Black Doll Collecting: Darling Debbie by Deluxe Reading

Circa 1958 Darling Debbie by Deluxe Reading

This is one of the many pandemic doll purchases I made during the end of May and throughout the month of June, which led to a month-long doll-buying hiatus during July. I was still on said hiatus at the time this post was drafted. Darling Debbie, as seen in the seller's auction photo above, is a 30-inch circa 1958 stuffed vinyl doll by Deluxe Reading. She arrived with a couple of issues. Her leg vinyl has several wrinkles (that I planned to conceal with clothing) and her neck was unstable (which I was able to stabilize).

During the late 1950s through 1960s, this type of doll was sold under different names in grocery stores wearing elaborate cotillion gowns or dressed as brides or bridesmaids. As a child, I remember shopping with my parents and seeing the dolls that appeared larger than life on overhead shelves in grocery stores, but I never saw a black one.

As an adult collector, for years I searched for a black one and was outbid on eBay a time or two. Giving up the search, during the late 1990s/early 2000s I dyed a white one brown. I still longed for an authentically black Darling Debbie because the body of the dyed doll, which was once a rich brown color, eventually faded with time.

Darling Debbie's first close-up shot illustrates her faded lip color

"101" is this doll's only mark.

Darling Debbie's back is marked 101. I am not certain that this is actually Darling Debbie or one of the other 30-inch dolls Deluxe Reading manufactured, but in my collection, she is Darling Debbie. Incidentally, the doll I dyed brown is marked 251/A-E on her neck and 13 on her back.

Prior to taking the initial photos, I removed the white infant-size dress Darling Debbie arrived wearing and washed her face, body, and limbs with a mild soap. She remained nude for several weeks until I was able to find the perfect dress for her.

Darling Debbie models her new dress and poses with the dyed doll. In this photo, her unstable neck is apparent. In the next photo, the subtle differences of their head sculpts are noticeable.

The dyed doll on the left appears to have a more mature face. The new doll's upper lip is fuller, and she has a child-like face.

Because I wanted to dress my doll in period-appropriate attire, I searched eBay and found a lovely sapphire blue and black full-length halter dress with a sequined bodice. It was made for Deluxe Reading's 30-inch high-heel fashion dolls. According to the seller, the dress was part of a curated collection of 1950s fashion dolls, clothing, and accessories.

I added this handmade black slip.

The skirt of the dress is sheer, so I hand-sewed a half-slip using black taffeta.

After searching through my large-fashion-doll shoe stash (shoes made for large fashion dolls), I found the perfect pair of black high-heel shoes that were purchased after the dyed doll arrived nearly 20 years ago.

Polyfill stuffing was added to the neck area to create stability.

Before replacing the disk that separates the head and neck, trimming the excess stuffing and reattaching the head to the neck, I also added stuffing to the head.

To add stability to the newest girl's neck, I removed the head and added polyfill stuffing to the neck area and also in the head opening. I packed it in as tightly as possible. While doing this, I wore a disposable face mask because I am not sure if inhaling fibers of the original gray-colored stuffing used in this doll is safe.

The extra polyfill stabilized the neck, allows her to hold her head upright, and removed the wrinkle that was present around the lower neck area.

Painted toenails

Next, I added lip, mouth, fingernail, and toenail color with acrylic paint which gives her a more mature look.

New earrings, choker, and painted lips

Another view of the earrings, choker, and added lip color

I visited a local beauty supply store and purchased faux sapphire and diamond drop earrings and another pair of oversized faux diamond hoop earrings. The oversized hoop earrings were fashioned into a choker and a bracelet.

The faux diamond bracelet was made using an oversized hoop earring.

I removed the ear posts and clamps from the oversized hoops and squeezed these into the desired size and shape for the doll's neck and wrist.

The finished look

I think she looks stunning. The overall cost of the doll, dress, and accessories is far less than the final auction prices of other dolls I was outbid on in the past. As additional savings, the seller, who lives locally, delivered this doll to me along with two others that I purchased from her. This shaved over $30 off the final cost to ship all three dolls. As I have often said or written, it "saves" to exercise patience.

Darling Debbie's purchase motivated me to repaint the dyed doll's lips and fingernails and to restyle the hair of a 24-inch 1950s fashion doll by Adanta that had been wearing an oversized wig to hide her choppy and brittle hair. Because the 24-inch doll's hair is brittle, I smoothed it down with my hands and applied Eco Style Gel to give it a permanent hold and to prevent further shedding as seen in the final photo.

The dresses worn by the dyed doll and the 24-inch doll by Adanta Novelties Corporation are actually sequined majorette gauntlets that I purchased from a thrift store several years ago to repurpose as doll dresses.

All three dolls took the above final photograph before they were returned to their display area. I enjoyed several hours of doll therapy while refurbishing the older two and dressing and accessorizing my long-sought-after Darling Debbie.

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Thursday, August 6, 2020

Darling Debbie by Deluxe Reading