Retro Dolls

Our first post! Today's spotlight is on vintage collectible dollikins, which were manufactured by the Uneeda Doll Company back in the 1950s-60s. Below is a picture of an authentic dollikin, owned by Lori Lake, captain of The Retro Circle team on Etsy. 

Wig dollikin, Lori Lake Treasures, Etsy

Lori points out that the clothes aren't original. "My niece made her skirt and her pink scarf and bought the go-go boots. The belt is actually a vintage rhinestone bracelet. And the blouse and handbag (lipstick case) were purchased at a thrift store. Voila! A fashion model!"

Lori first fell in love with a dollikin when she was eight years old. "I found my sister Susie's dollikin in the hall cupboard in pieces. Dollikins are articulated with 16 joints and held together with metal hooks and thick rubber bands. Those connectors can get brittle with age and can break. I immediately put the dollikin back together with elastic bands and played with her. Years later, I gave the dollikin to Susie's adult daughter, Dana. She put her in a "doll hospital" and made her beautiful again! Dana then gave her back to my sister as a gift. Since then, I have been collecting dollikins, including the rare 14-inch size."

Here's a group photo of some of Lori's dollikins.

Authentic dollikins. Note the articulated limbs.

The dollikin in red has her original hair, which came in a pony-tail. Those are her original shoes, too. Her red outfit is an authentic dollikin ensemble but was found separately, and when new was probably paired with red or black rubber pumps. The other dollikins are wearing wigs. As Lori explains, "Often dollikins had coarse hair that would wear over time with play. Eventually dollikins can get bald spots or worn hair plugs. When that happens, the rest of the hair can be plucked out and a wig can be purchased for them. The modern Cissy doll wig works perfectly on the 20-inch dollikin.

Do you have more information about dollikins? Please feel free to comment with insights, interesting facts and anecdotes. In future posts, we'll be showcasing other wonderful retro items, and will have special features on retro era designers, how to identify retro jewelry, where to find genuine vintage retro items, etc.

Is there a topic you would like to read about? We would love to hear your ideas!