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Vintage 1930s Mme. Alexander 7" Dionne Quintuplet Composition Dolls
With Article Clippings and Five-of-a-Kind Accessories
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What we have here is an amazing and exceptional set of original Madame Alexander Dionne Quintuplet dolls from the 1930s plus some rare and remarkable extras. The Alexander doll company secured the first licensing agreement to manufacture these quintuplet dolls shortly after the babies were born in Canada on May 28, 1934.
Bodies: This is the earliest set of strung dolls with the straighter molded hair and “bent baby legs” (later sets were straight-legged toddlers with molded hair showing more curl). These composition dolls are all marked “Alexander” on their backs and “Dionne Alexander” at the base of their heads. The composition shows some very fine crazing and a few small cracks and minor chips (the kind you have to look closely to see), plus light crazing on the painted hair. There are tiny bits of missing paint on the hair. Emelie has a very small crack at the side of her neck and some missing compo on her thigh (pictured). On the rest of the bodies, the areas of missing compo are few and are only in several spots. I consider these issues to be very minor because overall, the dolls’ composition is very good to excellent. All painted facial features on the dolls (eyes, brows, lips) look marvelous; a couple are lighter. The dolls still retain their original blushed knees. There are no other compo cracks and no compo lifts. The stringing on the dolls is a bit loose.
Clothing: All dolls come wearing their original organdy bonnets and matching tagged dresses trimmed in cluny lace, flannel diapers, and bibs with their names embroidered on the front: Emelie, Cecile, Annette, Marie, and Yvonne. Three tags say: Dionne Quintuplets / MADAME ALEXANDER / REG. N.Y. and two say: Madame Alexander / NEW YORK. These items are in very good to excellent condition, with a bit of age darkening and a few small age spots less than 1/8”, as you might expect on clothing of this vintage. One dress has two spots in the back which could probably be cleaned, but I’ll leave this to her new owner. There are no rips or holes. The dresses display very well.
Accessories: Also included are the following vintage items (some appear factory; some may be home-made by a talented seamstress or tailor): - 5 ivory-colored slips, all in excellent condition
- 5 flannel nightgowns with embroidered names and ribbon ties at the neck representing the colors of the quints: green, pink, lavender, yellow, and blue – one spot on the front; gowns could use laundering
- 5 white crocheted bonnets with pink trim
- 5 white crocheted small receiving blankets with pink trim and labels sewn in with each girl’s name
- 5 red crocheted sunsuits with red ribbon ties
- 5 red crocheted bonnets with ribbon ties
- 5 pairs of red crocheted booties with ribbon ties
- 5 cotton dresses with a small print teddy bear/bunny rabbit/duck design; girls’ names are hand embroidered at the neckline; dresses close in back with a snap
- 5 crocheted sweaters with light pink ribbon ties
- 5 miniature glass baby bottles with each girl’s name taped across the front
- 1 large white flannel receiving blanket with pink stripes; Yvonne’s name is embroidered in pink thread; blanket could use laundering
Most of these items are in excellent condition.
Extras: - Two pink plastic miniature baby buggies (one with 5 little heads in it to represent the quints) and one blue
- A rare issue of The New York Times magazine from April 23, 1978, featuring a cover story by Pierre Berton on the Dionne Quintuplets and how they were exploited during the Depression by the evil Dr. Dafoe. The magazine is in good condition, with many bent corners, a cover crease, and some edge wear.
- An article from the Chicago Tribune dated May 28, 1984 about the quints turning 50
This enormous lot – numbering over 80 items in total – is in very good to excellent condition for its age (74+ years old). The dolls, their clothing, and their accessories have obviously been lovingly stored and cared for. All in all, this is a rare and unique set in this condition and breadth, and is a terrific find for a vintage or antique doll lover, or a collector of Dionne items. It will certainly be the highlight of any collection. I have placed a reserve on this lot that is under $700, which is reasonable for this special and hard-to-find set.
Because I am not the original owner, I cannot guarantee that these items have never been exposed to smoke, pets or peanut butter, but my nose is very good and I don't detect any bad smells.
My feedback rating is excellent, so bid with confidence. Do not miss out on your chance to own this incredible set of Madame Alexander Quint dolls!
Please see my other auctions for unusual collectibles, vintage dolls, and more. I will combine shipping.
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- Payment MUST be received in 3 days or Seller reserves the right to re-list/resell item.
- All sales are final unless item has been grossly misrepresented. In the rare instance when this occurs, buyer must notify seller within 5 days of receiving the item, otherwise the sale will be considered final.
- We encourage questions prior to bidding.
PAYMENT
Items will be shipped within 3 business days of receiving cleared payment. Seller will e-mail winning bidder with a total after the close of the auction.
SHIPPING COST
See shipping calculator for shipping amounts in the U.S. Shipping to Canada and Europe will cost more. Shipping will be actual cost for Priority Mail plus $12, which will cover very careful packing and insurance. NOTE: Insurance is included in the amount shown on the shipping calculator.
Thanks for bidding and good luck!
On Oct-31-09 at 19:57:02 PDT, seller added the following information: |
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