#1990s american girl doll molly

[y2kbeautyandother2000sstuff]

Pleasant Company for American Girls Catalogue

Spring 1997

Found on toysandcollectiblesmuseum.org

[spindledreams]

When I was a kid, I spent HOURS poring over American Girl catalogs. My parents could never justify the cost of American Girl dolls, with three daughters, so I never owned one myself, until last month when I came across an early 1990s Kirsten at a local vintage market.

Kirsten was my first introduction to the American Girl stories. I had all of her books and pastime sets, and I always wanted a Kirsten of my own. So when I found her for $40, I scooped her up and brought her home. She wasn't wearing her original clothes, though, so I went looking online for her Meet outfit. I found a mostly-complete set - only missing the necklace and handkerchief. I can make the handkerchief, and I can find a replica of the necklace on Etsy. Kirsten does have the first hint of silver on the very edges of one eye, but unless you're looking very closely you can barely see it so I'm not going to do anything about it right now.

Well, this led me down two different paths: collecting all six of the original Historical Girls that I grew up with, and finding my sisters' favorites to surprise them with, because when I told them about Kirsten they started reminiscing about their own childhood favorites.

To that end, I have spent Way Too Much Money on pre-Mattel Pleasant Company dolls in the last week. Because I bought all of the other five I was missing, plus yesterday I found a first edition Josefina in nearly-full Meet for an absolute steal for one sister. I'm out of available funds for Molly for the other sister but I'm keeping my eye out for good deals on her too.

The ones I bought for myself all need some work to return to their former glory. They were all sold sans clothes, so for now they'll get homemade or generic things until I can find their Meet outfits. I'm not planning to play with them so I don't need their full collections but I do want to eventually get some of their other clothes. And I will be making them things too; in fact that's part of why I wanted the collection, so I can use them as models for the crochet doll clothes I make and sell!

I also plan to get all the books for the six dolls I bought, plus the craft and cookbooks.

As the dolls arrive, I'll get new posts written for each of them. Mostly to log what they look like upon arrival and what kind of work I will have to put in to restoring them. Felicity arrived yesterday afternoon, but I was too busy to do anything with her. It's 2am where I am right now and I can't get to where she is without waking someone up, so her intro will wait till morning. I'm expecting Addy and Samantha tomorrow, and hopefully by early next week my Molly and both Josefinas - mine and sister's. Both are first edition, so I'll give her whichever is in better shape and keep the project doll to work on as I have time.

And with that, I have to go to bed. Today may be Friday but it's still a school day for the kids and a work day for me.

[maryellenlarkin]

I thought it was time I properly introduce myself! Hi, I’m Sonny and I’ve been collecting dolls for about a year and a half, but I’ve recently been getting really into American Girl! Just last week my stepmother gave me her old Pleasant Company dolls from her childhood - a Molly from 1990 and a Felicity from 1992! I will post more pictures of them when I get the chance but here is how they were when we first got them out!

[films-on-a-plane]

to be watched list (series)

# $#*! My Dad Says (2010–2011) 2 Broke Girls (2011-2017) 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996-2001) 6Teen (2004-2010) 8 Simple Rules… for Dating My Teenage Daughter (2002-2005) 13 Reasons Why (2017-2020) 30 Rock (2006–2013) 101 Dalmatians: The Series (1997-1998)

A According to Jim (2001-2009) Adventure Time (2010-2018) Aladdin (1994-1995) Ally McBeal (1997-2002) American Dragon: Jake Long (2005-2007) Anger Management (2012-2014) Archer (2009-2023) As Told by Ginger (2000-2009) Atypical (2017-2021) Austin & Ally (2011-2016) Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008) Awkward. (2011-2016)

B Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995) Black-ish (2014-2022) Blockbuster (2022) Bluey (2018-) Bob's Burgers (2011-) BoJack Horseman (2014–2020) Boy Meets World (1993-2000) Braceface (2001-2006) Brandy & Mr. Whiskers (2004-2007) Broad City (2014-2019) Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2021) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)

C CatDog (1998-2005) Charmed (1998-2006) Community (2009-2015) Cougar Town (2009-2015) Coupling (2000-2004)

D Daria (1997-2002) Dead Like Me (2003-2004) Derry Girls (2018-2022) Disenchantment (2018-2023) Doctor Who (2005-) Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (2012-2013) Drake & Josh (2004-2007)

E Ellen (1994-1998) Emily in Paris (2020-) Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2009) Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005) Everything Sucks! (2018)

F Family Guy (1999– ) Fillmore! (2002-2004) Fleabag (2016-2019) Frasier (1993-2004) Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000) Fresh Off the Boat (2015–2020) Full House (1987-1995) Futurama (1999-)

G Game of Thrones (2011-2019) Gilmore Girls (2000-2007) Ginny & Georgia (2021-) Girl Meets World (2014-2017) Go On (2012-2013) Good Luck, Charlie (2010-2014) Gossip Girl (2007-2012) Gravity Falls (2012-2016) Grim & Evil (2001-2007)

H Hacks (2021-) Hannah Montana (2006-2011) Hercules (1998-1999) House (2004–2012) Home Economics (2021-2023) Home Improvement (1991-1999) Hot in Cleveland (2010-2015) How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014) How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) (2019-)

I I Am Not Okay with This (2020) iCarly (2007-2012) I Love Lucy (1951-1957) Inside Job (2021–2022) It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-)

J Joey (2004–2006)

K K.C. Undercover (2015-2018) Kevin Can Wait (2016-2018) Killing Eve (2018-2022) Kim Possible (2002-2007) King of the Hill (1997-2010)

L Liv and Maddie (2013-2017) Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2003-2006) Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004) Louie (2010-2015)

M Mad About You (1992-2019) Magnum, P.I. (1980-1988) Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006) Man vs. Bee (2022) Man with a Plan (2016-220) Maude (1972-1978) Melissa & Joey (2010-2015) Mike & Molly (2010-2016) Modern Family (2009-2020) Monk (2002–2009) Mr. Bean (1990-1995) Mr. Bean (2002-2019) Mr. Sunshine (2011-2012) My Name Is Earl (2005-2009)

N New Girl (2011-2018) Not Dead Yet (2023-)

O Once Upon a Time (2011-2018)

P Parks & Recreation (2009–2015) Party Down (2009-) Pepper Ann (1997-2000) Popeye the Sailor (1960-1962) Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017) Pretty Smart (2021)

Q

R Recess (1997-2001) Regular Show (2010-2017) Rick and Morty (2013–) Rules of Engagement (2007-2013) Russian Doll (2019-)

S Sabrina: The Animated Series (1999-2000) Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1996-2003) Sam & Cat (2013-2014) Saved by the Bell (1989-1992) Schitt's Creek (2015-2020) Scooby Doo, Where Are You! (1969-1978) Sean Saves the World (2013-2014) Sex and the City (1998-2004) Seinfeld (1989-1998) Shake It Up (2010-2013) Shameless (2011-2021) Silicon Valley (2014-2019) Single Parents (2018-2020) Skins (2007–2013) So Help Me Todd (2022-) Space Force (2020-2022) Speechless (2016-2019) SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-) Squid Game (2021-) Stranger Things (2016-2025) Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006-2007) Suburgatory (2011-2014) Superior Donuts (2017-2018) Superstore (2015-2021)

T That '70s Show (1998-2006) That '90s Show (2023-) That's So Raven (2003-2007) The Brady Binch (1969-1974) The Crew (2021) The Ellen Show (2001-2002) The Emperor's New School (2006-2008) The End of the F***ing World (2017-2019) The Flight Attendant (2020-2022) The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996) The Golden Girls (1985-1992) The Golden Palace (1992-1993) The IT Crowd (2006-2013) The King of Queens (1998-2007) The Last Dance (2020) The Legend of Tarzan (2001-2003) The Little Mermaid (1992-1994) The Loud House (2014-) The Neighborhood (2018-) The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006-2023) The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1988-1991) The Odd Couple (2015-2017) The Office UK (2001-2003) The Pink Panther Show (1969-1970) The Powerpuff Girls (1998-2004) The Replacements (2006-2022) The Suite Life on Deck (2008-2011) The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005-2008) The Twilight Zone (1959–1964) The Umbrella Academy (2019-2024) The Upshaws (2021-) The White Lotus (2021-2025) The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window (2022) Timon & Pumbaa (1995-1999) Tiny Beautiful Things (2023) Totally Spies! (2001-2014) Twin Peaks (1990-1991)

U Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-2020) Unstable (2023-)

V Veep (2012-2019)

W Web Therapy (2011-2015) Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979) Wednesday (2022-) What I Like About You (2002-2006) Whitney (2011–2013) Will & Grace (1998-2020) W.I.T.C.H. (2004-2006) Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2012)

X Xena: Warrior Princess (1995-2001)

Y Young & Hungry (2014-2018)

Z

[americangirlstar]

American Girl Birthdays - updated through 03/18/2023

I got inspired by @addywalkerstan​‘s quick analysis of AG birthdays and wanted to see 1) when every confirmed birthday was relative to each other, and 2) when the unconfirmed bdays could potentially be.

All of the Historical characters and a few Contemporaries have confirmed birthdays, either in the books or via American Girl’s social media. Here is my list of confirmed birth months and dates; under the cut will be speculation on the Unknowns.

Confirmed Dates:

January 01 - Melody Ellison (1954)

February 12 - Courtney Moore (1976)

February 28 - Ivy Ling (1966)

March 03 - Marie-Grace Gardner (1843)

March 18 - Blaire Wilson (2009)

March 19 - Josefina Montoya (1815)

April 04 - Rebecca Rubin (1905)

April 09 - Addy Walker (1855)

April 10 - Maritza Ochoa (2008)

April 11 - Alice Nanea Mitchell (1932)

April 14 - Joss Kendrick (2010)

April 21 - Felicity Merriman (1765)

April 22 - Molly McIntire (1934)

May 01 - Julie Albright (1966)

May 05 - Claudie Wells (1913)

~May 06-08 - Tenney Grant (2005) [sources under the cut!]

May 07 - Maryellen Larkin (1945)

May 15 - Luciana Vega (2006)

May 19 - Kit Kittredge (1923)

May 22 - Nicki and Isabel Hoffman (1990)

May 26 - Samantha Parkington (1895)

May 28 - Cécile Rey (1843)

June 08 - Kirsten Larson (1845)

July 14 - Evette Peeters (2008)

August 14 - Lea Clark (2005)

~August 15 - Kaya’aton’my (1755)

August 22 - Ruthie Smithens (1923)

August 25 - Makena Williams (2008)

September 13 - Kira Bailey (2010) AND Corinne Tan (2011)

September 17 - Grace Thomas (2005)

September 29 - Emily Bennett (1933)

September 30 - Kavi Sharma (2010)

October 08 - Saige Copeland (2003)

October 15 - Nellie O’Malley (1895)

October 22 - Caroline Abbott (1802)

November 5 - Elizabeth Cole (1765)

~November 8 - Isabelle Palmer (2004) [sources under the cut]

no confirmed birthdays for December

Isabelle Palmer Birthday: born Autumn 2004; she is nine in Isabelle, which takes place at the beginning of the school year, and she is ten in Designs by Isabelle, which ends around Winter Break. Isabelle states in Chapter 4 of Designs that her tenth birthday was the week before the book began. There are still “a few weeks” before the performance in December, so her birthday is late Autumn, likely late October–early November.

However, back in 2014, Isabelle’s actress Erin Pitt did make a post on November 8 2014, reading “Happy birthday Isabell![sic] I’m so glad I could spend that time with you.” [x] Not sure if she was referring to the girl she’s taking a picture with or the character, but considering Pitt was there with an Isabelle doll, Nov 8 is a likely date!

Speculated Dates:

Now, here’s how I’m going with speculation: I’m going to negate the time period in which the girls’ books take place, as their birthdays would have been mentioned. Gwen, Sonali and Logan could be exempt from this since they had no books from their POV, but this is speculation, not fact, so let’s go.

Lindsey Bergman - born 1991. Her book takes place during the school year, seemingly not winter, so likely Spring or Autumn. I wasn’t quite sure if her story took place during the beginning or end of the school year, which would help decode whether it was Spring or Autumn; if anyone knows send me a message. Otherwise, her birthday is likely in Summer or Winter. Though, personally, I think it would be cute if her birthday was September 01, since she was first released on that date in 2001.

Kailey Hopkins - born 1993. Her book takes place during the summer of 2003, so her birthday is likely during Spring, Autumn or Winter.

Marisol Luna - born 1995. Her book takes place from October 22-29 2005, so her birthday is not within those dates.

Jess McConnell - born 1996. Her book begins in January; Sarita is on school break, so it’s probably her winter break? So Jess was born anytime but mid-January.

Nicki Fleming - born 1997. Her series takes place from Spring to Autumn 2007, with a break over Summer and with the story ending around December 2. However, there is a break between November 2 and December 2, in which Nicki’s twin sisters age a month. Nicki’s specific age is not mentioned in the second book, so her birthday could be Summer, November 3-December 1, or later in Winter.

Mia St Clair - born 1998. Her first book takes place roughly in the autumn and ends in early January; her second book takes place the next autumn. So she’s likely a Spring, Summer or late Winter (late Jan-Feb) birthday.

Chrissa Maxwell, Gwen Thompson, Sonali Matthews - born 1999. Their story takes place during the Spring of 2009, around Valentine’s Day (February 14) and the beginning of the Autumn 2009 school year. The Minnesota 2009 school year ended at about June 30, 2009, and began again Tuesday August 25. So birthdays could be before February 14, during the Summer, late Autumn or Winter.

Lanie Holland - born 2000. Series takes place from Spring through Summer 2010, so her birthday is likely in Autumn or Winter.

Kanani Akina - born 2001. Series takes place over the Summer of 2011, so her birthday is likely in Spring, Autumn or Winter.

McKenna Brooks - born 2002. Her first book begins in September, with her gymnastics meet in November. Her second book begins two months before “March-fest,” which would put it in January. I doubt she has a December birthday as her aging up would have been mentioned, but it’s still possible. McKenna was born anytime between April–August or (unlikely) December.

Gabriela McBride - born 2006. Her series takes place June 23-November 11 2017. Her birthday could be any date but those.

Tenney Grant and Logan Everett - born 2005/2004 respectively. Theirs ended up being really complicated so see below.

Suzanne “Z” Yang - born 2004. Series takes place April 3 to Mid-Summer 2017, so her birthday could be January-April 2 or in Autumn/Winter.

Gwynn Tan - born 2015. Corinne’s first book takes place in the Winter, likely November as Corinne and Gwynn are in school and Winter Break is not mentioned. It does take place over several weeks, so perhaps November to early December? The second book takes place at the beginning of spring, so late March; we then have a camping trip that is at the beginning of Summer, and a three-month timeskip afterwards to the end of Summer. Gwynn could have been born January–early March, April–early May, mid-Summer or September–October.

Tenney and Logan information:

According to her journal, Tenney begins Saturday October 1 2016 and ends Monday November 14 2016, throughout which she is definitely twelve.

Tenney: In the Key of Friendship picks up March 4 2017 and ends May 2-5 2017; her journal stops at May 5 but the plot of In the Key ends at about May 2. Tenney is still twelve during this period (Chap.11 of In the Key)

Tenney Shares the Stage is still during the school year, and my research shows the 2016-17 school year ended in Nashville at ~May 25, so Shares the Stage is sometime in May. Logan is fourteen by this point (Chap.1)

A Song for the Season, meanwhile, takes place early November to December, with Chapter 1 being “already November”, and the tour taking place “six weeks” later, the “day after school lets out for winter break” and ending on Christmas. From what I can tell, Winter Holidays in Nashville schools went from roughly December 18 2017-January 2 2018. The six-week date was given to Tenney on a Wednesday, which would put that day at about November 8, and the beginning of the book was just a few days before, on a day before a school day, so I believe it was a Sunday, so that would be the 5th. Tenney and Logan’s ages are not stated in this book.

Logan’s birthday is not from November ~5 to December 25. Since he could be 13 in In the Key, it’s hard to tell if he was born anytime from March to May, but he was fourteen before ~May 6. He and Tenney were not friends by the third book so he likely wouldn’t have mentioned his birthday previous to it, however she did know he was fourteen by Shares the Stage, so I presume at some point she asked someone. So his birthday is before ~May 6, or sometime from roughly May 25–November 5.

Tenney’s birthday, meanwhile, may be easier to find. Because her journal was given to her for her birthday, as stated from a note at the beginning of the book. Tenney’s first entry is on the 9th, though it doesn’t mention her birthday, and neither does the end of her journal on the next May 5. Tenney’s birthday is somewhere between May 6-8. 

[i-cannot-live-without-coffee]

My American Girl Historical OCs that no one asked for

Hire me American Girl. I need money and I have ideas.

(Ignore the fact that they’re all in the same very ahistorical outfit. I made these in the Create Your Own space on the website because I don’t know how to use Photoshop and I had to pick something. Deal with it.)

Eleanor: 

The daughter of an English-American mother and a Jewish father, Eleanor grows up in 1780s post-Revolution Charleston, South Carolina.

Angelique: 

A Metis girl growing up near the Great Lakes region in the 1830s.

Pretend this is the Kaya mold. That wasn’t an option.

Mary: 

An Irish immigrant to Boston escaping the Great Famine in the 1840s.

Ying: 

The daughter of a Chinese immigrant in New Mexico dealing with the Wild West and the Chinese Exclusion Act in the 1880s.

*Note: AG has trademarked the name Ning. Here’s hoping she will be our Wild West girl.

Teresa: 

An Italian immigrant who passes through Ellis Island during the 1990s as her family looks for opportunity in the United States.

Carmen: 

The daughter of a Mexican mother and a Punjabi Indian father growing up in 1910s Yuba City, California.

(I know we already have a 1910s doll in Rebecca. This is way different. They already had Nanea and Molly, and Kirsten and Cecile and Marie-Grace, so why not?)

Annie: 

A Harlem native coming up during the Harlem Renaissance.

*Note: AG recently trademarked the name “Claudie Jones,” which some have opined may be a Harlem Renaissance girl. God, I hope so. Until this is confirmed, have Annie.

[montmartre-parapluie]

Will you please explain American Girl Dolls to my poor European self? Thank you!

Hi @orlissa!

I’m probably not the best person to explain, being a UK gal and very, VERY new to the fandom- but what the heck, I’ll try! 

picture-heavy below the cut! 

I’ll borrow from my good friend Wikipedia for the serious facts:

“ The Historical Characters line of 18-inch dolls, which were derived from the 18-inch dolls made by Götz in West Germany (during the late 1980s to the 1990s, were initially the main focus of Pleasant Company, founded by Pleasant Rowland in 1986. This product line aims to teach aspects of American history through a six-book series from the perspective of a girl living in that time period. Pleasant Rowland came up with the idea after she returned from a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, where she noticed there was a significant void in the toy market for younger aged dolls and saw an opportunity to provide an alternative to baby and adult dolls.

Although the books are written for girls who are at least eight years old, they endeavour to cover significant topics such as child labour, child abuse, poverty, racism, slavery, animal abuse and war in manners appropriate for the understanding and sensibilities of their young audience.”

There were initially 5 original dolls. You could choose from Molly, a girl from World War 2,  Addy Walker, a fugitive seeking freedom during the American Civil War, Kirsten, a little Swedish girl from 1854 who lives on the prairie, Felicity, who deals with outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and Samantha, who’s from 1904.

it sounds pretty dry and educational In the Wikipedia , but oh my giddy aunt, the QUALITY of the stuff they put out! 

for instance, here’s Kirsten - and this is just a FRACTION of her collection. She had hand-painted wooden furniture, beautifully made. She had trunks. She had 19th century accurate little footwarmers, reproduced ACTUAL children’s books FROM the 1850s, Her Saint Lucia’s Day outfit! Even down to warm flannel underwear for those cold nights out West in the New World!

And here’s a close-up of the LITTLE school set. A REAL Victorian school slate, chalk that actually works, a little schoolbag - authentic miniature exercise books from the 1850s - even tiny merit awards printed on card! And all authentic!

This isn’t the only doll they do this for, either? Addy?

real little crinoline, working wooden Lazy Susan table, Victorian bonnets, tiny perfect little sewing accessories.

Samantha also gets accessories that look like they’re straight from an Edwardian Toyshop...

(the flower pressing kit! the tiny skates! The painting box!!)

Molly’s stuff wasn’t/isn’t as interesting to me, because I’m not really into the  20th century, but even her accessories are cute! (the little 1940s radio!)

I tell you, I would have SOLD my soul for any of this. ANY of it. But especially Felicity, because the 18th century has always been my favourite time period , and her stuff...just  WOW. I feel the need to give you all her stuff, because... it was amazing.

THE TEA SET. THE PATTENS. THE MINIATURE HORNBOOK. THE CLOTHES PRESS. 

And this stuff is all really faithfully produced, and just... really well made and researched. As a history nerd, I get twitchy fingers just looking at all this!

And they just.. KEPT on producing this awesomeness. All through the 1990s and 2000s. They extended the range to include  Kaya'aton'my, a Native American girl from 1764, Josefina, a Spanish Colonial girl from 1824, there was a Regency girl, Caroline from 1812. - and Marie Grace and Cecile, a lovely set of  French friend dolls from New Orleans in the 1850s - and there were so many more!  

I am incredibly bitter & twisted that Europe & the UK didn’t get a look in on buying these. (although I think West Germany had them in the early 1990s?) I suppose as it’s American history, they didn’t think it would sell well abroad, but - gah, I’d have bought it all! And they could have branched out into European history, which is just such a tempting thought.... 

(You can probably see why I post about A Girl for All Time - they’re very much a new UK take on American Girl)

My mother actually collected American Girl stuff for a while when the US postage was cheap enough for it to be feasible , but I wasn’t around then much and only took a vague interest. Lock-down’s been making me re-evaluate my opinion! Especially once I learnt the company made do-it-yourself SEWING PATTERNS as well...

(this is definitely on my to-do list, by the way. )

Recently the company has archived most of these lovely things in favour of more modern dolls, which I think is a REAL shame. Educational, well-made and fun is a hard mix to achieve in one go, but American Girl did it. Definitely worth a Google search if you’re interested in seeing more!

[marzipanandminutiae]

Hi! What American girl dolls did you have as I kid? And what ones would you want now? I really want a Samantha (pleasant company) to fix up!

Hello! Here’s the full list of what we had around the house between my sister and I, with mine bolded. All of hers were first-issue, in the late 1980s and early 1990s:

Samantha

Felicity 

Molly 

Addy

Kirsten

A second Kirsten

Josefina

Kit

The Asian “American Girl of Today” doll from c. 2000 (not sure of the mold number; I got her at AG Place in Chicago)

My sister is 12 years older than me, and most of hers were gifts from our lowkey wealthy grandparents. Once I got into it, my parents had both more storage space and more disposable income. 

I never really had a ton of extra outfits or accessories for my dolls, because my sister had most of Samantha’s original accoutrements (not including furniture or pets) and I had full access to them. By the time I was old enough to want more than six cute Edwardian dresses, Mattel had already taken over and the quality had tanked past justifying the price. 

(Felicity just got her second outfit, ever- the original blue Christmas gown. I’m mailing it to my parents’ house, where the Marzi and Marzi’s Sister Joint American Girl Collection lives for now. We’re both very excited.)

(Also yes, Sister does find it very weird that the 1980s “historical” doll has Molly for her Christmas doll. Personally I think the mini Pleasant Company-era catalogue is taunting kids with what they can no longer have.)

I hope you get your Samantha! I’ve seen some going for pretty good prices on eBay, especially if they need TLC. Let me know if you manage to bring one home.

[toku-fangirl-dolls]

Meet the dolls: part 1 (Historical)

I just added a part 2 with my contemporary dolls, but for now, let’s start with all of my historical American Girl dolls.

Samantha

Samantha was the doll that started it all. She’s not the oldest doll in my collection, but she is the one I’ve owned the longest and still the one I treasure the most. I fell in love with her picture in the catalog back around...1993 or so, I want to say. I thought she was the most beautiful doll in the world. I have most of her original fashions, though I never did get her tea dress, and also a few of her re-release outfits. Here she is in her original cranberry Christmas dress, along with her cape, hat, and muff (I unfortunately only have one of her shoe covers that matches the cape...child me was very good at losing small accessories). Samantha is the big sister to the rest of the dolls.

Nellie

I wanted a Nellie doll so badly as a child, but they didn’t start making them until 2004. By that time I had decided I was too old for dolls, so I saw her, wished they would’ve made her sooner, and moved on. When I got back into collecting, I decided to track her down. I found this one on eBay, bundled with several of her outfits. I had to track down the coat separately, but it was worth it. She is wearing her Christmas dress under her coat. When I set up my dolls in different scenes I always have her and her bestie Samantha together.

Melody

I bought Melody right when she was first released because I was glad AG had decided to make another historical Black doll (I’d love to see a Black doll from the 1950s, but that’s a story for another day). My Melody wears glasses because I think they look cute on her (and she had them in the movie). I have a couple of her historical outfits, but honestly I dress most of my dolls in contemporary clothes most of the time (although “contemporary” in this case means anything from the 1990s onwards...I’m old, aren’t I? Sigh). Anyway. Melody is wearing her historical Christmas dress under this coat. My Melody is a Star Trek fan, again because of the movie (she wanted to go to space), and she has a red Starfleet dress that she wears for Halloween to be like her favorite character, Uhura.

Kirsten

I found this Kirsten at a toy show in early 2019. I’d been thinking about adding a Kirsten to my collection and I just about fainted when I looked under her dress to check the condition of the cloth body...

There’s a chance that this doll is a year or two older than me! The white-bodied dolls were only produced from 1986-1991, and only for the original 3 dolls (Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly). The seller wanted $50 for her, and since the white-bodied dolls can go for several hundred, I knew I couldn’t pass her up. I spent the rest of 2019 slowly building up her wardrobe thanks to eBay. Of all my dolls, she is the one who spends the most time in historical fashions.

Addy

I bought Addy in 2019 as well, from the American Girl Benefit Sale in Madison, WI. Like I was saying, most of my dolls wear modern(ish) clothes. She’s currently enjoying a pajama day. 

I learned how to do Dutch braids so I could braid her hair. The braids have held up fairly well, although I may take them out and re-do them at some point to try and get them neater/tighter.

Felicia (custom Felicity)

Felicia here is a bit of a Franken-doll. She was another eBay find, and actually the last doll I purchased before my collecting hiatus. I had originally meant to fix her up and give her to my aunt, but then she and my uncle got divorced and we lost touch. When I got back into collecting, I fixed her up for myself. She had bad stains on her limbs, which I was able to remove, but she needed a new wig and a new cloth body. I gave her a wig from a JLY 61, and also swapped out her eyes for blue. Her original eyes were fine, but I liked the red hair/blue eyes combo and wanted to give eye swapping a try. She’s another doll who wears glasses because I like how they look on her. Here she’s wearing a handmade Anna outfit that I found at the benefit sale craft fair.

Ariel (custom Marie-Grace)

I’ve always thought the MG face mold was a good one for Disney princess customs. I swapped out her wig for one from Beautifully Custom. She has a mermaid dress, but here she’s wearing one of the Truly Me outfits (can’t remember the name of it). I also have a pattern for her pink dress from the movie, and I’d like to make her a pair of pajamas like the ones in Wreck-It Ralph.

And those are my historical dolls! I’ll introduce the contemporary dolls (GOTY, JLY, and CYO) in part 2.

[y2kbeautyandother2000sstuff]

American Girl Holiday Catalogue featuring Addy Walker and Molly McIntire

Holiday 1999

Found on worthpoint.com

[writingdollworlds]

Also can I just say that while I do plan to increase my collection I love what I've created. My dolls are so pretty, I've been blessed with an amazing collection and good finds. Also I feel so lucky with my clothes, while I'm still working on getting good furniture. I have lots of cool clothes! Two shirts from 1990s meet outfits, three pleasant company outfits, one of mollys dresses. I just found out I probably have Samanthas meet outfit tights and that's super cool too! Plus I have other cute outfits and a dress that replicates ones from Polish Festivals (im very polish so I love having it!). Though I know some might have a small or no collection and that's ok too! I honestly deeply respect people who can appreciate and love American Girl that way. However if you do want to get a bigger collection or a doll I wish you so much luck! Have a good day!

[elcinelateleymickyandonie]

BRENDA VACCARO.

Filmography

Cinema

1969 Where's at Molly Hirsch

1969 Midnight Cowboy

1970 I love my wife

1971 Go home

1972 Summertree

1975 Once is not enough

1976 weekend of death

1977 Capricorn One

1977 Airport '77

1979 Fast Charlie ...

1980 The First Deadly Sin

1981 Zorro, the gay sword

1984 Supergirl

1985 Water

1988 Midnight Heart

1989 Ten Little Indians

1989 Cookie

1990 Lethal Games

1991 Red Death Mask

1994 Love affair

1996 The mirror has two faces

2002 Son Meg

2003 Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Big Adventure

2005 Boynton Beach Club

2016 Kubo and the two strings

2017 The clapper

2017 30-love

2019 Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

TV

1961 Naked City

1963 The Fugitive

1969 The FBI

1971 What's a nice girl like you ...?

1972 Marcus Welby, MD

1972 Streets of San Francisco

1972 McCloud Police Officer

1972 Banacek

1973 Honor your father

1974 The Shape of Things

1974 Streets of San Francisco

1976 Sara Sara Yarnell

1976 Territorial Men

1979 Dear Detective

1980 Guyana Tragedy: The Jim Jones Story

1981 A long way home

1981 The Star Maker

1981 The Pride of Jesse Hallam

1983 Fame

1984 Paper Dolls

1984 St. Elsewhere

1984 The Love Boat

1985 Hoaxes

1985 Eyes Care

1986-1989 The Smurfs

1988 Murder, she wrote

2005 American Father!

2006 Nip / Tuck

2006 The War at Home

2010 You Don't Know Jack

2017 gypsy

2017 Top Donuts

2018 Summer Camp Island

2021 And so ...

Créditos: Tomado de Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenda_Vaccaro

[desertdollranch]

Tutorial: How to re-wig your American Girl doll

Happy Molly-days! We’ve got just about six weeks before Molly McIntire is re-released, and so I want to feature her in a few posts I’m planning to make until February 19th. The first I’ve got is this tutorial for how to re-wig your doll, and guess who’s the star???

You might have noticed two previous posts of mine that featured a lovely Miss Molly, but with a swanky new haircut. She’s almost unrecognizable, isn’t she? Just like in her stories, she got the shiny and sophisticated hair that she always wanted, so she could impress her dad and convince him that she didn’t deserve that passive-aggressive roasting he gave her in his final letter, casually listing her among Mrs. Gilford’s cooking as one of the things he was looking forward to seeing again. Harsh. 

As I also mentioned in the posts, Molly got a new wig for Christmas, and it was a surprisingly easy process that costs only the price of a replacement wig (usually under $30) and some small supplies.  

Meet Molly:

Molly doesn’t actually belong to me, and never did. She's owned by my mother, who got her from the Pleasant Company catalogue in the mid-1990s, a little while after I got my Kirsten. She loved Molly’s collection because a lot of it reminded her of her own childhood. But between moving house several times and spending time in storage, Molly was rather neglected, and her hair turned into an absolute rat’s nest. No amount of wetting or brushing could fix it. (And besides, let’s be real--back then, doll hair was 50% poufy 90′s-style layered bangs, which narrows down the hairstyle opportunities.) 

Ugh. Look at that. Frizzy and dry. My mom almost got rid of Molly for this reason alone. A little girl at her church heard she had an American Girl doll, and was demanding that my mom give Molly to her (for free!); my mom very nearly gave in and did it, until I talked her out of it by suggesting we put a new wig on her doll, one with a more authentic 40′s hairstyle. She loved the idea.

I’m so glad we did; this is essentially an instant and more affordable fix to any irreversible hair problems your doll might have. This is especially useful if, like us, you have a Pleasant Company doll with an undesirable hair issue, but you don’t necessarily want to give her a new Mattel American Girl head (because that is exactly what the Doll Hospital will give you). In cases like that, you’re better off doing the work yourself. 

Here’s how I did it. 

First: Loosen the glue.

Your doll’s wig is held on by a strong glue, which is why the Doll Hospital refuses to swap wigs and just gives your doll a new head. But you know what’s stronger than glue? Non-acetone nail polish remover. Please make sure it is non-acetone. 

I got a bottle at Walmart for under a dollar, so there’s no excuse to use any acetone-heavy polish remover lying around. Just don’t do it. You’ll damage your doll’s skin and it’s not worth it. 

I used a cotton swab to apply it where the wig meets the skin, right at the hairline. Don’t let any drip into the doll’s eyes. 

Then I let it sit for about ten minutes to soak in. 

Next: Bring out the tools.

You can use pliers or wire cutters (idk what these are in the picture) to start lifting under the hairline. Other tutorials might suggest spoons, but ignore that: you’ll make more of a clean removal if you can get a really good grip on the wig. Worst case is the wig comes off in pieces and leaves a bunch of residue behind. 

Keep pulling! If you’ve put on a sufficient amount of polish remover, it should come away somewhat easily.

(Molly’s a good kid; she slept through the whole ordeal, and didn’t feel a thing.)

It came right off with very little hair left over. Those you can trim with tiny scissors. (I removed Molly’s head temporarily for this, but that’s just for my convenience; it’s not essential. She got it back.)  

Once the wig is off, try the new wig on. Make sure you know exactly how you want it to look, where the hairline will be, and that you’ve practiced pulling the cap down all the way in the back for a perfect fit. 

Once you’re sure of that, you will slather her head with Tacky Glue, then wait about five minutes for it to get sticky, but not wet. I found a bottle at Dollar Tree for $1, so check there first. Tacky Glue works really well because it dries strong and clear, but if you later change your mind about the new wig, it won’t make a mess ripping that new wig off. I recommend against super glue for that reason. 

When picking a new wig, make sure you’ve got one that’s sized for American Girl dolls; that’ll be a size 11. I recommend searching Etsy.com for custom handmade wigs. The one Molly is wearing was $15 on eBay, and according to the seller, came off of a brand-new Truly Me doll, so we knew it was the right size.

This part has got to be the hardest--getting it on correctly. Tie up the hair with a hairband or pin it back so loose strands don’t get glued underneath the cap. Make sure you’re pulling the cap down all the way in the back, almost to her neck. If you need to, get someone else to hold the doll steady while you pull with both hands. Then poke the wig to make sure there aren’t any bulges in the fabric cap; if there are, lift it off and try again. You should be able to tell just by looking that it’s a good fit. You should NOT see any remnants of hair or glue. It should fill out the sides of her face.   

Don’t brush it for a day while the glue sets. Trim off any loose hairs that got caught under the cap (there will be a few). Then, if you like what you’ve got and don’t foresee yourself changing it, you can add a little superglue at the hairline to make her wig permanent.

We repeated the process my mom’s new Lanie doll, whom she got for practically nothing because the poor girl had been given such a drastic haircut: 

Lanie before, on the left; after makeover, on the right. I also cleaned Molly’s and Lanie’s limbs and face with a baking soda paste, tightened their extremely loose limbs, and touched up their face color with acrylic paint. Then I pierced Lanie’s ears. 

To finish it off, we got her some new glasses. Even with different hair, it’s definitely the glasses that make her look like Molly McIntire, and I reckon her dad wouldn’t recognize her without them... but, hey, I hope after this, he feels bad for burning her so hard in that letter!

[britishchick09]

ranking of the decades!!

i’ve ranked beatles songs, but what about a different kind of list? like... 20th/21st century decades perhaps? ;)

10. 1970s

this was a gross decade for fashion and hair and disco and stuff, but there’s surprisingly positives? my mom was born, the beatles were doing things, the brady bunch and julie. it’s still gross af tho

9. 1940s

this decade started out with sadness when senpai died and it only got worse due to ww2. the fashions and hair were nice and there was nanea and molly, but it just feels bittersweet :( (it’s above 70s because it’s not gross to look at)

8. 1900s and 1910s

these are tied because there’s nothing particularly special about them but they equally look nice. for 1900s the positives are samantha and in my merry oldsmobile and for 1910s it’s rebecca and the birth of senpai

7. 1950s

it’s a nice decade with pretty fashions and tv shows. my dad was born, maryellen, space was becoming a thing and the music is great! it’s super overhyped though and it was only an awesome time for white people so it’s not as fun as it seems...

6. 1960s

this decade started with girls in flips and dresses and by the end they’re wearing long hair and groovy outfits! the beatles are easily the best part about the decade and they contributed to the big change. the non-beatles music was still pretty good, peanuts was awesome and society slowly began to change for the better for non-white people, but the late 60s aren’t my thing at all

5, 1920s

this is the bridge between old-fashioned and modern. the fashions are great, the music is fun, the cars can be cool, senpai was a carefree cutie child, one of my stories takes place during the late part of the decade and candlestick phones are cool. but like the 50s it’s super overhyped (and people stereotyping it is annoying), it wasn’t great for everyone and the early part isn’t my thing.

4. 1990s

this was a cool decade and the first ‘today’ modern one. the internet was a thing, tv was really good, the hair was cool, the shows were great, many things in pop culture that we still have today arrived, clarissa explains it all was rocking it, my parents met and were in an improv troupe (which seems so 90s)! but the music wasn’t that great sometimes

3. 1980s

this seems like the most awesome decade. there was neon everywhere, video games were a new thing, the hair was cool, my mom was a kid, the songs were awesome, the goldbergs, courtney, one of my upcoming stories, there were plenty of awesome movies and cool tv shows were on (not as great as the 90s tho). but like the 50s and 20s before it, it’s super overhyped and some fashions looked weird

2, 2000s

this was the decade that i was born into, so i have fond memories of it. i don’t remember the early part and barely any of the middle, but the late part was a fun time! i watched shows on recorded dvds and spent lots of time on sites like barbie and american girl. the shows were really great, there were some good songs, mp3 players and flip phones were a thing, the internet was fun, spongebob was still awesome in the first half and some pretty great movies. but music began going downhill and i wish i could remember the early part

at first number 1 was gonna be just one decade, but i realized how much i love both 1 and 2, so they’re tied!

1. 2010s....

this was an amazing decade! i became who i am today in this time and i remember so much about it. i started writing my own stories and yt vids, i discovered social media, there were a ton of funny memes, the shows were outstanding, disney movies were incredible, dolls were amazing in the first half, society started to be more accepting of everyone and frozen and senpai changed my life!. but most of the music was terrible, smartphones took over the world, fashions got disapproving and things got rough in the last part. overall this was the best decade to live through :D

and 1930s!

oh boy this decade was amazing!!!! it was the first truly modern decade and i absolutely love it. the fashions were superb, the music was fun and the best (besides the beatles), the movies were awesome, radio was magical, the cars were totally awesome, typewriters, two of my stories take place here, kit, AND SENPAI! the biggest downside was the depression- but it showed the true kindness (and jerk-ness) of many people- and there were horrible bish dictators in europe along with the war at the end. idk why but i have a connection to the 30s and it feels so familiar somehow? it makes me happily warm inside like the 2010s and late 2000s so maybe i was a 30s girl in my past life.... i could certainly see that! :D

[fiinalgiirls]

GENERAL INFORMATION.

FULL NAME - leticia magdalena villalobos ortiz NICKNAMES - leti, magda GENDER / PRONOUNS - she/her DATE OF BIRTH - february 12, 1990 PLACE OF BIRTH - puyallup, washington CITIZENSHIP / ETHNICITY - mexican-american RELIGION - agnostic SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS / POLITICAL AFFILIATION - middle class, liberal. MARITAL STATUS - single. SEXUAL & ROMANTIC ORIENTATION - pansexual. EDUCATION / OCCUPATION - yoga instructor, personal trainer LANGUAGES - spanish, english

FAMILY INFORMATION.

PARENTS - gabriela ortiz, deceased and a father unknown first name, last of villalobos SIBLINGS - none OFFSPRING - none PETS / OTHER - cat, a fluffy persian mix named alabama NOTABLE EXTENDED FAMILY - grandmother, yolanda ortiz ( estranged )

PHYSICAL INFORMATION.

FACECLAIM - melissa barrera HAIR COLOR / EYE COLOR - brown / brown HEIGHT / BUILD - 5′6″ / athletic TATTOOS / PIERCINGS - ears DISTINGUISHABLE FEATURES - bold brow, rockin’ abs. scar to her scalp from traumatic birth where a knife nicked her

MEDICAL INFORMATION.

MEDICAL HISTORY - asthma KNOWN ALLERGIES - nkda VISUAL IMPAIRMENT / HEARING IMPAIRMENT - none NICOTINE USE / DRUG USE / ALCOHOL USE - rarely uses drugs, but has used molly a few times. some alcohol and marijuana use

PERSONALITY.

TRAITS - charming, solicitous, flirtatious ; distracted, melancholy TROPES - tbd TEMPERAMENT - melancholic ALIGNMENT - lawful good CELTIC TREE ZODIAC - rowan, the  MBTI - enfj HOGWARTS HOUSE - hufflepuff VICE / VIRTUE - tbd LIKES / DISLIKES: falling in love, brunch with the girls, lace and floral prints, relaxing and mindfulness  /  people who profit on others’ success, true crime, talk shows, the news, falling out of love, infidelity QUOTE:  ❝i killed a plant once because i gave it too much water. lord, i worry that love is violence.❞

FAVORITES.

FOOD - pozole, when she’s sick or pescado tacos if she’s on a night out, avocado toast DRINK - mimosas, green tea, cucumber water PIZZA TOPPING - vegetarian COLOR - pink and green MUSIC - indie pop and synth, latine pop BOOKS - self improvement books, memoirs, romance MOVIES - dramas, romantic comedies CURSE WORD - shit SCENTS - roses, fresh fruits

BIOGRAPHY,

trigger/content warnings: parental death, murder, traumatic birth, drug use, abuse

everyone calls her a miracle as if somehow being born from the body of a dead mother is a celebration more than it is a tragedy. she is called miracle so often that she thinks it’s her name until the age of five when she goes to school and no one calls her name at attendance. thank god her mother had written out her name in the baby book she was saving, or maybe her grandmother really would’ve named her that–miracle.

leticia sounds like another girl’s name. a girl whose mother is alive and well. a girl whose mother tucks her in at night with stories and songs and goes to sleep in a bed with a father instead of lying six feet underground in a cold box of wood trying to outlast the worms and moles. leticia has a grandmother who puts silk ribbons in her hair and makes her pozole on cold, winter nights. she buys her love with pretty dresses and a doll each time she makes an appearance with her grandmother. it takes years before she learns this is not a normal way to grieve. there are so many vhs tapes of interviews on oprah and specials on court tv in abuela’s closet that they trump the years she’s been alive on earth. yolanda ortiz makes a monopoly, a dynasty, atop her daughter’s suffering.

it’s not until leticia is twelve that she learns the full story. she’s made so many appearances on television that she’s practically a celebrity–a child star–but she has grown up knowing only that she sprung from her mother’s dead belly like pegasus from the slain body of medusa. so strange, it was almost immaculate. her grandmother had always compared her sweet mother to santa maria. it only lived to serve that in childbirth, she shared that magic. instead, leticia learns that her mother had answered an ad in the paper for free baby clothes and supplies. so clever in its inncouous offer, even the most cynical of her mother’s loved ones would have fallen into that sweet trap–flies to honey.

this is what she learned.

the canonized gabriela ortiz went to 241 nw westbrook dr at 1100 on a tuesday in september. she parked her car in the visitor space of the apartment block and went upstairs to meet ana hernandez and was greeted with a hug and the scent of fresh coffee when she entered the apartment. the two sipped their coffees and talked about the challenges of pregnancy and, for gabriela, impending single motherhood ( oh, but she had her mother to help ). for ana, her husband was anxiously awaiting the birth of a son–if that’s what they ended up having. neither woman knew what she was expecting.

when gabriela told ana that she had an appointment to keep, the generous woman left the kitchen to grab the things she’d promised her–things, she explained, that were doubles of hand me downs from her sisters. ana hernandez returned, not with a box of baby things, but with a knife. leticia shuts the tape off then and does not revisit it until the age of fourteen, where she learns two things. one, that her mother was a fighter. and two, that she was cut from her mother’s stomach with the clumsy skill of a woman who’d never deigned to carve her own turkey. it explains the scar that runs through her hairline, just above her ear. it explains her grandmother’s obsession with tragedy. it tells her nothing about herself and she refuses any more interviews or appearances. she refuses any of her grandmother’s plans for her future. she learns, like her mother, to put her trust in people who are as clever as they are unworthy.

the only thing that makes leticia villalobos feel like she can breathe is running and getting high. she doesn’t give a shit about organized sports, but she loves the feeling of the wind blowing the salt of sweat and rain off of her face. she falls in love several times. she gets her heart broken several more. every person is an opportunity to find some piece of herself. every person is an opportunity to be loved for some other reason than being a miracle. girls like leticia are symbols. like the virgin she represents hope; like the virgin, she is given no identity of her own.

tired of her antics and disobedience, her grandmother sends her to live with some cousins in boot hill. leticia thinks that her grandmother will have a much easier time controlling her narrative without the burden of a teenage girl. the nunez’s don’t have a lot, but they at least have their own business–one that’s not built on immortalizing her mother’s death. they don’t even seem prepared for her arrival, but they accommodate her quickly and soon it’s as if she’s always been there. boot hill feels more like home than life with her grandmother. boot hill just feels more like home.

boot hill may be a reprieve from the press and the papers and the goddamn interviews or dateline specials, but it’s not without its own semblance of purgatory. it’s hard to be the new kid, but she does a decent job of keeping her business to herself. no one learns that little leticia villalobos is the miracle baby phoenix, born from the ashes of garbiela ortiz. her cousins seem to know very little about her mother’s tragedy or else, that they’ve forgotten. some days it makes her tremble with anger, but she tries to remind herself that they never knew her. they barely knew yolanda and her family at all until leticia came to live with them.

the small town is an easy place to make the same mistakes, but leticia finds some good things too. she does odd jobs around the auto shop to help out the family that took her in and treated her like a real daughter. she starts teaching yoga and spinning classes at iron fitness after it opens. she still looks for a dream or for her heart in other people. it’s gotten her into trouble with a long list of exes who should’ve been buried in the desert or left for dead in the mines. stolen from her mother too soon, there is a hole in leticia’s heart that hungers. even in boot hill, where she doesn’t have to be a miracle to everyone she meets, she wonders if her heart will ever be full.

[xeford2020]

The Real Toys of “Toy Story 4”

Chatty Cathy Talking Doll, ca. 1963, an inspiration for Gabby Gabby. THF 173150

Since 1995, Disney-Pixar’s “Toy Story” films have led the industry in combining computer-generated animation with powerful, heartfelt stories. One of the reasons that adults and kids alike are drawn to these films is the clever selection of toys. More often than not, these are based upon real toys that are fondly remembered by viewers from different generations (see several examples of these from The Henry Ford’s collections in the blog post, “The Real Toys of Toy Story”).

This summer’s release of “Toy Story 4”—with its cast of old friends along with several newly introduced toys—allows us the perfect opportunity to once again delve into The Henry Ford’s collections and see what real toys provided inspiration for this fourth “Toy Story” installment.

The Heroes

Kentucky Fried Chicken Spork, 1978-90. THF173933

A heroic spork? Yes, indeed! This time around, Pixar decided to explore what would happen when a handmade toy named Forky (with a plastic spork for a body) meets the old gang of mass-manufactured toys. 

Sporks have a long, mostly unsuccessful history. Think about it. When you combine a spoon and a fork together, neither of them is going to work very well. Interlocking or folding sets of camp utensils have always been more popular with backpackers and Boy Scouts. Nevertheless, by the 1970s, plastic sporks were making their way into fast-food restaurants—to use for, as Forky describes it, "soup, salad, maybe chili, and then the trash!” Kentucky Fried Chicken was one of the first fast-food chains to regularly feature sporks, like the one shown here.

Image of Little Bo-Peep as part of Mother Goose Series, trade card for baking soda, John Dwight & Co., 1900. THF294575

In “Toy Story 4,” Bo Peep returns as a much more assertive and heroic character. Here we learn that she was once part of a lamp that Andy’s sister, Molly, had in her bedroom to help her fall asleep. In fact, the classic nursery rhyme, Little Bo-Peep—first printed in full in 1810—reveals that this young shepherdess lost her sheep because she had also fallen asleep! 

Other connections exist between the old nursery rhyme and the newer, more independent Bo Peep.  n the nursery rhyme, Bo Peep’s sheep lose their way because sheep are known to flock together. In “Toy Story 4,” Bo Peep’s three sheep are also inseparable—in fact, they are molded together as one piece, leading to often humorous results! In addition, a shepherdess would have traditionally used her crook not only to manage her sheep but also to defend them from attack by predators. In the film, Bo Peep similarly uses her crook to keep our heroes from harm.

Polly Pocket Watch Happy Meal Toy, 1995. THF141193

The appearance of Giggles McDimple in “Toy Story 4” likely delighted girls who grew up in the 1990s, as Giggles and her “home” reference the highly popular Polly Pockets of that era. These were first conceived by a British Dad for his daughter in 1983, using a powder compact as a tiny house that could fit in a pocket. Bluebird Toys, of Swindon, England, licensed the concept when these first appeared on the market in 1989, with Mattel in charge of distribution. In 1998, Mattel purchased the rights to manufacture Polly Pockets, then immediately redesigned them into larger dolls with changing garments. While various versions were produced after that, the original minuscule figures with jointed legs and peg-like bases that slotted into holes inside their cases never returned.  

In “Toy Story 4,” Giggles compensates for her minuscule size by displaying an air of confidence and a can-do attitude—just the kind of out sized personality that little girls of the 1990s might have ascribed to their own Polly Pockets. 

Evel Knievel X-2 Sky Cycle Toy, 1976-8. THF 302676

Duke Caboom—"Canada’s Greatest Stuntman”—is not an exact imitation of Evel Knievel, but this “Toy Story 4” character was certainly inspired by the famed 1970s stunt daredevil. Robert Craig Knievel, who was known at an early age for his combined athletic prowess and guts, became a national sensation in the 1970s, when he was featured several times on “ABC’s Wide World of Sports.”  nievel’s tremendous crowd appeal motivated Ideal to reproduce an action-figure version of him along with various stunt-related accessories—like this X-2 Sky Cycle that replicates the one he used during an attempted jump over Snake River Canyon, Idaho, in 1974. 

During the peak of his popularity, Knievel’s flashy white leather jumpsuit and reputation for keeping his word helped reinforce his heroic, larger-than-life image. That is, until 1978, when he was convicted of assaulting the author of a book written about him and his popularity quickly plummeted. The tragic backstory of Duke Caboom and his kid who rejected him is a fitting connection to the real-life 1970s Evel Knievel and his young fans. 

G.I. Joe Desert Troop Dusty with Sandstorm, his coyote, 1990-91. THF 94338

Combat Carl makes a small but unforgettable appearance in “Toy Story 4”—especially if you who stay to the very end of the credits. He played a bit part in the first “Toy Story” film, then a larger role in Pixar’s 2013 Halloween TV special, “Toy Story of Terror!”  Combat Carl is an everyman military action figure reminiscent of G.I. Joe action figures of the 1980s and ‘90s.  Mattel introduced the first G.I. Joe in 1964—a 12” poseable version that directly referenced the military men who saw action during World War II and the Korean War.  An African-American version of G.I. Joe was introduced in 1965. 

As a result of the unpopular Vietnam War in the late 1960s and the rising price of plastic in the 1970s, G.I. Joes declined in popularity until they were discontinued in 1978. But they made a stunning comeback during the 1980s as 3-3/4” adventure-team action figures. This G.I. Joe action figure from The Henry Ford’s collection, named Dusty, was introduced in 1991, after the Persian Gulf War inspired toys based upon the real-life conflict. Exuding a great deal of self-possessed machismo but also tugging at our heartstrings a bit, Combat Carl always leaves us rooting for him. 

The Villains

Shown on the right side of the page, Chatty Cathy is featured in the 1964 Sears Roebuck & Co. Christmas Catalog. Note her Gabby Gabby-like freckles! THF287020

At first glance, the scheming Gabby Gabby appears to have been based upon Chatty Cathy, introduced to the American public in 1960 as the first in a new line of Mattel talking dolls. Like Gabby Gabby in the film, Chatty Cathy’s “voice” was activated by a pull string in the back. The first Chatty Cathy, who had blue eyes and sported a blonde bobbed hairdo, recited 11 phrases at random via a record that was driven by a metal coil wound by pulling the toy’s string. Her phrases were voiced by June Foray, also famous as the voice of Rocky the Squirrel in “The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show.” Newer versions of the doll sported a wider choice of hair and eye colors as well as an African-American version. By 1963, when this version of Chatty Cathy was introduced, she had long pigtails and her vocabulary had increased to 18 phrases.

According to director Josh Cooley, Gabby Gabby was based more directly upon an evil doll named Talky Tina, who appeared in a 1963 “Twilight Zone” episode. In this edge-of-your-seats episode, a family’s problems are made worse when a talking doll—which was loosely based upon Chatty Cathy and was also voiced by June Foray—develops a mind of her own and wreaks havoc on the family, inevitably leading to a tragic ending.

Page of doll carriages, Sears Roebuck & Co. Christmas Catalog, 1964. THF294577

As Woody and Forky search for Bo Peep in the quiet atmosphere of the antique shop, the sudden sound of a squeaky doll carriage edging closer but just out of view is one of the more hair-raising moments in the film.  Sure enough, it reveals itself as Gabby Gabby’s mobility device and there is good reason for viewers to be nervous. Some of us have a visceral memory of those squeaky doll carriages of the mid-20th century, before safety and cost issues replaced the carriages’ metal and vinyl parts with plastic. 

Doll carriages were generally based upon full-size baby carriages of their era.  In the late 19th century, these were often quite elaborate, made of wicker with brass fittings and matching parasols and only affordable to the wealthy.  As the 20th century progressed, pop-up tops, removable beds, and suspension systems made baby carriages more comfortable and convenient, and they also became more affordable to families of different economic levels.  The three options shown in this 1964 Sears Roebuck Christmas catalog—of varying prices and materials—are all reminiscent of Gabby Gabby’s squeaky—and sneaky—doll carriage. 

Doll Dessert Set, 1935-40. THF141192

In “Toy Story 4,” Gabby Gabby is delighted when the antique shop owner’s granddaughter, Harmony, sets up a toy tea set and pretends to take tea—hoping beyond hope that when her voice box is fixed, Harmony will invite her to join in. 

Since the 19th century, miniature tea sets were a traditional way for little girls to practice adult skills and feminine roles. It was up to them, however, to decide whom to invite for company. Images, like the cover of this doll dessert set, often show little girls having tea with favored dolls and stuffed animals. Indeed, in previous “Toy Story” movies, we saw both neighbor Sid’s little sister and young Bonnie engage in this type of imaginative play. The strengthening of bonds between little girls and their dolls through pretend tea-drinking is something that Gabby Gabby desperately wants—so much so that she will resort to desperate measures to have it. 

Charlie McCarthy Doll, 1937-40. THF106436

Without a doubt the creepiest characters in “Toy Story 4” are the Bensons—the group of ventriloquist dummies that Gabby Gabby enlists to do her bidding. Dating back to 18th-century traveling fairs, ventriloquists “threw” their voices to appear as if they were coming from elsewhere, usually a puppet or other semi-lifelike figure referred to as a dummy. During the early 20th century, Edgar Bergen popularized the idea of comedic ventriloquism, teaming up with his “cheeky,” boyish dummy, Charlie McCarthy.  Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy became so popular that they appeared on “The Chase & Sanborn Radio Hour” from 1937 to 1956, as well as later films and TV programs. As shown here, Charlie McCarthy was reproduced by Effanbee as a child’s toy, complete with different outfits and a carrying trunk. 

The Charlie McCarthy dummy and related doll were not intended to be evil (although some people would maintain that all ventriloquists’ dummies are creepy).  redit for that goes to the fact that the Bensons were more directly inspired by a series of “Goosebumps” books by R. L. Stine that began in 1993, featuring the villainous Slappy the Dummy. Though the book is from a later era, Slappy’s appearance recalls the ventriloquist dummies of Charlie McCarthy’s time. In “Toy Story 4,” the Bensons have no voices because there are no humans to provide them. And their bodies are soft with no structure because, without humans to operate them, their body parts just dangle.  Very clever!  And definitely creepy! 

Will there be a “Toy Story 5”—with new toys, the return of familiar old toys, and a fresh spin on their interconnecting stories? Only time will tell.

Donna R. Braden is Senior Curator and Curator of Public Life at The Henry Ford.

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