I do the same sort of thing with my dolls while unwrapping them or just when I first get them. If a name pops into my head, that’s what the girl’s called. It sadly doesn’t always happen, though. And yeah, sometimes when I bring in a doll, I don’t feel well, although, with my latest creepy doll, the anger dissipated after a few months and now all seems to be well. I can’t say she’s happy, but at least she’s not angry anymore.

I got my first dolls the same way you did. Once I took a liking to a doll or two, relatives and friends gave me their old ones. Here’s the link to that story: http://rinaslayter.com/2008/04/21/my-love-for-old-dolls/ Beyond that, if you click in my sidebar where it says Dolls, that’ll bring up all my posts that have to do with my doll collection. I’m just barely getting started posting about them. Currently, I’m doing a little reinforcement on a couple of dented, very thin celluloid heads. I haven’t taken any pictures, though. I suppose I should…

At one time, I was under the impression that 14/0 dolls were made by Kestner, but I don’t know where I got that idea and I haven’t been able to back it up since. About a month ago, I bought another 14/0 head along with a wax-over socket head because I didn’t have a wax-over socket head and the price was tiny. I’ve got a few wax-over shoulder heads and one poured wax, but no wax-over sockets. When the heads arrived, I wasn’t sure which was I was more excited about because 14/0′s are gorgeous and it’s always interesting when I receive a head I have nothing else similar to. Now, I just need a couple of bodies for them and I’ll build them up from there. It’s all an adventure to me.

Paranormal experiences have been few in comparison to how many dolls I actually have, but you’re right, some of them have “something” going on…that undefinable “something”… One of the dolls I picked up recently caught me off guard in that an image of a bunch of linens popped into my head. I emailed the person I got the doll from and he said the doll came straight out of a trunk in an attic. The next few days, my husband and I heard sneezes coming from the direction of the doll. Now, everything seems fine. And I think it’s fascinating that the doll had no clothes when I got her, but amid my spares, I had petticoat, slip and dress that fit her as though they had been made for her.

Thank you so very much for stopping by!

I, too, found myself at an early age bringing home abandoned children who had found their way into garage sales, junk shops, auctions and antique shops. I was 12 when I bought what I eventually identified as a Saucy Walker – only when I found her she was crammed on the back of a shelf full of old dirty milk bottles – and she cost me a buck. No clothes, dreadfully bedraggled hair, and absolutely filthy. I think the desire to bring them home is somehow connected to when I was growing up, and was occasionally permitted to take several dolls out of the china closet to carefully play with that had belonged to my grandparents. When word got out to relatives and neighbors, people started hauling all sorts of dolls in various stages of disarray or decay out of closets, attics and basements and giving them to me. (Including a huge Kammer & Reinhardt Flirty Eye.) Bear in mind, this was back in the 60s, before people realized that things stored in attics, etc. might actually be worth something. At the time, even I didn’t know what things were worth, until my parents started getting me various price guides and doll mark identification books as they became available.

I digress. Always do. Can’t seem to maintain a direct line of thinking these days and branch off in all sorts of directions. Back to the unidentified doll I started talking about way back in paragraph one. While I was sitting there looking at her, unconsciously running a finger over the bottom of the back shoulderplate, I suddenly realized I could feel an unevenness to the bisque under the kidolene and suspected the doll actually was marked. I was able to gently peel back the shoulder “strap” of the kidolene and peer down her back and could make out a clear 14/0 in a circle. Looks like you have one too – which you noted in another blog. Have you ever been able to find out who made these ? I know that eventually I will come across the information somewhere if I keep looking (shoot, I could probably just call Richard Wright Antiques – if anyone would know, he would. He’s probably one of the foremost doll experts in the world. Have known his family since I was a kid – he was in the same class as my brother in high school, and we used to shop at his parent’s antique shop. Richard was already doing a large portion of their buying by the time he was in junior high, and by the time he hit high school, he was flying around the world looking for things for the shop. His own personal doll collection is likely as purist as you can get, but his shop does sell everything from beat up to beautiful. Me ? I’d rather get the ones that are beat up and need help. There’s something very satisfying about doctoring them back to life. Wish I had more time to devote to it.

I’ve never had any overt paranormal experiences with any of the dolls. I do, however, sometimes get a sense of “something” from them. Oddly, although I don’t make a habit of naming them, occasionally, while going through my initial “introduction sit down” with them, a name will just pop into my head. I figure it’s highly likely that that is what the doll’s name was, so that is what I call them from that point on. And about 40 years ago, I had a wooden Charlie McCarthy ventriloquist doll given to me that completely creeped me out. He actually triggered feelings of anger and loathing in me that were positively scary. I had to get rid of him.

I’ll stay tuned to your site and keep tabs on your doll happenings from time to time.