Black Doll Collecting: New, Fairly New, and New-to-me Dolls

These dolls arrived at different times during the past few months. At the time of arrival, they were photographed and added to my 2021 Doll Inventory spreadsheet, but I have not blogged about them. If they were gifts, after arrival, an email and/or a handwritten note was sent to acknowledge receipt and to thank the sender. Who they are and why I purchased the others are included in the photo captions and additional text.

Guardian Angel

A lovely handmade guardian angel arrived in January 2021.

During the last week of January 2021, I received a beautiful handmade guardian angel from one of my blog readers, Virginia Carpenter. It was a very thoughtful surprise gift that she began working on in December 2020. Along with the guardian angel, Virginia sent a packaged cross (that the angel now holds), and her detailed notes of the creative process. At the end of the notes, she wrote: As you are a guardian angel of black dolls, I took pleasure in making this angel for you, Debbie. Love, Virginia.

I love that title, "Guardian Angel of Black Dolls."

The guardian angel has beautiful gold wings.

Underneath the angel's cone-shaped body is a printed tag that Virginia also signed and dated.

The following description recorded in my Excel Doll Inventory workbook on the 2021 worksheet provides the guardian angel's details:

6-1/2-inch handcrafted angel has a light brown fabric face and handsewn beads for the eyes and mouth. The eyebrows and corners of the mouth are embroidered. Black gimp creates the hair. A golden aluminum halo is attached to the top of the head. Indian embossed gold scrapbook paper fashioned into the shape of a cone creates the body. Delicate metallic gold lacy wings are attached to the back. A sequined black and gold shawl is wrapped around the angel's torso into which a golden cross is tucked.

Under the "Marks" cell of the spreadsheet, I entered:

The printed cloth tag attached underneath the cone reads, An Original By Va. Schaaff Carpenter. The cloth tag is signed Virginia Carpenter / Dec. 2020 (as illustrated in the third picture above).

Chelsea

Chelsea by Mattel is a friend of Kelly. Her love-inspired fashion, ebony complexion, and Afro puffs hairstyle inspired the purchase.

This close-up photo illustrates Chelsea's adorable face.

Chelsea reminds me of my Clonette-inspired figurine by Fugi Naim of Israel. (See the link to the post about the Fugi Naim figurine at the end of this post.)

Purchased in June 2021, Chelsea's Doll Inventory entry reads:

6-inch doll has brunette hair styled in two Afro puffs, brown eyes; wears a "Love" themed red, white, and black-trimmed dress. The skirt of the dress is removable. The bodice is sculpted. Wears silvery Mary Janes.

I'm a Girly Fashion Doll Kayla

I'm a Girly Fashion Doll Kayla was also purchased in June 2021 solely because of the doll's deeply discounted price of $20.75 on Amazon with free Prime shipping. How could I refuse her?

Designed to be rewigged, Kayla came with one straight black wig that has a center part.

For an 18-inch doll, her face looks more mature than her body.

A groove around the circumference of the scalp accommodates wig placement.

I do not like the "Planet of the Apes" hairline of the wig that came with Kayla. I tried a couple of on-hand wigs on her. This wig with two braids has straight bangs.

The second braided wig has curly bangs and curls that frame the doll's face and the nape of the neck. She wore this one with a red elasticized headband.

The colorfully illustrated back of the box has pictures of other dolls in the I'm a Girly Fashion Doll line. The deluxe doll that comes with a curly wig was my preference, but that one was not available for $20.75 at the time I ordered.

This back-of-the-box illustration shows a close-up of the other dolls.

As indicated on the back of the box, other wigs and accessories are sold separately for the dolls.

For months, Kayla remained in the original shipper because I didn't know if I was going to keep her or not. The time for me to return the doll has lapsed; she still remains in the shipping box inside her original box still attached to the box lining, but I am going to keep her.

My spreadsheet description entry for Kayla reads:

18-inch all-vinyl doll designed to rewig. Comes with a black straight center-parted wig; has brown stationary eyes with applied upper eyelashes, wears a two-piece blue jogging suit with black and white sneakers. Designed by Girls.

Our Generation Mini Keisha Read and Playset

The plan is to incorporate Our Generation Mini Keisha Read & Play Set into my Dolls with Books collection and to use the doll in future Dolls with Books exhibits.

Close-up of Mini Keisha

Keisha is still attached to her sealed book. The back story behind her broken left arm, which is in a soft cast as illustrated, is unknown.

The illustrated Keisha on the book's cover also has a casted arm that's in a sling.

Made by Maison Battat, Inc. with the copyright year of 2021, purchased in August 2021, Keisha's spreadsheet entry reads:

6-inch all-vinyl doll has dark brown rooted hair styled in two side-banded pigtails, brown stationary eyes; wears a navy blue floral-print hoodie, gray knit pants, pink shoes; has a blue cast on the left hand and arm. Includes a chapter book.

Pincushion Doll

Circa 1940s-1950s pincushion doll

Side view of the pincushion doll

View from the back of the pincushion doll

In August, I received the following email from Ms. Grace K. Anderson:

Dear Debbie,

I hope this email finds you well! You were so helpful in helping place my mother-in-law's two dolls in your collection and I love the blog you posted about it too! Thank you!:

https://blackdollcollecting.blogspot.com/2019/09/doll-gifts-part-2.html

I have found one more recently, it is a pincushion doll, and wonder if it may be something you might be interested in? Attached are a few photos for reference. As you can see, there are some pinholes, so it was certainly used as a pincushion.

The dimensions are: 5 1/2 H x 3 W x 3 1/2 D inches

Thank you again!
Grace

The uniquely made pincushion doll arrived in early September. The spreadsheet description for it reads as follows:

6-1/2-inch handmade pincushion doll is fashioned around a stuffed cloth tomato using cotton (nonsynthetic fabrics). Made of black cloth for the face, button eyes, red embroidered nose and mouth, black looped yarn hair, red cloth for the blouse and arms; and red, white, and black floral-print fabric for the pants and legs. The arms and legs hug the sides of the cloth tomato.

Additional spreadsheet notations indicates, "a gift from Grace K. Anderson, this pincushion was owned/possibly made by her late-mother-in law. Grace gave me two other dolls that were her MIL's in 2019."

Adelaid's Baby

Adelaid's Baby by Goldie Wilson

This little one was offered on eBay in September in a buy-in-now auction for a price I could not refuse. Made by Goldie Wilson, this doll is 1 of 60 companion dolls for larger dolls named Adelaid. The larger dolls were auctioned at a UFDC luncheon in 2016. The spreadsheet entry below the next picture of the baby provides additional details.

Adelaid's Baby was originally presented in a decorative teacup and saucer as seen here. The seller did not include this baby's teacup and saucer.

The baby's spreadsheet description reads:

6-inch porcelain baby with black painted hair, painted facial features, made in a limited edition of 60 for the Kindred Spirits Circle of Friendship Luncheon hosted by Maryland Society of Doll Collectors for UFDC's 67th annual convention held from July 27 to July 30, 2016, in Washington, D.C. Wears a white christening gown, white ribbon bonnet, white pantalettes; feet are bare.

Additional spreadsheet notations about Adelaid's baby note, unmarked; has signed certificate of authenticity and luncheon brochure. This baby was the companion doll for a larger souvenir doll named Adelaid made by Goldie Wilson for the same UFDC convention luncheon. (Adelaid's Baby is stored in Bleuette's box, another GW doll.)<===note to self.

Replacement Fashionista 105

This duplicate of my Fashionista 105 Barbie (released in 2018) arrived in September with a damaged blister cover. The damaged cover is why, when others are selling for $40+ on the secondary market, I was able to purchase this one for $12. I removed the damaged blister cover after the doll arrived and will eventually remove the doll from the card.

Close-up of Fashionista 105 Barbie's face. Yes, she has pink lip color, but that can be remedied with acrylic paint later.

My original Fashionista 105 Barbie poses with the replacement doll.

In 2020, as part of a doll group project, I created a Christmas tree dress for my original Fashionista 105. The nonremovable dress is complete with two strings of battery-operated mini Christmas lights. After creating the dress, I began looking for a duplicate doll. It took several months for me to find one reasonably priced.

My spreadsheet description cell entry for the duplicate doll reads as follows:

See the 2018 spreadsheet; this doll is a duplicate to replace the original doll that I redressed in a nonremovable Christmas dress made of green garland and other materials.

This completes the dolls that had not previously been shared in blog posts.

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Monday, October 18, 2021

New, Fairly New, and New-to-me Dolls

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