Friday, January 30, 2009

My Collections: Pt. 1 - Stuffings

I am a pack rat. There's no two ways about it, I just love being surrounded in a little rat's nest of junk. I decided I should start documenting things a little better - so here we have the start to a little series showcasing all my 'ol stuff!

. . . S T U F F I N G S . . .


It's the raggly and scraggly humble old friends that people once formed their childhoods around and they steal my heart each and every time! I have them scattered about - sitting on suitcases and hiding in book shelves - I try to keep them spread out as it's best not to lump this collection all together - at 22 you might be mistaken for having pre-cat lady symptoms.

I did however get the the gang together for a family portrait of sorts. It should be the first and last - but there's no promising!

My 'collection' (?)


. . .


I buy most of my stuffings at flea markets and antique stores. I rarely find the nice oldies in thrift stores. I've had the best luck at flea markets but sometimes people ask for outlandish amounts of money - I try not to pay anymore than $5 - but once in a while there are some you don't mind forkin' over a few extra doll hairs for ... I think these two pals were the priciest.. Each alone could be a new pretty dress - but we all have our vices.

new friens


. . .


This little one eyed bandit was a gift - and I think he hails from Western MA and he just might have been the catalyst for the collection...

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. . .


This fancy cat was a gift from the always lovely Rhiannon He's so long and lanky and I really adore his blue bow-tie!

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. . .


Lion Dog was also a gift and comes from one of the most beautiful antique stores I've ever been to in my entire life. His two tone tail is my favorite part!

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. . .


The next few were all found in flea markets and are some of the very best!

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. . .


I bought this zebra at the Bizarre Bazaar - I really love zebras, because they're awesome and also because my last name starts with a Z. The lovely girl who makes them lives in Boston and has a wonderful etsy shop. You have no idea how much I want this and this!

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. . .


Sadly, I have more - a lot more - but I'll only share one last one! Alice bought this for me for Christmas. It's a little wind up lion and it's probably the most perfect thing I own. His little red tongue and exposed spring tail is really too perfect!! They're both very dear to my heart!

46 comments:

Emily Blackapple said...

Oh, the little wind-up lion is a dear!
I also love "vintage by Crystal"'s shop...I am the happy owner of one of her albino bats. :)

Emily Blackapple said...

Also, it wouldn't be right to leave without saying how rad lion-dog is.

lina said...

these are amazing! i like them so much.

Rebecca said...

Those are really adorable!

amy merrick said...

I'm right there with you. Luckily, my boyfriend is a toy designer/ toy shop keeper so he understands and supports my bear collection. I think he loves steiff more than I do!

when skies are grey said...

Wow, what a collection you have here! They are so great, thanks for the inspiration :)

Meggy said...

I love this post so very much -- one of the bright spots of my day, in fact. Thank you for posting about all of these wonderful stuffed friends!

forest bound said...

i view these babies kind of as my adopted children. i love each and every one. but of course the scrappy wind up lion is my favorite.

Anonymous said...

adorable friends :) so fairytale like.

Meaghan Kelly said...

I WANT A WEINER DOG STUFFY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what an AMAZING collection!

Unknown said...

That teddy bear looks just like one my dad has from when he was a kid!! Someday it shall be mine.

olga d said...

ahahah these are so friggin great. it's like they're from some sort of old horror movie about dead orphans. except it's not really scary but just weird and cute.

Rhiannon said...

My vote goes for the one-eyed bear! You're the only person I know who collects vintage stuffed animals and I think it's so wonderful. :)

The Gel Journals said...

I've got to say this, the top you're wearing is the exact same top that Sally Jane Vintage posted under "The ones that got away" on ebay! :) It just goes to show, great "fashion" minds think alike. :)

Aya Smith said...

Oh, how this brings me back to childhood!!! I come from a long line of vintage lovers, but not in the clothing aspect. My mother, grandmother and great grandmother have always made dolls and collected vintage dolls and stuffed animals. I personally think it's adorable and an exciting side of you to see! =^_^=

Anna Wallace said...

oooh these are so cute and special and unique. your obsession for stuffed animals is like my obsession for baby dolls.

Fiona said...

I might just be a touch tipsy (it's 4am in the UK), but this post is the most perfect one I've ever seen and that lion! Oh!

LJ said...

aww cute!
xx-LJ from SOS!

Emily Rose said...

adorable.
and i think its funny that you call dollars doll hairs, i do the same exact thing!
like all the time though. hehe

Trish Hunter said...

I loved reading this post.
Glimpses into peoples collections get me all giddy.
I loved every single photo.
Thanks for sharing

Haunted Isles said...

It's hard to understand how anyone could part with these much loved creatures isn't it? They tug at the heart strings.

Petra said...

they are all adorable!

Penny said...

that is such a wonderful collection!!!! my absolute favourite is the cat that rhiannon gave you. it is the best thing i have ever seen!
i've got a big brown bear that i've had since i was born, but that's about it!

Cait said...

My father has one of those dogs with signatures...it's fantastic! I love the stories behind old things.

teddybearswednesday said...

a woman after my own heart!!! I'm EXACTLY the same, I collect old bears especially but also any loved old animals I find, I love strange old handmade knitted ones too! It's so nice to meet another similar soul out there!! I LOVE your blog it's beautiful, and I'm always off in my own world.

sarah said...

i had a weiner dog just like that when i was a 6 year old! i had my tonsils taken out (ugh sorry) and the nurses all signed it for me! and that zebra is amazing!
sweet post,
xo s

sew nancy said...

so many amazing ones
i love the old animals with character

lauren said...

To think, I didn't even care for stuffed animals...until now!!

Dawg said...
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Hannah Schulman said...

those are all way too rad to be embarrassed about! i wish i knew what happened to all my childhood animals. i totally want a vintage wind up mammal!

Alice said...

I love them all, are adorable1

Have you got a Raggedy Anne too?

kisses!

Alice said...

By the way, I'm going to New York in april... do you know where can a buy an old Raggedy Anne?????

I have ona that a found in a flea-market when i was studying in Italy, and it was stange, becasuse this doll do not exist in Europe...
I was praying for one since I was a child, an finally i found one lost in Italy!!! (you can see her in one of my last post)

I want a sister for my doll!!!!


thanks a lot!!!

Alice said...

ohhhh!
they're lovely! they all have so much character.
i love cleaning-up old bears, especially the sad little ones you find by themselves, gathering dust. xxxx

E said...

I really really like that zebra. I actually kind of want it. Now onto the Etsy shop...

that'd be dope said...

please let me buy your little lion he has stolen my heart! i love him.
carlotta

Little Miss Know-it-all said...

That last little lion strikes me as Parsley from the Herbs - if you don't know this, youtube The Herbs (original story by Michael Bond, who invented Paddington Bear...). It was a cute puppet show back in the 60/70s in England. Parsley is the lion, then there is the dog, Dill (my cocker spaniel is crazy like this), Aunt Rosemary, schoolchildren called The Chives and many others... Parsley would wave at the camera at the end, which explains why this little fella is a clockwork ;))

Jane said...

wow
those are some amazing toys, with such character! I think my favourite is the zebra.

Angeliska said...

Yay! I also collect these well-loved critters (as did Edward Gorey!) and I've been working on a book about them.. Maybe when I come up north we could have tea and picture time? I laugh every time I see that black bear with his tongue sticking out- so glad he found a happy home with you. Oh, and LION-DOG! I love him!
Thank you for this great post, it was very cheering.

LF said...

pack ratness is great right? I love all your friends!!

Deborah said...

The "little one-eyed bandit" seriously freaked me out lol

Laura said...

lion dog is awesome... but you're right... wind up is the best!

Penelope said...

I love them all, but one-eyed bandit is my favourite! He's a tough-lookin' feller.

You gotta love Crystal, her little critters are so fantastic!

ashley said...

oh man those are kind of creepy all together. but the little one eyed guy is brilliant.

Margaret Meyer said...

I'm jealous! What a great collection! I could see them in a really low-tech, animated, little short film about their adventures when you're not home.

cuteseas said...

i love your collection!!

BRANDI MILNE said...

Gosh darnit, California sucks.

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