Doll Collectors Seek A Frill
On a movie set just before World War II, a struggling actress named Nancy Ann Abbott passed time dressing dolls in costumes like those worn by her co-stars.
CBS News Saturday Morning's collectibles expert Tony Hyman explains that her dolls were so popular she quit the movies and went into the doll business.
By the mid-1940s, every little girl in America wanted Nancy Ann storybook dolls, dressed in lace and frilly dresses.
Abbott created doll series with themes such as nursery rhymes, days of the week and months of the year. Almost all were packed in distinctive polka dot boxes.
At first her dolls were made of bisque, a type of china, with moveable arms and legs. Those are generally the most valuable.
Then she made bisque dolls with stiff legs and by the late 1940s there were hard plastic dolls.
Abbott's dolls now range in value from $20 to as much as $500.
For more information on collectible storybook dolls, Hyman recommends Elaine Pardee, a long-time collector of Nancy Ann dolls. Her email address is epardee@jps.net.
Find out about other collectibles described by CBS News Saturday Morning's Tony Hyman in the Collectibles Archive. Or visit Tony Hyman's Web site.
If you think you have a collectible worth a lot of cash, send an email to sat@cbsnews.com. Put "What's It Worth?" in the subject line, or write to "What's It Worth?" CBS News Saturday Morning, 514 West 57th St., 6th floor, New York, N.Y. 10019.
Please note that because of the volume of mail received, Saturday Morning can't respond to all requests, but some will be selected and featured on the program in the near future.
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