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1947 Reliable Maggie Muggins doll |
From 1920-1922 the company name was Canadian
Statuary. In 1922 the company name was changed to Reliable Toy Company Limited of Toronto,
Canada founded by Solomon Frank Samuels, later joined by his
brothers Alex Samuels and Ben Samuels. Reliable Toy has a long history of
providing quality doll and toy products.
In the beginning Reliable imported bisque doll heads from Germany,
put it on
a body made from a USA company and assembled these into their own dolls.
From 1922 until 1955 they began producing their own dolls, first made of
composition, later of hard plastic and vinyl
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Reliable is best known for their
Canadian style Indians and Mounties dolls, they also licensed doll molds from well known
American doll manufacturer's, like Ideal Toy Company - Shirley Temple dolls,
which Reliable produced their
own version, that was not licensed for export to the United States.
In 1959, Mr. S. F. Samuels founded
the Regal Toy Company of Toronto who made plastic and vinyl dolls.
By 1985 Allied (Plastic Products) Group acquired Reliable Toys and in
1995 Reliable ceased doll production.
Reliable dolls
1950s |
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1924
Reliable Chubby doll 17" tall, composition head, arms and
straight legs, cloth body, blue tin sleep eyes, real eye lashes, brown
caracul wig, open mouth showing two teeth and tongue, original blue and white
checked romper, doll mark on head A RELIABLE DOLL MADE IN CANADA
or
unmarked.
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1924 Chubby doll 17"
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1935 Reliable Chubby doll
17" composition head, arms, straight legs, cloth body, blue tin sleep eyes,
lashes, painted lower lashes, mohair wig, closed mouth, doll mark RELIABLE MADE IN CANADA.
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1935 Chubby doll 17"
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1935
Reliable Hairbow Peggy doll 18" tall composition shoulder head
and forearms, excelsior stuffed cloth body and legs, blue
painted eyes, black line over eye, well defined molded hair
with a hole for a hair ribbon, closed mouth, doll mark on
shoulder plate A RELIABLE DOLL MADE IN CANADA.
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1935 Hairbow Peggy doll 18"
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1936+ Reliable Baby doll 18-23" tall, Mama type doll, composition flange head and composition wired on partial or full
arms & upper legs, stuffed cloth body with stitched hip joints, some dolls have
a mohair wig over molded hair, sleep eyes, closed mouth or an open mouth with
two upper teeth and felt tongue, doll mark
A Reliable Doll Canada and sold by
Madame Alexander Baby Genius marked
Alexander Doll,
Horsman Baby Precious marked A
Horsman Doll or
most often unmarked
so probably sold by others, too.
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1936+ Reliable
baby doll 23" |
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1936 Reliable Royal Canadian Mounted Police doll
17" tall, composition head and arms, excelsior stuffed
body and legs, brown painted eyes, brown molded hair, closed mouth, wears his
scarlet red tunic jacket with initials R.C.M.P. shoulder badge, brass
buttons, blue breeches with yellow outside stripe, brown oilcloth boots, cross
strap and belt, tan felt Stetson hat, doll mark on head
RELIABLE MADE IN CANADA
Same head mold
Dollcraft Novelty
USA used on their Lone Ranger doll |
1936 Royal Canadian Mounted Police doll
or a
Mountie doll,
17"
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1939 Reliable Koweeka Eskimo doll
14" tall, all composition, jointed hips, shoulders and
neck, black almond shaped painted eyes, black molded hair,
closed mouth, doll mark 1 RELIABLE MADE IN CANADA. (advertising
doll) Original box read: Koweeke & Smilie) box with hang
tag
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1939 Koweeka Eskimo doll
14"
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1939 Reliable Highland Laddie doll
12-13"
tall, all composition, jointed hips and shoulders, blue
painted eyes, black line over eye, molded hair, closed mouth,
dressed in his Scottish plaid attire of a; kilt, shirt, jacket,
scarf, socks, shoes and hat, doll marked on back:
RELIABLE MADE
IN CANADA. There is also a companion doll named Highland
Lassie. |
1939 Highland Laddie doll
12-13"
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 ca.
1939 Reliable Wetums doll 12" tall, all composition, blue sleep
eyes, molded hair, open mouth for bottle, drink/wet doll, wore
a white organdy dress with blue trim, matching bonnet, her
accessories were; glass baby bottle, three nappies, four nappy
pins on card, three wooden pegs and instructions for
caring for your new doll, came as shown all original, doll marked
Reliable MADE IN CANADA
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See photo on left
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1940 Reliable Cuddlekins
doll
19" tall, all composition, jointed hips, shoulders and
neck, blue metal eyes, lashes, painted lower lashes, brown
molded curls, open mouth showing two teeth, dimple on chin, doll mark on head:
RELIABLE MADE IN CANADA
or unmarked.
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1940 Cuddlekins doll
19"
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1940 Reliable Dopey doll
12"
tall, composition head, cloth body, legs and arms, painted
side glancing eyes, doll mark Made under license from Walt
Disney.
Dopey also came in a 20"
tall size that had a moveable jaw and composition hands.
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1940 Dopey doll 12"
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1940-1941 Reliable Eaton Beauty doll
18" tall, all
composition, straight limbed, jointed hips, shoulders and
neck, blue lithographed metal sleep eyes, lashes, brown mohair
wig, open mouth showing teeth, doll mark on head:
RELIABLE MADE
IN CANADA.
Photo courtesy
of Heather |
1940-1941 Eaton Beauty
doll 18"
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1940 Reliable Topsy doll 17" all composition, dark
brown, jointed hips and shoulders, crier, black painted side-glancing eyes,
painted upper lashes, black molded hair with three inset wool braids, open-
closed mouth with two painted teeth, doll mark
A RELIABLE DOLL
MADE IN CANADA
The Topsy doll name was used by many different doll makers describing a
black baby type doll usually with two or three tuffs or braids of black hair. |
1940 Topsy doll17"
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1941 Reliable Babykins doll 20" tall, all
composition, jointed hips, shoulders and neck, blue glassine eyes, lashes,
painted lower lashes, brown molded hair, open mouth showing two teeth, doll mark on head RELIABLE MADE IN CANADA.
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1941 Babykins doll 20"
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1941 Reliable Nurse doll
24" tall, all composition shoulder head and forearms,
excelsior stuffed cloth body and legs, blue painted eyes and
upper lashes, molded light brown curls, closed mouth, wore a blue cotton dress
with a navy cape and red trim, doll marked on shoulder head RELIABLE DOLL
MADE IN CANADA.
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1941 Nurse doll
24"
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1942
Reliable Army doll 13" tall,
composition shoulder plate head and arms, excelsior stuffed
body and legs, blue painted eyes, light brown molded hair,
closed mouth, dressed in kaki jumpsuit, belt and hat, socks
and shoes, doll marked on shoulder plate RELIABLE DOLL MADE
IN CANADA.
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1942
Army Doll 13"
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1943 Reliable Army novelty doll 8" tall, all
composition, jointed only at the shoulders with stationary legs, black painted side glancing eyes,
painted upper lashes, short curly mohair wig, closed mouth, doll mark on body
RELIABLE MADE IN CANADA.
These standing dolls were made throughout the mid 1940s
and came dressed in various costumes; Air Force, Nurse, Scottish Lassie,
Scottish Laddie and others.
Chubby Kid, cherub or carnival type doll.
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1943 Novelty Army doll
8"
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1945 Reliable Miss Curity doll 18"
tall, all composition jointed doll, sleep eyes,
closed mouth, mohair wig, wearing a nurses uniform with
her name on the front. same as the Ideal
Miss Curity doll. |
1945 Miss Curity doll 18"
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 1947
Reliable Maggie Muggins doll storybook character by Mary Evelyn
Grannan, 14" tall, all composition, red mohair braided
wig, blue sleep eyes, painted freckles, open mouth, wore a
turquoise cotton printed dress with white pinafore, shoes and
socks, doll mark on head RELIABLE MADE IN CANADA.
Photo on
left courtesy of
Jazzyjewls,
photo on
right is courtesy of
Margaret. |
1947 Maggie Muggins doll
14"
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1947 Reliable Raggedy Ann doll
16" tall by Johnny Gruelle ©1947; with tags, I Love
You, stamped over heart. It is presumed a
Raggedy Andy doll also
produced.
Photo courtesy of
Emma*one*shoe
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1947 Raggedy Ann doll
16"
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1947 Reliable Scottish Girl
novelty doll 8" tall, all composition,
jointed at the shoulders, stationary legs,
black painted side glancing eyes, painted upper
lashes, short curly blond mohair wig, closed mouth, dressed in her Scottish plaid
attire, doll marked on head RELIABLE MADE IN
CANADA. A Chubby Kid, cherub or carnival type doll
with stationary legs. There is also a companion novelty boy doll named
Laddie.
This same doll also came dressed as a Nurse, native American Indian girl, girl dressed in
striped dress, Army & Air Force dolls.
Photo courtesy of
Sheryl Schmidt |
1947 Scottish Girl doll 8"
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1948 Reliable Hiawatha doll
12" tall, all composition, jointed hips and
shoulders, brown painted eyes, black line over eye, black
wig in braids, closed mouth. Doll mark on back RELIABLE MADE
IN CANADA
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1948 Hiawatha doll,
12"
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1949 Reliable Bride doll
15"
tall, all composition, jointed hips, shoulders and neck. Blue
plastic sleep eyes, lashes, painted lower lashes, blond mohair
wig, open mouth. Doll marked on head RELIABLE MADE IN CANADA
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1949 Bride doll
15"
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Reliable dolls 1950s
Additional Reliable 1922+ Dolls not shown
1934-1936 Reliable Shirley Temple
doll 18" tall, all composition body, jointed hips, shoulders, and neck,
composition head with dimples; green sleep eyes, lashes, painted lower lashes;
blond mohair wig; open mouth showing teeth, doll mark on head
SHIRLEY
TEMPLE Cop. IDEAL N. & T. Co. Clothing
Tag: A GENUINE SHIRLEY TEMPLE DOLL DRESS RELIABLE TOY CO.
LTD., along the side,
MADE IN CANADA.
1945+ Reliable Dress Me type doll 11" tall, all hard plastic doll
jointed at the neck and shoulders only, stationary unjointed legs, socket head
with mohair wig in various colors, painted upper eyelashes, sleep eyes usually
in blue, closed mouth, doll mark Reliable (in script) or
Reliable Made
in Canada.
1946 Reliable Cutie a white doll
or Farina a black doll,
6" all one piece hard plastic doll figure with
finger in her mouth, molded hair, hole for a hairbow, painted red short pants,
white socks & red shoes, doll mark
RP inside a diamond shape,
Made in Canada.
1948 Reliable Cuddles doll
22" tall, composition
head, arms and straight legs, cloth body, blue metal sleep eyes, lashes, painted
lower lashes, blond molded hair, closed mouth, doll marked on head
A RELIABLE DOLL MADE
IN CANADA.
Reliable Baby Joan
doll, Baby Jean doll,
Baby Gloria doll,
Baby Marilyn doll,
Baby Precious doll,
Military dolls and
Toots
doll.
1949-1953 Reliable Toni dolls
14" tall, made of
hard plastic, dolls are unmarked
or marked
Ideal
P90 same as the USA
dolls. see the
Ideal Toni doll
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