Feel free to comment

The recent blog template upgrade meant that my comment box has disappeared! I am going to dig into my archives to see if I can retrieve all of that information, but in the meantime, if you have questions or comments about any of the dolls, or dolls in general, please comment in any of the posts in my blog. I will be notified and will respond as soon as I can. - Melanie O.

Another Doll Land update:

Well, I am employed! It took eight months, but I did manage to land a good job. It's a contract role, however, so I'm holding my breath that they like me well enough to bring me on full time. Then I'll be able to sponsor my husband and write more about my dolls. I still have quite a few to cover, including my Lenci dolls, a Civil War era China head doll, Native American dolls, Coco Chanel doll, Madame Alexander Jacqueline and many more.

This move has taken a lot longer than I anticipated and I miss having my dolls around me, so, what did I do when my husband came to visit me and we took a trip to Savannah? Of course, I had to purchase a porcelain Southern Belle with fixed glass eyes. She's made by Golden Keepsakes of Ontario, CA.  She's not vintage, but it feels more like home when there's a doll in it.

This doll has a soft stuffed body and porcelain head, forearms and hands, and lower legs and boots. She is constructed on an armature so that she can be posed, and has her own stand.

In my travels, I have always tried to pick up dolls in native dress as souvenirs. Whenever I see them, I am flooded with great memories. Am I the only one who thinks that dolls make great souvenirs?

Happy birthday, Sydney Doll Hospital!

I came across this article and just had to share it. While I lived in the Sydney area for ten years, I never did have to take any of my dolls in for repair, mainly because I was just brave enough to do a lot of things myself - however, there are some things I would never try myself and these are the people to send your doll to when you have just about given up hope for one of your "babies". They must be doing a lot of things right because the Sydney Doll Hospital is celebrating 100 years of doll repair and restoration.

Whether your doll is hard plastic, vinyl, composition, wood, or celluloid, the Sydney Doll Hospital has repaired them all. I was fortunate enough to see a repaired Polish celluloid doll that was someone's childhood treasure. This lady is nearly 80 years old and has held onto her childhood doll for her entire life. By the time she reached 80, you can imagine how faded this doll appeared. She needed a new wig and new clothes. One trip to the doll hospital later, and her doll looked as if  it had just been purchased  yesterday! They did a brilliant job of removing scratches, repainting her, and fixing her wig. She was just stunning! If I could start my own business, I'd have to open my own doll hospital. I bet there are a thousand things I could learn from the Chapman family.

Read more about the Sydney Doll Hospital.

Doll Land Update

Hello fellow vintage doll lovers!

I have to apologize for not adding another doll to this blog in a while, as I certainly do have more to write about. You see, I've been on a bit of an adventure these past several months.

I have been back in the USA, looking for a good job so that I can sponsor my husband to move here, but so far, no luck. I may wind up back in Australia before too long - and that's where my doll collection currently resides. As soon as I know where I can hang my hat on a more permanent basis, I will be sure to share more about my dolls, their history, and what they mean to me.

In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying this blog as a reference for your own collection. Be sure to check back or subscribe to this blog so that you get my next updates.

And may we all have a happy 2013!