Tuesday, June 17, 2025

An OOAK Doll by Lorna Miller Sands

A one-of-a-kind cloth-bodied polymer clay doll made in 1990 by Toridan (Lorna Miller Sands) is a new arrival.

I purchased this one-of-a-kind doll by Lorna Miller Sands earlier this month (June 2025). On Friday the 13th, after several days of non-delivery, the seller checked on the doll's whereabouts and was told the post office sent the doll to the incorrect USPS distribution center! I contacted the post office to get clarification. I was assured by the very nice USPS customer service representative, Amber, that the package would be transferred to the correct distribution center and delivered to me within a few days. The transfer occurred after 48 hours, and I received shipping notifications from the post office and the seller that the package would be delivered on Monday, June 16, 2025, by 9 p.m. It arrived with the doll intact much sooner at 1:48 p.m.

Whew! This was a pins and needles experience! 


Also made in the 1990s by Lorna Miller Sands, Rashahn is my first OOAK doll in polymer clay by this artist.

After purchasing Rashahn, a 1990s Lorna Miller Sands one-of-a-kind baby boy, from another collector several years ago, I subconsciously wanted to add an OOAK girl with straight legs to my collection. Without actively looking for one, this one "found me!" Standing 18 inches tall, her name is Carly, which is incised by the artist in the back of her neck above "Toridan." Lorna's dolls were branded, Toridan, during the 1990s.

Carly can sit or stand (with the aid of a doll stand).

In this picture, Carly stands on a straddle doll stand.

Immediately above and below, she is with her baby brother (they are scaled differently, but display well together).

I have to wash her dress and find the same textured dark-brown hair to cover the exposed glue at Carly's the hairline. Lorna is known to have used human hair (from her children) when she worked under the Toridan brand.

After I spruce her up and take better pictures, Carly will be a DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum installation. I'll the installation link to this post after it has been published. 
 

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All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

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Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Early 1900s Composition Doll Discovery

Legs and feet of two very rare early 1900s black composition dolls

On May 18, 2025, I was contacted by a textile conservator seeking information about two quite rare antique black dolls. I offered what little information I knew about one of the dolls' makers, but I had no idea the other doll existed. Giddy about my newfound knowledge of both dolls and eager to share it with the doll community, I gained permission from the organization that owns the dolls to document them in separate installations within DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum. 

Which dolls are these? Discover more by following the links below for the June 9, 2025, and June 11, 2025, museum installations, and let me know your thoughts on these two gems!

June 11, 2025, VBDM installation

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All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!

World Doll Day 2025

World Doll Day - Give a girl a doll.


"Every year on the second Saturday in June, World Doll Day celebrates the idea of a doll delivering a universal message of love and happiness. The day also encourages you to give someone a doll, especially to a child who does not have one" (National Day Calendar). 

 World Doll Day falls on June 14, 2025. Do you have any special plans?

__________

All photos and text are copyrighted and cannot be used elsewhere unless permission is granted by the author.

©Black Doll Collecting/dbg

There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.

__________

Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.

If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.

Check out what I am selling here
Check out my eBay listings here.
Please follow my sister blog Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.
*New*Visit/Follow DeeBeeGee's Virtual Black Doll Museum
Donate here to support this blog. Thank you!