It's Never Too Early for Halloween

Especially if you work at Savers, where we start getting ready in August! So I thought I'd go ahead and show off my Mini Living Dead dolls and their castle, which is out of storage now for the season.

It started with a pink Barbie sort of castle.


Yes, the picture is kind of small. I lost the original and copied this from the Halloween In Miniature Yahoo Group I belong to, but it had become smallified. I tried to biggify it and it didn't work. (But the pictures sure load faster!)

Husband-like person reluctantly agreed to paint it. He grew more enthusiastic and did a wonderful job.









A few years ago Auntie Berman gave me a Mini Living Dead Doll. She had one herself, named Raven. I named mine Winterkill. I think they are both Living Dead Sadie dolls. Unable to resist, we got a few more from eBay. I had a lovely scene set up in my bedroom but eventually dismantled it to make room for more (normal) dolls.

DeVille entertains The Creature and a nameless ghoul.

The following year I had a different setup and was pleased to add a Halloween Tree to the scene. We found it at a thrift shop (of course).

Bride of Frankenstein, Winterkill, DeVille

The Bride is very interesting. She is made of some very rubbery, squishy substance. She fits right in at Winterkill's Castle.

Other dolls wanted to get in on the fun.

Bratz Boy and Jinx

Living Dead Boy and Seraphina

Mrs. Smith painted scars on the Bratz Boy's head and did his eye makeup. Jinx is an MGA girl who decided to Go Goth. The Living Dead boy is a full size Living Dead doll, 10 inches tall, given to me by my friend (and now supervisor) Terri, before I ever went to work at Savers. I assume she got him at Savers, which just goes to show you never know what will turn up in a thrift store. Seraphina is another MGA girl. She wasn't as eager as Jinx to Go Goth but now she quite likes it. I'm sure I named the boys at some point, but unfortunately I can't remember what.

Everything's all in a jumble. Coffins everywhere.

This will be our best year ever!

We want our scene too!

I also need to set up a scene for the Midnight Magic girls.

You may notice a new face here. I found a Monster High girl at work. I thought at first she was some sort of Alien girl but then realized she was a Monster High doll.

She was from a Monster High Create-A-Monster set and whoever had her had mixed and matched her parts, so she's half Lagoona and half Draculaura. Since she was bald, I had to find her some hair.

"Are they laughing at me?"

For some reason golden curls just didn't suit her.

Red Nicky is not real thrilled with her.

This wig was much better but slightly too big for her head. Then I found a Liv wig in my bag o'hair that fit her head.

"I like being a blonde!"

Halloween season has just begun. The possibilities are endless!

Miscellaneous Dollies

Eleanor

A Jody doll

Eleanor is an Ideal Jody doll I found at Salvation Army Warehouse last spring. I didn't know who she was but I soon identified her through eBay. She is from 1974/1975 and was apparently quite wealthy, having a Victorian parlor, a general store, a country kitchen, and a horse and farm. At the Wishbook site, I found her in the Montgomery Ward 1975 Christmas Catalog on page 332 (you have to scroll across the bottom to the far right to get to the toys). She cost $4.99 back then and if you got her with a room, $15.99. It doesn't look like you could buy the room separately, although people are selling them on eBay (asking over $200 for some of them).

She was in her original dress and had her white boots. Her hair, which was originally floor length, had been cut to a much more manageable waist length. She is 9 inches tall, too tall for the Wayfarers Inn people and too short for Barbie, but I liked her so I got her.

I found some clothes to fit her, in case she was
tired of her white dress.

She is the first doll I got the idea of making into a Steampunk girl, but so far I haven't done anything about it. And because I thought she needed a companion, I kept my eye out for someone else her size and was eventually rewarded.

"What is this ridiculous outfit I have on?"

Her face looked really familiar but I couldn't quite place her. Her back was marked 1977 Spelling-Goldberg Productions, All Rights Reserved, Made in Hong Kong. I finally located her on eBay--Yes, she is Farrah Fawcett from Charlie's Angels! No wonder she's horrified at that outfit. (I just stuck some clothes on her to cover her nakedness. You'd think she'd be a little more grateful.)

"This is better, I think."

The purple dress came from a Disney Anastasia doll. I didn't really like the doll but I did like the dress.

Fab Faces Doll
She's a My Scene Fab Faces doll.

She looks normal from the front.

When I saw this doll I thought she was a normal Barbie--until I saw the knobs sticking out of her back.

Her knobs

You push the knobs and she makes faces!

Smiling

Frowny face

Ooh face

The Toy Box Philospher has an excellent review of these dolls, with much better pictures. You have to scroll halfway down before you get to the faces.

Why, Mattel. Why??

Unknown Doll

I just loved this doll's face and pale skin but I have no idea who she is.

"I know who I am, but I'm not telling."

I found her at Bargain Bin and later I saw another one at our store. On her back it just says Made in China 2011. She also has a paper sticker that says Toys R Us, Maidenhead UK, with several numbers interspersed in there. I think she looks a lot like a Barbie Stardoll but she doesn't have rooted eyelashes like they do. I found real Stardolls on the Toys R Us website, but none like her. Her lips were very pale but Auntie Berman painted them for me before she left.

A crocheted dress I found.

I named her Savannah. It just kind of came to me. I wish all the dolls would tell me their names that easily!

Midnight Magic

Last Friday I thought I was supposed to work but when I got there, I found out I wasn't. So, quickly getting over my disappointment, I went across and down the parking lot to Bargain Bin. It was mighty slim pickings but then I spotted what I thought was a Monster High doll. It turned out to be a Midnight Magic doll. Two of them in fact.

"We thought were were goners!" 

The Pink girl was missing a leg. I searched the bin thoroughly but couldn't find it. I made my rounds of the other bins but since it was so late in the day, there wasn't much there. Then I came back to the bin where I'd found the dolls and searched again. No luck. I moved to the one next to it and suddenly saw a pink leg! The Purple girl was missing her forearm but since her whole arm was taped up, I didn't even try to find her hand.

I had no idea who they were but I soon found out they are Midnight Magic girls, sold by Dollar General, Walgreens, and other such stores for less than $6.

Her leg is not attached.

Husband-Like Person reluctantly agreed to try to reattach the leg, and he did, using a small zip tie.

Sorry for the fuzziness.

 Her leg is sort of permanently sticking out, but she's just happy to have two legs.

Always dancing.

Tuesday Mrs. Smith and I went thrifting. It wasn't the same as going with Auntie Berman but we had a good time. Mrs. Smith bought almost $30 worth of stuff at Bargain Bin, no mean feat. She got a lot of purses and jeans. I found a few dolly clothing items and then saw a Disney doll with articulated arms. I got her with the idea of doing an arm transplant. Unfortunately I am growing rather fond of her, although I don't usually like the Disney look. The back of her head just says Disney China. After searching eBay, I am convinced she is Princess Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Now I'd better get out a princess dress for her! I will also attempt to repaint her lips a more pleasing color.

Disney girls have very odd eyes.

So I think Purple girl will end up having a Steampunk mechanical arm, although I haven't quite figured out how that's going to happen.