They may be from some place in Europe. Not sure if they are wood or another material. Very old. At least 50 years.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
I think you have composition dolls. This is most likely why you cannot understand what they are made of, wood or another material. I think that you would define the plastic for sure.
A composition doll is a doll made partially or wholly out of composition, a composite material composed of sawdust, glue, and other materials such as cornstarch, resin and wood flour. Composition is easily molded and is thus an excellent material to make doll heads. Composition was used to make doll bodies for many years, from approximately the late 1870s. Only dolls with heads made of composition are referred to as composition dolls.
These types of dolls were made by many companies, especially in the United States, Germany, France, Japan. Some companies were famous, for example Madame Alexander, Effanbee, American Character, Amberg. Many other companies copied their designs and sold unmarked dolls. Therefore, a large number of dolls that are found today are unmarked. Did you look on back of their neck for a mark?
Pre-1930 dolls were more likely to have painted eyes and molded hair. Dolls made later often had all-composition bodies jointed at the neck, hips, and shoulders, with sleep eyes and wigs. Your dolls both seem to have sleep eyes.
The most popular styles tended to be Mama Dolls, baby dolls, and, especially after Shirley Temple, little girls and even teenagers. Mama dolls were toddler dolls with a mama crier, they often also walked. Is the whole body made of solid material? Maybe one of your doll (with open mouth) has a box inside that would be called a crier which when squeezed it sounded a bit like it says "Mama".
Composition dolls are prone to fine cracks, called crazing, caused by changes in moisture and temperature. Your dolls seems to have been well taken care, as I could not see the cracks in the photo.
Prices for these dolls run the gamut from very inexpensive for unmarked dolls to many hundreds of dollars or more for the choicest Shirley Temple, Effanbee, and Madame Alexander composition dolls in mint, original condition. If your dolls do not have a manufacturer's mark, then it is almost impossible to find out who made them and their price will correspond to the prices of unmarked dolls.
You have not written what size your dolls are. Specify the size and search for similar dolls on ebay www.ebay.com/
You should undress the dolls and look for identifying marks on the back, back of the neck, chest and bottom of feet. You can post back with what you find here or go to the forum at dollreference.com.
I also think these dolls are made from composite www.worthpoint.com/
26" Vintage composition doll with open mouth, sleep eyes, multiple cracks sold for $ 9.99 www.shopgoodwill.com/
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
