Antiques: Auction Gallery holds regular soft toy and collectors sales

So I thought I would tell you about the history of the company.

Wendy Boston lived in Wales and whilst her husband was away fighting in World War II, she began to make non-jointed teddies and other cuddly animals for family and friends.

When Ken returned in 1945 they expanded selling to local shops and firms. She designed the first lock-in safety eye and also the first fully washable non-jointed teddy and even appeared on the BBC showing a bear squeezed through a mangle. This brought great success and by the mid 1960’s they produced over 25% of the UK soft toy exports.

With the rising production costs and cheaper imports from the Far East the firm was sold to Denys Fisher Toys although they continued with the Wendy Boston name. Sadly, Wendy died in 1972 and the factory producing her toys closed in 1976.

It is only fair that we also talk about dolls and with the upcoming “Barbie” film I thought I would tell you something about Barbie dolls.

Barbie was developed by the toy company Mattel, run by Harold Mattson and Elliot Handler. Elliot’s wife Ruth created the idea and made Barbie a success.

By the 1950s Mattel was enjoying great success. Ruth’s idea to produce a plastic doll which would aid imaginary play, having watched her daughter playing make believe with paper dolls, did not go down well with her male colleagues. The costs and scepticism at producing a doll with explicit adult features also met with resistance, despite that Ruth had observed her daughter recreating adult like situations with her paper dolls.

It was in Switzerland on holiday that Ruth noticed in a shop window a doll similar to her own idea. However this doll was targeting a purely adult market. Eventually Mattel acquired the patent for this doll and after an analysis of every technical detail of the body design, the doll we know today was born, named after Ruth’s daughter Barbara, finally arriving on the American toy market in 1959.

The first Barbie ever produced measured 11.5” and was available in both blonde and brunette. She wore a black and white swimsuit, black high heeled shoes, white sunglasses and gold earrings.

Barbie’s initial success and prevailing popularity is not in her adult features, but in her wardrobe, her ability to be transformed simply with a change of outfit. There are endless accessories on sale today and Barbie still has the ability to inspire children’s imagination, the essence of Ruth’s initial vision.

Sheffield Auction Gallery hold regular toy and collectors sales which often include soft toys including Steiff, Charlie Bears and sometimes Wendy Boston examples, as well as dolls ranging from 18th Century wax or wooden dolls to Barbie and Sindy so if this interests you do come down and take a look.