Blythe Quake
Gail: From the Grocery Store to the Runway!
Gail is a vintage grocery store doll from the early 1960s. I found her just by chance, when I was 'channel surfing,' so to speak (looking aimlessly) on etsy.
Her face is very similar to Sweet Sue Sophisticate and Revlon dolls of the 1950s-very early 1960s who have a somewhat square-ish jaw and mature look in contrast to the more oval-faced, turned-up-nose, cute look that became more common after the 1950s and can be seen, for instance, in Candy Fashion dolls and DeLuxe Reading's various grocery store dolls, as well as in top-line dolls.
***Her body, like many grocery store dolls, is stuffed with kapok and consists of only 2 pieces: the head (not stuffed but regular vinyl); and a body made of ONE piece--the arms, legs, etc. are all together. Thus, there is no movement of arms and legs.
Kapok stuffing can lead to a kind of warping of the legs--they can became swayed to one side, for example, probably from not being able adequately to support the weight of the doll while left standing (that's just a guess). Luckily, Gail's legs are in good condition. I have put her on a stand so her legs will stay relatively straight.
One advantage is that though grocery store dolls were CHEAP--let me say that again:
CHEAP! CHEAP and PROUD!
--her hair is wonderful.
When I got her, her hair was limp, flat and bedraggled but I rinsed it with conditioner and it was very soft and manageable. Plus, just several minutes in curlers and her hair hair curled like a dream! Her hair is not thick yet it looks like a full bouffant-ish style just because of how great it curls.
Blessed, cheap 50+ year old grocery store doll (that I never had until now), I love you!
Gail: From the Grocery Store to the Runway!
Gail is a vintage grocery store doll from the early 1960s. I found her just by chance, when I was 'channel surfing,' so to speak (looking aimlessly) on etsy.
Her face is very similar to Sweet Sue Sophisticate and Revlon dolls of the 1950s-very early 1960s who have a somewhat square-ish jaw and mature look in contrast to the more oval-faced, turned-up-nose, cute look that became more common after the 1950s and can be seen, for instance, in Candy Fashion dolls and DeLuxe Reading's various grocery store dolls, as well as in top-line dolls.
***Her body, like many grocery store dolls, is stuffed with kapok and consists of only 2 pieces: the head (not stuffed but regular vinyl); and a body made of ONE piece--the arms, legs, etc. are all together. Thus, there is no movement of arms and legs.
Kapok stuffing can lead to a kind of warping of the legs--they can became swayed to one side, for example, probably from not being able adequately to support the weight of the doll while left standing (that's just a guess). Luckily, Gail's legs are in good condition. I have put her on a stand so her legs will stay relatively straight.
One advantage is that though grocery store dolls were CHEAP--let me say that again:
CHEAP! CHEAP and PROUD!
--her hair is wonderful.
When I got her, her hair was limp, flat and bedraggled but I rinsed it with conditioner and it was very soft and manageable. Plus, just several minutes in curlers and her hair hair curled like a dream! Her hair is not thick yet it looks like a full bouffant-ish style just because of how great it curls.
Blessed, cheap 50+ year old grocery store doll (that I never had until now), I love you!