Doll Repair & Restoration: November 2015

FEES

Doll repair: Base fee doll repair (which includes ID on the doll): $30
Restringing: $30 for up to a moderate size doll (app. 20"). Inquire for pricing on larger dolls.
Resetting of stationary eyes: $30
Resetting of sleep eyes (on a rocker) $35 and up
Composition repair starts at $30. After that it will be determined on the basis of hours needed for the completion of the project at the cost of $15 per hour. An estimate will be given.
Porcelain repair: $30 base fee. Same fee scale applies as for composition. Estimates given.
Misc: Wigs, wig caps, criers and any other new parts are in addition to the charges for services.
Identification of doll without repair: $20 (This includes value and several references from accepted doll value books that will be sent to the doll owner.)

Costume repair and costumes: There is a base fee of $30 for any work done. After that cost is determined by the time taken to complete the outifit, and the complexity of the pattern. Estimates will be given. Shoes, stockings and other such items are an additional charge.

China repair: There is a base fee of $30. After that, cost is determined on an hourly basis. Estimates are given.

Doll talks: One Hundred Years of Dolls, Marla Fair, lecturer. $50 fee.

Call 937.339.9869 or email dfair@woh.rr.com

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Gorgeous Girl

My doll repair work has been on hold for a week or so while I completed two paintings for the holiday display at my husband's store. I'll share them in another post. I have been watching and bidding on eBay and I won this antique 1850-ish papier mache head with exposed ears and glass eyes. She is GORGEOUS!

As I have grown older, I have come to love the earlier dolls, especially any made of papier mache. According to the dictionary, papier mache is a malleable mixture of paper and glue, or paper, flour, and water, that becomes hard when dry. Ludwig Greiner, of course, was the king of the papier mache doll makers. There were many other makers, some who marked their dolls with paper tags (like Greiner and Superior), most of which have long since been lost. Many were never marked. I think this beautiful lady is a Greiner, but I will have to do some research to prove it since she has no tag or residue of one having been on her back plate.

Her dimensions are 7 inches tall, with a shoulder spread of 7 inches as well.

Enjoy!

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Black Islander Doll Heuback Koppelsdorf 399

Another little project. This one was for me. This is an app. 10 inch Heubach Koppelsdorf Black Islander Bisque head doll.

According to www.dollreference.com - Ernst Heubach's porcelain factory was in Koppelsdorf, Germany, they made bisque doll heads on kid or composition bodies. Ernst Jr. married Beatrice Marseille, daughter of Armand Marseille and one of E. Heubach's sculptors had a brother that worked as a sculptor at Marseille, which may explain why their dolls have similarities to one another.

In 1919 Heubach and Marseilles merged and formed the United Porcelain Factory of Koppelsdorf (Vereinigte Koppelsdorf Porzellanfabrik vorm Armand Marseille and Ernst Heubach). By 1932 the two companies went their separate ways. During this union, 1919-1932 dolls are often marked with 'Heubach Koppelsdorf'.

He (or she) needed cleaning and minor repair. The doll has its original brass earrings and grass skirt. A little grass hat is missing. I plan to make one some day.