2nd Hand Rescue's & Other Great Finds

You know there are times when I go to the 2nd hand store that I feel I am there just to rescue items. Not that I buy things for projects on purpose mind you. But sometimes I am attracted to something simply because I think it worth rescuing. This is not to say rescues were the only things I found today. I found some other fun items too.

Here was my first rescue from the shelves. When I found her she was severely disheveled and sorry looking. She had been marked as Halloween decor, which was just adding insult to injury.

She is missing her bottoms and I only show this here to give you an idea as to her shape. She had the most wonderful hips.

Her  face is carefully hand inked and painted and she still has part of her cotton hibiscus flower intact. I tried to get better pictures but could not. The flower still has its multi-layered yellow center too.

Thankfully she still had her original cotton top but someone had tied it really crazy, so for these pictures I retied it to look more like it should have originally.

What surprised me the most when I tried to do research on this doll, is just how much incorrect information is floating around out there. Most claim these were made in the 1940's in Hawaii. A careful examination of this doll however makes me inclined to believe this is a much older doll. First of all this is not a witch for Halloween but a Hawaiian Hula doll. If you look closely at the base of the hair on her back this stamped mark can be seen. It reads, "Made In Japan" with the number 3 surrounded by faint Japanese writing. I believe my doll dates from the 1920's -30's. With a leaning towards the 1930's.

My reasons for concluding this comes from the doll itself and historical information. The first thing I noticed was the raffia tied with old flour sack string. Then I noticed the fabric of her top is 1920's - 30's style fabric. It's color and pattern being very like those used in many American quilts of the depression era 1930's. Also her hair is made of wool yarn, not synthetic. That Made in Japan label is a big indicator too. In the 1920's laws were passed in America that all imports be marked with the country of origin. Made in Japan was a mark used during this time. Imports to Hawaii from Japan ran steadily from the 1920's to 1940 until Dec 7, 1941, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. All imports from Japan ceased because of WWII, which ended in 1945. Japanese imports did not return until the early 1950's to Hawaii. By then the fabric style's had changed dramatically.

The dolls being sold as 1940's dolls, and claiming to be made in Hawaii, that resemble this doll, I would advise checking for this mark. If the maker put it up under the hair it may be harder to tell that it is not a Hawaiian made doll. I could find nothing on the Japanese maker of my doll and I would welcome any further information on these fascinating dolls. I have plans to make her some bottoms and will also try to replace her missing neck and wrist lei's. I was happy to pay the $1.99 for this doll, and with care I hope she lasts many years into the future.

This was my second rescue, and sadly I could find very little information about this wonderfully made in Jamaica flip doll. When I found her, her straw hat was nearly off and her bandana undone, so I had to remove her from the crammed pile of stuff on the shelf. I have seen a few of these dolls on the internet that say they are souvenir dolls from the 1980's. This may be true, or she may be slightly older, I do not know for certain?! She is very nicely done, and her fabrics are very crisp like new fabric, so I was glad to get her before she was further damaged. She was $2.99 but red tags were 1/2 off so I paid just $1.49.

Many theory's, (touted as facts), have been raised about the history and origin of this type of doll, but I will not speculate on it here. That all manner of people made dolls during our history should be appreciated for its artistic value, and not lead us to making all manner of assumptions that may or may not be true concerning them. I am glad I could rescue a doll that someone from Jamaica made, (a county I have always admired but will never be able to visit), no matter the reason. It is well made and truly delightful no matter which way I flip her. Her bandana reminds me of the one's my grandma's used to wear, which they got in the habit of doing since they were real, "Rosie the Riveters", during WWII. Both worked for Boeing making airplanes for the war effort. The straw hat is similar to one's my paternal grandma wore when out gardening. I have the most hilarious picture of myself wearing one of her fantastical straw hats. It had a ring of dingle balls around its rim and I loved it.

Here is another great example of hand-craft. This beaded on wire basket is truly a delight. These are made in both Asia and Africa, and probably other places in the world too, as they have grown in popularity. I found this one to be so pretty with it's lovely lavender and white beads, the shape was great and the lavender flower on its lid a very sweet touch. A big thanks to whoever made it, for it came with no labeling at all. I can't imagine the amount of patience and skill it must take to make a basket like this?! It seemed a small price to pay at just $3.99. I couldn't buy the beads and wire for that.

Winding down my shopping, I came across this poor little sheep carelessly tossed upon a bottom shelf. I almost didn't pick it up because I thought for certain it would be broken. Imagine my surprise to find it was perfectly fine. I do love old fashioned looking toys and this sweet little rocking sheep will just fill the bill. It was only a $1 so how could I resist?!

Just as I was leaving the last aisle, this little box of skewers caught my eye. I know they say they are for martini's and for stabbing those salty green olives. But I thought they might made good hatpins or something interesting for my Little People, so snatched them up. As you can see I have yet to even remove the price tag. Believe me I was shocked when I went looking on the web for these things. Some, not much different, were selling for $15-$20. How nuts is that?! I thought I was paying a bit much at $1.99. Who would have guessed these pins are so expensive?! Grant you they are silver plated, but still, that's way more than I would ever pay to stab an olive. As you can see they are made in Canada, North Vancouver to be exact, so I guess this was a real international haul of goodies at the 2nd hand store this time. Just think you can take a trip around the world in your own small town. It sure beats the expense of actually going there, even if it isn't as exciting.