Step Back Into Your Youth With These Paper Dolls

Before you were gifted the Barbie Dreamhouse you still hold onto today; you probably played with vintage paper dolls. Every little girl in the 60s-70s had a paper doll book. When you weren't playing dress-up, you cut out fashion dolls. Picking out outfits with your playmate was the ultimate after school fun. (When you weren't riding bikes of course).

Paper Dolls originate from London. According to unt.edu, S. & J. Fuller began producing the first paper doll books in 1810. These paper doll books were actually more than toys. They were storybooks; each book often told a story about the character. Little Fanny is a prominent paper doll that S. & J. Fuller is known for producing. Soon after the first printed paper doll book gained popularity, S. & J. Fuller created a Cinderella paper doll book in 1814.

As I mentioned, paper doll books told a story. It only made sense to turn notable fairy tales into paper books. Little girls loved to act out the stories as they played with their paper dolls. These were basically comic books for young girls in the 1800s.

Fast forward to the 1900s, and there are new products on the market. In the 1930s, a Shirley Temple paper doll set became available. As you can imagine, every Shirley Temple fan wanted this paper doll book. From Our Little Girl to Curly Top, Shirley Temple was everywhere.

Next, Merrill Publishing Company, Saalfield Publishing Company, Whitman Publishing Companies, and Queen Holden rose to prominence in the paper doll world.

Merrill Publishing Company has a Gone With the Wind book available on Amazon. You'll find Toodles, The Doll That Walks books from Saalfield Publishing Company, Blondie paper dolls from Whitman, and Sally & Susie paper doll books from Queen Holden on Amazon and eBay. Many of the antique paper doll listings are uncut.

Although Barbie dolls were popular in the 90s, Barbie paper dolls still made their way onto store shelves. You can find these retro paper doll books online as well. These collectibles can range anywhere from $10 to $200. It depends on the seller, but I can see why eBay sellers want to make some money. These are classics!

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