I'm man enough to admit that I played with paper dolls as a child. I carefully cut them out with my safety scissors and then delicately folded the little white squares back on their various outfits for my own little costume parades on my bedroom floor. And you know you did too.I had no idea that paper dolls were still made today. In this day and age of Xboxes and Ipods and the whole myriad of high tech devices that flood the market seemingly every day, who would think that such a quaint plaything from days gone by would even find an audience amongst the kids of today?
After stumbling upon the website for Dover Publications and browsing through their alarmingly vast catalog of paper doll books for sale, I came to the conclusion that, no matter who their "official" intended buyers are, the only people that would buy these books fall into two distinct categories: old ladies and middle-aged gay men.
How else to explain not one, but two volumes dedicated to "Broadway Musical Stars"? Who else but your Aunt June or Uncle Steve (the "bachelor") would want Ethel Merman as Annie Oakley, Angela Lansbury as Mame Dennis and two Dolly Levis (Carol and Pearl)? And that's just volume one
I know, this may sound stereotypical, but come on. Show me an eight-year-old little girl who knows who Sarah Bernhardt
Click on the last four links to purchase those books from Amazon.com.
Dover has such a treasure trove of movie star paper dolls that there was no way I could cover their entire library in one post and do them the justice they deserve. Hence, this is the first in an occasional series within "Hands Off the Merchandise" that will cover this veritable "Valley of the Dolls".
Links via DoverPublications.com.
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