Monday 28 December 2015

AN INTERESTING PURCHASE

It's strange how some things happen. Earlier in the year  a friend of mine, who does not do paypal or technology asked for my help in buying a doll she'd seen on a website ( she likes to cruse the net, window shopping ! ) , the doll was in the US , so I asked a friend there if she'd take delivery and forward it on, as the sellers would only sell locally.

To cut a long story short, I took receipt of the doll and found her to be an interesting little thing and quite appealing in her own way.

So coming up to date , early in December I was out shopping and on my way home I decided to stop at a car boot / market that was taking place. I have to say that I very rarely, if ever go to these things although when I see them I always feel I should go check for Sasha's!!

I looked around keeping my eye open for that NP doll lying in a box or for anything that would be suitable for my Sasha's size wise but alas nothing!

And then I see her! No not a Sasha another doll , I go over to get a closer look and check her out, she quite big about 20/ 21 inches, naked but in reasonable condition for her age of over 100 years. I get chatting to the seller and after a while we agree on a very good price for this girl. If I say I had £30 in my purse and I still had over £10 when I left with her you'll know it was a good deal.

So she came home with me and I spent a few days deciding if I liked her enough to keep her and not sell her on to my friend for what I paid. But I found she intrigued me , I liked her size and her face which in the photo's I'll be adding she looks quite sad , she actually in real life looks quite serene and friendly.

So if she was staying she needed some clothes, so I found a dress to fit her but was quite short but at least it covered her dignity until a couple of dresses I found on etsy could arrive.

I'm very happy to say that the two Etsy dresses were the right size , so now she had a dress to wear and a spare. Next she needed some socks or tights, I found that some tights I'd bought for my Kidz n Cats dolls fit, although not the right colour for her dress they'll do until I can buy some more plus she's wearing a pair of slippers also bought for the kids n cats, so she needs some nice shoes .


So here she is  a 21 inch Schoenhut doll made in 1911.




She does not have too much paint damaged to her face which is a big plus as this can be where they suffer most wear and tear.


I would say this is her original wig which is plaited with the plaits rolled round to the side of her head.


Here I have taken her plaits down but they want to curl back, so she's had this style a very long time. I am wondering about trying to give her hair a wash...


Here she is standing by the chair.


I am very pleased with the dress I found for her, it could have been made for her it fits just right!
but I think she needs some pink or white tights rather than the black.


Lucas kindly agreed (well with a small bribe of a biscuit or three ! ) to stand with her so you could see her height.


These dolls are the forerunner of today's BJD dolls, with their movable joints.


Next up she needed a name, all dolls have names in this house, so I set about trying to find one she liked.


I considered family names from people like my Grandmother who was born in 1903,Ivy Beatrice to her sisters Matilda , Rose, Daisy  etc.


Paul's first suggestion was Clementine but she was not keen , so he looked up names from 1910 in America, from where she originates, we both liked the name Martha but I already have a Sasha with that name, then he called out the name Evelyn.


Which she liked as did I, so Evelyn she is,  Evie for short which I think really suits her.

So I have added a Schoenhut doll to my collection. I did not think I ever would as I do not like the Miss Dolly Schoenhuts of which there seem to be so many, it's the teeth , for me I just cannot like that look but there are quite a few other face types of these dolls, just like some people don't like the Button noses or the gotz dolls, so it is that I don't like some of the faces of these dolls . But that said there are a few good faces out there, so who knows I may add another..



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PLEASE NOTE I HAVE UPDATED MY SALES PAGE. I WILL BE HAVING A CLEAR OUT OF THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, SO KEEP CHECKING BACK IF INTERESTED. :)

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23 comments:

  1. £20 for a shoenhut girl is a very good deal indeed - well done one using your eyes and spotting her. She has a thoughtful face.

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    1. Very lucky , I think she was meant to come live here with me! :)

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    2. Good name too - have you seen there is a book called "Dear Miss Evelyn: Letters of Schoenhut Doll" (saw it on Amazon, out of print though).

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    3. LOL No I have not seen that book, this was obviously meant to be!! :)

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  2. Oh WOW! She is so like my poor Gracie - she of the broken off leg.
    She's a Schoenhut too, but a little smaller, about 19" tall, and has a couple of booboos to her face paint and a human hair wig that is very untidy, but I have loved her from the moment I saw her.

    Like you, I don't like toothy dolls - inspite of having a couple of Bleuette dolls with teeth. It's a hang over from being terrified of my mother's 20s German and French dolls that all seemed to have enormous teeth and far to many of them, so the Miss Dolly Shoenhuts are not for me - yet------- I did once say never a Gotz Sasha (sorry Bertie) and now I love them----- so you never know. As to my Bleus - well they are smaller so look less ferocious, but they still look as though they will need good orthodentist help at some point.

    My mother informs me that Schoenhuts make excellent weapons when your older brothers annoy you. They are certainly heavy by modern doll standards, but their joints are far superior to the porcelain headed, wooden bodied dolls from Europe at the time - the ones that terrified me. They balance so beautifully too - like Sashas but with knes and elbows!

    Would you consider having more Schoey kids? Is this one 'growing' on you?

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    1. I have just seen your Gracie , who is lovely and her face is fine and needs no touching up or stripping back.I feel it's best not to interfere too much with these dolls faces especially if they only have a small mark or chip, if you want maybe fill it but don't strip the whole thing unless it's too bad to save! But that is just my opinion.
      I cannot see me getting a Miss Dolly but you are right that one should never say never! You would think I'd learnt that lesson by now! ;)
      Your poor uncles much have suffered a few concussions in their youth if your Mum was belting them with a wooden doll, they weigh a fair amount!

      I may get another one , I rarely have just one of a doll and I would quite like a restoration job, just to give it a go! :)

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  3. Wow, what a great find - and a great price for a Schoenhut!

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  4. Clearly she was meant to come home with you. I know nothing about these dolls but I can appreciate her quality and how well she has been cared for.
    The dress you got her is beautiful perhaps Michelle can make you tights the right colour?

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    1. That's what I thought Rosie, I never go round these car boot markets usually.
      She is so well made and has been looked after well for her age. I did think of asking Michelle but Evelyn's legs are so long it may be hard to get something long enough to make them from, mind you she needs a cardigan and if I don;t get that done soon I may ask Michelle to knit her one!

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  5. Evie is lovely Dee and meant to join your wonderful family. This dress is so sweet on her and she is in really great condition. A really beautiful Schoenhut. :) xxx

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    1. Thank you Ginger. I feel that must be true as I found her and then the lovely dress which suits her so well. I am very happy to have her come live with me in the village :)xxx

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  6. What a lovely find Dee and her eyes are beautiful xx

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  7. She's lovely Dee! She really has something special about her! I am not a great lover of these dolls having seen some on blogs which are...no nice way to put it...ugly little beasts with badly restored faces, but she is nice, then I saw Jen's doll on her recent blog post and she is a nice looking girl too...well done the pair of you!

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    1. Thanks Simps :) I do think these dolls do look better in really life than in photo's and she is a lovely one. Jen's girl is also lovely, I love her girls hair, I hope she can get a wig to match if she needs to change it, you want to try and keep the heart of the doll and not change them out of all recognition. :)

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  8. Ah, you are jumping in collecting classic dolls? Great!

    I've just read at the 'Puppenuni Wien' Forum;
    they know much about older dolls.

    http://www.puppen-uni-wien.at/wbb2/thread.php?threadid=6031&hilight=schoenhut
    Here a lady is showing her Schoenhut (it's a german name and I'm so happy you are using the Umlaut-surrogate here. Btw. it's Goetz, not Gotz :)
    She doesn't love the dress and the wig, wich is wrong for such an old doll and changed her into matching clothes and wig.

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    1. I do like some of the Classic dolls :) and admire many greatly.
      I stand corrected for Goetz it shall be ! :)
      I will try to see these dolls, it is always good to see what others do and own :)

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    2. ... don't mind me writing about the Umlaut, please. I'm a native educator -and a terrible one :(

      (I'm always so sorry not to be able writing all my thoughts, because of my limited Kindergarten-English *sigh* ...
      Many of these old dolls looking special; serious, earnest, solemn -and that's what I am looking for as well.
      This is also what children really need: projecting their own feelings onto their dolls and having the chance to play with them -the dolls and the feelings.)

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    3. I wish I could read and speak German so that I would always understand what you write :) I agree that not everything can look happy and it's good for children to be able to express their feeling by playing with dolls that can help them :) Dolls are so important.. ( but don't tell them ;) )
      They appeal to each of us, or not , for different reasons and that's what it's all about :)x

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    4. Oh dear my hubby always tells me off about the Gotz/Goetz and that I should be writing it as Goetz, but shouldn't the o and e be actually attached to one another? My keyboard can't do that so I just do it the lazy way! I will try harder!

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  9. Sorry, that comment above was to Anne!!
    I really like this girl Dee and Jenni's girl too, they are very calm and serene looking, not at all scary. And I don't think you need to do a thing with her, she's nice as she is. We don't want to end up having her scare people half to death or give children and those of a nervous disposition nightmares now do, we!
    There is nothing worse!
    xxx

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    1. Thanks Sharon, I'm glad you like her, It's funny how we can like some dolls and not others, even in or made by the same people. I think she's perfect as she is and I bought a cardigan off Michelle that was meant for a Kidz or a Maru and it's almost a perfect fit just 3/4 of an inch short in the sleeves but at least she's now nice and warm !
      I am enjoying having her here and getting her settled.
      Hugs xxxx

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