Alexander Doll Photos

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Madame Alexander and the Dolls of Oz

The dreams you dare to dream really do come true. This was certainly the case for Madame Beatrice Alexander who wanted to create beautiful dolls that would stimulate a child's imagination and be cherished for a lifetime. Eighty-three years later her dream lives on.

Madame Alexander's father Maurice was the epitome of the American Dream. He was born in Russia and learned the doll trade in Germany. He immigrated to the United States where he met and married another immigrant, Hannah Pepper. In 1895, Maurice opened the country's first doll hospital in New York City and later that same year "Madame" Beatrice Alexander was born in an apartment of the hospital.

Madame Alexander grew up watching the powerful bond between children and their dolls when tearful little ones would bring their broken dolls to the hospital for repair. No doubt an image that influenced Madame Alexander greatly as her very first dolls were unbreakable.

When World War I cut off the supply of dolls from Germany, Beatrice started to create her own cloth dolls and in 1923 the Alexander Doll Company was born. At a time when women weren't encouraged to go into business, Madame Alexander forged ahead and her company prospered. Also in 1923, FAO Schwarz became the first retailer to carry her dolls. Over 60 years later, FAO Schwarz would dub Madame Alexander the "first lady of dolls."

Over the years, Madame Alexander engineered many firsts in the doll world and won numerous awards for her designs.

Madame Alexander was often inspired by children's literature, history, and film. She seemed to have keen insight for knowing what characters would excite the public and continued finding innovative ways to recreate them time and again. The impeccable costuming, hairstyles and irresistible cherub-like faces have endeared Madame Alexander dolls to collectors from the company's inception and the designs get more elaborate with each passing year.

Among her first dolls was Alice in Wonderland, one of Madame's favorite literary characters. In 1933 Madame Alexander started a relationship with Disney that continues to this day and in 1937 a Scarlett O'Hara doll was produced based on the novel Gone with the Wind that was published the year before.

With the company's history of producing dolls of famous personalities and characters, it's no wonder in 1989 the Alexander Doll Company paid homage to the 50th Anniversary of the MGM film The Wizard of Oz with the release of a 14" vinyl Dorothy doll. Dorothy, dressed a blue jumper over a short sleeved white blouse with her dark hair tied in ponytails, looked like any little farm girl ready for adventure.

The following year an 8" 20th Anniversary Dorothy was made in a limited edition of 50 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Doll Cradle in Kansas. Oftentimes, the Alexander Doll Company creates very exclusive dolls as a token of appreciation for a retailer's continued patronage. In 1991, another 8" Dorothy was added to the Alexander Doll Company's Storyland Series.

Other characters soon followed and the Oz line has continued to expand over the years, eventually adding on such neglected characters as Miss Gulch, the Apple Tree, Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. Even Toto in 8" doll form, made an appearance at the 1997 Walt Disney World Doll and Teddy Bear Convention.

In the 8" doll line Dorothy wore costuming like that of her MGM counterpart while her three companions from the Land of Oz appeared to have jumped right off the storybook pages. The early Oz dolls were attired in enchanting designs and vivid colors that brought the familiar characters to life in a whole new way. In the late 1990s the Oz characters started to take on the look of the MGM film. Characters are added to and retired from the Oz line regularly to keep the line fresh and collectors on their toes. Some dolls are manufactured for only a year or less and others are made in small editions. The munchkins and winged monkey first introduced in 1994 and 1995 were such dolls with limited availability and have escalated in value and continue to be highly sought after.

The Oz dolls and all of Madame Alexander's dolls are a labor of love worthy of becoming heirlooms. Each doll is made by hand taking 2 - 3 weeks to complete. Hundreds of people work year round in the factory that has never moved from its original location in New York City. Extreme care goes into each doll from the face paint to the hairstyles to the minutest details like bows or lace on undergarments. These special nuances thrill doll enthusiasts and make Alexander dolls stand out in any collection.

The story of Oz has appealed to people of all ages for over 100 years. It's very likely that the Oz dolls of Madame Alexander helped endear the Oz characters to public consciousness and to children's hearts. Madame Alexander wanted to make dolls with souls and the Alexander Doll Company has been successful in capturing the souls and whimsy of the Oz characters.

Madame Alexander traveled over the rainbow in 1990, but her company continues to thrive with the Wizard of Oz dolls remaining perennial best sellers. I'm sure she and the beloved personalities that inspired their creation would agree there's no place like your home for Madame Alexander's dolls of Oz.

Madame Alexander Checklist 1989 - 2006

1989 – 1991  14” Dorothy    #1532

1990    8”   20th Anniversary Dorothy     Doll Cradle Exclusive Edition of 50

1991 – 1994   8” Dorothy with pigtails   #464   #140464

1992 – 1995    8”  Glinda the Good Witch   #473   #140473

1992 – 2005    8” Scarecrow  #430   #140430   #13230   #13231

8”   Tinman   Tin Woodsman   #432   #140432   #13210   #13211

8”  Cowardly Lion   #431   #140431   #13220   #13221

1993  14” Dorothy wearing gingham and braids   #1532

1994   14” Glinda the Good   #141573
1994   8” Winged Monkey   #140501

1994 Mid year introductions   8” Emerald City Dorothy   #94-2

8”  The Wizard   #94-1

8”  The Wicked Witch   #94-9

1994 – 1995    8” Munchkin Peasant    #140444

8”   Mayor of Munchkinland   #140443
8”   Munchkin Herald   #140445

1995    8” Auntie Em   #14515

8”   Lullaby Munchkin   #14512

8”   Lollipop Munchkin   #14513

1995 – 2001    8” Dorothy with curly ponytails    #140464    #13200

1996    14” Dorothy    #87007

1997 – 2001   10” Miss Gulch    #13240

1997 – 2005    10” Glinda the Good Witch    #13250

10”    Wicked Witch of the West    #13270

1997     8” Toto with basket edition of 750 (first 400 sold at the Walt Disney
World Doll and Teddy Bear Convention    #79180
1997 Walt Disney World One of a Kind Wizard of Oz Munchkinland Vignette
with 21” dolls of Glinda, Dorothy, the Wicked Witch and 8” Toto
Sold for $6,000

1998 – 2000    8” The Wizard of Oz    #13281

8”   The Wizard with State Fair Balloon    #13280

1999 – 2001   8” The Apple Tree    #13290
8”    Lullaby League Munchkin   Lullaby Munchkin    #13300

2000    8” Dorothy with glitter shoes    #13201

2000 – 2001    8” Oz Flower Munchkin   #27035

15”   Glinda felt (In 2000 only available at FAO Schwarz)   #27570

2000   15” Dorothy felt with curled hair    #25545
2000 – 2002    5” Dorothy porcelain

5”   Lullaby Munchkin Porcelain

2000 – 2003    8” Winged Monkey    #25950

2000   Mid year introduction     21” Wicked Witch

2001    15” Dorothy felt with braids (shown in catalog but never seen one)   #25546
2001 – 2002   8” Daisy Munchkin    #28770

8”  Flower Bonnet Munchkin   #28775

8”  Emerald City Guard      #31395

5”  Cowardly Lion  porcelain

5”  The Scarecrow  porcelain
5”  The Tin Man  porcelain

2002  5”  Glinda porcelain

8”   To Oz Dorothy with 3” teddy bear    edition of 2500    #33630

8”    To Oz Scarecrow with 3” teddy bear    edition of 1500     #33633

8”    To Oz The Tinman with 3” teddy bear    edition of 1500   #33631
8”    To Oz The Cowardly Lion with 3” teddy bear   edition of 1500   #33632

2002 – 2003    8”   OEO Guard    #33595

8”    Hairdresser    #33585

2002 – 2005    8”   Dorothy with long curled hair     #13202    #13203

2003    21”    Dorothy Cissy    edition of 500
2003 Mid Year Introduction – 2004 Dorothy and Munchkinland Set    10” Dorothy Cisette with 5” Munchkins Lullaby Munchkin, Flower Bonnet Munchkin, Mayor of Munchkinland

2003 – 2005    8” Mayor of Munchkinland    #37125

2004    8”   Total Moves Dorothy   edition of 1000    #38715

2004 – 2005    8” Coroner    #38395
8”    Wendy and the Yellow Brick Road

5”  Petite  Tinman

5”  Petite  Cowardly Lion

5”  Petite   The Scarecrow

5”   Petite Dorothy

Petite Wizard of Oz Set    5”   Daisy Munchkin, Lollipop Munchkin,
Coroner and Town’s Lady
2005    8”    Wendy Loves Munchkinland    #40160

2005 – 2006    8” Auntie Em   #39910

8”   Uncle Henry    #39915

8”    Dorothy Wendykin Wood Edition of 750 (only available through
FAO Schwarz for 2005)

9”  Play Dolls   Dorothy
Glinda

Tin Man

Scarecrow

Cowardly Lion

2006    10”    Glinda the Good Witch     #42405
10”  Wicked Witch of the West    #42400

10”  Wicked Witch of the East    #42415

8”    Off to Oz Dorothy     #42420

8”    Wendy’s Wicked Ways     #42410

*** Madame Alexander has made many other Wizard of Oz items such as doll accessories, figurines, teddy bears, waterglobes, music boxes, hinged boxes and pins.

New Alexander Additions for 2006

New styles of the 10" Wicked Witch of the West and 10" Glinda. In the past they had a more storybook type of appearance and seemed loosely based on the MGM characters. This year they have the MGM costuming. Really beautiful dolls.

Wendy's Wicked Ways is an 8 inch salute to beautiful wickedness. The catalog photo shows Wendy in a brown outfit but the final product is burgundy.

First ever, Wicked Witch of the East doll! Again, the coloring of the costume is different than shown on the prototype. The cape has green in it and the skirt is purple.

Added to the mainline catalog this year is the Dorothy Wendykin Wood doll that was previously an exclusive to FAO Schwarz.

Off to Oz Dorothy is an 8 inch doll with plush Toto packaged in a decorated lunchbox.

**I am pleased that at least with the special Dorothys, Alexander has been making better Totos. I have been complaining for years about the chintzy little plastic black Toto that usually accompanies Dorothy. (As a matter of fact, this is a big peeve of mine with many doll companies) Toto was a very important part of The Wizard of Oz and she should be considered a little more than an accessory. Toto has also been in more films than people realize. Give the little dog her due! Make her pretty!!
*** End of rant***

Lastly, The Alexander Doll Company will have a display and will be making a presentation at the International Wizard of Oz Club's annual Munchkin Convention this month. They have made a special one-of-a-kind piece to be auctioned. Very exciting for those attending!

Trading Card Terms

Here's a glossary of trading card terms I found on a non-sports trading card site that apply to Wizard of Oz trading cards. Scroll down to see my entry on Oz trading cards.


Autograph Card – card hand-signed by an actor, crew member, or production member; autograph, costume, memorabilia, and sketch cards may vary from card to card

Archive Box – sealed box that contains all cards found in the trading card series (all base cards, chase cards, and autograph/costume/memorabilia/sketch cards)

Base Set – standard set of common cards; normally comes in sets of 72, 81, or 90, but there are the occasional sets that come with fewer or more cards

Binder Exclusive Card – card found only in the trading card binder for that particular series

Box Topper – card found one per box; there are normally 3-4 different box toppers per series that will make up a set

Case Topper – card found one per case; may be an autograph card, costume card, die-cut, or just a special card to be found one per case

Chase Set – set of uncommon to rare cards; normally comes in sets of 6 or 9 and are found in ratio packs (e.g., 1:9 = one chase card found in every 9th pack of cards); typical chase set can be a puzzle set, a foil set, or a sticker set, or may contain images on a theme

Common Card – card easily found; base sets are made of this type of card

Costume Card – card containing cloth material; may come directly from the costume worn by the actor or from the bolts of cloth from which the costumes were made; autograph, costume, memorabilia, and sketch cards may vary from card to card

Exclusive Promo Card – promo card created exclusively for an event (e.g., San Diego Comic Con) or for a company (e.g., Non-Sport Update)

Hobby Box – sealed box containing autograph cards, costume/memorabilia cards, and/or sketch cards; available from distributors

Insert Set – see Chase Set

Master Set – complete set of cards from a series; includes the base set, all chase sets, all autograph/costume/memorabilia/sketch cards, promo cards and the binder

Memorabilia Card – card containing an authenticated piece of a prop (e.g., paper, foam, yarn, etc.) used in the series/movie; autograph, costume, memorabilia, and sketch cards may vary from card to card

Promo Card – card created by the manufacturer to generate interest in the trading card series; there are normally between 1 and 3 promo cards created per set, but there have been instances where there are more than 3

Prop Card – see Memorabilia Card

Puzzle Set – see Chase Set

Rare Card – card found mainly one per sealed hobby box; autographs, costumes, memorabilia, and sketch cards are made up of this type of card

Sketch Card – card hand-sketched by an artist depicting various characters or scenes from the series/movie; may be in pencil, pen, or may be in color; autograph, costume, memorabilia, and sketch cards may vary from card to card

Subset – see Chase Set

Ultra-Rare Card – card that is very hard to obtain and may be found only one per x cases (x could be 1, could be 6, depending on the rarity of the card) Most high-end autograph cards are considered ultra-rare, e.g., Judy Garland in an edition of only 8 cards total

Uncommon Card – card found 3-9 per sealed hobby box; chase sets are made up of this type of card

Wax Box – archaic term used today to indicate an unopened sealed box that is in the same condition as when it left the manufacturer; it is archaic because the cards are no longer packaged in wax paper

Wizard of Oz Trading Cards

I remember helping my older brothers open their packs of Star Wars trading cards in the late 70s. Would the pack I open have the final card to complete the set? The anticipation was more delicious than all of the gum I was chomping on. It used to be great fun to complete the trading card sets and subsets of stickers. Trading cards used to be pretty simple pleasures. Maybe there would be a card or sticker that was rarer than the others, but that was nothing some haggling with the local comic dealer couldn't fix. Then you'd trot home with your prize and look over your completed card set for hours lingering a few moments longer on that one card that was hardest to obtain. Ah, the good old days.

Like most other hobbies, trading cards have advanced and gotten much more intricate in the past 15+ years. Gone is that vile tasting gum that left residue on the precious cards. Now there are cards of foil, puzzle cards, panoramic cards, autograph cards, costume cards, and sketch cards. Yikes!

Here's a look at Wizard of Oz trading cards. Let's start with the simple ones shall we?

Trading card giant Topps issued a set of 44 Return to Oz trading cards in 1985. Each card had a sticker on the reverse.

A set of 100 cards was issued by Pacific with each card featuring a different scene from the film. they could be purchased in individual wax packs or as a boxed set.

In 1996 Duocards released a 72 card set with a glossy finish and foil logos. Collectors could also look for 6 foil chase cards. Each display box included a purple album that in addition to the basic set and foil chase cards, also had room for two promo cards.

This year, fledgling trading card company Breygent has brought us the most complicated Oz trading cards yet. Five promos were issued to entice collectors. In addition to the 72 card basic set there are foil cards, puzzle cards, munchkin autograph cards, cut signature cards of Judy Garland and Jack Haley, costume cards, prop cards, and sketch cards by 20 artists. These special cards will be very rare and may frustrate Oz completists, but the rest of us will probably enjoy the thrill of the hunt. Breygent also offers a collector's album in an edition of 500. The album includes two exclusive cards. Only 5000 boxes have been produced and sold out from Breygent in about a month.

Journey Back to Oz

I apologize for the lack of updates. Many of you may know my computer crashed but I'm slowly recovering. Onwards and upwards............

I do have some exciting news today, but with very little details yet unfortunately. It was announced at Comic Con over the weekend there will be a Journey Back to Oz Special Edition released on October 24th. No other details are known at this time.

I will be updating soon about trading cards, Madame Alexander dolls, maybe Christmas ornaments, and other new fun things.

Thank you for your patience and stay tuned...........

Tonner 2006 Pt. 2

Doll companies very often spring surprises on us throughout the year. As if the mainline shown at the start of the year isn't enticing enough, very limited dolls turn up as store exclusives or at special events. Tonner seems to be a master at keeping collectors on their toes.

Attendees of the Oz Farewell Brunch held during the 15th Anniversary Tonner Convention received a special souvenir doll "We Welcome You to Munchkinland", a beautiful little lady known to Oz fans as the Flower Pot Munchkin. She has a sweet, dimpled unique head sculpt and black curled hair. She stands at 12 inches and her costuming is made up of vibrant colors of red, teal, and purple. She is an edition of 500.

Also at the Tonner brunch were Wizard of Oz tablepieces of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion on an exclusive yellow brick road stand. Forty to fifty were made and numbers were drawn for a chance to purchase the piece. This set has commanded prices up to $800 on EBay. Rumor was the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion were sneak previews of dolls to be added to the fall line up and indeed they were introduced this week.

There could still be more releases as FAO exclusives later this year. For now, there is plenty to keep the Oz fan occupied. Stay tuned to the Curiozity Corner. As soon as any news breaks, it will be posted here.

Tonner 2006 Pt. 1 January Introductions

This year the Tonner Doll Company took some really wild liberties with the Oz line. When I first saw the photos of the dolls in January, I thought they might be hard sells, but that seems to not be the case. Over the past few months the 2006 line has really grown on me and I've decided there is something for everyone after all.

Dressed Dolls

If you missed them last year, Glinda, the Wicked Witch, Dorothy, and the ruby slippers are available again this year.

The Winged Monkey has been added to the accessory line. If you were unable to purchase the porcelain Winged Monkey from Mattel a few years ago, the new Tonner monkey would be a suitable, more affordable substitute. He is an open edition.

The Lady Ozmopolitan is a thrill to see. The Emerald City hairdresser is rarely represented in Oz collectibles. Her blonde hair is perfectly coiffed and her make-up is flawless. She's the beauty you'd expect to see in an Emerald City salon.

The Emerald City Cosmopolitan Wicked Witch doll seems strange to me. I've read rave reviews about her from doll aficionados, but as an Oz fan........this doll seems very un-Wicked Witch like to me and I find the yellow and teal colors of the outfit odd against the green skin. In my opinion, the outfit should have been boxed separately and marketed toward the raven haired basic Ozmopolitan.

Emerald City Elegance is a fiery haired stunner barely seen in the Wizard of Oz film. This particular character was featured more prominently during the reprise of 'Ding, Dong, the Wicked Witch is Dead' when Dorothy and friends return to the Emerald City with the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West. Unfortunately for these lovely ladies, their already minimal screen time was made even shorter when the reprise was cut from the film. This engaging doll wears a green halter dress topped with beading at the neck and a pleated skirt. A green flower pot hat with white flowers is perched smartly atop her head. This character has never been captured in collectible form before. Tonner has given her the immortalization MGM denied her due to time constraints. It's refreshing to see Tonner really taking chances with this line and bringing inconsequential characters to to the forefront.

The Poison Ivy doll is another one that strikes me as kind of strange.  Due to copyright issues with the original name this doll was changed to Haunted Stroll.  Like the Emerald City Cosmopolitan, the whole Haunted Stroll getup does not seem to fit the character of the Wicked Witch at all. The copper tresses do not seem to work on the witch.

The one dressed doll I absolutely adore is Ambassador in Pink. Glinda, the fashionista of Oz, is a cotton candy confectionery vision. She has a classically beautiful sculpt with a lovely painted face. The pink hair is neither garish nor outrageous. The color really works well for this doll. I'm not a big fan of the color pink, but his doll is really gorgeous. To me, she's SO Glinda or Galinda, for those familiar with Wicked the musical.

Outfits

Perfume Lady is an outfit modeled by the basic Ozmopolitan doll. Like the Emerald City Elegance doll, this represents a character with very little screen time.

The Winkie Business suit wins the award for ozzyest costume of 2006. The Wicked Witch looks prepared to give her legion marching orders to find a certain Kansas refugee and her little dog too!!

There's nothing uniquely Oz about the Oz Rhapsody dress, but I think it's very feminine and compliments Glinda's beauty.

I think the design of Griffin Splendor is appropriate for the Wicked Witch because of the embroidered griffins, but I'm not crazy about the silver color. I think a darker hue more suited to the Witch with silver embroidered enhancements would have been better. It's modeled on the basic Wickedly Silver doll and all that silver doesn't work for the Wicked Witch the same way pink seems to for Glinda. However, Griffon Splendor is a really cool outfit unto itself.

Finally, finally Dorothy gets a wardrobe! With all the money MGM spent on the lavish costuming in The Wizard of Oz you'd think Dorothy would be allowed at least one costume change. A farmgirl in the big city would certainly benefit from some Emerald City glamour. A pretty frock for an audience with the Wizard would certainly have been warranted. Maybe they wanted Dorothy to be a sharp contrast to the fanciful world around her. At least she got a new hairdo! Robert Tonner picked up MGM's slack and gave Dorothy two charming outfits.

The Back to School ensemble I can picture Dorothy wearing down a dusty Kansas road carrying her books with Toto at her heels. It includes a white dress with a flowered pinafore, black stockings, and black shoes.

Bedtime Dreams is a cute nightgown but not very original to Dorothy. I think a poppy design alluding to Dorothy's nap in Oz would have been more appropriate.

All dressed dolls and boxed clothing for 2006 are in editions of 1500.

New Book, Calendars, and Snowbaby/ One Cancellation

Lots of new Oz to look forward to folks!

Two new books. The first is a bio by Lollipop Kid Jerry Maren. The second book comes from noted Oz authors Bill Stillman and Jay Scarfone. Visit Amazon.com for more info on these and the calendars, but keep in mind release dates are tentative and oftentimes are subject to change.
Unfortunately, since the original post date of this blog entry the Scarfone/Stillman book was cancelled.

Two new calendars. Regular wall calendar and Day by Day Trivia calendar for your daily dose of Oz.

Last, a new Avon exclusive Snowbaby from Dept. 56. 'No Place Like Home'   A Snowbaby is wearing a pair of too large ruby slippers and holding a basket with Toto inside. Really adorable. Watch your Avon catalogs.

Avon Along the Yellow Brick Road

Avon's extensive line of make-up, lotions, and perfumes has enhanced the natural beauty of American women for decades. As time passed, Avon sought to add beauty to all aspects of our lives and expanded into clothing, colletibles, and home decor. Over the years Oz merchandise has occasionally slipped onto the Avon catalog pages.
The earliest of these were children's toiletries from a 1967 catalog. We all know that cleanliness is next to Ozliness. Okay, well, maybe not. For some children bathtime is a struggle. Perhaps this set of bubble bath, shampoo, and lotion made bath time a little easier after the annual showing of The Wizard of Oz on television. Children could follow the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow along the yellow brick road right into the bathtub. To the best of my knowledge, these toiletries have not been shown in any Oz or toy guides. I am very pleased to be showing them here, possibly for the first time.

In 1985, a lovely Judy Garland as Dorothy porcelain figurine was offered as part of the Images of Hollywood series.



In 2003, Avon carried six Enesco Wizard of Oz figurines. The four main characters were widely available since 1999 wherever Oz collectibles were sold, but Glinda and the Wicked Witch were exclusive to Avon.



 Avon carried a "To Oz" afghan by Goodwin Weavers in 2003. Toto is noticeably absent from the 1999 mass market "Yellow Brick Road" afghan sold through other outlets.



Last year Avon brought us The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Cherished Teddies by Enesco. For photo please refer to my April 13th entry.
For 2006 we have salt and pepper shakers of Glinda's crown and the Wicked Witch's hat by Vandor. The Warner Brothers Studio Stores sold a similar set some years ago, but many people may have missed out. This is a great little item for the Oz and Wicked fans.

Oz collectors will want to keep a watchful eye on Avon for more exclusives to add to our collections.

Judy Garland Receives Stamp of Approval

To this day Judy Garland is still revered as THE consummate entertainer. Judy took her final journey over the rainbow 37 years ago, but her expressive brown eyes and the timbre of her voice still have the power to woo and wow generation after generation.

On June 10th, the United States Postal Service honors "Miss Showbusiness" with a first-class commerative postage stamp. The 12th issue in the Legends of Hollywood Series will be debuted at the same venue of Judy Garland's celebrated 1961 concert triumph; Carnegie Hall. Guests scheduled to appear include Judy's children Lorna Luft and Joseph Luft, Turner Classic Movies host and film historian Robert Osborne, performer Rufus Wainwright who will be re-creating the legendary Carnegie Hall concert June 14th and 15th, and MGM actress Jane Powell. Attendees of the ceremony will receive first day programs containing a list of participants, information about the stamp, and a postmarked stamp attached.

The stamp design by Ethel Kessler features art of a sophisticated Judy teeming with radiance taken from a 1954 portrait promoting A Star is Born. A illustration of Judy Garland in her endearing role of Dorothy Gale appears on the selvage (margin) of the stamp sheet.

Promotional posters that are not sold to the general public are on display at post offices, but perhaps a kindly postal clerk would be willing to set one aside when the post office has no further use for it. If asked politely.  Promotional pins were also made of the stamp.

Celebrate Judy Garland's 84th birthday and honor her memory by adding these beautiful stamps to your collection.

If you're just tuning in please see my May 12th entry to see the new USPS stamp sheet. Shown below are Judy Garland stamps from around the world.

Star is Born publicity portrait courtesy Scott Brogan  www.thejudyroom.com 

Lions, And Tigers, And Ducks, OH MY!!!!!!!

The rubber ducky comes from an enigmatic background subject to much speculation. It appears no one really knows its true origins. In any case, rubber duckies have endeared themselves to American hearts and pop culture. They have endured the test of time holding their own alongside dolls and teddy bears. Another pop culture icon has recently married up with the rubber ducky and the results are smashing!! We'll get to that in a moment.

Rubber duckies have become much more than bath time amusements. To the gratitude and sanity of many parents, these engaging, unassuming toys have coaxed fearful or unruly children in the tub tricking them into thinking they are simply playing while they learn the basics of good hygiene. Clever little ducks! As a matter of fact, ducks have been used as educational tools for children and adults. Children have their imaginations boosted while learning colors, counting, and developing hand-eye coordination. In 1992, a storm at sea swept 29,000 rubber ducks overboard and oceanographers seized the opportunity to study the winds and currents of the Pacific Ocean. Ducks have also been instrumental in raising money for children's charities and non-profit organizations. Duck Derby races are routinely held as fundraisers.

Rubber duckies seem to have always been a beloved childhood toy, but it was Sesame Street that catapulted the popularity of the rubber duck into the stratosphere. In 1970, Muppet favorite Ernie sang the praises of his rubber ducky and left an indelible impression in the mind's of children and their larger counterparts.

Over the years, rubber ducks have gotten more elaborate. Most ducks are no longer made of rubber (most manufacturers favor vinyl), but have retained the name with which they are so familiarized. The cheery sunshine yellow ducks continue to be big sellers, but now the ducks boast every color of the rainbow. Some light up and some are scented. Others are molded to resemble celebrities. And this brings us to our pop culture matrimony.

Celebriducks was founded in 1998 by Craig Wolfe as a side business. The main enterprise was soon overshadowed by the ducks and sold off. To date over 200 ducks have been created in the images of film, music, history, and sports icons. Celebriducks have been featured in many magazines and newspapers nationwide. They have been given away at major sporting events with impressive sponsors Gatorade, Reebok, Arby's, AOL/TimeWarner, Pepsi, Chevrolet, and many others. A ESPN web poll determined Celebriducks the favorite stadium give-away beating out other esteemed collectibles such as bobbleheads, Beanie Babies, Pez Dispeners, lunch boxes and Match Box cars.

This year our favorite foursome from L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz joins the Celebriducks family. These fanciful fowl are a must, must, MUST for 2006. How can you look at these ducks and not "quack" a smile??? They will be attractively packaged in a see-through box with the edition number on the bottom of the duck. These can be taken into the bathtub and pools, but bear in mind like many other well loved toys the paint could wear off over time with exposure to sunlight and chlorine and just general play. Those that want these ducks. for toys may want to consider purchasing two sets. For the rest of us, these attention grabbing little darlings deserve a place of honor on our shelves or they'd look great in an Oz themed bathroom. This charming quartet is soon to be joined by the Wicked Witch of the West. That's one duck that probably won't take to water! I can't say enough praise about The Wizard of Oz Celebriducks. I am blown away by the photo and can only imagine I'll be more so when I see them in person. They are tentatively scheduled for an early July release. These will undoubtedly be HOT items among Oz and rubber duck collectors and I predict they'll sell out quickly.

These will be available from Karen Owens of Storyland Collectables. Contact her for these fabulous ducks and all of your Wizard of Oz needs at storylandmi@aol.com
For more info on Celebriducks, please visit www.celebriducks.com

Special thanks to Craig Wolfe for emailing me a picture of the ducks, patiently answering my questions, and for the article entitled Rubber Ducks and Their Significance in Contemporary American Culture written by Lotte Larsen Meyer for The Journal of American Culture.


And now Celebriducks presents The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Let the bath time frivolity begin!!

Best of 2005 Wrap-Up

I've decided to end 2005 with a couple of real stand outs. The first is something unique and beautiful that should delight most, if not all, Oz collectors and the second should charm the little ones. Okay, the big ones too!!

Bradford Editions brings us the Wizard of Oz Illuminated Mobile Collection. This is exactly the type of collectible that I love to see. It forgoes the stale Oz imagery and gives us something fresh and creative. The mobile will definitely be one of the focal points no matter how many pieces you have in your collection.

I have not seen the mobile in person yet, but Robyn Bodine was kind enough to provide a picture of her partial mobile. Other that own this piece have been giving it rave reviews. (Click on the picture to see it larger)

Five sets complete the mobile that measures two feet long when fully assembled. Set number one is your mobile display hanger of the Emerald City with a luminous rainbow arching overhead. The Emerald City is followed by strands of "jewels" with Oz characters or icons. Amongst all the strands is spiraling yellow brick road in the shape of a tornado. I think incorporating the tornado shape into the yellow brick road was a very clever way to get across two ideas at once. Except for the Wizard, all of the major Oz characters are included.

This gorgeous piece is sure to be on many collectors' want lists.

Thank you Robyn for sharing the pic of your mobile. Those interested in purchasing may contact Karen Owens of Storyland Collectables at storylandmi@aol.com


Most Oz items in recent years have been geared toward "collectors". There doesn't seem to be much Oz merchandise that is really meant for play. L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Block Buddies allows children to re-enact scenes from the book or the movie or they can create their own Ozian adventures. Mega Blocks' playset is sure to stimulate imagination. This 15 piece musical set has been honored with awards from the National Parenting Center and Creative Child Magazine. Included are light up articulated figures, the Emerald City, yellow brick road, and Wicked Witch's tower. It is priced around $30 - $40 and looks like a great alternative to computers and t.v.

This concludes my review of 2005. By no means is this a complete list of last year's releases. I wanted to highlight several collectibles that I felt were particularly outstanding and many of the product lines carry over into this year. There's already been some exciting announcements for 2006 and I know there will be surprises to keep us on our toes. Please keep checking back for 2006 news.

New From Boyds

New for Fall 2006 Boyds has issued another set of plush Wizard of Oz ornaments. Good news for those that missed the first set which was a QVC exclusive. The QVC set only included Dorothy holding Toto, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion and was a quick sell out. Those of us that missed them the first time around will be delighted with the new set which includes Dorothy sans Toto, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, Glinda, and the Wicked Witch. They come in an attractive gift box. From what I can tell from the Boyds site, aside from the omission of Toto, these look to be miniature versions of the plush 8 inch bears and look just as darling.