Did You Play With Paper Dolls?

April 24, 2013
Shirley Temple Black was 85 years old on April 23rd.  I saw this on the news and remembered I had these paper dolls.

When my Mom was downsizing she sent these paper dolls over in a bag of memorabilia and collectibles.  These paper dolls are not really that old.  Copyright 1988.  I think these are the only paper dolls I have right now.


The set has four Shirley Temple paper dolls each in a different pose.  Some of the dolls and clothing had been cut out and some were still in the booklet.

I loved to play with paper dolls when I was a little girl.  I cut them out ever so carefully, and never punched them out even if they were perforated, and meant to be punched out.

I was always careful not to bend the paper dolls' necks.  Most of the time I didn't use the paper stand.  I just leaned my dolls up against a piece of furniture.

Hours of play with paper dolls...alone...and with friends or cousins.  

You had to have a good imagination to play paper dolls.

But with a good imagination, your paper dolls would come to life.

My girls never were "into" paper dolls.  They were still around when they were small but I think they just couldn't compete with the battery operated toys and games of their era.

I think my favorite paper doll was a nurse named Kelly.  

She was one of a set of three nurse paper dolls, Tracy, Kelly and Penny.  My cousins played with Tracy and Penny.  It was great fun!


I found the "Nurses Three" paper doll cover photo on the internet.  Imagine all that fun for just 29 cents!










Thanks for reading my blog, Carlene

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Comments

  1. I remember paper dolls too. When I was small, I kept tonsilitis and would have to go to the Dr. about every week. My Mom would go into the Five and Ten and buy me paper dolls to make me feel better. Wish I still had them. Thanks for the reminder of the simple times. :)

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  2. I so enjoyed your post! My girlfriend and I played with paperdolls everyday! We both had a large collection of them. I would even use a old catalog and cut out the models of adults and children to play with. Lots of fun memories!
    Nancy

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  3. I used to play with papper dolls everyday almost, for a while and sometimes with my next door neighbor girlfriend. I used to buy them every weekend! I loved cutting them from the book they came in...such fun and memories. Loved your post. Big hugs,
    FABBY

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  4. I loved the bride paper dolls or cut outs, as I called them. My daughter played with them too, her favourites were the Barbie ones. That's funny, I used to stand mine up in front of the furniture too!

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  5. I loved paper dolls.

    My first sets were hand me downs from a older cousin. Those early Barbie ones and a set I think called the "Pink Twins" with prom dresses. :) Lots of bright pretty clothes...

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  6. My sisters and I played with paper dolls a lot when we were little! We loved them and even made our own. Never had a Shirley Temple one though!

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  7. Oh the memories you've brought back! So glad I found your blog at Share your cup Thursday.

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  8. Happy birthday to Shirley Temple! She'll always be a sweet little girl in my mind!! Wonderful post!

    ~ Wendy

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  9. I loved paper dolls. I loved dolls of any kind actually.

    Bliss

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  10. Good Afternoon Carlene, Well, this takes me back 50 years! I used to love paper dolls. My mum used to buy me a magazine called Jackie and on the back of the magazine there used to be cut out dolls and each week there would be a different outfit. I used to cut out the doll and stick it onto cardboard, then cut around the cardboard, then I was ready to choose the outfit for my doll to wear. My word, I have not thought about these in years.
    Thank you so much for the memory.
    Best Wishes
    Daphne

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  11. Hi Carlene. I love this post. I know that paper dolls were around in my 'little girl time' but I didn't really have any. I lived way out in the country and my Mom didn't drive, so we didn't have access to going to the store much. I remember making dolls out of twigs though and taking pieces of rags and ribbons to dress them. I also remember taking fuschia blooms and pulling all but two of the long stamens out and making ballerinas..Thanks for the memories..Happy Thursday..Judy

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  12. Paper dolls are such fun. I really like the nurse one...too cute!

    ~Trisha

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  13. My sister and I played with Betsy McCall paper dolls, and later the paper dolls with vinyl cling clothing...or maybe those were my daughters. Anyway, I loved paper dolls and Shirley Temple, too. I just introduced our 2 1/2 year old granddaughter to a you tube video of "Animal crackers in my soup." :)

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  14. Love your paper dolls Carlene. I can't remember playing with paper dolls, but most likely did and most likely made our own.
    Thanks for bringing back good memories.
    Blessings,
    Audrey Z.

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  15. Love your Shirley Temple paper doll collection. laurie

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  16. I loved paper dolls when I was little. I had so many but no Shirley Temple ones. I love these. She was SO adorable when she was little..

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  17. I did play with paper dolls some. But of course, in my day, being the youngest of many, things were a little worse for wear and rarely came to me new. Still, I find them intriguing to this day.
    Liz

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  18. My favorite paper dolls are my Jacqueline and Caroline Kennedy dolls. I thought I had lost them but a few years before my mom passed she found them while looking through old boxes and gave them to me. They are a treasure.

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  19. Oh, yes, I played paper dolls all the time I was a little girl. My cousin, Skeet, and I played with them by the hour. When we didn't have any, we would cut out figures from the Sears catalog and play with them. Our imaginations would just run wild. My mom gave me a shoe box and I kept all my paper dolls in it, beneath my bed. Wish I still had them. My girl and the grands never played with paper dolls.
    I have several of the old Home Companion magazines that still have the paper dolls in them. When we move to our new place, I am thinking of having the dolls framed..do you think they would be cute, hanging in a bedroom ??

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  20. As an only child, paper dolls were a go-to form of entertainment for me. My favorite were my Petticoat Junction paper dolls (Bobby Jo, Billie Jo and Betty Jo). I spent many an hour "dressing" those girls!

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  21. Carlene,
    Yes, I remember playing with Paper Dolls!! The Shirley Temple one is so cute. I can pass on the Nurse ones...I see enough of that in my real life but we nurses sure don't look like that anymore!! LOL!!

    Thanks so much for stopping by!!

    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  22. I remember watching her movies but not her paper dolls...

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  23. Wow these bring back memories-
    I used to make my own paper dolls all the time!
    Very Low-tec but what fun!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Christina

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  24. Yes! I had Shirley Temple paper dolls, as well as the doll! They were my Mom's and I treasure them! Thanks for bringing back memories.

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  25. I did play with paper dolls when I was young. I've always wondered if that experience is what sparked my passion for anything paper. To this day, I occassionally tuck handmade paper dolls into the treasure envelopes I include in my handmade ephemera journals. Thanks for sharing your wonderful treasure.

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  26. I still love paper dolls! What precious Shirley Temple dolls you have. Can I come over and play? heehee!

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  27. Loved my paper dolls and looked forward to visiting the drug store where we used to buy them. Always got to buy a fountain Coke Float when we went. Love your Shirley- she was such a cutie in all of her movies. She made me wish my straight hair was curly like hers! :-) Sue

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  28. Oh my gosh, I remember those nurses. I did play with paper dolls. I love the ones that came in the McCalls magazine. I adored Shirley Temple movies. Your paper dolls are so so cute! Thanks for sharing them with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  29. adorable!!! loved paper dolls AND Shirley Temple!

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