Diana here! It is always exciting to see the next “new” doll from the designers, but at times I like to go back in time and take a look at some of the dolls that made history. I have been researching the slimline vinyl dolls which came about at the same time that Pleasant Company introduced the now so well known American Girl. Back then the marketing of dolls focused more in the “collection” of the doll then the doll itself. That is the case with the many companies that sprang out from “Just Pretend” such as: Stardust Classics, Dream Doll Designer, Friend to Friend and then Magic Attic and of course Carpatina which is still in business.
So how do these dolls measure up to today’s dolls? let’s take a look:
Quality of Doll: Most were made of hard vinyl, very sturdy and articulated. Most had sleepy eyes, although as companies suffered financial issues, some were made with fixed eyes, excellent hair and plenty of it.
Items associated with doll: The collections included not only very nice outfits but also the corresponding accessories, furniture and play items to actually have an adventure. The items allow to develop the imagination for girls to have fantasy play for a princesses, fairies, and travelers through the collection made it very attractive.
It is for this reason that I search for the once upon a time dolls, as I call them. Here is the very lovely Isabella meeting her new friends.
Who is she? Isabella one of the original dolls from Carpatina. She has the full slimline hard vinyl body. Her eyes are sleepy blue eyes. She has long blonde hair and plenty of it! Isabella as she arrives in her new home.
Once she is cleaned and her hair washed and style, she enters the doll office. Char (Gotz) comes to welcome Isabella, who is wearing a simple skirt (made by Diana), pink t-shirt (AG), and pink shoes (Journey Girl).
Isabella shows off her hair to Char, see how shiny and long?
Close up of Isabella making friends with Char. Look carefully and you can see the lovely complexion and paint job of this doll which is made in 2002, 11 years ago.
Fun Facts: Currently Carpatina has Zoe who is the modern version of Isabella with no bangs.
So what to the fans think, should the focus be on the doll or the growth of their collection?
Enjoy!
I believe the doll should be the primary focus, because attention to detail is extremely important when choosing a doll.
Oooh!
Wonderful job Ms.Gash!
Wow! great job! She is soooo pretty!
MIranda
While I love a great doll, I think a wonderful collection draws me in even more. The collections (and the era specific dolls) are why I was drawn to Pleasent Company to begin with.
Yay Diana!
She is adorable <3
I love her!
She is so pretty! Her outfit is darling 🙂
Nice doll! I thought that face mold looked familiar. And in answer to your question, I say both things should have equal attention. Look at the Ideal Crissy line of the 70s. The dolls were really beautiful, had the grow hair feature, and had really groovy clothes, from casual to dressy. Then there’s the Mattel Starr line from the early 80s. Mattel was so focused on making these dolls poseable, that the clothing collection suffered. No fasteners for some outfits, flimsy material, shoddy quality, which is ashame ‘cos they were really nice dolls. So if a doll is to have a collection at all, the doll should be high quality and so should her collection, (whatever that may be).
Guys the twin pine website link-some people were asking about twin pine products-what Diana uses on her restored dolls-AMAZING!! http://www.twinpines.com/index.php?route=common/home
So check it out! XD 🙂
I love your new doll! She’s beautiful! I’m very jealous. 😛
The collection. Her world, if you will. Isn’t that the point? I love AG for the sheer purpose of climbing back in time with Molly especially and all of the historically accurate wardrobe, accessories, furniture, foods, school sets, and how it was back then. Kit’s world is equally impressive with that typewriter. You can focus on school, holiday time. How about Rebecca’s tough summers in the heat? Sweatshops? Her collection needs to grow more. I prefer the idea of having 1 special doll from your favorite era of History or princess play or whatever the fancy strikes and watching a child act that out, or as a collector, enjoy the accurate display themes. More worlds, expand them, less pressure to buy new dolls! I think Cecile and M-G have worlds that are, well, underdone. No school accessories like Kirsten and Addy had? No apothecary for M-G. (medicines). No Rosary beads for Cecile and she uses them in her saddest story. Hey, AG, hello? Where are you???
But I still love them and I think GOTY has experienced a real uplift since Kanani and McKenna still wins on my chart as the most complete and enjoyable GOTY to date ;0)
GASP!!! 😮 This doll looks exactly like my friend!! That is so scary!
I could have rescued a doll once (a blonde OG doll in Goodwill) but I hadn’t been planning to get anything that day, so i didn’t have any money with me. Sorry dolly! 🙁
I love her hair!
Oh Isabella has the sweetest pinK dress with roses, and such a pretty face.
Isabella is so cute! I think doll companies should focus on the doll first, and then the collection.
Isabella is a beautiful doll!
Wonderful, I love your restoration skills!
In the 1960’s, of course there was no internet then. I lived in a very small country town. I spent many, many, hours pouring over the Montgomery Wards Christmas Catalog! I dreamed of getting one of the beautiful dolls showcased on the first pages of the toy section. But as much as I loved the look of the “collector” dolls (shelf dolls – dolls that weren’t made to play), I was always drawn to the dolls that had something of a collection, especially those that came inside of a doll trunk. So later, I completely resonated with Pleasant Rowland’s original message on the early Pleasant Company catalogs…
“Deep in the basement of a small museum lies a tattered, water-stained doll trunk. Open the dusty lid and the long-ago childhood of some lucky young girl comes instantly to life.”
Funny, I agree with all of the comments so far, and I really would love to have Carpatina’s Rowena, but I think I am in the “collections” camp. However, they need to be well designed…and well made. Also, I guess I would say that dolls that don’t even have a change of clothes, don’t have much of a “life”. So I totally loved the Pleasant Company historical dolls with their stories that inform, and the replica pieces of their collections…and their trunks! I liked how the early catalogs also informed…like the explanations of the undergarments of each time period.
Great question!
You have done a wonderful job with this doll, Diana; she is just lovely. And that is a very thought-provoking question. I do want a doll who is of good quality, of course, but I find the collection very appealing, both the clothes and the accessories. I especially love the historical lines that the Pleasant Company developed with the attention to detail and the focus on a particular period and agree with Aunty Paula that both the catalogues and the stories informed–in a manner that was fun and appealing. I am also intrigued by the Maplelea line that allows a collection for a contemporary doll to be built over time while at the same time providing historical, geographic and cultural information, again through the medium of imaginative play.
Thank you all for your wonderful comments and opinions. I too love a well made doll with a wonderful collection. Just like most of you, the Pleasant Company dolls and their collection also attracted my attention, although at that time I was focused on my real live baby and my dolls were put on hold. Times do change but if manufacturers really listen, they would find they are missing an opportunity for future growth. As a young girl, I love just having one or two dolls, my mother made the outfits and was very creative in making them a collection. Again thank you all.
Well done and I enjoyed reading your story and the comments of everyone! Some very good points made here. I too remember the first Pleasant Company catalogs with that message on them. Dolls have always been so magical to me. To get a whole collection and be able to truly immerse yourself in the experience is what I think we all LOVE!!
whoa!
so cool – the history, etc.!