Sunday, June 30, 2013

Little Nellies


Are any of you doll collectors? I came across this little doll (above) at the thrift store the other day. I don't normally buy dolls, but she caught my eye for some reason. I think it was her face because she looked a lot like a little finger puppet I had when I was a kid. Anyway, something attracted me to her, so I bought her. She was priced at $1.75, so I figured that was a good deal, especially since I got a feeling she might be vintage, if not valuable. 

I've been searching online for other Bradley Dolls, but not much comes up. I'm guessing this little doll was from the 1970s. I've found other dolls by this company, but they're a little fancier and are listed as "boudoir dolls" on some sites. This Nellie doll looks more like a ragdoll, although her face, hands, and shoes are all made of a hard material. I can't tell what it is — maybe porcelain. She came with a certificate of authenticity, but other than that, there's not much I can find out about her. It doesn't look like she's ever been taken out of her box. On the back it says: Made in Korea. Weird thing about her is that she has literally NO BODY at all. Her arms, body, and legs are just empty bits of fabric.

I'll keep looking around to see if I can find anything about her. I doubt she's worth much, but even so, I'd love to find out when she was made. I did find one like it on eBay, which is pictured below. These two dolls are being sold together here. I noticed they're only listed at $12 for both, which makes me think the one I have isn't worth that much. Either that, or the person selling these two below doesn't know either. If you know anything about dolls and can shed some information, I'd really appreciate it. I have no idea where I'll put her, or if I'll ever take her out of the package, but ... she makes me happy, so I'm good with that.



5 comments:

  1. Ive collected dolls for years. They have fallen out of fashion in the last decade. The 90's they were all very hot. Your doll was lilely made in the early 80's. They were character dolls. Kindof like the storybook dolls of the mid century. I had a few
    a nurse and a flower girl. They sat on a chair well because of their soft bodies. Bradly was and still is a well known doll maker. Some of their lines are still collectible but not your doll. They never took off like the higher end porcelain and china head dolls. She is cute though.

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    1. Thank you, Amy! That's really helpful. I figured they weren't worth much because they were just sitting there and no one had snagged them yet. Do you still have your nurse and flower girl ones? I couldn't find anything on them online, other than that second picture I posted. I saw lots of Bradley dolls, but not these. Thanks again!

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  2. I haven't seen these dolls before but they are cute. I collect dolls and used to have several story book doll but they've been lost over the years. I still have Little Bo Peep and a bride doll that I'm not sure where she came from along with a graduate in cap and gown. Wish I had kept the others.

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    1. Awww, I bet your Little Bo Peep doll is cute. I have a few dolls on a shelf that I keep childhood memories on. One is Mrs. Beasley and the other is Chrissy. She's the one who's hair used to grow long and short. My mom had an adorable Kewpie doll that I loved playing with when I was little. I wish I had that. :)

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  3. LOL! I have a lot of friends who really despise clowns. They've never bothered me much, for some reason. :)

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