GOD BLESS OUR HEROS
Hello! This is Michele, and I could write a book about why I haven't had the time to dedicate to ThisOldDoll. I just want to let you know that the site is terribly obsolete, and I'm in the process of a major update. I'll put a note here when it's finished enough to take orders, and I can get back to answering emails and working on dolls. In the meantime, if you need a question answered, you can call me at (330) 316-5259, which will probably go straight to voicemail, but I'll call you back. I might regret putting my number on the web, but I'm hoping the voicemail and call-back idea will discourage robocalls. So that's what's going on, and I hope to be hearing from you soon! Thanks for visiting ThisOldDoll.
Updated occasionally by Michele Otey (michele@otey.com). Please do not reproduce these pages without written permission from Michele D. Otey.
CURRENTLY UNDER MAJOR REVISIONS
I love the old dolls. At first, it was just those from my own childhood, from 1948 to 1956. Then I came to appreciate the dolls of my mother's time.
Dolls are much more than toys or pretty ornaments. They tell a story about what it was like to live in their time. Their clothes show us fashion, their composition tells us about the technology, and the construction certainly tells us that there was a time when children were taught to be careful with their toys.
Today we see companies like Madame Alexander and Effanbee trying to recapture the charm of the old dolls using modern techniques. This really makes me appreciate the beautiful work of past generations and the importance of preserving and restoring these historic treasures.
BULLETIN BOARD Just click a Picture for more information!
REPAIR PRODUCTS
Composition: Milliput: Quick Compo
Bisque: Milliput
Hard Plastic: Plastic Paste, Milliput
Hard Vinyl: Plastic Paste
These four products will do it all! No longer sold on ThisOldDoll since they are now available on Amazon!
Don't order shoes by questionable sizes.
Here you can order for your doll by name:
like Toni P90 or 8" Betsy McCall.
Hand crafted replicas of the originals!
WIG WORKS!
Renew an old wig or get a perfect replacement. Synthetic, mohair, and human hair are chosen, cut, and styled for your particular doll.
DEPARTMENTS
Just Click on the Picture, Please!
PHOTO GALLERY
Pictures of our dolls. These photos might help you identify or put a value on one of your dolls! A friend is confused and having problems telling her dolls apart. So I put up a quiz that might help her get some practice. If you'd like to try it, here's the link: QUIZ If you have a doll you'd like to share, please email a picture with your name and a note telling me what you know about it to michele@otey.com Subject: "gallery".
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Have a question? Ask and I'll try to find an answer! Mail that might interest or amuse others is posted here. Just send email michele@otey.com to subject: "Question".
HOSPITAL
Above I added two new products. Plastic Paste is wonderful for outside repair of hard plastic and Plas-T-Pair is great for making or fixing plastic inner workings. Added to the hospital are demonstrations of how I use these two products on an 8" Betsy McCall. The eye lash replacement, compo split, Betsy knees, and other topics are still there but these are new. There's even a demo of stringing a doll.
TOOLS and HINTS
I'm often asked what I use when I work on dolls. In the past, I asked others the same question and was told it's a “trade secret”. I hate that. One lady has been of immense help to me, Sandy at Toland's Dolls, in Ghent, Ohio. I don't always take her advice, but she's never failed to help when I asked her.
A long time ago I learned we like “because” but we love “in spite of”. Many of our dolls have imperfections that endear them to us, but if we could fix some of their problems ourselves, we would. Here, then, are my “secrets.”
OTHER SITES
Here are some links to some great sites that I've found very helpful. If you have some you'd like to see added here, email michele@otey.com with the subject LINKS.
Over the years, I've accumulated a virtual library of Doll books. The popularity of these dolls has resulted in many new books that picture these wonderful dolls. If you haven't been able to identify your doll or want to know its current value, the best resources are books. Here's a link to Barnes and Noble that might help you find the books you need.