Vicki the VELCRO paper doll

This is Vicki, a VELCRO paper doll and  a   Gabriel's exclusive. She has a LIFETIME MAGIC FASTENER.

touch! costume is on zip!costume is off

I am guessing that would get any little girl's attention.

This information was found in Mary Young's 20th Century Paper Dolls Identification & Values published in 2006. When I opened my Ebay win, I found two paper dolls with matching clothes. Not only did I have Vicki, I also had Valerie.  

Gabriel Industries also produced this set, and I was lucky to have a combination of the two sets.

Vicki

Valerie

Valerie and Vicki have a thick T-shirt of Velcro attached to their frames to hold their dresses. This design with Velcro made it easier for the younger child to play with the dolls. 

My combined sets have mostly the same designed clothes.

Clothing designs are typical of the late 1950s.... 

....through the early 1960s.

It is hard to find production dates for paper dolls produced by Samuel Gabriel Sons & Co. Gabriel began selling children's books in 1892. Samuel Gabriel Sons & Co. was founded in 1907 selling paper novelties and publishing children's books. According to Mary Young, a very early series of Gabriel paper dolls is called Funny Folk in Fur and Feather. The first dated paper dolls she found were a series of Dolly Dear dressing dolls dated 1911. 

A previous owner has penciled January 27, 1967 on the front of this box of Velcro paper dolls.  Velcro was invented by Swiss engineer George de Mestral in 1941, leading to a patent in 1955 and a commercial launch in the late 1950s. He created the name VELCRO as a portmanteau of the French words "velour" (velvet) and "crochet" (hook). So I am assuming these paper dolls with Velcro were produced sometime after 1960. 

I am giving this set of paper dolls to Audrey, the five year old granddaughter of a very good friend. She should be just the right age for a set of Velcro paper dolls! 

• 1941: De Mestral noticed how burdock burrs clung to his clothes and his dog's fur, sparking the idea for a new fastener. 
• 1948-1955: After years of development and research, de Mestral created and perfected the hook-and-loop fastener system, which he named Velcro from the French words for velvet (velours) and hook (crochet). 
1955: De Mestral was granted a patent for his invention in Switzerland. 
Late 1950s: The hook-and-loop fastener began its commercial introduction, with production plants opening in Europe and North America. 
1959: The trademark VELCRO® was officially registered. 
1960s: The invention gained significant attention after its use by NASA astronauts for securing equipment in space, which helped popularize the fastener. 

Velva Doll - The Magic Playmate

 

Velva Doll was produced in 1932 by Kingston Products Corporation. Information above is from Mary Young's  20th Century Paper Dolls. Two sized Velva dolls were produced....one large 17" doll and a smaller 13" doll, both named Jill. Mary Young indicated another version of the Velva doll has been found, so dolls may vary. 

My Jill doll is 13" tall and came with many items of clothing. 

      

 Jill is made of 1/8" cardboard with a velvety surface. Her neck has been repaired and her coloring has faded, but you can still see her red hair and pale blue eyes. 

These are the clothes made of felt that came with Jill.

In addition to dresses, jackets and slacks,  several collars and yokes, plus suspenders, hats, gloves and a neck scarf were included for play. 

 

  

Playing with accessories..... 

     

            

Instructions came with Velva dolls....

and also suggestions for creating different outfits.

Checking this sheet, I think Velva arrived with her complete wardrobe!

A more detailed set of clothing came with Velva, and I was curious what doll they belonged to. 

Looking through Mary Young's wonderful book on paper dolls, I found several sets of "magic" paper dolls....

       

                   The Magic Doll for the Little Dressmaker, $40.00

and discovered that the extra clothes were part of The Felt-O-Gram Doll and Her Wardrobe. This set was made by The Poster Products Company of Chicago in 1932. The the black and yellow dress on the front of the box and the little red dress, boots and cap in the lower left corner of the box are the same clothes that came with Velva. Between 1932-1934, the Poster Products Company made several other sets of Felt-O-Gram dolls....Twins, All American Boy Bobby, Black-Eyed Sue and I'm  Bebé  of All Nations.

Just for fun, I dressed Jill in the extra set of clothing even though they were a bit large for her......

     

     

I am always happy to learn more about the paper dolls I have collected. And thanks to Mary Young for her exceptional book 20th Century Paper Dolls!

Poky-Hontas, a paper doll with "real" hair!

 

This is Poky-Hontas, a paper doll with "real" hair, produced by The DeJournette Mfg. Company, most likely in the 1950s. 

Paper Doll House Co. was formed in Atlanta, Georgia in the late 1930s. When it incorporated in 1946, it was renamed after its paper doll designer, Alma DeJournette. 

In the 1950s, their paper dolls had many added features that were not like other paper dolls sold at that time. 

Examples listed in Mary Young's 20th Century Paper Dolls Identification & Values....

★ Dolls might come in a box that converted to a trunk or a house

★ Dolls might have paper clothes that were washable

★ Dolls might have eyes that blinked

★ If a baby doll, it might come with a cloth diaper, bottle and actually drink water

★ Dolls might have "real" hair

Poky-Hontas came with six colorful decorated dresses and a jacket, plus some small accessories that are missing from my set

           

    

        

What a nice wardrobe to dress little Poky-Hontas!

This special paper doll can still be found new in the  package on Ebay.

OK, now you are wondering about the information above telling you  "If a baby doll, it might come with a cloth diaper, bottle and actually drink water"....I did also!  Mary Young answered that question by adding a picture of the paper doll box, 

LITTLEST DARLING   

The Paper Doll That Drinks and Wets.