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About Dolls Gone By
Our Service Pledge
Providing thorough descriptions of items for sale is both our shop practice and a Ruby Lane Shop Requirement — so you can buy with confidence. When listing vintage doll items, we describe each piece to the best of our ability, including details and photos of any flaws or issues we’ve discovered. We’re often not aware of the exact history of a doll or outfit, but when we do know about repairs, restringing, replaced wig, etc, it will be noted.We’re happy to respond quickly to any questions you might have — usually within a few hours.
About Us
Two special dolls live in my childhood memories. When I was 6, my grandma gave my sister and me beautiful Mary Hoyer dolls (14”). Every Christmas and birthday for the next 15 years, she knit and sewed outfits from Mary Hoyer’s pattern brochures (“Mary’s Dollies”) and kits. Her final creations were bride and bridesmaid dresses, which we often used as decoration for bridal showers. My Mary Hoyer doll was my most cherished possession — and is still in my top three!However, my “best friend” doll was Ginny, a 1954 Vogue walker. While I kept Mary on a shelf, often changing her outfit (I especially loved her roller skates!) & showing her off to friends, I played with Ginny every day. I collected lots of fun outfits — and have continued collecting for 70 years!
Though many dolls of the 1950’s had cute dresses, coincidentally, both of my childhood dolls claimed similar mottos: “Fashion Leaders in Doll Society.” Both Mary Hoyer and Vogue’s Ginny had extraordinary designers, and the tiny “extras” — skis and skates, an adorable variety of hats & caps, and Ginny’s signature hairbows! — added to the fun.
I’ve gathered quite a collection of gently-loved dolls, and dozens & dozens of outfits and matching accessories (shoes, hats, purses, glasses, skis, skates, etc.) for both dolls. Most of my Ginny costumes include Vogue labels from 1948-1959, and fit Ginny and many of her vintage friends, including Muffie, Wendy, Ginger, and Madame Alexander’s 8” dolls.
The Vogue Doll Company hired homeworkers to sew Ginny’s fashions in the early 50’s, and it became quite a cottage industry. While Mary Hoyer also sold ready-made doll clothes, she was most well known for designing needlework patterns — first for little girls, and then for her 14” dolls. Lucky little girls (including my sister & me!) who had a mom or grandma, aunt or friend, who enjoyed knitting and sewing, were provided with an almost endless supply of delightful patterns, published in Mary Hoyer’s brochures.
Although only a few of my Mary Hoyer outfits are labeled (factory-made), each one was knit or sewn using MH’s patterns. Grandma usually made 3 of each outfit — sewing for her own doll, as well as for my sister and me. While I’ll never part with my original Mary and Ginny, and some of my favorite outfits, I’ll be offering many dolls and dozens of outfits for sale on RubyLane, including vintage accessories I’ve acquired over the decades.
True Story
Celebrating Grandma’s newest Mary Hoyer creation was always a highlight of her Christmas visits, and we eagerly awaited the postman on every birthday, wondering what special outfit would be added to our doll’s wardrobe. My sister and I enjoyed these precious Mary Hoyer doll clothes for decades — often displaying our dolls for different seasons and special events — before I discovered that every stitch was sewn BY HAND! Grandma didn’t even own a sewing machine! The stitches are so tiny, even, and perfectly done, that they’ve lasted over 60 years….and may last another 60!
“Mary’s Dollies,” Mary Hoyer’s pattern brochures, were published throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s. I have extra copies of the set of publications which I’ll be offering for sale. Mary Hoyer designed ski, ice skate, and roller skate costumes (& sold skis and skates to go with them), bathing suits and nightwear, formals and wedding dresses, cowgirl and cowboy outfits (for sister and brother dolls), war nurse, ballerina and majorette, Tyrolean and Dutch costumes and many, many more.
For the HISTORY of VOGUE GINNY DOLLS: https://www.rubylane.com/relax/blog/the-origins-of-the-ginny-doll