My Child Dolls

When I was eight years old my mom gave my sister and I a My Child Doll for Christmas. Even though I wasn't huge on baby dolls, I adored this one. At the time I had a friend named Eric with black hair so I decided to name my doll Erica.

When my mom got pregnant with my little sister we went to a class at the hospital that taught us all about babies, how to take care of them and how to change their diapers. We were allowed to take a doll so of course Erica accompanied me.

I don't know what ended up happening to Erica. Chances are she went the way of all yard sales. But in 2004ish I found another doll that looked just like her. I put the doll away for a time and recently found her again. She was really gross looking so I decided to restore her.

So now I present to you: THE NEW AND IMPROVED ERICA!

(Click images to see her in all her glory)

I am really happy I found the time to restore her. Her hair was horrible. I had to wash it pretty thoroughly and cut some new bangs. Now she's as good as new and sitting on my dresser.

In the picture she is wearing Cabbage Patch clothes. I am going to try and find some more during my thrifting adventures. I have found probably four or five actual My Child Dolls over the years, including a Hispanic boy. But I sold them all but Erica. If I find more I will probably keep them. They can go for quite a lot on eBay these days.

Looking at My Child Doll pictures on the web can get pretty addicting. I recently joined a fabulous forum called The My Child Doll Repair and Restore Community. Just browsing around that place puts me on a happy high. Apparently these dollies are huge in Australia and to see the ones with the long hair makes me want to sell my car and buy one, lol. I'll be posting more pictures of Erica in different clothes sometime soon ;)

13 Tips for getting a good deal on toys.

I thought I would share some tips I have discovered over the years on how to get a good deal while collecting toys. Anyone who is just starting a collection might find them useful.

TIP 1

Know what you want. A lot of time and money can be wasted by buying up lots of items that you end up not really wanting later. Sit down, examine why you want to start a collection (because you want to relive memories, you want to preserve history, its fun, you want to share your old toys with your kids) and go from there. If you know what you want you will most certainly not waste money buying up sheets, dishes, books and other branded merchandise that later clutters your home.

TIP 2


Be Patient. You have an entire lifetime to collect. The temptation to max out your credit card to feed your toy obsession is fierce. You start to get this feeling that if you don't buy that super expensive piece now, you will never see it again. Remember, if there is a toy up on eBay today, chances are very good it will be there tomorrow. Even the very rare items. You have your entire lifetime to collect. Make sure you wait for a good deal.

TIP 3

 Look for lots. Buying things in bulk can save you a lot of money in the long run. Four-hundred dollars for a complete collection of Strawberry Shortcake dolls might seem like a lot. But when you look back at sold items, tally in shipping costs for each individual doll that you might have paid, plus the competition for that one last piece factor, you will have saved money in the long run. This is a pretty obvious tip, I know. But sometimes it is hard to save your money for that big lot.

TIP4

Never rack up debt to feed your toy wants. Period. You will end up selling those toys years down the road to unload the debt.  This doesn't even factor in the interest.

TIP 5

Look for mint. I learned pretty quickly that buying lots of junk lots, TLC dolls and mismatched parts not only drags me down, it ends up costing me MORE in the long run! Trust me, you will feel the same when you have an army of sticky, cancer-spotted dolls. Later you will experience a powerful urge to replace them with mint items. Then you will have bought the same item twice. So save yourself some money and time. Buy mint, buy complete--the first time, if possible.

TIP 6

Buy during market downs. Buy low, sell high. This is an old motto, yes, but I am speaking of entire lines of toys. For example, did you know that Care Bear prices have dropped over 60% over the past six years? Why? The invasion of new Care Bear products of course. On the flipside, Glo Friends have gone up quite a bit this year, with Glo Land routinely going for over $200 as opposed to the $30 it cost last year. So, if you collect in different toy lines, focus on the ones that are being given away at the moment. Do your research and watch the market carefully. Chances are the one that is expensive now will plummet at some point.

TIP 7

Keep an eye on message boards, Craigslist, and local ads. Most of you already do this but it does pay off. You can often find better deals outside of eBay.

TIP 8

Think like a non-collector. I can't tell you how many times I have seen mislabeled lots, hidden jewels among common toys and poorly priced bunches. The best deals come from people who don't collect. They can underestimate values and misspell title words and all sorts of funny stuff. Keep your eye out.

TIP 9

Thrift, garage sale, antique stores, etc. The more you go, the more you'll find.


TIP 10

Observe the rule of halves. Let's say you are looking at a lot of dolls that starts at $5. You have done your research and decided that the lot is really worth about $40. You now have a choice: freak out and bid the highest possible price because you want it so badly you might pee your pants with desire. OR--you can decide what you will pay by splitting the value in half and only bidding that much. Remember to factor shipping into the mix. Decide right then that you will only pay $20 for the lot, no matter what happens. That way you are guaranteed to get a good deal.

TIP 11

Bid on auctions at the last possible moment. If you bid three days before the auctions end, you will pay more. People will try and outbid you. See tip ten and decide what you will pay before you get that rush of bidding excitement. Beware! Emotion makes you spend more. Put that number in the box and walk away. There is another deal coming.

TIP 12


Set a budget. This probably should have been tip #2 but I am too lazy to go stick it up there :) Decide what you can reasonably spend on toys per month. Even if it's a small amount like, say $15. If you have a budget then your options narrow quite a bit. You can't go nuts buying up big lots and getting yourself into debt. Suddenly your goal will be to get as many toys as possible for as little money as possible. It will force you to get a good deal.


TIP 13

Don't focus on what you don't have. If possible, do everything in your power to appreciate the pieces you do have. If you focus on what you don't have, you will always feel dissatisfied by your collection. Dissatisfaction will lead you to spend more money than you should in order to fill that void. Let me tell you, the void cannot be filled. It's better to switch your focus off of it and onto an attitude of gratefulness.

I hope you enjoyed those tips! Happy collecting!

Some fun things I got this week!

 I have been a bad girl this week . . . or a good girl. You be the judge. I bought a lot of stuff online. Good thing I got the items for awesome deals. The prices here include shipping. If you can't find a good deal, the purchase isn't worth it.

Complete Lady Lovely Locks Sunnypeek Doll $5

 Plush Apple Dumpling .50 cents (thrift store)

 Complete Oatsmobile $20

 Complete Strawberry Shortcake Lime Chiffon Deluxe Miniature $4

 Complete Smooshees Heather on a Hike set $4

Complete Angel Cake Blow kiss doll $12 

 Various Moon Dreamers $15

 Lady Lovely Locks complete Sea Magic Salon $10

 Sweet Secrets (plus some accessories not shown) $5

 

Cabbage Patch Poseables $10

 

Precious Places Ballet Studio (Has box too) $5

Ballerina Lady Lovely Locks (Missing Pixie tail) $30

Rainbow Brite Custom Restore

You might remember a few weeks ago I went thrifting with my sister and bought this Dress-up Rainbow Brite doll.

 

She was quite dirty. Her hair was covered in something I'd rather not think about. Her dress was spotted and soiled, as were her legs.

If you buy a RB Dress-up doll like this in mint condition it would cost around $30-$40. Some sellers have them priced around $80. I thought I would try to salvage her as best I could.

First, I washed her dress and her body. The thread on the hem of the dress was destroyed and there was no longer a rainbow belt decal. Her shirt and shoes were gone.

I ran over to the craft store and bought some ric-rac in rainbow and a few rainbow-shaped buttons. I sewed those on. Her hair was a chore. I had to do a lint shave and cut off the scraggly ends. Then I went on eBay and found some shoes for $5 shipped.

Here she is, all fixed up:

Isn't she purdy! Are you now resisting saying, "DOUBLE RAINBOW ALL THE WAY?"

The only thing I'd like to change is the undershirt. I had to make do with a piece I found at an antique store and I'd rather have a red shirt like the original doll. Oh well!

Come Thrifting With Me!

I love to go thrifting. I make no apologies for it, I say it loud and proud. It's probably my favorite thing to do on earth. I like it more than regular shopping. Give me some money and set me loose all day at the swap meet and I am a happy girl.

I know some collectors dislike goodwill stores. They are messy (sometimes), smelly (sometimes), filled with odd folks (all the time) and you have to dig and dig and dig. Some people prefer eBay. Others don't have the time to go. But people like me can't get enough. We try to curb it, try to stop and it works for maybe a week and we are there again!You can't cure it. There's no thirty-day chip. You just have to embrace it and learn that it is part of what makes you happy, even if others look down on it.

I thought I would share my thrifting adventure today through pictures. It's always fun to hear of how people make awesome finds. I rarely make big finds (maybe I'll post about some I have had one day) but almost every time I go I find something.

So let's get started!

First place I go when I get into the store is the very back where they keep the toys.

As you can see, they don't keep them in neat bins or bags. They just throw them on the shelf, so one must dig and dig!

Usually this aisle is filled with kids who tear at the shelves and make a mess all over the floor, but today it was pretty empty in there. Not sure why.


Right away I spot a vintage He-Man guy (I really need to get some more He-Man!) and a Josef Original Flocked deer (don't usually collect them, but my girls like them).

The next aisle over is filled to the brim with plush. The other side has puzzles and games.

I grab some games (I've mentioned me and my kids love playing games), as well as a Bright Heart Raccoon and a bag of 80's Barbie accessories. My daughter wants American Girl-sized furniture for Christmas so I also grabbed the wicker table and chair. I think I will get a AG tea set to go with it at a regular store.

After checking if the games have all their pieces (the pizza one doesn't) I spot several puzzles. Two vintage My Little Pony ones and a Muppet Babies one.

Then the guy who works at the store starts giving me the stink eye so I put away my camera for a bit and look around in housewares. I can sometimes find a vintage thermos or whatever. Today I found a Cabbage Patch Kids TV tray, which I plan to actually use. When I had surgery I hated not having something to put my laptop on as I rested in bed.

I found several other things hiding in the holiday isle. When I see stuff I might want I throw it in the cart and decide later if I want it or not. I did get the Horseman doll, and the locker (which looks like vintage Barbie or GI Joe) but I did not buy the Furreal friends cat (we have enough animals around here!). I spotted a MLP and Shortcake Pony and grabbed those as well as two MLP combs.

 

All in all, this is what I will keep in my collection. The locker and the Horseman doll I will save for other things (eBay maybe, or something). The entire bunch cost me about $13. Not too bad, I think!

I might do this again sometime. Hope you had fun reading!~

Introducing . . .

There's a new pup in Tangleland. Meet Ratty-Tatty! She's a custom dyed puppy for the evil Duchess Ravenwaves!

 

 

I had an extra Silkypup and I dip-dyed her body after removing her head, then I let her air dry. Now the duchess has an extra friend to help do her evil deeds!

New Layout

I finally got around to making a logo today, then I changed the design of the blog to better reflect the girly theme! More posts coming soon!