She was mistaken for a Shirley Temple Doll...

by MelissaOC
(Temecula, California)

I saw my first Raving Beauty doll about 3 years ago, while searching on line for vintage hard plastic dolls. Well, I knew I had seen them before, and perhaps even clicked on to take a look.

But whether it was remembering seeing this doll, or seeing her for the first time, I jumped at clicking on her link and ended up finding numerous beautiful RB dolls for sale.

All with different stories of where they were found, or the condition they were in, or their outfits - they were all different! But I just fell in love with them.

When I did some research and found out they were made in Southern California, I shouted out - ahh-haa! I knew it! Born and raised here, I was a raving beauty too! :)

Well, after collecting dolls for a few years, mainly 1950s hp play dolls {Effanbee Honey was my favorite!} I thought I was fairly to mid-range knowledgeable about this era doll.

So while I was traveling around the western u.s. states a few years ago, I accidentally stumbled into an antique shop in Idaho {ok, not really, I ran in}. Stay with me, it gets better...

After several minutes of just poking around looking for odds and ends, I walked up some old wooden steps to a nearly empty second floor with only a few small vendors renting space up there.

Well I don't really know if they were small, but referring to their space size.... I happen to see a vintage brunette doll in a green taffeta gown sitting on an old wooden chair. It was my Raving Beauty!

I knew it the second I saw her face. She had been out quite a lot of times in that dress because it was all torn up, and held up with two small safety pins. And that wig, huh? I just knew that wig did not belong to her. It was a light brown and short and lots of tight curls, and the tag read; "vintage Shirley Temple doll". Wow. This poor vendor wasn't too sharp.

She was mine, no matter that price tag. But because she had a cheap, not so appealing wig that was so loose it slipped right off her head, as well as a torn dress, with no other pieces of clothing (or dignity)... I made a deal.

So, to make a short story way too long, she fit perfectly in that pretty shop bag, and we both lived happily ever after.

I now have 3 Raving Beauty dolls, all of which I rescued, cleaned up, new 'old vintage' dresses, shoes, etc... keeping it real for these dolls is the only way!

Here are two of my dolls. I love their hair to be of excellent quality, and to fit their original hair and style...but then I mess them up just a little.

Thanks for letting me share my story!
Take care ~
MelissaOC