Hello to all New York doll collectors. Do you remember paper dolls? We have been mostly talking about three dimensional dolls; Dolls with a great amount depth. What about dolls that are thinner than a pancake or finer than the layers of a crepe suzette. No unfortunately, I’m not speaking of an edible cookie doll (though that would be nice) I am speaking of paper dolls.
I have gone beyond the pale with the pancake and crepe suzette analogy, but I just want to ask New York doll collectors, do you remember paper dolls when you were growing up? How about young doll collectors; have you explored the world of paper dolls?
If you have, you know what a treat it is. If you haven't, please read further, as we remember them. With paper dolls you will experience the fun, and with memories, you will remember the hours and hours of changing the outfits. Changing outfits that had tabs on each side, so that you could secure your favorite dress, slacks or hats onto the doll model. The paper doll would either be made of a light cardboard, regular stiff cardboard with a plastic stand, to hold the paper doll model up. Or the doll was made of plastic, where the outfits would stick onto the doll. The paper doll would be dressed in a bathing suit, or undergarments!
It was fascinating to see how the outfits were made to fit the doll models; even down to having the outfits display hands in gloves or holding a purse in the actual design of the outfit. And it’s wonderful that they are still around today. FAO Schwartz, has paper dolls on their website, particularly geared for young doll collectors, and I gather up to the young at heart. They have Lalaloopsy Paper Doll Fashion Set, Disney Princess Paper Doll Dress Up Kit and more. There are also sites that have vintage paper dolls from the 1950s at Paper Goodies.
View this youtube video of Betty McCall vintage paper dolls. It’s a fascinating display of the paper dolls and paper doll sets made in the earlier days.
Paper dolls, what memories of wonderful times these dolls seem to bring back.