Effanbee Doll Club
Ask The Doll Doctor-
Dr. Noreen
Dear Collectors,
Welcome to the second edition of “Ask The Doll Doctor”. Although I have had a few questions concerning the care and repair of your Effanbee® doll, the vast majority of inquiries deal with how to identify that Effanbee® doll.
Since this column is dedicated to answering your questions, I will give you the tools needed to research and identify your doll.
Although Dy-Dee is one of the most widely recognized baby dolls of all time, it seems many more unknown babies marked Effanbee® are in the nurseries of our collectors. Just who are these beautiful babies?
Having the approximate date of your baby’s “birth” will certainly help in the identification process. The materials that make up your baby will give you the first clue.
The earliest Effanbee® dolls were manufactured from 1910 through the 1920”s. Although they had various markings, most if not all were marked Effanbee® on the torso or head. These early dolls were made of composition (which is a compressed wood pulp and glue mixture), and were advertised as “durable”. For the most part, they were durable, until little mommy tried to bathe baby, or accidentally left her out in the elements. As the composition was very porous, the water caused the composition to expand and the cracking and crazing began to appear. If you see tiny surface lines (crazing) or large cracks and lifting paint, you can be assured your baby is composition. The earliest compo dolls had painted eyes, soon after metal decal eyes were used, and finally by the mid-1930’s glassene eyes became the most common sleep eye used.
By 1949, with the advancement of thermoplastics, Effanbee® introduced their first doll in hard plastic. Although many dolls were still being made of composition during this transitional period, by 1950 nearly all Effanbee® dolls were hard plastic with bodies of hard plastic, latex or rubber.
In 1953, another transitional period began with the introduction of vinyl, and by 1959 Effanbee® dolls were predominately vinyl.
Now you should have an approximate date of when your baby was born, but that still does not answer the question “Who is this dolly?” Here is where the reference books will come in handy.
You can check out your local bookstore or cyber shop right from your computer. Begin by checking out the collectible category of your favorite local or online book store and narrow your field to dolls. Literally dozens of great books on doll identification will appear. Most of these publications are just loaded with doll photographs that will help to confirm who your dolly is. Now that you have an approximate date for your doll, you can be even more specific by choosing doll reference books that focus on antique or modern dolls. There are even reference books that are specific only to Effanbee® dolls. John Axe and Patricia Schoonmaker have both authored wonderful and informative encyclopedias on Effanbee® dolls. Some doll reference books will even give you the approximate value of your Effanbee® baby. So now you have the tools needed to finally know your dolly’s age, what she originally wore, her value and especially her name. Enjoy your research!
Dr. Noreen
Have a question for our doll doctor?? While Effanbee® Doll Company cannot guarantee any “doctoring” advice, we are glad to offer the wisdom of our respected doctor, Noreen Morris. Please write to Dr. Noreen c/o Effanbee Doll Company, 459 Hurley Ave, Hurley NY, 12443 (or e-mail “Doll Doc” at dollhospital@tonnerdoll.com )
©2004 effanbee® doll company, inc.
all rights reserved. e-mail webmaster
"dolls that touch your heart® " is a registered trademark of the effanbee® doll company, inc.
Brenda STARR® & © 2004 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES; LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE® & © 2004 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES
Prices shown are manufacturer's suggested retail prices.
Send mail to Webmaster with questions or comments about this web site.
Photographs supplied by Storm Photo, Kingston, NY
Permission to reproduce images and text in this catalog may be granted upon written request.
Due to the exclusive nature of fabrics, Effanbee® Doll Company reserves the right to substitute fabrics and prints of equal quality. Effanbee® Doll Company reserves the right to cancel or substantially reduce the production quantities of any or all of items presented in this catalog where the Company deems, at its sole discretion, that completion would cause severe economic harm or result in inordinate cost or expense to the Company.