Bed Dolls

Remember bed dolls?  Off and on through the years they have been popular, long skinny dolls with long skinny legs, dolls with crocheted skirts, and the kind I remember from my childhood, milk filter dolls.  Those little 6-8" dolls with huge skirts made from milk filters.   They came in a kit, and were extremely popular.

Most of my friends had bed dolls at their homes.  Some sat in the middle of a bed, and some adorned a couch.  Ours was in the middle of my parents' bed.  We weren't allowed to touch it, of course.  Too much time put in on it, and too dirty little hands.  So we leaned on the side of the bed, as close as we could get, and admired.  Did you ever have a bed doll?     

Splish, Splash

Nothing was as exciting as coming to grandma's and finding she was doing laundry.  We'd come into her house, and you could immediately smell that wet, soapy, heavy smell of hot water and clean clothes.  My brother and I would race into the "back room" where her wringer washer was kept, tumbling over each other to each get in there first, only to be sharply and loundly told, "get out of here, you'll get caught in the wringer."  It was enough of a warning for our arms to suddenly be sucked to our sides, in fear that the dread wringer would somehow reach down and grab a loosely guarded apendage, ripping us to shreads!  Of course, that never happened.  I know if you've never been around a wringer washer, you're wondering what made wash day so special.  Well, the wash tubs, of course!  After the laundry was washed, the water was "let out" by way of a rubber hose, running into a wash tub.  That tub of water was dumped in the yard, and the washer was filled with clean, hot water, to rinse the clean clothes.  All the clothes were put back into the washer to agitate the soap out, each piece picked up, run through the wringer, and dropped into a clothes basket to hang up.  Then the rinse water was "let out" into a tub.  Now comes the fun part!  The rinse tub was carried outside, warm and just slightly soapy, for us "younguns" to play in.  Our own private spa, where we swished back and forth, splashing water out each side, then we'd rollll, over and over... swish some more, rollll again.. for hours.  When it got late in the afternoon, and the water had cooled down, we climbed out, squeeky clean, all tired out, to dry off with a big towel.  Then we'd dress in our pjs, ready for supper and bed, barely able to keep our eyes open.  Another great day at grandma's!

Remember Trolls?

Do you remember those cute little potbellied, wild haired dolls wildly popular from 1963 through 1965?  American produced dolls were called Wishnik Trolls, Treasure Trolls, Gonks, Norfins, and other names.  Mine were Wishniks. 

There's just something endearing about it's optomistic smile, big eyes, and even it's short, fat little arms and legs.  You just can't keep from stroking that hair!

They seemed to really get around too.  This one went to Viet Nam in 1967 to stay with my boyfriend.  My future mother-in-law was apalled that I gave her son a naked doll.  But, that cute little thing worked it's magic, and it became the "good luck troll" that was hung in his helicopter.  It must have worked, too, as they crashed several times without any casualties.

If you're lucky enough to have some of those dolls, they may be worth anywhere from $1. to $5. for Russ dolls, and $15 and up for the 60's dolls.  Earlier dolls, from Sweden, called Dam dolls (named after the inventor), are the prize collectables.  Now, just remember.. if you are going to try to sell your troll, rub his tummy first for good luck!