

Merry Christmas From Ginny Lou Who!

 

 Merry Christmas from Ginny Lou Who!  My favorite Christmas movie is How The Grinch Stole Christmas.  A few years ago I decided to combine my love for the Vogue Ginny doll with my favorite Christmas movie.  Little Ginny Lou Who is a reproduction Vogue Ginny doll.  Merry Christmas...Betty

Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer...

 I haven't had time this year to set up my Ginny dolls in a Christmas scene.  I've set up something every year for a long time, but this year I just haven't gotten around to it.  I'm also running out of new ideas.  So, I thought I'd post a picture taken some years back.  

You know the song..."Grandma got run over by a reindeer walking home from our house Christmas Eve."

GinnyFaith was horrified to see what happened to Grandma.  

GinnyFaith is a modern Vogue Ginny doll and she's my travel doll.  We haven't been on any trips in a long time though.  Grandma is a Richard Simmon's Nana's Family doll.

Merry Christmas!!  Betty