Escapeland

Vintage Pose, Boudoir, and Bradley Dolls

12/06/2011

I’ve recently become a little obsessed with another type of doll. The vintage pose doll. I’ve been planning an article on them for awhile now but digging up information on them proves more difficult than digging up a beautiful doll at a swell bargain! One blogger writes, “Certainly, Bradley Dolls don’t have the stunning quality of Madame Alexander dolls or those dear Betsy McCalls, but they’ve got nostalgia in spades.” I have to agree with that, just one glance at that kitschy face and many are hooked!

These dolls, manufactured in Korea and Japan by Bradley in 1954 to 1984, were most popular in the 1970s. They were known as boudoir dolls most often although they were also known as stockinette dolls, pose dolls, cloth dolls, southern bell dolls and more. A small selection of these kind of dolls have the big eyes and craved-for kitschy appearance. Many more of the dolls made by Bradley had more delicate and realistic features according to a catalog I saw in another blog.

Lucky for us, in addition to the dolls with victorian fashion, Bradley also put out a line of mod cloth dolls in the 1960s. These dolls had cute, cropped haircuts, huge hair and the sweetest mini mod dresses and costumes.


Buy this print here!

I found my first pose doll years ago in a large thrift store. She is a bunny doll which I’ve found, upon searching online auctions, was another semi-common style of pose doll. She won me over with one look and I’ve been hooked ever since. You see I had been hoping to find a pose doll for ages after falling in love with both Ayumi Uyama’s and Boopsiedaisy’s work. More recently I’ve been ogling these dolls again and I’ve decided to buy a few more and even start a side project devoted to these girls!

Do you own or want to own any of these beautiful dolls? ๐Ÿ˜‰

All of the photos seen here are by Boopsiedaisy, Ayumi Uyama, and myself.

AND it gets better. I happened to be surfing around Flickr, another obsession of mine, when I found out that Super*Junk actually makes and sells pose doll kits. Gasp. The day I have one in my grubby hands is the day I am a very, VERY happy girl.

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26 Comments

  • Reply Annika 12/07/2011 at 6:37 am

    Um.. where exactly do i buy them? is there like an online website?

    • Reply Amber Renรฉe 12/07/2011 at 10:52 am

      Try eBay, thrift stores, antique stores and of course Etsy!

  • Reply Lola 12/10/2011 at 4:15 am

    I had never heard of this type of doll. I guess they were the precursor to Blythe and Pullips? This was an interesting article. Thanks for sharing. -hollychihuahua

  • Reply glenda 12/11/2011 at 2:59 am

    I had these dolls when I was little and I still have 2, I bought mine at the op shop.,I love them.hugs glenda

  • Reply Adorably Dead 12/12/2011 at 2:32 am

    Definitely want the bunny doll. ๐Ÿ˜€

    And holy shniz kitty faces! ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ˜ณ ๐Ÿ˜€

  • Reply ilona 12/14/2011 at 2:42 pm

    Ohh I think these dolls are so cute. I’m into asain ball jointed dolls myself and I love original and unique types of dolls. Thanks for posting! Ilona from swap bot.

  • Reply Glory 12/15/2011 at 12:31 am

    Oh my gosh I used to have a small collection of the Southern Belle dolls when I was a kid. What memories.

  • Reply Maggie 12/16/2011 at 10:34 am

    Aww the bunny doll is so cute! I love your blog a lot; you’ve got a new subscriber ^^

  • Reply muriel 12/24/2011 at 7:27 pm

    i like them too, i find them all the time at second hand stores in ensenada baja california.

  • Reply Boudoir blythe | Audodo 04/21/2012 at 1:26 pm

    […] Vintage Pose, Boudoir & Bradley Dolls | MiseducatedDec 6, 2011 … They were known as boudoir dolls most often although they were also known as … I guess they were the precursor to Blythe and Pullips? […]

  • Reply Jessie 06/21/2012 at 9:06 am

    These doll are adorable! No wonder you’re obsessed. My sister would love to have one like these. Better go out and find one. Great photos by the way!

  • Reply Strawberry Anarchy 08/31/2012 at 8:32 am

    Oh wow weird I was just checking out your sitre and sent you an email then came across these dolls, I found one in the charity shop last week it’s a music doll too and spins, here is the link… http://strawberryanarchy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/japanese-pose-dolls.html I am trying to keep clutter down in my house and as much as I love it, it needs to go! I have a few others from when my mum was young though, they are great dolls ๐Ÿ™‚
    http://strawberryanarchy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/japanese-pose-dolls.html

  • Reply Mae 08/31/2012 at 10:17 pm

    My mother started buying me one of these dolls every year when we would go on vacation to Estes Park Colorado in the early 70’s. They were in a very chic high end gift shop as there were different makers of these types of dolls and therefore different “classes of quality with the Bradleys being the highest in class and quality. My mother would only get the true Bradley brand the most expensive one I had was one which was about 18 inches or so tall and had a beautiful gold, black and white hoop dress ut’s retail was $75.00 which in the early 70’s was an extreme amount of money. I would get them on my birthday but they were usually the smaller ones but the true Bradley being sold in the finer stores.In all I had about 10 of them by the late 70’s. And then in the 80’s having grown out of the doll faze gave them away to a relative. I had forgotten all about them and I just happen to see them on a website. I really wish I still had the one’s I received as a child they were exquisite!

  • Reply OEESHIAH BAHSEENAMY 11/04/2012 at 7:55 pm

    I HAD A PREGNANT BRADLEY.I HAVE TROUBLE FINDING ANOTHER ONE.

  • Reply Brenda 08/04/2013 at 4:03 pm

    I still have my collection of at least 10! My dad and I won them at the local fair. I have a ballerina one with her leg in the air (she always had to be supported) can’t find any like it online. So nice to find other collectors!

  • Reply Horace Averette 12/24/2013 at 11:25 am

    I have a 40 or50 year old Bradley doll I found in the closet. It has a Bradley label on it marked # 808. Could you give me an idea of its value or where I can sell it. Since I’m eighty years old I have very little use for a doll.

    • Reply Amber Renรฉe 12/27/2013 at 11:40 pm

      If it’s in good condition I’d pop it on eBay. You can actually look through “pose dolls” or “Bradley dolls” there and see if it looks similar to any of those for pricing information. They sell anywhere from 5-55 dollars most commonly. The mod dressed ones seem to sell for more.

  • Reply Bonnie Storm 08/06/2017 at 6:42 pm

    Hello, I have 30 of the Bradley Dolls purchased in the 1970’s. There is an assortment as I have the 12 birthstone dolls, several large sitting dolls and several large standing dolls. They are all in pristine condition and a lot of them is original boxes with certificates. Would like to sell them..

  • Reply Elvira 08/09/2018 at 10:50 am

    I have one as of yesterday from the local Salvation Army, one of the Victorian made in Korea ones, sheโ€™s lovely and I adore her.

  • Reply sharon 12/10/2021 at 4:56 am

    Hi I’ve loved these dolls since I was little, my first bought was 1981, I hadn’t seen them till went on Ebay and found Bradley dolls being sold on there. I now have 50 Bradley dolls all different heights,tallest one is 24inch, smallest is 8inch all in Victorian dress there all from 50’s 60’s and 70’s, and still collecting them .

    • Reply Amber Renee 12/10/2021 at 10:59 am

      I got a bit addicted to collecting them, too! I have quite a few that I still plan to customize. They are so lovely as they come, aren’t they? I just adore the way they look. Your collection sounds amazing!

      • Reply Sharon 12/16/2021 at 6:25 am

        They are, sometimes bit too addictive lol, just bought another four, one in white straight dress,one in black spotty dress other in muticoloured dress and an ethnic one I’ve only ever found one as got told ethnic range are hard to get hold of, managed to find another got two, when I have time I will take a photo of them all as I’m a doll collector, got rag dolls,porcelain and living dead dolls collecting from 70’s onwards.

        • Reply Amber Renee 12/17/2021 at 11:02 am

          YES! It can be very addictive. I have a whole box of pose dolls I’m planning to redesign and quite a few that I keep on shelves because they’re so perfect as they are~ I’ve never seen a pose doll like that! I would love to see it. I also collect Blythe and Pullip dolls. Dolls are rad.

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