A Fantastic Find!

I stopped into the thrift store last weekend on my way home from plant shopping.  I went there to see if I could find some gardening pants - you know the stretchy comfy loose type that allows one to bend and move with ease.  Didn't find pants, so wandered to the back of the store where the toys are.

I was not really looking for dolls (she says), but there sitting on the shelf was a cute 1960's Baby Wetums.  I have the identical doll which I had as a child, but mine it quite a bit larger than this one.

the price was right so I picked her up.  

As I was reaching up to get her off the shelf I stumbled over something that was on the floor.  I looked down, and OMG!

There at my feet lay a 35" Patty Play Pal Companion Doll!

Patty is from the 1960's and although I have seen this doll many times

on my doll sites, I had never seen one in person.  

This doll is very valuable, and very sought-after in the doll

collecting world.

And she was a horrible mess.  Her hair was matted and dirty and

someone had painted all her nails with black polish.

I grabbed her from the floor and no one was gonna get her out of my grip!

Home we went - and right into the bathroom they both went.  The hair on Patty was so badly matted that I decided to try and comb out the tangles before I washed it.  Gross would about sum up the experience.  The hair was sticky and filthy dirty, but after 3 hours, I pretty much had most of the tangles out of it.

I washed and conditioned her hair three times and finished with a Downy treatment to soften her hair.  I was surprised  - I did not actually pull out much hair.

Here is the results of over 4 hours labour....

I have never seen hair on a doll like this.  It is gorgeous, thick and so soft.  

I removed the nail polish very carefully, so now all that is left is making an outfit, finding some shoes and Patty will be as good as new.

I was complaining just last week that I needed a doll to work on - 

I got a doozy!

Have a great weekend everyone -