27
Aug
2022

My New 2022 Hobby – featuring the PEPPER DOLL BY IDEAL – Part 1

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27 Aug 2022
Original dress manufactured by the IDEAL Toy Company – for the iconic 8-9″ Pepper doll in the 1960’s

So what’s my newfound hobby?

You probably guessed it from my hint published last month….. collecting tiny doll dresses from 60 years ago.

Assembling the complete, original wardrobe – circa 1960’s – for my beloved Pepper doll. One of my favorite toys from my early days.

Just like I wrote in a previous post, I remembered what made me happy without effort. What gave me joyful hours of play without a single care in the world.

Since January 1st, I have scoured websites for authentic Pepper doll outfits…..which was equivalent to a delightful treasure hunt.

Slowly….randomly….without any warning, I would stumble upon an online offering for a blouse or pair of pants or a dress. Rarely did I find a complete outfit. It felt like winning the childhood lottery item by item.

I bought 2 identical dresses online.

I never intend to buy duplicates, but in rare circumstances when the seller’s description of NM (near mint) & NP (near perfect) was basically inaccurate. In some instances, there was a rip/tear (or discoloration) not visible in the photos.

I understand that conditional values are completely subjective, but NM and NP provide a level of expectation for the buyer.
Rather than be disappointed, I modified the lesser dress which had obvious wear-and-tear by reconstructing the bodice and by adding a string of round silver baubles… I even created a matching crown.

I kept on searching until I located the pretty pink dress in pristine shape for my new collection.
These 2 outfits were in excellent condition, but had subtle damage, so I added embellishments to the belt and hat.

The flaws were clearly stated in the seller’s item descriptions, but I purchased them anyway because the reduced price reflected the imperfections, and my alterations were great fun.

Still searching for the little dress in ‘MINT’ condition.
Removed faded and winkled belt on the dress and replaced with coordinating ribbon and a shiny gold button I had in my sewing kit….and added tiny silk flowers with a faux pearl center to hide imperfections on the straw hat.
In the 8 months I’ve been shopping – this was the elusive outfit.

Either it wasn’t popular and IDEAL didn’t manufacture many sets or the delicate red knit sweater didn’t hold up over the decades.

I only found 2 sweaters and 1 pair of pants for sale in almost 2/3 of a year.

Unfortunately, all 3 of the items were in poor, tattered condition. (Both sweaters had holes.)

So, I had to pay-up and buy “new, old stock” in the original packaging to complete my set.
Now, I have the complete set of Pepper’s original wardrobe…albeit some outfits have been modified to hide flaws.

I’m still on the search for upgrading a couple of outfits which is wonderful entertainment for the future.
So how did I store/display all of these new clothes?

I grabbed a pretty (but sturdy) gift box my daughter-in-law gave me in 2017 – which was hiding in my closet….hot-glued a tiny wooden dowel rod to create a miniature closet. I used the substantial matching lid to make a secondary garment closet for pant/slack sets.
This is my beloved Pepper doll from the 1960’s.

I remember loving her when I was a child. She has been in storage all these decades. She’s made multiple moves to my many adult homes… since first residing in my childhood bedroom.
1960’s advertisement for Dodi (Pepper’s best friend) and of course, Pepper.
After seeing the vintage advertisement for Pepper and her best friend, Dodi – I just had to add her to my collection!

I bought Dodi last month!

The Dodi I actually bought is in magnificent condition – she even had the factory-issued plastic tube around her hair to keep it in near-perfect condition. And yes, I paid handsomely for this ‘near-perfect’ hair since so many Dodi dolls on the market have received considerable haircuts by their child owners over the years. The Dodi dolls listed for sale with long hair were often sporting a mangled and tangled mop.

The evening gown is in Mint condition. I purchased it in early in 2022. It was one of the first pieces I bought. It is definitely an upgrade from my original gown I received as a birthday gift oh-so-many years ago.
This is my well-worn and plenty-played with childhood version.
Here’s an example of another 2022 upgrade purchase.

It is Pepper’s pajama top. My original top was discolored and had no pom-pom buttons.
Pepper had a new playmate – an exclusive offering from Montgomery Wards Department Store – Patti.

I haven’t really been interested in adding this doll to my collection. She’s quite rare, but I haven’t had the want or wish to own it.

My next purchase will be another Pepper doll with a distinguishing omission! More about that later in Part 2.

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In Part 2 of my posts about my new hobby, I will tell you how I financed this pricey endeavor. And, I’ll give you a little backstory as to why I chose this new avocation.

I do hope by sharing this extremely happy hobby with you today – it will help you find your new positive pastime and new “THING”. Again, it’s all about you and your new hobby. Your happiness.

Come back next week to read Part 2…..it is more about the WHY? and the HOW! of my choice of hobbies. Today’s post was about the WHAT I chose to pursue.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate it more than I could ever express in words….and words are my passion.

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