Trolls portray supernatural beings from Scandinavian folklore. Various companies copied the Fauni Trolls, circa 1952, designed by a couple from Finland, Helena and Martti Kuuslkoski.
The Norfin Troll
Here are the trolls in their new cave. Trolls were reintroduced in the mid 1980’s with an improved vinyl body when the Norfin troll became available.
Remembering Trolls
My daughter Elaine and her brothers are shown in this 1972 picture. They remember the trolls and their original cave.
Betsy Wetsy Doll
The Ideal Doll Co. made this 16 in. Betsy Wetsy all vinyl drink-and-wet baby. The body is marked © 1983 CBS Inc. Ideal 7518. Doll makers during this time often made white-toned dolls such as this rather than skin-toned dolls.
Madame Alexandar 1960s Muffin Doll
Mme. Alexander’s 16 in. cloth Muffin dates to the mid 1960’s. I made this one from a pattern in Woman’s Day magazine.
Baby Danielle Doll
Baby Danielle, 17 in., has a high quality look in her original outfit. She has a vinyl head and limbs with soft cloth body. Brigitte Zapf of Zapf Creations in Germany designed her.
1966 Drowsy Doll
Drowsy, a 1966 15 in. doll by Mattel, looks new from the neck up but has a few worn spots on her well-played-with soft flannel body. She had a pull-string talking unit that, when working, made her a popular bedtime doll.
Drowsy Doll
Tiny Chatty Brother Doll
Tiny Chatty Brother, a brother to the popular Chatty Cathy, is a 15 in. 1962 doll by Mattel. His cap is missing and, like most of the talking mechanisms, his no longer works.
1950s Horsman Doll
This is a 17 in. Horsman doll with vinyl head and limbs and a soft cloth body. When found at the flea market she was dressed in this handmade velvet gown that really suits her. She dates from the 1950’s to early 1960’s.
1978 Gerber Baby Doll
The doll on the left is a 1978 Golden Anniversary edition of the Gerber Baby made by the Atlanta Novelty Co. It is 18 in. and came with a skirt and bib over its red and white cotton stuffed body. The smaller 12 in. Gerber, 1988, was also made by the same company. It has a one-piece soft vinyl body and, like the larger doll, has rolling “flirty“ eyes.
