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The Mary Hoyer Doll
Manufacturing Company began in 1925 as a yarn and craft shop
in Reading, Pennsylvania USA. Mary designed knitted
goods for infants and children and later added a slim
doll that could model her clothes along with a pattern
book. The doll was supplied through an agreement with
Ideal Novelty & Toy company, so early dolls only bear the
Ideal markings, this was the Mayfair body doll with a twist
waist an twist upper torso, although the clothing should have the Hoyer
label.
 Mary
Hoyer 14" tall, all composition with side glancing,
painted blue eyes, painted leashes
Around 1937 Mary approached
Bernard Lipfert a well known doll sculptor, to create her own
doll, it was a composition doll, that was produced by the
Fiberoid Doll Company in New York for the Hoyer company.
These dolls will often be marked: The/Mary Hoyer/Doll in
raised print. Dolls are all composition, wigged, most
have blue sleep eyes with a lid above the eye (some are
brown), real upper lashes, painted lower lashes and a closed
mouth. Some dolls have painted eyes with painted
lashes, too, these maybe from the area of World War II (1935-1949),
when supplies were hard to come by.
After 1946 the dolls were made
of hard plastic and are often marked; ORIGINAL/Mary
Hoyer/Doll/Made in USA (some composition dolls have this
marking too) and some were marked:
Made in USA within a circle without the Mary Hoyer name,
and maybe dolls bought, dressed and sold by other doll makers. Dolls
have mohair wigs, usually blue sleep eyes with a lid above the
eye, real upper lashes, painted lower lashes and closed mouth.
Mary Hoyer doll molds were also
sold to the Richwood company, who then
redressed and sold them as their Cindy Lou walker doll, these
are marked with the Made in USA in a circle, without
the Mary Hoyer name (and YES the mold was sold to others
too).
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Left
is Cindy Lou on right Mary Hoyer
Here's the Richwood
- Cindy Lou doll page for a comparison - doll is made from
the Mary Hoyer doll mold and face, with the walker
body marked: Made In USA in a circle without the Mary
Hoyer signature.
See also the A.B.C
Toys Co., - Mary Doll page for another Mary Hoyer face
doll - this one has molded hair beneath her wig and no
molded ears.
See also the Hoseley
Doll page, Mary Hoyer sold the walker doll mold to the
Hoseley Group - who then redressed the doll in fancy costume
(only 50 dolls or so were made) and called them Hoseley Party Dolls. These also bear the Made
in USA in a circle marking without the Mary Hoyer name, must
have the Hoseley tag to identify.
See also the de
Angeli - Hedwig dolls, also made from the Mary Hoyer doll
head mold. The de Angeli-Hedwig
dolls must have their original hangtag to make a definite
identification.
The Mary Hoyer
Doll company closed in the 1970's, however recently family
members reintroduced a vinyl 13 1/2" Mary Hoyer doll
based on the characters in "The Doll with the Magic
Wand" book written by Mary Hoyer, now for contemporary
doll collectors.
Here's a link
to the official Mary Hoyer Doll
Company web site for current dolls and complete history and company
timeline.
Here are some of
the Mary Hoyer dolls from 1937-1960's: |
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1925 Mary Hoyer, 13"
tall, Mayfair body by Ideal with twist waist and
upper torso, all composition, jointed body, wigged,
sleep eyes. Doll was manufactured by Ideal, sold to
Hoyer who redressed and sold the doll. Doll is marked : Ideal
Doll.
If she does not have Hoyer marked
clothing or her original box - your out of luck to make a
correct ID as a Hoyer doll.
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Mary
Hoyer 13", Ideal Mayfair body, twist waist
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1937-1946 Mary Hoyer, 14" tall, all
composition jointed doll, mohair wig (some have molded
hair beneath the wig),
sleep eyes usually blue but some root beer brown have been found, or painted eyes with painted
lashes, real upper lashes, painted lower lashes, closed mouth,
many different outfits were made for this doll, as well as
patterns were sold, that could be knitted or sewn by the dolls
owner. Mary Hoyer made clothing will have a Mary
Hoyer tag. Doll marked: The/Mary Hoyer/Doll in
raised print.
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1937-1946
Mary Hoyer,
14"
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1946-1950's
Mary Hoyer, 14" tall, all hard plastic, jointed body,
mohair wig many colors & styles, some with molded hair
beneath, usually blue sleep eyes. closed
mouth.
On right, blonde, hard plastic, in her
lavender Hoyer marked tutu.
Many different outfits were made
for this doll, as well as patterns were sold, that could be
knitted or sewn by the dolls owner. Mary Hoyer made
clothing will have a Mary Hoyer tag.
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1948-1950's
Mary Hoyer,
14"
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1937-1946
Mary Hoyer - Boy Doll,
14" tall, all composition or 1946-1950's all hard plastic,
jointed body, wigged with short
hair, usually blue sleep eyes, closed mouth, (this doll is
often thought to have had a haircut). Shown at right
in the original Prince tagged clothing.
The boy/male Hoyer doll
commands a slightly higher price as they did not make as many,
thus, supply & demand from collectors today make him
rather hard to find in good condition.
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Mary
Hoyer, Prince,
14"
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1950's Gigi, 14" or
18" tall, the 14" tall doll should have the Mary
Hoyer mark within the circle, very few of these dolls were
produced, made by the Frisch Doll Company.
Doll shown is 18" tall doll, auburn hair, blue sleep eyes, real
upper lashes, closed mouth, dressed in elegant pale blue
and tulle gown.
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1950's
Gigi, 18"
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1957 Vicky, 10
1/2" tall, vinyl fashion body,
twist waist, rooted hair, high heeled feet. Vicki is
marked Uneeda on neck and was purchased and redressed
and sold as a Hoyer doll. (it's Uneeda's Suzette doll).
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1957 Vicky,
10 1/2"
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1958 Margie, 10"
tall, toddler body type, rooted hair, blue sleep eyes, made by the
Unique Doll Co.
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Photo
N/A
1958 Margie, 10"
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1961 Cathy, 10"
tall, vinyl infant doll, made by the Unique Doll Co.
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Photo
N/A
1961 Cathy, 10"
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1962 Janie, 8"
tall, vinyl body, baby type doll.
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Photo
N/A
1962 Janie, 8"
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1971 Becky, 14"
tall, hard plastic
doll, marked on head AE 24, with rooted hair, sleep eyes.
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Photo
N/A
1971 Becky, 14"
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