Wendy Loves Shopping

It's marketing day and Wendy is determined to be the biggest help she can to Mother. Wendy dresses in her untagged but very detailed red and white dress. This has tiny rickrack trim, and inset contrast panel in the bodice, and attached slip. Wendy's red taffeta panties coordinate with her dress. She puts on her rayon socks and black Alexander shoes as well. When it's time to leave Wendy dons her Vogue A-line checked coat with black velvet collar and cuffs. This is tagged with the Medford Vogue tag. Then Wendy puts on her red felt poke hat trimmed with flowers and glass beads. The hat is handmade by me.

The dress is very detailed but not tagged.

The Medford Vogue tag

Wendy is big enough to carry Mother's marketing basket. This is tagged Made in Japan and trimmed with velvet flowers. Some of the red color bled into the white. Mother asks Wendy what cereal she prefers and smart Wendy chooses wheat flakes over sugary fare. The wheat flakes cardboard box is in wonderful shape. It looks like a 1950s My Merry piece to me but isn't marked with a brand.

Wendy can sit and stand alone.

The bag is tagged Japan

Pastor is coming to dinner, so Mother picks out a cake for dessert and Wendy carefully places it in the basket. "That's all we need today, Wendy-Kins.", says Mother. "Since you've been such a big help, why don't you pick out a new toy." Wendy thinks hard about what toy she would like best. Finally she chooses a rubbery baby doll wrapped in a flannel blanket. Mother and Wendy check out and head back home. Wendy loves shopping on marketing day, and most of all, she loves helping Mother!

Wendy's accessories

There is a tiny rub in Wendy's cheek paint.

The first Alexander-Kins dolls appeared in 1953. The original Wendy-Kins was a straight-leg non-walker. The second version, this one, was a straight-leg walker. So, as a second series doll from 1954, this is one of the earliest Wendy-Kins dolls ever made. This is probably Madame Alexander's most popular and most-produced dolls, as it has been continuously manufactured in various incarnations from 1953 to the present. This is a wonderful example of such an old doll. Wendy's blond, triple stitched wig is original and in excellent condition. Her blue sleep eyes work. She is absolutely all original. There is a tiny rub in her paint on one cheek, but otherwise her paint is very good. She does have a yellow spot on her chest and another pink spot on her bottom. Neither of these shows when she is dressed. Wendy's walker works and she can sit and stand alone. I re-strung her arms and legs with durable elastic cord. Wendy's back is marked ALEX.

There's a yellow mark on her chest.

There's a pink spot on her bottom.

Wendy-Kins dolls from 1954 are not easy to find in such good condition, and this is a super-cute set, if I do say so myself! I am in the midst of restoring a series of small 8 and 9 inch dolls and clothing right now, so if you collect Alexander-Kins, Muffie, Ginny, or others you will definitely want to check the Atelier Mandaline store. Right now everything is on sale. Both our dogs have been sick and we are facing over $1000 in vet bills, so I am taking lower offers than usual. I'm really worried about our Sheltie. She's 13 years old and though she survived a bout of serious bacterial colitis and pancreatitis she threw up twice today. I'm worried she will have to go back to the vet, but I'm really worried this is all just the slow process of her body shutting down. It seems like yesterday she was a puppy and my teenager was a toddler. He taught Ilse, the dog, to play pirates with him. They would climb to the top of the slide on his little playset and he would yell, "Walk the plank, Ilse!" and then Ilse would slide down the slide. Where does the time go? Thinking of how recent that time seems breaks my heart.