The history of Shirley Temple dolls dates back to the mid 1930s when the first composition dolls of this blonde pint sized actress were made. Other types of Shirley Temple dolls include vinyl, porcelain, and paper dolls. Although her popularity as an actress waned by the late 1940s, dolls in the likeness of Shirley Temple continue to be popular collector's items.
Composition dolls of Shirley Temple were the most popular dolls, as well as the most long lasting version, of the dolls made in her likeness. This type of doll was the answer to the issue of the breakability of bisque, also known as porcelain. Typically, composition dolls were made of sawdust mixed with glue. This mixture made a highly moldable material suitable for doll heads.
Most dolls had a jointed, all composition body. Joints were placed at key junctions such as the neck, legs, shoulders, and hips. Many of these dolls had eyes that closed like they were sleeping when they were laid down. However, dolls manufactured prior to the 1930s typically had molded hair with painted eyes. Due to its weight, larger composition dolls were often made with a cloth body and a composition head and limbs.
The bodies of dolls were made of composition for many years before its use for doll heads became widespread. The material that a doll's head is made of is what defines the type of doll it is. Therefore, only those dolls with heads made of composition are called composition dolls.
Shirley Temple dolls are some of the most collectible composition dolls. Shirley Temple composition dolls have been popular since they were introduced, and their popularity continues to rise through the years.
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Crazing, which can be caused by temperature and moisture changes, causes thin lines to appear on the finish of a doll. This is particularly a problem with those composition dolls that are heavily lacquered or those with a heavily sealed finish.
Crazing in composition dolls such as the Shirley Temple dolls, has been such a problem that collectors now accept light crazing with only a slight reduction in the value of the doll. Conversely, the owner of a Shirley Temple composition doll with cracking of the composition or lifting of the composition will find the value of their dolls reduced considerably. This is a legitimate reason to carefully store Shirley Temple dolls in order to protect them against significant changes in the temperature or moisture levels.
The composition Shirley Temple dolls were manufactured by the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company. Most of these dolls stood between eleven and twenty seven inches tall. Some Shirley Temple dolls measured only a few inches high, however.
Most of the Shirley Temple dolls from Ideal Novelty and Toy Company where stamped with “Shirley Temple” on their backs. The heads of the Shirley Temple dolls were stamped with “Shirley Temple/Ideal Nov. and Toy Co.” Some antique Shirley Temple composition dolls in pristine condition, with little or no crazing, can fetch high prices. The actual price depends on the particular Shirley Temple doll as well as its condition
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