My New Book, Vintage Rubber Face Plush Finds by ggsdolls!!

 I have been doing research on dolls and toys since before this century began. If I could, I would have a large book sharing all I have learned from my vintage dolls and toys I've discovered. Believe it or not, back in 2004, I had a main website that showed just like here on my blog, all my finds, and I also had a newsletter showcasing information of certain dolls, etc. But, the costs at the time to upkeep and maintain a website, was, well expensive. So, I ended up deleting it. I do wish I hadn't, but that is life, and I decided it was way easier to keep a blog, and use Microsoft word. Haha!

Since the popularity of vintage rubber face stuffed animals, I decided to share a more detailed story and research of my collection and wrote this book!!! "Vintage Rubber Face Plush Finds by ggsdolls" written and photographed by Cynthia Flores, Reference Guide & Restoration.

I will list them in my Etsy shop here, on March 1st!! For now, I only have a limited amount of copies, but I hope to get more in soon! If you'd like to pre-order let me know also, just message me through Etsy.

Thank you for looking! ~ ggsdolls

My Happy Bear Dreams Came True!!!

 I just have to share this!!! I've been waiting patiently for a little over 2 weeks for this cutie to arrive...

My hubby bought me this guy for my birthday, and he's been one of my ISOs for awhile since selling my medium sized one. I've tried trading my other Rushtons, even rare ones just for this guy. But, no takers. And I don't blame them. The Rushton Happy Bear is the most desired, I've found and is the most expensive when it is listed on Ebay. So, I will treasure having this bear for some time to come... Squeee!!!

When I got him yesterday, he was just stuffed inside the box, no plastic bag to keep him dry from wet weather, no bubble wrap, nothing!!! WTH Ugh, seriously people!! I took a snap of him below just before his wash...

He's about 17 inches tall, and filled with foam pellets, just like my multi-color Happy bear. But, most of his foam pellets have disintegrated or fallen out. His fur is matted and dirty. So, my work begins. I placed him in the wash under delicate cycle. When I took him out, no holes, and no rips on him, lucky. He is missing his tag, but he does have The Rushton Co. logo under his chin.

I brought him into the house and layed him down to dry for a bit. Because his body is filled with foam, he dries faster. Just like the white large bunny restored. So, I began brush his fur, and taking out any dirt left behind after the wash or things stuck in his fur. His face as you can see in the photo below, is dark a bit and had marks. I used magic eraser carefully not to remove original paint and wiped his face down. I took off any unwanted marks. Like the one you see on his cheek. I then, touched up the paint on his eyebrows, hairline and nose. Added some blush to his cheeks and I was basically done! Yay!

I thought about washing him again, since his fur didn't get as white as I had hoped for, but I chose not too. Mostly because I didn't want any rips or any other problems to arise. I added a blue satin ribbon and he was done! His foam pellets do fall out from time to time, so I may want to completely remove that and stuffed him with cotton later. I did add a tingaling sounder to him since I was adding stuffing. So now, he is the most unique with a tingaling sound in him. Teehee!

Thank you to my husband for spoiling me with this amazing gift, that I will treasure. I love you!! Doing my Happy Dance...

Be safe and well dear friends!!

Thank you for looking! ~ ggsdolls

What's Up?!

 February has come, and is now on its way out! Time flies doesn't it? Well, at least when you are older it seems to go by in a flash, and you wonder what day it is or what month it might be! Ahhh, such is life...

Busy can't describe half of what goes on here. So, here I am a few weeks later to share what I've found and what things I've come across... Enjoy!

I finally got my Acid Banana necklace from UK. It was a trade between the amazing artist Susie Wong of Acid Banana and I. She loved a few of my shop goodies and we traded for one of her necklaces. Which by the way are worn by a famous music artist, Post Malone!! Susie creates playful jewelry and repurposes Chanel buttons in her works! I love the fact that its repurposed!! She added a few fun gifts too! Thank you dear Susie!! Sadly, mail has taken so much more time to get to me, even with Stateside mail. I don't think it will ever get better... On my Bday, I got this cute handmade organizer basket from a dear friend, who is currently Stateside. I love the Skeleton mermaid design. It will get a lot of use, that is for sure!!

I also decided to get these two Roly poly dolls in blue and pink. I meant to sell both, but after seeing the blue baby, I think he will make a great photo prop too! Besides how can one resist their cuteness!! The pink is still currently listed in my shop for adoption! These are smaller versions of the Rolypolies. About 7.5 inches tall. I was also able to find another Chocoholic shelf. This time it has 4 tiers. I just love this retro shelf. Their colors and design, remind me of the vintage shelving of the 1950s and 1960s, but in colors, not the drab browns or blacks.

Next, I decided I needed a Tee from Fugly Barbie on Etsy. I got the sweatshirt last time, but on Guam its too hot to wear. So a Tee would be perfect, and in pink too! I also had the idea to take the Ken Elephant Nostalgia miniature albums, and create a scrapbooking fun pic, below. I basically took some cute Rushton plushy photos and made them into tiny Polaroids and Tada! A mininature scrapbooking sesh! It was fun to shoot too!

Also, I found this lovely tan gal, a vintage Japan mascot blonde doll. She is huge and has movable arms. I didn't realize they made them like that. Generally, they only have the simple twisting arms up and down, and not sideways. Neat! She was in near perfect condition for being over 40 years old!! I will keep her for now. I also was able to snag this lovely My Toy rubber face bear. At first, I thought he was a bunny. But when he arrived, he was in fact, a bear! I love his face, so chipper too! He was washed and fluffed and I added a blue satin bow. He will live with me for now.

On Valentine's Day, the hubs, got me this lovely box of Parisco treats!! Thank you my love!! It was enjoyed every other day, then week after Valentine's too! Parisco always makes some unique yummy treats! They are my fave place to go for nomnoms. Even the card Sam got me was just too sweet! He always knows how to make me smile. Next, I also found these cute Sekiguchi tan boy and girl dolls. I have seen them often, and decided to get them to add to my shop.

I also won this vintage rubber face Kitty plush in purple on Ebay. Made by My Toy also, he needed a good washing. When he arrived, he smelled of strong perfume and musty odors. He also needed a lot of cleaning on his face. He is quite unique with his licking lips mouth. Still has his original tag and there are wires in his body to help you pose him and in his tail. He's quite unique and was adopted as soon as I listed him in my shop!

Last, I needed an updated photo of my current Rushton plush family. I hope to be downsizing soon. When, not sure. But slowly. These are my faves so far and these days, they are just too expensive and even harder to find cheap... ugh. Which makes it harder for me to decide to let any go. I know I will not find them again and for the price that is good.

I hope you all have a great month! Stay safe and well!

Thank you for reading! ~ ggsdolls

Latest Finds...

 Whoa January went fast... Here's what I've acquired the last few weeks!

I got myself this awesome Wall Plaque by CarlosofHollywood on Etsy!! Its all wood and is based on the Knickerbocker pouty bear plush. Just love this! Carlos makes other amazing pieces like pins, pillows, even an adorable bear rug. Which by the way I am so tempted to get! LOL His work is unique and I love his playful art of our vintage kitsch collectibles. Just find him here on Etsy! I also received several boxes from Japan. These vintage kitsch figurines have already been added to my Etsy shop! I've sold this set before. Lovely big eyed deer couple too great for your Valentine's display!

This cute bathing beauty is just adorable in her blue hair. She will live with me for a bit. Of course, I am still trying to find some little plates I could put into my GE cabinets. But sadly, this set of Barbie plastic plates don't fit. Ugh. So, I listed them in my shop. I also found through commissioned orders, some past miniatures Charmy chan toys for other collectors, and for a friend in Netherlands, these cute dolls below.

Ken Elephant, released their Nostalgia miniature toy sets, and I got them fast. Sadly, in one box of twelve, there is only one red roly poly and one yellow roly poly dolls. Ugh. Meaning you get all the others at least twice, but not the dolls. Darn. This set costs way too much for just the 2 dolls. Not happy with this purchase. But, the pieces are adorable. Most only want the Rolys. The baby albums are so cute, and they do open up. I can print out and put in tiny polaroids in it too!

My awesome "Rollin' with The Homies" sweatshirt by fuglybarbie!! I love it so much and can't wait to use it a lot! Matches my little Happy Bear!! I was also able to acquire this lovely squirrel plush with pastel colors by Allied Toys Canada. Similar to Rushton's Stinky Skunk. This squirrel plushie is a nice addition to my pastel collection. Yes, I even caved and bought a vintage Valentine's Chocolate Box in pink. Mostly, to be used as a prop. The price wasn't bad either!

Last, I received this lovely Rushton owl to sell, from a friend in Japan. He's been washed, and his wings replaced. I used felt in brown on the areas which was supposed to be painted on brown accents to his feathers. I just didn't like the way it looked, so I opted to cut felt and glue it on instead. He is such a cutie, and I'm having a hard time letting him go now... Haha Oh well...

Hope you all are safe and well!

Thank you for stopping by! ~ ggsdolls

PS I forgot to add...

My new children's book is listed on Etsy!! Meet Henry and Sachiyo as they go on adventures in my Kitsch filled room...

My How Time Flies!

 I've been MIA as of late because of many things... One of them being the reason I became a collector, and then a seller. It has always been a joy to find amazing vintage dolls and toys, but I must admit, there are times when I just want to stop, sell everything and move on to the next adventure! And a few times as you've probably read, I have come so very close to doing just that! 

But then, I find myself falling right back into it, mostly because of a new interest, new find or just the joy of finding things, that I found in myself to be very therapeutic in some ways. But, sometimes there are moments, when you get that feeling of WTH, and oh my gosh, it just makes me cringe. I have heard a recent fellow collector having to talk about "Bullying" in the Squeak Toy community. So she did an IG video about it. It never fails, and for those of us who are avid collectors, it's like a drill and we go through it often so we just have to ride the wave until that person or persons get with the program. 

I've even resorted to creating a blog post about the way we collect and what rules one can expect when collecting and dealing with other collectors. The post was done back in 2018. Read more here... 

Now this brings me to one of those kinds of experiences... I was recently asked by a fellow collector via IG, if I could buy him something? Generally, if most buyers ask me to buy them something, it is after we've found something they've wanted and then send me the money to help them get it, etc. So, it could be a miscommunication thing or a language barrier, But this person seemed to speak very good English, or so I thought. But, at the time, I felt a bit insulted. It wasn't anything expensive, but the way he went about asking me, seemed awkward. He then said, he'd pay me back. As a seller, I'm sorry, I don't do credit or loans for my services or I'd be broke, and we had only been talking about our collection via IG for the last 2 months or so. I felt like he must think I'm some rich old broad. LOL Nope, I've just learned to be very careful in the way I spend my money and how I save. So, this recent experience, had me stop for a bit. I've gotten some oddballs in my time, but it felt like this person assumed I was a millionaire! Nope, far from it dear!

Okay, just had to vent on that and move on... I haven't shared this lovely vintage Rushton Happy Bear, I've had for several months now... Mostly, because, I was hoping to use him to adopt the Happy Bear I've long wanted. Sadly, that was not the case... So many are holding onto theirs and I don't blame them. This vintage multi-colored Rushton, I gave in to buying is from Japan. He is missing his tag, but there is the Rushton Co. markings under his chin. So he's authentic for sure. He is also quite rare because we've never seen him in a tri-color edition.

He has blue, pink, a purple tummy, ears, and tail. He is about 9 inches tall and is filled with foam and cotton batting, I believe. Some of the foam pellets fall out, because while I hold him and look him over, sometimes I find small foam pellets in his fur. He doesn't have any odors and he's quite clean and lovely actually. His face paint is a bit worn, but nothing major.

I have been told I was crazy to let him go and have thought maybe I shouldn't. But, he is not the one I actually want. I want a large size Happy Bear. One day, I hope too! Next, are a few of the items I've acquired since my last post. Yes, it looks like a lot of stuff, but these are purchases that have accumulated for the past 3 weeks of finds and a few I bought last month. This lovely vintage ceramic 'Soft Cream' coin bank. I've always been wanting a ceramic ice cream cone, and this one was at a reasonable price, so I got it through Yahoo Japan. When it arrived via DHL, it smelled of heavy cigarettes, yuck! Quick solution, wash it in dish soap. Ta-Da! Smell is gone. Whew!

I also got another 2 boxes of Charmy-chan doll miniatures to sell. They had to be on back order sadly, and now, they are sold out in most places. I also found this lovely My Toy plush Rooster, mostly to sell in my shop. He is listed there already. A grouping of vintage Saila dolls for a commission of a friend. She won each of them and at auction start price! I'm so happy for her too! In early January, I began sewing this cute Fuzcow in being. He has a squeak in his right hoove, and a tingaling sounder inside. I didn't share this one too much as I am having a hard time letting him go...LOL I didn't realize I would like the cow plush, but now I'm finding I do! Haha!

These Geo deers above, are listed in my shop now. Finds from Yahoo Japan as well. I had to get myself a set of these gold and silver tone Charmy-chan's. They don't come in the boxes we buy from shops. But, I was told they do? I've opened 5 boxes so far and never found one in them. So, I believe these special boxes are sold only to shops. I could be wrong. The Sekiguchi Bunka, nice and minty and still in her original packaging. She 'Coo's' too! In my Etsy shop!

Oh my gosh! This Chocoholic retro shelf, I found online in Japan, is the bees knees!!! I was very happy to find this one! The brand is a part of Swimmer Japan. Sadly, no longer open. But, from time to time you can find their items on Yahoo Japan. I was searching for some plates I could display in my GE cabinet, and I found these lovely Starburst tin plates for children, about 1950s. Sadly, they are too large to fit inside the cabinet with the sliding doors. But, I love the design, and they came with silver spoons, forks, and knives.

I also bought from a fellow collector and friend's shop on Etsy, Feerique. This lovely vintage Lotte Licca chan flat vinyl paper doll. She had to go to my sister in WA, then mailed back to Guam to me. LOL Especially since, EMS doesn't ship to Guam still, ugh. Below that, still trying to find a set that would work lovely in the cabinet, this set of aqua Akro Agate tea set, missing a few pieces. I was surprised they made children version of these milk style glass tea sets. So adorable and small, but still too large for my GE. Ugh! At some point, I hope I find something?!

Found this lovely Gund bunny with wired ears came in her original box too!! I was so surprised and she is so minty too. I did have her washed as she smelled a bit like moth balls. Otherwise gorgeous and her box graphics too!! I may sell her... These lovely odd plastic bunny rabbit craft faces are creepy cool to me! I will have to think of what I can make them into! I also found this lovely oil cloth vintage clown via ebay! I had him on my watch list for a week, and finally caved and bought him! He's another creepy cute keeper!!

Last, is this blue straw plush Easter bunny, made in Japan. Just adorable and will go great with my other bunnies! A lovely addition to my little collection! From the last post of my Lady Baltimore suitcase, I was able to find a replacement key via Ebay and it works too! So now, I am able to lock the suitcase. I still need to clean it down. Been too busy. We also finally had a guest booking for our Tonggan Garden Studio. It was a staycation and not tourists from off island. Still, it was nice to have someone enjoy the place! Back to the grind...

Have a great rest of the month! Stay safe and well!

Thank you for reading! ~ ggsdolls