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Author: DOLLS Magazine Contributor

April Norton Makes a Dream Come True

For many years I have been exclusively making Dianna Effner porcelain dolls, particularly the Little Darlings and dolls of similar size, eventually branching into Effner’s beautiful vinyl LDs by repainting factory painted convention dolls, Bonekas, and Ashton-Drakes. I was always hoping to emulate the masters (Dianna and her Doll Dreamers Guild, whose artist stylings were so incredible). I wanted to be one of them ever since I knew there was such a thing!

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Antique Q&A: Horsman Cloth Doll

A friend found this doll among some old linens when she was helping her mother downsize to a smaller home. I mostly collect china dolls, so don’t know where to start looking for information about it. Can you help? It is about 14 or 15 inches long and looks quite old. It seems to be in very good condition with just some fading and minor soil.

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Curious Collector: Madame Alexander Tony Curtis Doll

I recently purchased this very unusual Madame Alexander 21-inch doll that is a portrait doll of Tony Curtis from the movie Some Like It Hot. The name Cissy is on the certificate, but obviously it is a male doll. The doll came with an amazing saxophone, complete with case, and a metal lunch-box-type case. I had never seen anything like this before and wondered what you could tell me?

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Madame Alexander’s ‘Sound of Music’ Dolls

The Sound of Music, first released in 1965, has proven to be an enduring movie classic. Generations of Americans have viewed the multiple-award-winning musical, whether on the big screen, as an annual televised special, or as a recorded or streamed movie. So it should come as no surprise that Sound of Music collectibles, and particularly Madame Alexander’s Sound of Music dolls, are still popular with collectors today.

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Past Perfect: Brenda Mize Fashions Dolls to Honor Bygone Days

The desire to have a doll to love and to hold is not confined to children alone. Many adult collectors yearn to own a special doll that speaks to them in a unique and personal way. Knowing such an intimate bond exists between collector and doll, Brenda Mize has stepped in to help the connection grow stronger, sweeter, and more self-directed.

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Curious Collector: 1940s Composition Mary Hoyer

Q: I recently bought a box lot of dolls at an estate sale and among them was this just fabulous composition doll in near-mint condition with knitted all-original outfit and wooden skis and ski poles. She is 14 inches tall, all composition with sleep eyes and a mohair wig. She is marked “Mary Hoyer” on her back. Can you tell me more about this doll and perhaps a value?

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Antique Q&A: Is ‘Fixer-Upper’ a Bargain?

Q: I am new to collecting German bisque girl dolls. I saw one in an antique mall and wondered if I should buy it. I looked up the mark on the internet, and it was made by the Goebel factory. I’m estimating she will be about 20 inches tall. The strings were broken, and the doll was in pieces, but they were all there. Two fingers were off, and she had no wig or clothes. There was no damage to her head. She was $45.

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Halloween Spirits: Marguerite Noschese’s Dolls Combine Whimsy, Scariness, Humor

I came to the business of creating art dolls along a very circuitous path — I had been a dealer in antique dolls, children’s toys, and antique baby clothes. I was also an avid quilter and creator of fabric dolls, while later I worked as a child portrait artist. While I loved all these different artistic pursuits, it all came together for me artistically when I began making art dolls. My passion for fabrics, design, and portrait painting were now all incorporated in one discipline: art dolls!

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Pumpkins on Parade: Jennie Hepler Takens Carves Out a Career in Halloween Art

Years ago, a group of friends and I had to go to one of the friends’ houses for something. When we entered his parents’ home, I was immediately enchanted. His mother, Sue Shroyer, had the most delicious collection of antique German Halloween pieces I’d ever seen. She had artisan-made pieces, antiquities, and work by famed artists the world over. I just couldn’t believe my eyes! At that moment, I began my home-grown education into dollmaking and Halloween art.

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Curious Collector: 1934 Ideal Shirley Temple

Q: I am an avid Shirley Temple collector, and when I had the chance to buy this mint 22-inch composition Shirley Temple doll in the original box, I was just thrilled. I got her for a very good price because she needed to be restrung, which was easy. Any more information would be greatly appreciated.

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