Time has flown by and we are already at the tail end of August! Tomorrow I will wake up to September!! Oh my! Here are my recent finds...
Lastly, this adorable vintage Ruth E. Newton Nursery book. I love the graphics and the cute kitty is similar to a rubber squeak I found recently. They will be great as a combo!
Thank you for looking! ~ ggsdolls
Interview with a Collector - A ggsdolls blog Series
A
monthly series on my blog where I feature some of the most amazing
collectors, sellers, and content creators that have become really good
friends of mine and what they collect and why? Read on to learn more...
For the month of April,
my blog interview is with a lovely toy collector of squeaks and Rushtons, paterphobia on Instagram, also known as Lana!
Lana, was born in the Pacific North West of the United States, and is nearly 29 years old. What do you do for a living Lana? I work as a Mental Health Counselor! I love my job. It's very rewarding.
Tell us more about your collection? I've always been into vintage items and in college I started going to antique stores and browsing eBay. This was back before they were very well-known and prices were so reasonable that I was able to grow my collection rather quickly! I eventually branched out into everything from vintage nursery planters to clothing. One of my favorite non-toy collections is my vintage t-shirt collection. Mostly band tees and rare TV and film collectibles.
The toys' little faces always put a smile on my face. It's so fun to have so many colorful, bright, expressive little faces in my house! I also really enjoy the restoration aspect of toy collecting and it's so satisfying seeing a toy go from "well-loved" back to fluffy and fresh looking. The process is super fun too.
I started following some "creepy cute" accounts on Tumblr way back in the day. There was just something about the toys, the way they are so well made and expressive. I've always been a bit strange, haha! While many found them creepy, I was drawn to them. I started by finding Kewpie dolls at antique stores. I purchased my first Rushtons on eBay over a decade ago now and the rest is history! I'm mostly focused on getting an entire rainbow of toys now. I'm always still on the hunt for more "rare" Rushtons and rubber faced toys.
What has been the reaction of your family, friends and coworkers about your hobby? Everyone is super supportive and I've even received them as gifts! I know some of them secretly find them a bit creepy, but what's not to love about that? Haha!
Which one is your favorite and why? That's a tough one, but I would have to say my "Chiltern" bunny rabbit. He's BIG and in such great condition and I found him for a reasonable price! He's special to me because I haven't seen too many like him.
I once had a Rushton rubber faced goose! I honestly miss her very much and it's one reason I think I will be keeping more than I sell in the future.
What would be your ISO? Definitely a fluffy orange Rushton fox. Orange is one of the harder colors to find with Rushtons and they always get snatched up before I get a chance to grab them! One of my wish list items for sure. I also just love their big smiling faces.
Have you noticed and increase in popularity? Definitely! I love to see one of my favorite things get so much love, but it's for sure more of a seller's market now. I think a lot of people found out about them through Melanie Martinez and just appreciate how eccentric and unique they are.
Is there anything else you would like to add? Thank you so much, I am honored to be included. Cheers to toy collecting! - Lana
Thank you so much Lana for sharing your love of vintage toys with us! Be sure to check out my blog interview next month when we meet a dear sweet collector and friend from my Flickr days. All the way from Europe!! Until, next month, Happy Collecting!
Thank you for reading! ~ ggsdolls
Interview with a Collector - A ggsdolls blog Series
A monthly series on my blog where I feature some of the most amazing collectors, sellers, and content creators that have become really good friends of mine and what they collect and why?
For the month of February, my blog interview is with a talented artist and Tiktoker who was raised thrifting all his life. The 70s style fashionista, Cole of kitschyflower on Instagram!
His name is Cole Eugine and he hails from the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. At a tender of 25, he has definitely made a name for himself. Now on to the interview...
Where were you originally from Cole? "I am originally from a small town about 13 hours outside Moscow Russia! Now, I live in the suburbs of Atlanta Georgia."
What do you do for a living? "I’ve dabbled in many of things over the years but currently, I'm full-time vintage reseller!"
When did you first encounter a Rushton or rubber faced plushie and do you collect anything else?
"Well for starters, I absolutely adore this question! It
all goes back for me originally to the first rubber face plush, I ever saw
was in the antique store my parents had while growing up! I think I
picked up my first one when I was around 14 or 15! Then around the same
time, I found one of my absolute favorite artists of all time the
wonderful Mark Ryden! I’m sure everyone knows he has a huge collection and inspiration of the vintage rubber face plush, so the rest was history!"
How would you describe your relationship with your collection, what is the magical thing about your collection that keeps you wanting more?
"I’ve always been a fan of all the things cute and kitschy, it definitely runs in my family, I have always collected vintage toys, anything from 60s! Troll dolls to big eyed pose dolls anything that evokes sweetness and joy, I like to pick up! I think it’s awesome anyone can start collecting or recollecting at any point! Many moons ago I ended up selling all of the rubber face plush I owned when I was around 17, and then recently started recollecting in the past two-years."
What is it about the kitsch aesthetic that distinguishes it from other things of the same era?
"In my opinion certainly the expressions and faces on some of
the vintage kitsch, there just certainly isn’t anything like it! With
the large round eyes with wispy feathered lashes to the rosy cheeks just
the emphasis on cute!!
Tell me a bit about your collection, how it started, your first item and how it has grown?
"I’ve
always been a collector of sorts like, both of my parents growing up had
antique stores, so from an early age I developed a taste for Kitsch!
I’ve always been super big into big eyed Art. The ones done by Margaret Keane. Who happens to be one of my favorites! So
I really started collecting anything with big eyes from the 60s! Once I
discovered Blythe dolls when I was around 13 that’s when the floodgates
surely opened!"
"From there, I really got into vintage fashion dolls from the 60s. I’ve always been super into vintage clothing so being able to see tiny versions on these tiny plastic ladies were always such a cool treat for me! And honestly over the years it just snowballed, where honestly I wanted everything I own to be vintage! I certainly collect a little bit of this and a little bit of that anything from my vintage ceramic mermaid bathroom to my full wardrobe of vintage clothing from the 60s and 70s, to antique wardrobe where they currently reside! Obviously, vintage toys are my sweet spot of happiness! There’s something so magical about a vintage toy being 50+ years old still being around and being able to be enjoyed for years to come! I typically only collect vintage toys from the 70s and earlier I would certainly say my favorite sweet spot of vintage toys would be from the 50s through 70s!"
What has been the reaction to your collection from family, friends, etc.? "It’s been nothing but wonderful. Both my parents really enjoy the fact that I carry on the tradition of loving vintage! And honestly, I’ve even gotten my mom into becoming a Kitsch lover herself!"
Tell me about your favorite item in your collection and why is it so special to you? "Oh that’s a really hard one, haha, definitely any rubber faced bunnies always has a huge tug on my heartstrings, But I think that who might go on the top spot is my rubber face Gund Devil! Which just so happens to be my logo! He was the first one that got me into collecting them again about two years ago! A close second would be my Kamar doll collection"
I see you run a shop as well, when did that start and how have your experiences in selling been? Any surprises?
"I have off and on sold vintage throughout the years since high school and it was certainly a different market for rubber face plush. Throughout the years they’ve definitely grown in popularity which honestly I really love! Granted they might’ve gone up in price a bit, but the fact that there are so many people who really love and enjoy these old guys bring me a lot of happiness! And I’ve certainly come across lots of surprises, especially when fixing old rubber face plush. I’m not gonna lie you never know what you’re going to find inside of one. As for letting them go it depends, it can definitely be a little bit harder and pull on your heartstrings. When I find a new one at home, but I’m also super happy that I get to share the love of vintage plush with someone else. So it really makes up for it in the end!"
If someone didn't have internet to see your online shop, how would you describe it? "I would definitely say the items I sell are full of sweetness that evoke happiness! No old forgotten toy left behind!"
How do you source and what are the characteristics that help you to find the items for your shop? "I honestly find them all over! Whether that’s online, estate sales, antique stores and even sometimes thrift stores! At this point, I have made a lot of great friends who have also help keep an eye on vintage items, I might be interested in! And of course I am always looking for anything Kitschy! I mean it is in my name after all, Haha!"
Describe some of your best selling items in your shop? "Hands-down are going to be some of my rubber face plush especially the Rushtons and I actually have a pretty decent following of vintage 60s Barbie collectors. Who always seem to grab them as soon as I make them available!"
Tell me about the most unique and unusual items you have come across? "Oh my goodness this is quite the loaded question anything from shrunken heads to 'one of a kind' prototype dolls!! My little piece of advice is always be open to learn something new and do some research! That’s why I think I’ve always just been such a fan of being on the hunt for Vintage is it’s truly like a treasure hunt!"
Have you notice an increase in popularity over vintage rubber faced plush and the kitsch aesthetic? Why do you think that is so? "I’ve certainly seen an influx of popularity towards the rubber face plush, especially the Rushtons in the last few years! Like I had mentioned when I started picking them up here and there in my teens, people really just didn’t know too much about them, and you could really pick them up for 10 bucks randomly! That is a little bit harder nowadays.
When you do find them out in the wild at least in antique stores and such, they can certainly be marked up! Like in the recent years, I know the artist Melanie Martinez has been a big fan of the Rushton dolls and have even featured them in music videos and such which has definitely skyrocketed their popularity to different levels! I really love seeing the younger generations become fans of vintage, it keeps the legacy alive and it makes me quite happy!"
Would you like to add anything else? "I am very very fortunate to have been able to meet so many wonderful people through the community, such as yourself GG! I've been able to make some truly wonderful friends throughout the world over the love of vintage and everything Kitschy cute things and I will always be grateful for that!!"
Thank you so much Cole for sharing your collection with us and your story! We truly enjoyed learning more about you and your love of vintage!
Thank you all for reading my latest interview with Kitschyflower! You can find him on Youtube, Tiktok, Whatnot, and on Etsy! Until next month, "Same time, same 'bat' channel!" LOL
Thank you for stopping by! ~ ggsdolls
Awesome video on dates of some of the Rushton made plushies!
Thanks to Kewtkitsch/KewtQween for the compilation! Great for references too!
WATCH NOW!! ~ ggsdolls
Interview with a Collector - A ggsdolls blog Series
A monthly series on my blog where I feature some of the most amazing collectors, sellers, and content creators that have become really good friends of mine and what they collect and why?
For the month of January, my blog interview is with a Canadian beauty with an eye for vintage, mentor and restorer, Savannah of OldSoulVintageCA on Instagram!
Savannah is from Ontario, Canada and is 26 years old. She sells vintage toys on Etsy and vintage patchwork quilt blankets locally for a living. Now, onto my questions for Savannah! When was the first time you encountered vintage rubber faces? Hmm... I think the first time I had seen lots of vintage rubber face toys was on the website Flickr. Back in my early days of toy collecting when Instagram wasn’t really a thing, and a few Canadian Regal brand rubber faced toys locally at antique stores and such. I've always thought they were interesting and have never found them or any of my toys creepy. The knock off Rushton Brand Santas' can be found in almost every antique store nearby so I had seen those a lot.
What is it about vintage kitsch aesthetic that makes it different from others? I would say the vintage kitsch aesthetic is different than other eras as it was really the staple and beginning of mass produced toys. Kitsch era heavily influenced toys throughout the following decades and even today that are being sold in stores. There is something so sweet and cute about the expressions, colors, and big eyes of the kitschy era. My collection originally started when I was younger. I used to go to yard sales with my grandpa as a child, he taught me how to be a finder. Once I grew out of the typical age where children stop playing with toys I was still very much obsessed with them. Mostly dolls! I started searching eBay and collector blogs, Flickr and became extremely influenced by Blythe dolls, Strawberry shortcake, Holly Hobby and rag dolls. They really took over my entire brain. My parents would find me lots of these toys locally and surprise me with them for Christmas!
Okay, my collection now is honestly quite large, but I try to part with some items in order to acquire more without feeling too crowded. I have learned to get a bit picky with my collection and don’t normally share toys I am after or actively trying to collect on social media. I am always looking for unique toys that I don’t see much of and lately I am rekindling the flame with my collecting roots and love for antique and vintage rag dolls that are one of a kind!
What has been the reaction of your family, friends or colleagues about your hobby? My partner lets me take
over rooms in our house and fill them with toys. So I thank him for that
freedom and always supporting my collecting (ha ha). My parents have
always been extremely supportive of my collecting.
They even get so excited when I have new toy arrivals! We go out
antique hunting quite often as a family as they are into this type of
thing too. I am also extremely lucky to have a cousin who shares a
passion of vintage and antique toys as well. I
have had boyfriends and friends in the past that would
make fun of my collecting and really misunderstood it. So I kind of kept
my toy collecting a big secret for a large portion of my life. (It’s
not fun). I think a lot of people who know about
my collecting in real life now don’t really get it and might find my
toys unsettling. They cannot see the artistic side to them which is hard
for me to understand. As I have grown older I embrace my collecting and
now I don’t mind sharing it with new people
regardless of their reactions or judgement. Some think it is a very
unique hobby and are shocked at the craziness of the toy collecting
world. Especially the value of some items.
Tell me about your favorite item in your collection and why it is so special to you? I have a LOT of favorite toys so this question is extremely hard for me…but I would say that my primitive rag doll cat and also this large mask face cat are in my top favorites. They are just so special to me…worn and played with kitties with character that hit every checkbox for me. I instantly feel happy when I look at them.
As a seller, when did you start selling, what has been your experience and is it easy to find things to sell for your shop? I sold my first item on
eBay when I was 13 years old! I found a vintage 'Jammie Pies' doll locally
for 3 dollars and I think I sold her for 130 dollars! Which was a lot at the time.
But my Etsy shop actually started when I was
in college and pulling some of my collection out of storage and decided
to part with some of my toy hoard. I posted them online locally and was
shocked that the value had tripled since the time I had them packed
away. I decided to start my shop and sell off
my extra strawberry shortcake dolls that I had doubles of, but then
started grabbing vintage toys while I was out thrifting as I sell
patchwork quilt blankets and used to sell vintage novelty and band
shirts or old clothing. I was able to turn this into a full
time income and eventually quit my retail job. It took a lot of work to
get my Etsy shop going with traction. There has been many times where I
part with an item from my collection and feel extremely sad about it.
But I always remind myself that better toys
eventually come along with patience.
How would you describe your shop? I would describe the
items I sell as vintage kitsch 80s and 90s girl toys but I also
occasionally sell kitschy decor items if I come across them. How do you source the items you sell in your shop? Now I source the items I
sell from a good friend of mine that lives nearby and treasure hunts
all day. I normally pick up toys from him every week, clean them up and
post them. My favorite thing is to clean
80s and 90s toys and fix them as close to original as possible. It is
so rewarding to save toys and it is a whole other passion within
collecting and selling. Cleaning toys is so therapeutic and I love
being able to reunite people with their childhood memories.
I also buy lots of my toys online, I search selling sites daily.
Sometimes I buy things and they don’t sell. It takes a lot of time,
energy and money to figure out what sells and what doesn’t. I have
donated lots of toys back after spending time cleaning them
etc because of this reason! The types of items I mainly look for are
nostalgic toys, the more obscure the better. The best toys to sell are
ones that other thrifters wouldn’t consider grabbing. But ultimately I just sell things that grab my eye.
What are some of the best selling items in your shop? The things that sell the best in my shop are Polly Pockets, Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, vintage Fisher Price and Playskool plush toys. I am frequently restocking these items. What is the most unique or unusual item you have come across? The most unique item I have come across are my vintage oil cloth carnival prize plush and also some antique cloth dolls I have. I truly cherish them and don’t think I can ever part with them.
If there was any item that was given to you or found for free, what would it be and why? If any item was given to me for free of charge I would have to say I would choose some early Rushtons. Mary’s earliest work really interests me. There has been a huge increase in demand for rubber faced toys in the past years. I think most of it is attributed to social media and the pandemic but also because toys have evolved into somewhat of an *aesthetic* as well…As soon as Covid started I noticed I had a lot more sales on my Etsy shop, more people interested in their childhood toys but also people have had a lot more time to get heavily influenced by Instagram collectors and discover rubber faced toys.
I also think that new collectors are drawn to “fixing“ these old toys as a hobby. Which can end up being very unfortunate to witness if they don’t know what they are doing. But overall I think that Rushton's in general are extremely enticing and interesting. Once you have one they kind of become an addiction. Their quality and craftsmanship is truly unmatched. Right now the market is so competitive and these toys are becoming more and more rare. Especially hard to find in original untouched condition. It seems that younger generations of teenagers are very into rubber faced toys and squeaks which I find interesting!
Thank you again so much to Savannah with sharing her story, collection, and shop! Be sure to visit OldSoulVintageCA on Etsy, and Instagram for Savannah's amazing restorations and treasures up for sale!!
Until next month, when we meet another collector for the Month of February!! Happy Finds Y'all!!
Thank you for stopping by! ~ ggsdolls
@ggsdolls_vtg Rare Mary Rushton Find…😱💘#ggsdolls_vtg #ggsdolls #maryrushton #bunny #vintagerubberface #kitsch #commissioned #restoration ♬ original sound - Gigi
Oh my goodness, when it rains it pours!! I was commissioned to find this amazing rare sleepy Mama bunny by Mary Rushton. Here is a catalog pic of her below.
She was found recently and just needed a bit of a clean up and also removal of pink highlights on her eyelids, that perhaps was done by previous owner or I am told a type of mold that happens by a fellow restorationist. So, that part is what took me long to take care of as I used a method that is a slow process to remove markings.
It took me about 2 weeks and at first, I thought it was not going to work. But whew after a week it did. Still very slight, but most of the pink marking is gone, Yay! I touched up her nose, added a bit of blush and a bow and now she is ready to go to her Daddy. She is definitely one of my ISOs. Ahhh someday!
She stands about 30 inches long and generally her paws are touching and held a baby bunny. She has felt feet and wires in her ears. Just love her so much and to be able to enjoy her for a bit is definitely a dream for sure! Also some quick finds recently, this adorable aqua lace and ruffled Valentine's chocolate box. Oh my goodness, truly gorgeous for its age. I will definitely be using these for Valentine's decor photos!!
I also got these adorable ceramic kitty pen holder vase above and this MCM wooden kitty pen decor below. Both have already been added to my shop! Just too cute! Yes, I did! I bought another Cookiegirls pillow and this time a girl hanger. Doesn't she remind you of anyone? How about Cindy Brady of the Brady Bunch!! She's so cute and currently on my wall with a cute vintage child coat!! I just love her cute face with big eyes!!
Thank you for looking! ~ ggsdolls
Interview with a Collector - ggsdolls blog Series
Here's my monthly series on my blog where I share some of the most amazing collectors, sellers, and creatives, that have become friends of mine and what they collect and why?
For the month of December, my blog interview is with the gorgeous, talented, and pinkalicious collector I know, Peter Pratts also known as rushtonbarbie on Instagram.
Photographed by Nelson Pereira @Aiiirmoon
Peter, is originally from Long Island, New York, but is currently residing between Las Vegas, Nevada and Orlando, Florida at this time. At 29 years of age, he is was born on June 8th and is also a Gemini.
What do you do for a living?
Peter, "I'm a Social Media manager! I manage influencers, local
businesses, cosmetologists and more! I can’t say I have one specific job
as I do many things! I am a graphic designer, web designer, content
creator, makeup artist and even influencer myself. However I’ve taken a
break from beauty influencing as I don’t have the same passion for it as
I used to. I’ve worked with many of the biggest brands like Mac,
Sephora, Urban Decay, etc."
When and how did you first encounter vintage rubber face stuffed animals or Rushtons, and do you collect anything else?
Peter, "I
know some collectors in the community like to shame people because of
this but I discovered Rushtons after watching a Melanie Martinez music
video last year (2021). I literally was like WHAT is that and the
research commenced. I already loved 80s/90s Barbies, however I didn’t
have a collection. I also loved Kewpie tattoo art. For whatever, I just
became obsessed with Rushton rubber face plushies and wanted them all. I currently only collect Rushton plushies & some Edward Mobley squeaks. I’d like to start a Barbie collection in time."
How
do you describe your relationship with your collection; what is that
magical thing that attracts you to these items and keeps you interested?
Peter, "I
started collecting Rushtons at a time where I was pretty bored with
life. It's in a way sad to say but makeup became less of a passion for
me the more it felt like work.. Eventually LITERALLY hating it. I still
do it occasionally however for a while I didn't have something that
genuinely excited me. I've really come to love this hobby of mine. I
hope to keep my Rustons with me through life. Collecting these dolls has
pushed me to start practicing on many things I've in a sense, always
wanted to! I'm learning how to sew and create clothing. I'm also
learning to paint! Retouching their faces requires precision as there
are a lot of fine lines…. I've always been insecure about my drawing/painting abilities. But, I'm just happy to finally be learning! I also get
to create the cutest photos. I’ve always loved photography and
creation. With these dolls I combine so many things I love into one.
It’s quite hard to say exactly what I feel with them."
What is it about the vintage cute kitsch aesthetic that distinguishes it from other novelties of the same era?
Peter, "For me it’s the rubber faces of Rushton plushies. They stand out and are much more expressive than other dolls in my opinion. I may sound like a snob but I don’t really care, I also like how rare they are. I think it’s cool having something quite unique that not many people own."
Not Peter Rabbit, I feel like we all know what he looks like.
This is my 30 inch self standing white bunny.
Tell me a bit more about your collection, how it started, what your first items were, and how it has evolved?
Peter, "My collection started because of my extreme urge to own a Peter Rabbit. I realized getting one on eBay was going to be quite hard after being outbid several times. I purchased a random bunny rubber face who was missing an ear and had no brand. After receiving it I was like, 'Haha… Nice… But it’s not a damn Rushton!!' I took the plunge and splurged on a Tuffy duck (there were no Peter Rabbits online at the time) and the rest is history. I currently have 30 Rushtons and am always looking for more bunny friends."
What has been the reaction of your family/friends/colleagues to your passion for cute kitsch?
Peter, "Honestly I don’t think anyone was surprised. A few of my best friends said they were scary. However, they expected nothing less from me (lol). I am always doing quite 'out of the norm' things so suddenly collecting these dolls was just something else to add to my list."
Tell me about your favorite item and why it’s so special?
Peter, "I’d have to say my favorite item is my Peter Rabbit. I love all of my other Rushtons but honestly, I was just like 'Oh! Okay I’ll get it.' Peter Rabbit was so hard for me personally to get! Mine is in pretty mint condition. I also didn’t want to get completely ripped off. The whole process took months until finding my perfect baby."
Me as a Rushton posing with many of my babies.
Is there anything else about your personal experiences that you would like to add?
Peter, "Through
joining this community I’ve come across many people who also enjoy my
particular style. It’s really pushed me to open my own shop/brand. Which I’ve been wanting to do for years now. However, it’s just been
something on the back of my mind. I’ve decided to launch Madame Rushton
and am so excited for what’s to come with it. I’ll be focusing on
handmade original pieces. Clothing, accessories and more!"
Thank you so much Peter for the opportunity to share your story. I look forward to what your shop Madame Rushton has to offer!!
Please check out Peter's shop Madame Rushton on IG coming soon, and Peter's rushtonbarbie IG collection for his adorable content and love of Mary Rushton plushies!
Until next year folks for my next installment! Happy Collecting!
Thank you for reading! ~ ggsdolls
