Dear Helaine and Joe:
Enclosed are pictures of a doll from my childhood. It is an original "Revlon" doll from about 1956. It is in good condition and has the original hangtag. Any information you could give me regarding the history and value of this doll would be appreciated.
Sincerely,
J. B., Palos Heights, Ill.
Dear J. B.
The Ideal Novelty and Toy Co. can trace its origins to Morris and Rose Michtom. The year was 1903.
This enterprising couple owned a penny candy store in Brooklyn and they were so enthralled by the story of Theodore Roosevelt's refusal to kill a bear cub tied to a tree that they created a stuffed bear made from plush velvet with shoe button eyes. They put it in the window of their store with a sign that read "Teddy's Bear," and it was an immediate sensation.
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Customers wanted to buy it and Rose Michtom sewed and sewed but could not keep up with the demand. This was the birth of the "Teddy Bear" and led to the creation of the Ideal Toy and Novelty Co. in 1907. It became the Ideal Toy Co. in 1938.
Over the years, Ideal has delighted children with a myriad of toys such as "Rock'em Sock'em Robots," and "Mouse Trap," but they are perhaps most famous for their dolls, which include "Buster Brown," "Peter Pan," "Betsy Wetsy," "Deanne Durbin," and perhaps most famous of all, "Shirley Temple."
Ideal started producing "Miss Revlon" dolls in 1956 and continued until 1959. These were first of the 1950s fashion dolls and they came with a variety of costumes - many of which had such things as faux pearl necklaces and rabbit fur stoles.
Originally there was a tag sewn in the front waistband of the garment stating that it was a "Revlon" doll, but many mothers clipped this tag off because it tended to ruin the fashion effect of the doll. There was also a "Little Miss Revlon" that was smaller than the "Miss Revlon" dolls, and these were made between 1958 and 1960.
The "Miss Revlon" dolls were made in various sized including 15, 18, 20, 23, and 26 inch models. "Little Miss Revlon" was smaller at approximately 10 1/2 inches tall. These dolls were marked "VT" followed by the doll's size, such as "VT18" or "VT20" (the "V," incidentally, stands for "vinyl").
The value of these dolls depends on the size, the condition, and whether the original box has survived. The example belonging to J. B. appears to be in wonderful shape - the dress looks crisp and clean, the shoes are original, and the original hang tag is still present.
Since we do not know the size of this doll, we can only give J. B. a range of values. There was a time when "Miss Revlon" dolls in pristine condition retailed in the $250 to $700 range with the 20 and 23 inch sizes being the most valuable, but we feel that prices on these dolls have softened a bit in recent years.
Right now, we have found listings from retail purveyors on the Internet for similar VT18 or VT20 Miss Revlon dolls selling in the $250 to $300 range, and we feel that the current insurance replacement value for the example in today's question is probably in the same neighborhood.
Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of the "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, 5201 Kingston Pike, Suite 6 - 323, Knoxville, TN. 37919)
