Early Christmas Shopping...Finding the Right Dollie!

I know I seem a bit early, starting my Christmas shopping in June. The new situation, having four kids, demands a bit more planning than starting shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. Last year, I shopped all the summer toy sales and consignment sales for Christmas.

I have since learned that EBay is my friend! I figured this out when, armed with my 20%-off-anything-in-the-store-coupon, I set out to try and buy my baby girl her Christmas dollie. Usually, these come from places like "The White Rabbit" or "Toy Fair"-everyone always gets excited over the red and white striped wrapped presents from "Toy Fair!"

Now, I am very picky when it comes to dollies. My grandmother and mum always made sure Santa remembered to deliver very special dollies under my Christmas tree each year, and I am doing my best to try and stick with tradition.

That day, I scoured the shelves of Toy Fair, hoping that the most wonderful dollie would be there waiting for me. It just wasn't happening. The new "Madame Alexander" collection was out there-I had done my homework on-line before heading out, however none of them seemed just right.

The only one I found that I liked ended up being the same dollie Vivie already has (coincidentally named "Baby") only she was dressed in a christening gown. I was tempted, but I had problems buying the same dollie with a different outfit... (she would know!) So I headed out, sans a Christmas dollie.

The problem wasn't the selection, so much as the fact that the newer dolls just aren't as pretty and nice as the ones we had growing up. I remember my second Christmas (I know what you're thinking-I must be nuts, but seriously I do) and my very own Bye-Lo baby was under my grandmother's Christmas tree in her very own canopied crib.

You have to understand that Bye-Lo is the name of my grandmother's most dearest baby doll (second only to Eloise) and we were all allowed as small children to sit in a chair and carefully hold the 1922 very breakable version of the doll given to my grandmother by her daddy. My grandmother and mum had very carefully helped Santa find one that looked as closely as possible to the original, finding her named as "Madame Alexander's Victoria." This was back around 1975 or so!

Although both my mum, and my grandmother are no longer around to help me, I am doing my best to carry on this tradition...Only "Madame Alexander's Victoria" no longer looks like the original Bye-Lo Baby, or even looks like the ones my sister and I received as children. I have both baby's in my china cabinet to compare them to, and they just aren't the same anymore for some reason.

This left me with a dilemma. How do I find the right baby doll? I finally broke down and got on-line and begin to search. I don't know what we ever did without EBay. There you can find the original breakable Bye-Lo's and I was even lucky enough to find a "Victoria" doll about the same era as the one I had as a child!

It only took about a week total, and I have managed to acquire two baby dolls for Vivie for Christmas- yes, one is a miniature version of my Bye-Lo Baby doll, the more modern "Victoria" circa 1975 and she is in perfect condition, smells like new (yes there is a distinctive new baby doll smell!) and is dressed in her little pink linen dress with her panties and booties still in tact! The other dollie is called "Madame Alexander's Little Sailor Pink Dumpling" and she was only $5.99 + shipping. Both baby's are much prettier and nicer than the current collection available in the area stores.

Funnier still, during my search for Vivie's perfect Christmas dollie, I ran across little sailor boy versions of "Huggums" dolls for my baby boys. Now everyone will have a Christmas dollie! I know that you are probably thinking that little boys shouldn't play with dollies- but when you have a baby girl the same age, it helps for everyone to have something similar to avoid conflict & perpetuate happiness! This Christmas should be very interesting and my shopping has only just begun!