Beehler Arts, Fortune Toys, Kimport, Ontario Plastics, Virga Dolls 1940s+ USA
Beehler Arts, Fortune Toys, Ontario Plastics and the Virga Doll Company all seem to have been connected, as well as Kimport dolls which used the same address as Beehler. They all produced similar Ginny type 7 1/2 – 9″ tall, hard plastic walking dolls in the 1950s. Many of these vintage dolls are unmarked and therefore, if out of box can be difficult to identify.
Some competitors of these small hard plastic type 1950s dolls are; Cosmopolitan Ginger, PMA-Plastic Molded Arts, Doll Bodies, Grant Plastics, Kimport Dolls, Niresk, Stashin, Vogue Ginny. See also the Hard Plastic Marks page for additional help.
Beehler Arts, Fortune Toys, Kimport, Ontario Plastics, Virga Dolls Identified
1940s+ Beehler Arts / Virga all composition dolls, 7″ tall, mohair wigged, painted faces, closed mouth, jointed at the shoulders & hips, doll mark MBC on back. Came dressed in many different outfits, Gibson Girl # 4376, Majorette, Nurse, Storybook type etc. Dolls came in a cardboard box with A Virga Doll on the cover and Beehler Arts 19, NY on the side.
1950s Beehler Princess SummerFall WinterSpring doll (native American Indian Princess), 14 1/2 or 18″ tall, #1200, all hard plastic, fully jointed body (this is not the Peter Puppet Playthings version), blue sleep eyes, very distinctive facial paint with curved eyebrows, a rosebud closed mouth. Dressed in her original Princess outfit with crown and charm bracelet. She was a character played by actress Judy Tyler (1932-1957) in the Howdy Doody TV show from 1950-1953. 14″ doll marked Made in USA.
Other Princess SummerFall WinterSpring dolls; an All Cloth doll 14″ tall, a Dress-Me type doll 8″ tall, two puppet versions; a small hand puppet and a 13″ tall Marionette puppet both made by Peter Puppet Playthings, Inc. The doll shown here is VHTF and made by the Beehler Arts Company.
Special thanks to Irishmahony for sharing research about this doll and DrBell21 who shared her doll photos! She’s a wowser!
1950s Fortune Toy Ninette doll and Jeanette doll, 7 1/2-8″ tall, same as the Pam doll with different packaging, by Fortune Doll Company.
1950s Fortune Toy Pam doll, 7 1/2-8″ tall, hard plastic jointed body, sleep eyes, glued on wig, closed mouth or Pam Ballerina, same as Pam but has pointed feet for ballerina toe shoes, by The Hart Throb Doll and Fortune Toy Doll Company.
(not shown) 1957 Fortune Toy Pamette doll, 8″ tall (baby doll) all vinyl, rooted short hair, heavy black eyebrow, blue sleep eyes, real eyelashes, open nurser mouth, jointed at neck, shoulders & hips, doll mark Pamette.
1950s Virga Lollipop dolls, 7 1/2-8″ tall, all hard plastic jointed body, sleep eyes, wigged sometimes with unusual hair colors; aqua blue, maize yellow, mint green, orchid lavender, peach, pink and silver by Virga Doll Company, Beehler Arts LTD, NYC.
1950s Virga Lucy Play Mates doll, 7 1/2-8″ tall, Penny doll (10 1/2″ tall), Storybook Characters, hard plastic jointed bodies, sleep eyes, closed mouth, straight legs, some are walkers by Virga Doll Co., Beehler Arts LTD, NYC.
The Lucy hip pin walker doll was used as the Colgate-Palmolive Fab soap advertising doll in 1955. The doll without the hip pin walker is the 1957 Fab soap Picture Doll, shown below.
1950s Virga Toni Playmate doll, 7 1/2-8″ tall, Storybook Characters, hard plastic jointed bodies, sleep eyes, closed mouth, straight legs, some are walkers by Virga Doll Co. Beehler Arts LTD, NYC.
The 1954 Toni Playmate doll has green sleep eyes, real upper eye lashes, a saran blonde wig in braids, is shown wearing the outfit; #505 Sunday Best, an organdy dress trimmed with lace and braided embroidery, matching bonnet and black suede slip on shoes.
1950s Virga Twinkle Ballerina doll, 7 1/2-8″ tall, dolls turns head when legs are moved, pointed toes. A Ginny look a like, various colored wigs, sleep eyes, hard plastic jointed bodies, straight legs, by Virga Doll Co., Beehler Arts LTD, NYC.
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1955 Colgate-Palmolive Fab Soap Walking doll, is a hip pin walker Virga Lucy doll, 7 1/2-8″ tall, Ginny type doll, Lucy is all hard plastic with a jointed body walker, golden blonde glued on wig, sleep eyes, closed mouth, dressed in a purple sleeveless bodice with attached large colorful polka dotted skirt, white shoes. Fab soap boxtops mail in premium for the doll. Advertising doll for Colgate-Palmolive Fab soap detergent.
1957 Colgate-Palmolive Fab Soap Picture doll, is a non walker Virga Lucy doll, 7 1/2-8″ tall, Ginny type doll, all hard plastic with a jointed body, glued on pale blonde wig, sleep eyes, closed mouth, dressed in a pink short sleeve taffeta dress with light blue ric rak trim, straw hat with pink ribbon, pink socks, pink rubber shoes. Fab soap boxtops mail in premium for the doll, plus three other outfits were available; a Wedding Ensemble, Daytime Dress, Sleepy-time Lounge outfit. Advertising doll for Colgate-Palmolive Fab soap detergent.
1955 Ontario Paula Sue doll, 7 1/2-8″ tall, hard plastic, non-walking, sleep eyes with plastic upper lashes, no painted lower lashes, wears a white dress with multi-colored ribbon trim, doll marked Ontario Plastic Inc., Rochester N.Y.
1957 Kimport Kim ‘teen doll, 8 1/2″ tall, walker type, sleep eyes, molded lashes, hi heel feet, jointed body, clothes are often sewn to doll, by Kimport Doll Co, NYC. Same as the Miss Hi Teen doll by Virga Dolls, NYC.
Note: The Kimport company doll boxes use the same address as the Beehler Arts company.
1957 Virga Coco Schiaparelli doll, 7 1/2-8″ tall, clothing is marked “Schiaparelli”, Ginny look a like, there were several outfits by the Virga Doll Company.
1960s Fortune Toy Pam doll, 10″ tall, Ginger look a like, all vinyl, sleep eyes, rooted hair, high heel feet, doll marked on head E by the Fortune Doll Company.