Guest Post: Through the Eyes of a Leo Moss Collector: Bev’s Story

Through the Eyes of a Leo Moss Collector: Bev’s Story 

An 11-inch doll by Leo Moss

By Beverly W. Flowers

I have focused my doll collection on vintage and antique black dolls by developing a strategic plan that required daily hunting for these rare and valuable dolls. I never imagined I would be asked to guest blog on Black Doll Collecting by Debbie Behan Garrett as a collector with a Leo Moss doll. The offer should not have surprised me. Debbie has supported and encouraged me throughout the years. She has promoted black doll collectors and artists in her books, articles, websites, the We Love Black Dolls Anew Facebook group, and through her Black Doll Collecting and Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black blogs. We owe so much to her dedication and I thank God that Debbie never gave up her daily sharing of doll information.

My Doll Collecting Journey

I started collecting dolls over 30 years ago to honor Maggie Pearl, my mother. Mom supplemented my Christmas gifts by making clothes for my Barbies. I did not appreciate her labor of love until she died from breast cancer at 42-years young. Reality sunk in when I realized the only things I owned were doll clothes and a $150 car.

I began collecting black Barbies because I thought they were lovely and shared Mom’s classic beauty. Eventually, my three jobs could not feed my lay-a-way habit. So, I started an entrepreneurial business in 1988 called Exquisite Showcases. I had magnificent glass display cases with exotic woods, which I varnished, and then were hand-assembled by an artist. I planned to sell them at doll shows even though I had never been to a doll show. I just thought everyone needed display cases for antique dolls but not one case sold. I believed a beautiful black antique doll would highlight my special display cases. However, the shows only had white dolls and dealers assured me that I could neither afford nor find an antique black doll.

         Eventually, I repeated this to my future husband, Bill, that doll dealers said I would never see or own a good black doll. He found it offensive that I would allow anyone to create a ridiculous barrier to my dreams. Bill’s life theory still is based on the philosophy that everything is possible if you are prepared and have the will.

In 1997, Bill handed me a piece of paper with strange words, “eBay.com.” He suggested selling my Barbie dolls and investing in dolls that stood the test of time and had the potential to gain even more value. He could not wrap his head around mass-produced collectibles as a stable investment. Bill reassured me that selling dolls would allow me to buy antique dolls that would hold their value and could be displayed in my cases. His idea ignored two significant facts. I did not have a computer, and I was not going to sell my barbies. My brother Mike, who had accompanied me in those painful sell-less display case days, happily gave me his computer. Bill sealed the deal with a promise that when we married, every dollar I made selling anything would go to buying old dolls. The money would never be used to solve household financial stresses. Thus, selling Barbies would allow me to transform my modern collection into a unique ensemble of vintage dolls that represented my mother’s spirit and the life of people of color. I was sold on selling.

Leo Moss Dolls

Leo Moss portrait doll

        I forget what year, but eventually, the Mr. Leo Moss doll was offered on eBay. However, I was not sure about bidding five thousand dollars on him. I would have to strip my collection down to the bones to come up with the money. Also, my doll notes were scattered, and I had no idea which magazine had pictures of him. I could dig up the money with a massive doll sell-off but not the confidence. I had a tremendous buyer’s remorse when the doll sold.

I vowed that I would never again freeze because of a lack of knowledge. I would become an expert in all the dolls I wanted to collect seriously.  I cut and pasted every article and advertisement with Leo Moss dolls in all the available sources into a computer log. I also went through all the doll magazines from the late 1970s to track Leo Moss dolls as they moved from auctions to collectors and back again.

I noticed that auction houses frequently used the tag “attributed” to Leo Moss dolls, leaving doubt about authenticity. I wondered how experts in identifying artist reproduction of Bru dolls could not confirm a Moss considering that Betty Formaz and Rubin Quintano were the primary artists working in Leo Moss’s style, and their work was distinguishable from real Mosses.

I believe the root of the confusion on the authenticity of Leo Moss dolls can be found by examining articles written about the dolls. Steva Roark Allgood wrote an article entitled “To Leo with Love” in the Fall 1987 Doll News magazine. Steva found that Moss created dolls for children and not as art. The bodies were awkward and poorly proportioned. More importantly, Steva concluded most Moss dolls are unmarked. Myla Perkins adds to dealer uncertainty by noting in her book, Black Dolls: An Identification and Value Guide 1820-1991, that Formaz had bought heads without bodies (see plate 29 in Myla's book).

Therefore, I can reason that unmarked heads and inappropriate bodies or “new” bodies on old heads resulted in uncertainty about the authenticity of Moss dolls. Dealers hate uncertainty and were already suspicious about all these recently discovered Moss dolls entering the market from a single source, Betty Formaz. Dealers may have chattered that Betty, being a doll artist, made the Leo Moss dolls. Again, Betty’s dolls and Rubin’s dolls are distinguishable from Leo Moss dolls from an artistic point of view and the material used. She sold the dolls almost immediately after purchasing them, and I do not know of any existing Moss molds.  

Dealers that never handled a real Leo Moss may have inadvertently bought Betty Formaz and Rubin Quintano dolls and passed them into the market as authentic Leo Moss dolls. Thus, the major factor that contributed to the use of the term “attributed” may have been the sellers' need to skirt any liability to buyers. The few experts on the dolls cautioned auction houses that they were selling reproduction dolls. Even Myla, who may have owned the most extensive collection of Leo Moss dolls, warned about Moss reproductions in her first book Black Dolls. However, Myla in her second book writes on page 33, “see page 417, plate 1654 for an excellent example of a new Moss look-alike.” Here she points the reader to an artist doll by Rubin Quintano done in the Moss style and not a deliberate fake by a con artist.

 

Prior to becoming part of Debbie Garrett's doll collection, Cecily by Rubin Quintano ca. 1992, a 22-inch Moss-style doll, was featured on page 417 in Myla Perkins' second Black Dolls book.

        I reasoned if dealers were confused, there must be confused collectors that thought they had a Formaz or Quintano when they had a Moss doll.

My strategy was to find unmarked and unappreciated Moss dolls being sold because of the confusion caused by the uncertainty of handmade artist dolls. The dolls are dark; thus, it is difficult to see the differences between artist dolls and real Moss dolls in low-quality pictures. I have tried to take an accurate count, but I may have double-counted some dolls because of a change in clothing or the angle of the new photo. Myla said there are 50 known Moss dolls.

I decided to hunt for even more Moss dolls that may be in auctions, flea markets, or antique shops. But first, I would have to be an expert in Leo Moss dolls without owning one.

I had to find someone willing to show me a real Moss doll. I would have to ask dealers again, but by this time I knew my way around a doll room. A few years later, I stumbled upon someone who owned Leo Moss dolls and was willing to share knowledge. I was introduced to the word “handle.” She allowed me to feel the weight, see the coloring, hair patterns, marking, breastplates, and bodies of these rare dolls. She allowed me to do the same with the dolls created in the Leo Moss style. I was taught how to differentiate between a real Leo Moss and a replica style. I was one of the few people in the world that had handled one, and it was intoxicating.

Two Opportunities of a Lifetime

Held at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan, the "I See Me: Reflections in Black Dolls Exhibition ran from September 20, 2016, through June 25, 2017.

I believe it was June of 2017 when I stumbled on a Facebook page advertising an upcoming exhibit of the largest collection of Leo Moss dolls. What an opportunity! I could compare variations of eyes, skin smoothness, colorings, and hair patterns. I could tell by the pictures that the dolls were from Myla’s books. We had a week to fly to Detroit to the “I see me: Reflections in Black Dolls” exhibit sponsored by the Motor City Doll Club at the Charles Wright Museum.

An emotional tidal wave rolled over me in the exhibit room as I spread out years of notes and pages from Myla’s books and Debbie’s articles. Everything about that exhibit blew my mind. I absorbed every feature like a sponge, but until then, I did not know that Myla owned them. I had counted her dolls in my total, but I had been waiting years for some of Myla’s dolls to appear in circulation.

My day begins by brushing my teeth and checking my doll searches for Moss dolls, and a few others. In March of 2019, I opened my eBay searches to see an auction for a “Vintage Leo Moss Doll Buy it now $200.” The seller was paid before I read the full description. I then read the full description over and over again while waiting for a word from the seller. 

When the doll did arrive, the seller included a handwritten note:

“Thank you for your purchase. I enclosed a newspaper clipping on the doll. I was lucky as a child to see this exhibit in Detroit. I believe in the 70’s? I bought this from a woman in Royal Oak, Michigan who repaired dolls then. Glad to hear that the doll is going to a new place. I’m slowly selling my collection. I have no children to pass the collection on to.”

Her Name is Maggie Pearl

Named after Beverly's mother, Maggie Pearl is an unmarked 1800s doll by Leo Moss.

Maggie Pearl is an unmarked 1800’s head with glass eyes.  She is 11 inches tall with molded hair and painted lips. She has a replaced body. Her neck socket is professionally stuffed to hold the head.

Authenticating Maggie Pearl required finding a small Leo Moss doll that was made during the same period in Leo Moss’s artist life. I needed to find a doll with the same bumpy complexion, dimples, and youthful look. Myla Perkin’s first book showed a similar doll, see Black Dolls, book one, plate 25:

 

 “Tiny baby, 10” tall.  This is the smallest of the Leo Moss dolls to have been purchased from the Moss family. It has a papier-mache head and bent leg jointed baby body. Head has inset tiny glass eyes, molded hair. Doll was made in the late 1800s and is unmarked.”  

However, Maggie Pearl was not a baby. I needed to find a toddler or adult.

"Tiny Black Paper Mache Boy by Leo Moss" in a photograph courtesy of Frasher's Doll Auctions is the doll Beverly used to authenticate Maggie Pearl as a Leo Moss doll.

I found a doll from Frasher’s Doll Auctions, Lot 158, that was presented as a young boy.  The catalog description read:

“TINY BLACK PAPER MACHE BOY BY LEO MOSS. Marks: None. 8 1/2”. Black paper mache head and body, tightly curled sculpted hair, boyish-like fashion, prominent brown inset glass eyes, closed mouth, impressed dimples, jointed shoulders, and hips, wears original cotton overalls. Commentary: Very unusual example of early work by Leo Moss. One of the smallest sizes known to exist. Very good condition.”

The back of Maggie Pearl's head, neck, and upper back are illustrated in this photo

I confidently concluded that Maggie is an early 1800’s head because Steva noted in the previously referenced Doll News article that the “later dolls have a very smooth finish that resembles porcelain.” Maggie’s face is not smooth.  I also know her body was professionally replaced by examining the neck socket.  The seller said she had the doll for years and bought her from a doll doctor in Detroit.  Hopefully, a reader knows the complete story behind Maggie Pearl and can fill in the missing pieces of Maggie’s Journey to me.

Maggie Pearl is seen in a close-up that illustrates the details of her sculpted face and hair.

Now, Maggie Pearl is displayed in the very same mahogany framed glass case that experts told me would never hold an antique black doll. She is the result of a plan to see and learn as much as possible about the works of her artist. See the pictures and be amazed at a never published (until now) Leo Moss doll. Please, no flash photography (I always wanted to say that). 

Maggie Pearl is posed with the 40th Anniversary Barbie to illustrate the doll's diminutive height when compared with other Leo Moss dolls.

References:

Black Dolls an Identification and Value Guide 1820-1991 by Myla Perkins

Black Dolls an Identification and Value Guide: Book II by Myla Perkins

Frasher’s Doll Auction (Tiny Black Paper Mache Boy)

“To Leo with Love,” Doll News, Fall 1987 by Steva Roark Allgood

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Thank you so much, Beverly, for sharing the doll-collecting journey that led to acquiring the perfect Leo Moss doll for an exceptional, once-in-a-lifetime price! I am sure the readers of this blog enjoyed your story as much as I have enjoyed it. 

This post can also be read on my sister blog, Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black where a related four-part story about Leo Moss dolls was the first post.

For more information about Beverly and to follow her blogs on Black Memorabilia, Black Art, and Black Dolls, visit her website, Antique Black Dolls and Things.

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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
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Guest Post: Significance of Dolls in Child's Play

The doll is a universal toy, loved by children around the world.

The following guest post, The Significance of Dolls in Child's Play, was written by Melisa Marzett.  All photos are public domain images.

The doll is one of the oldest toys in the world. It can be found in the nursery of most every child. It seems that it is just a simple toy, an image of a person. However, it has a strong impact on a child's psychological and social development.

Developing value of dolls

A little child doll owner, a boy or a girl, is usually constantly in contact with a doll. It will remain a companion for a long time, from infancy on.  During this time, it will affect the child's social development, sense of self, and awareness of others.

After a few years of child’s play, Lego, puzzles, and traditional toys like dolls are often considered obsolete and serving only for fun and as purely girlish toys. Thus, parents try to replace them. However, not everyone realizes that depriving a child, especially at a young age, of communicating with a doll, might slow down their social development. After all, the doll has special functions in the development of the child's psyche.

One of such functions is the development of sentimental feelings, as well as morality. A doll represents a certain image of a person in a child's game. When a child does not have a friend in the game, the doll perfectly performs this function. It is an ideal friend who is always there and does not remember bad things. Playing with it, a child can act as she pleases, and no one will interfere or condemn.

Often in the process of the game with a doll (doll play), the child projects some inner experiences onto it and loses them in different situations. He can also develop qualities that he does not possess, for example, courage. With a doll “friend,” it will not be as scary for a child to enter a dark room or sleep in one alone.  

Playing with dolls, little children imitate the actions of adults. They bathe the doll, as they bathe themselves, dress it, and comb its hair, etc. With dolls, older children role-play everyday family and life situations as they reflect and often attempt to make life the way they would like it.

Initially, the child speaks for the doll, pronounces its actions, and in this pronunciation conceals the rudiment of the role-playing game. The process of playing with the doll also satisfies the cognitive activity of the child. Considering the doll, the child explores herself, forms an idea of her body, her abilities.  Curiosity is often satisfied with destructive actions with the doll: the child breaks, undresses, cuts the hair or otherwise deconstructs the doll through anger or just to figure out how it was made.

The way a child will play with a doll also depends on its look. The aggressive look of the doll provokes, accordingly, an aggressive, warlike type of play. More delicate features, larger size, relative to the size of the body, the size of the head, plumpness – evoke care and patronage. The doll sets the image of the person, forms the concept of the child about good and bad.

The doll promotes the development of fantasy, especially if it has undeveloped facial features. This makes children's fantasy work. It can laugh or cry, get angry or show its tongue, and all this with the static, immobile face of the doll and the beautiful work of the child's imagination.

Influence of the material and forms of the doll on the mental development of the child

The appearance of the doll, the texture of the material from which it is made, its proportions – all this, too, undoubtedly influences the psyche of the child.

For over fifty years, Barbie and friends have been constant fashion-doll companions for children worldwide.

Consider the influence of proportions. The correct proportions of the doll form the correct ideas about the body in the child. In addition, this is very important for further mental and physical health. This is especially true for girls, as they are more susceptible to the influence of such disproportionate dolls as Barbie. Playing with them, the girls lay their own misconceptions about the figure, and growing up.  They might torture themselves with diets to become slimmer, to achieve an imaginary ideal body.  Developing a negative self-image is another case that confirms the influence of the doll’s proportions on the child.

The quality and texture of the material from which the doll is made, also have significance. This was established by research. Children refer to toys made from different materials in different ways. Soft and fluffy materials cause positive emotions, stimulate the child to play. At the same time, rough and cold materials cause a negative attitude.

Therefore, the child needs a correct selection of dolls based on materials and proportions. If this is not done, the doll will have a negative impact on the child.

Boys and dolls

The topic of boys playing with dolls is broached on the OWN TV series, Queen Sugar, wherein Blue's doll, Kenya, is seen as his inanimate playmate.

Most adults are confident that playing dolls is for girls only. However, boys, 2-3 years old, willingly play with dolls: they put the doll to sleep, carry in a carriage, or hold in their hands. Dads are usually surprised and greatly shocked by this behavior.  This is absolutely normal behavior for any child of this age because it is an imitation of adults. The child does the same things his mom does to him. There is the development of social and emotional spheres of life. In such a way, the child learns to interact with others. However, usually by the decision of adults, the boy plays with a variety of technical toys, or some monsters or soldiers, instead of dolls. In this, the child loses a full emotional development.  The development of aggressive behavior takes place; the boy does not learn proper interaction, does not receive a full social experience.

Consequently, it is important that at least at this age the boy has the opportunity to play with dolls. It is not necessary to understand this game as dolls for girls because there are different types of dolls. Growing up, boys more than likely will switch to other types of toys, more characteristic for their gender if their desire to play with or appreciate dolls diminishes.

The socializing effect of dolls

Socialization affects the child from the very moment of birth. It manifests itself in almost everything: attitude, education, training, play. Socialization is very active in the game, especially with dolls.

These dolls represent a variety of ethnicities and provide a choice of diversity for children.

A doll is an image of a person, an invariable partner of a child in almost all of his games. Therefore, it can be called even the most socializing toy. Playing dolls represents the reflection of social experience. It is aimed at developing in the child the ability to communicate, correct behavior in life situations, and the development of social intelligence. Through the doll, the child assimilates the moral standards of the society in which he lives; an image of a person; his behavior is formed, and such categories as, good and bad, beautiful and ugly are cognized.

A boy plays the role of a surgeon for a doll patient as two girls assist in a pretend operation.

In younger school-age children, repeating actions of adults takes place through doll play. At an older age, children’s role-playing with dolls is more sophisticated in a broader social context:  they play doctor, hairdresser, daughter-mother, etc. In these games, the child builds herself, mastering the world of human relations and ideas that she develops. Some researchers believe that the game of daughter-mother is a manifestation of the maternal instinct in a girl. However, this game reproduces social relations, acceptance in a given society, as well as the social division of childcare. In addition, through the game with the doll, the child expresses her inner world. So, in recreating family relationships, trying on the roles of family members, you can see how the child sees his family, what's bothering her now, or what she wants to see in her family.

Playing with the doll, the child reproduces human relationships in his fictional world, assimilates the laws of society. Therefore, the doll is one of the main socializing toys.

The negative influence of the wrongly chosen doll

The doll, however, can also have a negative influence on the child's psyche.  When the toy is not correctly selected, is not in accordance with the age of the child, or the child simply does not like the doll, the child’s psyche can be impacted negatively.  Parents must take into consideration age appropriateness and also what the child likes.

Clearly, fixed images of dolls can also have a negative impact on children. Barbie dolls and all sorts of monsters are good examples of this. What happens when a child has clearly fixed human images and a programmed way of behavior in the toy? The first is a blockage, inhibition of the child's imagination and independence. The given image is so strong that it cannot be changed. So, playing with monsters is always a pursuit, a battle, a devouring. Playing with Barbie dolls is an endless series of disguises and purchases, narcissism, and rivalry. The disadvantage of such dolls is not even that they are too naturalistic, or that they have too pronounced aggressiveness or sexual characteristics, but that they deprive the child of the opportunity to act independently:  invent, imagine and think, that is, play. These dolls offer strictly defined actions:  what and how to dress, which button to press, what to feed, etc. Children can only reproduce the proposed stereotypes of actions, which they willingly do. The main qualities that should be manifested and developed in child’s play – freedom of action, emotional saturation, creative activity, ingenuity – remain completely unclaimed and do not develop. The child seems to be manipulating the toy, but in reality, the toy imposes certain actions on him. The game is replaced by manipulation.

We must understand that by reducing the child’s game to monotonous and stereotyped movements, we limit his ability to make independent meaningful actions, and therefore slow down his development. In all these cases, there can be no question of any game. The child, by pressing the buttons, becomes a prefix, and the program manages his actions.

That's how the doll's negative influences on the child's psyche are manifested, but they only show up when the doll is incorrectly chosen.

As an ever-present companion, the doll becomes the child's first or often best friend.  It becomes a constant partner for games and at the same time a mentor and silent teacher of human relationships. Thanks to the game with the doll, the child loses various everyday situations or learns to correctly navigate in them. Together with the doll, s/he goes through the lessons of socialization.

Again, if the doll is improperly chosen, it can have a negative, inhibitory effect on child development. Therefore, adults/parents must consider the child’s age and the doll’s appropriateness for the child. Only then, considering all the peculiarities, it is possible to achieve the most harmonious development of the child's personality as influenced by doll’s play.

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About the author:  Our guest writer, Melisa Marzett, has been writing since she was a child.  She currently works for Getessayeditor.com. Her other published articles can be read on different websites dedicated to various subjects, e.g. travel blogs, cooking blogs, beauty tips blogs, technology blogs, etc.

Thank you for this interesting contribution, Ms. Marzett!

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Guest Post by Brains and Beauty Dolls

Malia is an 18-inch talking doll by Brains and Beauty Dolls

Niya Dorsey, the creator of Brains and Beauty Dolls contacted me about her new line of 18-inch dolls. I invited her to share the inspiration behind the dolls.

"One day my one month old daughter and I were at home in the bed cuddling, as I stared at her beautiful face and started to talk to her. I told her how beautiful she is, how I couldn’t wait to have tea parties with her, get a mani-pedi together and how I want her to grow up and follow all her dreams, become a leader and so on. Suddenly, I got an epiphany, a doll is a girl’s best friend. I didn’t remember seeing or having a doll that had the beautiful features of girls of color. 

"I wasn’t big on the Barbie dolls and the other dolls I had as a child.  I would just feed, change their diapers and comb their hair. It wasn’t always easy styling their hair either. I decided I don't want a doll that teaches my daughter how to be a good mom, I want a doll that encourages her to believe in herself and to achieve her goals no matter what. At that moment I decided to create a doll for girls of color all over the world. 

"I created an 18-inch doll whose look was based on my daughter's features. First, I reached out to other mothers and asked, 'If you had to say something encouraging or positive to your daughter, what would you say?' I took my time and read every response and created a list of twenty empowering words. As a result, I created a doll that speaks encouraging words. I believe the right words are powerful and encouraging and have a positive impact on our little girls' lives.

"Today, many young girls suffer from low self-esteem due to society’s negative perceptions, bullying, and lack of encouragement. I want to help develop self-awareness and positive self-esteem in the lives of little girls with the help of my dolls.

Made of vinyl with a cloth stomach that houses her voice box, Malia is a perfect companion doll with comb-able human hair.

"I designed the doll to have real human hair to allow little girls to play with hair that is similar to their own, that is fun and easy to style. I named the company Brains and Beauty Dolls because our dolls represent intelligent and beautiful young girls everywhere. Our tag line is:  believe, empower and achieve in style. I want them to believe in themselves, empower one another and achieve their goals in style. 

"Our goal is to inspire little girls to embrace their uniqueness, individual beauty, intelligence, culture, and leadership abilities.

"Brains and Beauty Dolls aspires to create different dolls and accessories.  This September, we will run a kick starter campaign for our first doll Malia, and hope to unlock some other dolls as well."

Brains and Beauty Dolls Contact

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BrainsandBeautyDolls/

Website:  https://brainsandbeautydolls.com/

Currently the Brains and Beauty website shop includes T-shirts, a girl and doll pajama set, and a book entitled, You can Be Whatever You Want to Be.

KickStarter Campaign
The Early Bird Special Pledge price for Malia for the first 100 contributors is $80 and the first 100 contributors at this level will receive an autographed doll!  After that goal is met, the campaign price will be $90 for the doll. Go here to preorder Malia or to otherwise contribute to the Brains and Beauty Dolls Kickstarter Campaign, which will run for 33 days. Let's help Ms. Dorsey make Malia a reality by contributing and/or sharing the link to the campaign.

Once again, here is the link.

PLEASE NOTE:  If the campaign is not fully funded, your credit card will not be charged.

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Guest Post: Meet Tatiana Nayara Oliveira

Ms. Ellen Callen, creator of a new line of Dollfriends by Via E, Inc., home of Alexis O'Shay, has stopped by to introduce readers to the second doll, Tatiana.  (Please note, all photos are courtesy of and copyright of Via E, Inc.)

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I’d like to introduce Tatiana Nayara Oliveira™, a new Dollfriend® from Via E™.  Tatiana will be about 19” tall, all vinyl and able to play in water.  She is strung with elastic and can bend at the elbows and knees 45 degrees.  Her legs will sit forward vs. out to the side.  Her fingers are individually molded and her big toe is separated from the rest of her foot for flip-flop sandals.  She has a French mani and pedi for a natural look.  Her eyes are sleep eyes and her hair is rooted.  She will fit many of the 18” doll clothing but is more to the slim side.  

Dollfriends, Tatiana and Alexis

Tatiana is the first friend of the main character Alexis who has been selling in the market for just over a year now and has received a lot of support from the families who brought her home.  The heads are able to articulate and if you pull back the lower part of the leg it will snap back to kick soccer or other balls.  She can hold her own purse in her hand and hold trays and small stuffed animals.  Tatiana weighs almost two pounds which makes her very durable and allows her to hold her poses on her own…without a stand…for days on end.  So far Tatiana is receiving good comments from the Alexis community.  

Prototype doll captures several poses without the use of a stand.

My goal was to create a darker skin doll that was worthy of the beauty of girls and women who are blessed with this skin tone.  When I was a young girl I always wondered why dolls did not reflect all the girls and their looks. So now my quest is to create dolls of all skin tones, hair and body types so every girl will find their own beauty represented.  Therefore, Tatiana is a complete new mold.  She is even a little bit taller and a little bit thinner than Alexis.  The next Dollfriend® will be a little bit chunkier than either Tatiana or Alexis.  It is a lot of work, time, money, risk but I think girls deserve the effort.

Above is an image of Tatiana’s mold features illustrating the detail of the hands and feet.  She can leave real footprints in the sand!  The prototype picture shown has black hair with a tight curl.  A second prototype with brown hair and loser curl is to arrive late March/Early April.  We will vote as a community as to what hair Tatiana should have. 

Hair texture/curl pattern

Cost

Alexis and Tatiana sell for $115.00 and free shipping.  So that puts them under the total price of American Girl dolls.  Right now they are handmade and I bring in small quantities.  I also have a line of care products that can remove scratches and treat for waterplay.  These Dollfriends have to last a lifetime…and more.

Advanced Purchase Advantages!

Advanced purchases are available now.  For only $68.00 Tatiana, signed and numbered, her introduction Storicolor® book and Karaoke CD will be shipped to those who are willing to wait and help bring her home.  Advanced purchasers even get their name on the outer box to forever record those who helped bring Tatiana home for the very first time.   I see Via E as a family and I personally respond to Facebook posts and phone calls.  It was a request of a few of our family members to create a dark-skinned Dollfriend…Tatiana was supposed to be the third Dollfriend made, but I moved her to number two because that is what the family asked for.  I don’t want to be a faceless company.  I just want to facilitate what moms and girls ask for in a way that is warm and real.   I hope I am doing a good job.  And I hope that you think so too.  Please help me bring Tatiana home by pre-ordering today.

To get your name or child's name on Tatiana's outer box, advanced orders may be placed at the next link:  http://www.via-e.com/tatiana.html

Please visit and Like us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ViaE.Dollfriends 

Warmly,

Ellen

Ellen Callen

Via E, Inc. 

Home of Alexis O'Shay

Coming Soon Tatiana Oliveira