Continuing the paper doll theme for us massive group of Boomers, I give you today’s featured Paper Doll aficionados, Fancy Nancy, the next door neighbor mentioned in yesterday’s post and Connie, the cute little girl down the street with a pixie haircut. Both have graciously agreed to share their memories of childhood in the 50′s and inadvertently verify that I am NOT crazy! 
Thanks gals!
Here’s a bit of history to get you in the mood!
And for the a capella version, skip to about 2:43…the guy talks a LOT to introduce the song!
Paper Doll Memories
from Fancy Nancy
A fond memory of childhood for me was magazine/ catalog paper dolls…not the ones dressed with tabbed clothing, but straight from the pages of the Sears and Roebuck catalog! My sister Peg and neighborhood friends, the Queen and Connie spent hours gathering just the right photos. We always had a mommy and daddy, at least 2 or 3 children, and always a baby. We found the same models in different outfits for every season and occasion (including casual and dressy…and of course, outfits for Church). So we would have several pictures of the same model for the mommy, several for the daddy, and so on.
I spent hours finding just the right size of each person…scale and proportion was of utmost importance to me (an early indication of a career in design!). The thrill of the hunt! My paper families were usually brunettes (I am one) and that was advantageous as my little sister was blonde and chose blonde families…kept the paper doll fighting at bay!
But, that was not all….we even had a family car or two! We couldn’t wait for the Life Magazines to come in the mail! At lease one of the ads would have a profile view of the latest auto stretching over 2 entire pages….almost perfect in scale for our paper drivers. The ultimate find was on the centerfold so we wouldn’t have to tape it together! And all of this from recycled paper – did we recycle back then?? We were “green” way before it was cool! These cost NOTHING and entertained for HOURS!
- Since my collection is long gone, I found this page from a pattern book at Josephine’s blog.
Memories
from Connie of the Pixie Haircut
Boy, at the mention of paper dolls, my mind started wandering down memory lane! Ya know, paper dolls were so versatile, I mean you could load up all the dolls and clothes in an old shoebox and off you go! I played with my thin friends in the car on trips to Dallas to visit my cousins. That trip seemed soooo long and the back seat was my fashion runway. I could play for hours by myself or with my good neighborhood girls. We made fashion dreams come true in our living rooms. Rain, shine, hot, or cold, we could play all day. There is no telling how many dolls we wore out by dressing and changing outfits. But hey, they were cheap entertainment. Our paper friends could be any one or anything. The only thing that could stop them was our imagination! Can you even find paper dolls nowadays? I’m sure my granddaughters wouldn’t think they were as much fun as we did. What a shame some things have gone by the wayside.
Hey, Connie, forgot how portable they were! We could store tons of them in a single shoe box, yet cover an entire room when all spread out!
And if I remember right, the shoeboxes got decorated too!!
THe “diamonds in the trees” were so beautiful! Makes me want to get up a little earlier to take some really neat pictures. This one is a good one! I slept too late to get any snow pictures a couple of weeks ago. Now if I had gone outside at 2 am when I was still awake…..but it was too cold!
Big Boss has been telling me for years that I need to get up when he does for that very reason. Thing is…when HE gets up, there’s NO light!!
I remember playing with my paper dolls till I was a big girl! Even designed dresses for them. They were one of my favorite, if not the favorite,childhood memories of toys! And, being an only child, I could entertain myself for hours and hours.
I have to admit to getting my paper dolls AND dolls out when I was in High School. To check on them. Making sure they were OK. All straight and not crumpled up. I had forgotten you were an “only”.