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!
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.
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...
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!
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!
The next few were all found in flea markets and are some of the very best!
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!
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!
Oh, the little wind-up lion is a dear!
ReplyDeleteI also love "vintage by Crystal"'s shop...I am the happy owner of one of her albino bats. :)
Also, it wouldn't be right to leave without saying how rad lion-dog is.
ReplyDeletethese are amazing! i like them so much.
ReplyDeleteThose are really adorable!
ReplyDeleteI'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!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a collection you have here! They are so great, thanks for the inspiration :)
ReplyDeleteI 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!
ReplyDeletei 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.
ReplyDeleteadorable friends :) so fairytale like.
ReplyDeleteI WANT A WEINER DOG STUFFY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletewhat an AMAZING collection!
That teddy bear looks just like one my dad has from when he was a kid!! Someday it shall be mine.
ReplyDeleteahahah 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.
ReplyDeleteMy 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. :)
ReplyDeleteI'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. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, 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! =^_^=
ReplyDeleteoooh these are so cute and special and unique. your obsession for stuffed animals is like my obsession for baby dolls.
ReplyDeleteI 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!
ReplyDeleteaww cute!
ReplyDeletexx-LJ from SOS!
adorable.
ReplyDeleteand i think its funny that you call dollars doll hairs, i do the same exact thing!
like all the time though. hehe
I loved reading this post.
ReplyDeleteGlimpses into peoples collections get me all giddy.
I loved every single photo.
Thanks for sharing
It's hard to understand how anyone could part with these much loved creatures isn't it? They tug at the heart strings.
ReplyDeletethey are all adorable!
ReplyDeletethat is such a wonderful collection!!!! my absolute favourite is the cat that rhiannon gave you. it is the best thing i have ever seen!
ReplyDeletei've got a big brown bear that i've had since i was born, but that's about it!
My father has one of those dogs with signatures...it's fantastic! I love the stories behind old things.
ReplyDeletea 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.
ReplyDeletei 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!
ReplyDeletesweet post,
xo s
so many amazing ones
ReplyDeletei love the old animals with character
To think, I didn't even care for stuffed animals...until now!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletethose 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!
ReplyDeleteI love them all, are adorable1
ReplyDeleteHave you got a Raggedy Anne too?
kisses!
By the way, I'm going to New York in april... do you know where can a buy an old Raggedy Anne?????
ReplyDeleteI 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!!!
ohhhh!
ReplyDeletethey'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
I really really like that zebra. I actually kind of want it. Now onto the Etsy shop...
ReplyDeleteplease let me buy your little lion he has stolen my heart! i love him.
ReplyDeletecarlotta
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 ;))
ReplyDeletewow
ReplyDeletethose are some amazing toys, with such character! I think my favourite is the zebra.
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!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this great post, it was very cheering.
pack ratness is great right? I love all your friends!!
ReplyDeleteThe "little one-eyed bandit" seriously freaked me out lol
ReplyDeletelion dog is awesome... but you're right... wind up is the best!
ReplyDeleteI love them all, but one-eyed bandit is my favourite! He's a tough-lookin' feller.
ReplyDeleteYou gotta love Crystal, her little critters are so fantastic!
oh man those are kind of creepy all together. but the little one eyed guy is brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI'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.
ReplyDeletei love your collection!!
ReplyDeleteGosh darnit, California sucks.
ReplyDelete