Arranbee R & B Dolls 1924+ USA
The Arranbee Doll Company (R & B) was located in New York city, their slogan was “The Dolls That Sold On Sight”. R & B sold bisque, composition, rubber, hard plastic and vinyl dolls. Arranbee is a well known USA doll manufacturer who in their early years imported dolls and parts to be assembled in the USA. Some of their bisque doll heads were made by Armand Marseille and Simon &Halbig, later they produced their own high quality dolls. In 1958 Arranbee was purchased and became a division of the Vogue doll company, who had a history with them and continued to use the R & B doll marking until early 1961.
Some Arranbee doll mark: 16, 23ARV, ARRANBEE, Arranbee Pat. Aug. 10. 26, circle P (Miss Coty Girl), circle X, R & B Doll Co, AM 341 or 341 K, AM 351 or 351 K, 49 R & B, 65 R & B, 210 Pat Pen, 250 R & B, Made in U.S.A. Pat’s Pend, Nancy, Germany Arranbee 620, Simon Halbig Arranbee Patent No. 74720 Germany and many Arranbee dolls are unmarked.
Arranbee dolls <1924+ > | 1940s
1924+ Arranbee R & B – Antique dolls identified
1924-1950s Arranbee My Dream Baby doll or Dream Baby doll, 9- 24″ tall, bisque head on a cloth or composition body, on the earliest dolls the bisque dome head with glass sleep eyes and painted hair was made by Armand Marseille (mold 341, 351, add a K and it was on a composition body). The early Armand Marseille bisque head doll marks AM Germany 341 3 1 2K, AM Germany Arranbee or AM 351 4 Germany Arranbee.
1924-1950s Arranbee My Dream Baby doll or Dream Baby doll, 9- 24″ tall, composition head on a cloth or all composition body, some have rubber hands at the end of a cloth arm, larger sized dolls have composition arms and composition legs to above the knees with blue or gray tin sleep or painted eyes, with painted upper lashes, open mouth or closed. Lots of variety in the various Dream Baby doll, some even came with a wig over the molded hair, and open or closed mouth versions, doll mark Arranbee, R & B or Dream Baby.
1926 Arranbee Bottletot doll 13″ tall, all composition and cloth, came with it’s own bottle held in it’s right hand. This is a later version of a bisque head doll, this doll is unmarked. Match up the molded hair pattern to identify your doll.
1930s Arranbee Marianne doll 18-27″ tall, composition shoulder head, arms and legs to above the knees, cloth stuffed body an upper legs, jointed shoulders and stitched hips, human hair wig in long cork screw curls, sleep eyes, open mouth with three upper teeth. Came wearing an organdy dress labeled Marianne an Arranbee doll, matching bonnet, socks and leather shoes, doll is unmarked or marked Perfect, Used a doll made by Perfect Toy Mfg Company.
1930s Arranbee Storybook Dolls; Dutch Girl doll & Dutch Boy doll 9-10″ tall, all composition, molded hair or wig, wore an appropriate costume for character portrayed. Shown is a 9″ tall Dutch Girl in costume with yarn hair over her molded and painted hair, original clothing, and wooden shoes. More Storybook dolls are: Bo Peep, Cowboy & Cowgirl, Jack & Jill, Little Boy Blue, Mary had a Little Lamb, Snow White and a Pirate and probably others.
1930s Arranbee Nancy doll,11-22″ tall, an Effanbee Patsy doll competitor or look a like, all composition or composition head & limbs on a cloth stuffed body, molded short hair, some with hair bow loops, painted eyes, tin sleep eyes, or glass sleep eyes, the 16″ tall doll had sleep eyes and sometimes had a wig over the molded hair. Their is quite a bit of variation in the molded hair of these dolls, as several different dolls were used over the years. Some have short even across bangs, others had wavy slightly curled bangs and Doll shown has the bangs swept across the forehead, doll marked Nancy, ARRANBEE DOLL CO., R & B or unmarked.
1930-1940s Arranbee Nancy doll 14-22″ tall, she’s either all composition or composition and cloth body, sleep eyes, open smiling mouth with four teeth, she is shown in her original human hair wig and clothing, hair bow is a replacement, doll mark R & B, Nancy or unmarked.
1932 Arranbee George and Martha Washington dolls 12″ tall, part of the Cherrie Historical Doll Series, this pair of dolls were created to commemorate George’s 200the birthday. All composition (used the Nancy body), jointed bodies, mohair wig, has painted facial features, shown in original clothing, doll marked Arranbee Doll Co.
1936 Arranbee Ink-U-Bator Baby doll 6 1/2″ tall, an all composition My Dream Baby doll, all composition jointed body, molded painted hair, came with it’s with it’s cardboard box “incubator” and layette, doll mark R & B Doll Co.
1938-1940s Arranbee Debu’teen doll, Southern Girl series, 11″ tall, jointed all composition body, sleep eyes, wigged with closed mouth, wearing a very detailed ensemble of striped blue taffeta gown with scalloped hemline, long white cotton slip with cutouts & white on white embroidery, matching white cotton pantaloons, white socks with black oil cloth shoes with cut outs, also crocheted fingerless gloves & big straw picture hat. This same attire has been found on the larger Debu’teen dolls too and came in different colors, as well as on the Nancy Lee doll described below, doll marked R & B or unmarked.
The Vogue Dora Lee doll 11″ tall, probably used the Debu’teen doll mold and are unmarked, shoes had Dora Lee’s name stamped in ink on the sole, clothing is untagged – so this is the only thing that makes the Debu’teen doll a Dora Lee, are the marked shoes. The 14″ size Debu’teen dressed doll was named Sandra Lee.
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1938-1940 Arranbee Debu’teen Hungarian International Costume Male Doll 14″ tall, jointed all composition body, brown tin sleep eyes, brown mohair wig, closed mouth. Make doll shown dressed in a Hungarian costume, blue velvet vest gold braid trim, red velvet pants gold braid trim, white batiste shirt with huge pleated sleeves with ribbon trim in red, white and green, black with gold trim oilcloth boots, doll is unmarked. Also Nancy Lee 17″ composition dolls dressed in Norwegian costumes.
1938-1940 Arranbee Debu’teen doll 11-22″ tall, all composition, or (shown on left) composition shoulder plate and composition limbs on a cloth stuffed body (see next photo but with straight legs), may have single or multi stroke eyebrows, sleep eyes (some may have painted eyes), wigged, jointed at neck, shoulders and hips, doll marked R & B on neck and some have the marking on the dolls inner upper arm or inside upper leg or unmarked.
1938-1940 Arranbee Debu’teen doll seated 22″ tall, composition shoulder head, arms and legs on a cloth stuffed body, same Debu’teen face with sleep eyes, smokey gray eye shadow with a small upper lid, two or three stroke eyebrows, painted lower lashes, real upper lashes, wig maybe of mohair, several colors have been found, her knees are slightly bent, doll marked R & B on neck, sometimes inside the upper arms R & B or unmarked.
1938-1946 Arranbee Nancy doll 11-27″ tall, all composition or composition shoulder plate swivel head and composition limbs with a cloth body, Princess Elizabeth head mold, may have single or multi stroke eyebrows, sleep eyes, wigged, jointed at neck, shoulders and hips, open mouth with four upper teeth or with a closed mouth. Doll marked R & B, Nancy or unmarked.
1938-1946 Arranbee Nancy Lee doll 14, 18″ tall, or 21″ tall, fully jointed body, all composition, mohair wig, sleep eyes, closed mouth, doll marked on head R & B or Nancy or unmarked.
1938-1946 Arranbee Nannette doll or Nanette doll, 17- 23″ tall, composition head on shoulder plate with a cloth body, jointed at neck and shoulders, Mama dolls with a crier in the body, mohair wig, tin or glassene sleep eyes, most have a closed mouth, but dolls have been found with open mouth with two upper teeth, too, doll marked under the upper arms R & B, neck and body iunmarked.
ca. 1938 Arranbee Taffy doll 17-18″ tall, or Ideal Pigtail Sally doll, all composition jointed body at the neck, shoulders and hips, mohair pigtail wig in blonde brunette or tosca, sleep eyes, open mouth with four upper teeth, came dressed in pinafore, dress, matching head scarf, white socks and oilcloth shoes, doll mark on back 18 –. !! Need more research on this identification.
1939 Arranbee Rosalie doll 13 1/2, 18 or 24″ tall, may have been a Sears Exclusive, all composition or composition head & limbs on a cloth body (usually found on the larger size dolls, uses the Debu’teen body), glass like sleep eyes, brunette wig of mohair on the smallest size and human hair on the larger dolls, inside washer jointed arms and legs, wore a brown dotted organdy dress with gold bolero, leather like black belt, cotton poke bonnet with ribbon strap, white rayon socks, white underpants and leather like snap buckle shoes. Doll marked same as the Debu’teen R & B, or unmarked.
Arranbee dolls <1924+ > | 1940s
Arranbee Doll Marks Identified
16, 23ARV, ARRANBEE, Arranbee Pat. Aug. 10. 26, circle P (Coty Girl), circle X, R & B Doll Co, AM 341 or 341 K, AM 351 or 351 K, 49 R & B, 65 R & B, 210 Pat Pen, 250 R & B, Made in U.S.A. Pat’s Pend, Nancy, Germany Arranbee 620, Simon Halbig Arranbee Patent No. 74720 Germany and many Arranbee dolls are unmarked.
Additional Arranbee dolls not shown
1927 Arranbee Drink ‘N Babe doll 12″ tall, all composition (except right hand) jointed baby doll with lightly molded blonde painted hair, tin sleep eyes with real eyelashes, open mouth, dolls right hand is made of celluloid and holds a celluloid magic rubber nipple on bottle, patent date; August, 10, 1926, US Patent 1,595,840, “The doll that drinks like magic”, special doll bottle with disappearing milk, came in a cardboard case with other accessories, doll is unmarked.