Hello dollies!
Mustang collection needs new home
MUSTANG — Cher and the Bionic Woman share space with a regal Princess Diana wearing a red ball gown, while Shirley Temple and the Campbell Soup Kid Twins stand out in the crowd.
Meanwhile, Michael Jackson has lost his microphone and Erik Estrada, a heartthrob from the 1970’s TV show “Chips,” looks a little gray.
These are some of the stars among Imogene’s Vintage Dolls, a collection of more than 500 playthings amassed over eight decades by a young-at-heart Mustang resident.
At age 93, Imogene McDowell has decided to give up playing with dolls. She’s looking for a new home for them. The assortment of dolls of different shapes, sizes, ethnicity and popularity have lived with her for years and years, either packed away in boxes or sitting in nooks and crannies in her Mustang home.
The nonagenarian is moving to a retirement community now that her husband “Mac” has been moved to a veterans’ center, and there won’t be enough room in her new place for Strawberry Shortcake, Chatty Cathy and the gang.
With help from some of her friends at her church, First Baptist-Mustang, McDowell plans to sell her dolls as part of the Sweet Repeats Sale set for Friday through Sunday in Yukon. Part of the proceeds from the doll sale will go towards First Baptist-Mustang’s children’s program, where McDowell has volunteered for many years.
“I never even dreamed I’d have over 500 dolls,” she said. “It’s hard to remember what you have and what you don’t have.”
Sandi Burrow, Sovilla Holland and other members of McDowell’s church have spent several nostalgic afternoons unpacking all of the dolls and have counted 532 thus far. The group has sorted through a bevy of dolls, doll cribs, doll diapers and clothing.
“It’s been a real treat to see her re-engage with her dolls,” Burrow said.
Holland agreed.
“We’ll be dreaming dolls,” she said, laughing.
Each time a doll comes out of a box, McDowell’s eyes light up and she has some memory to share.
“It has been such a blessing to uncover so many of these treasures that Imogene has had stored away, so many of them, for years and years,” Burrow said.
“There’s a story with each new doll that we uncover.”
All dolled up
McDowell said her first baby doll was a “crier” that intrigued her father so much that he took it apart — and never put it back together again.
McDowell remembers being sad, but not for long.
Though that first doll met an unhappy ending, her lifelong love of them began soon after the toy’s demise. McDowell’s mother died, and she went to live with her Aunt Ava, an avid doll collector who encouraged her young niece to collect them, too.
McDowell said she and her aunt began to collect dolls together, so much so, that her uncle would go to garage sales and other places to “scout” out the dolls for them to purchase.
She has purchased dolls from garage sales, doll shows, antique stores and regular retail outlets. Some she has found without any garments but she makes clothing for them and knows how to mend any rips or tears in their dresses or make repairs to the dolls themselves.
Some of the dolls are very old, such as two composition dolls found together in a box. Burrow said composition dolls were made out of sawdust, glue and other materials and were considered to be sturdier than the more fragile porcelain dolls, which McDowell also has in her collection.
Other dolls in the collection are noticeable such as the 27-inch 50th Anniversary Edition Shirley Temple doll with the requisite golden ringlets, the Raggedy Ann dolls and two Chatty Cathy dolls, including one that still says “Come play with me” at the pull of a drawstring. Other favorites that have been popular over the years include Ronald McDonald, Dennis the Menace, Betty Boop, white and black Gerber babies, Annie and many Cabbage Patch Kids.
McDowell plans to keep a few of the dolls, particularly some given to her by her aunt.
The rest will be part of the sale.
“They just need a little loving care,” she said.
She’s a doll
Burrow said she has enjoyed helping McDowell because the older woman has given much of her time to their church over the years. In addition to working with preschool children at her current church, McDowell was involved with children’s ministry at South Del Baptist Church and Penn Avenue Baptist Church.
“This has been an amazing adventure, especially being here with Imogene and her great, wonderful Christian spirit,” Burrow said.
McDowell said she will be relieved to move to a smaller place, but she will feel peculiar without her dolls once they’ve found their new happy endings.
“I’m going to feel like I’m lost. I have good memories of collecting them.”