All about Kewpies part 1

Growing up I was never really into kewpies I had one that I sort of liked and my mom said something negative about it I dont remember what..but that was it I got rid of the kewpie probably sold it at a yardsale or donated it..I always thought she was right about everything and I also thought she could fly and get me the moon and maybe a handful of stars to go with it.
I still pretty much think she is right about most things..just not kewpies. though she seems to have not meant what she said because she likes all the ones Ive bought to sell and told me that growing up she had a gerber baby kewpie.



So when I first opened my etsy shop one of the first things I listed was a kewpie and it sold pretty fast so I just kept buying them and right now I have a ton of them in all different sizes some Im going to keep and some Im going to sell.


One of the things I find the most interesting is the variety of sizes and how every kewpie has something different about them due to the person who painted it.

The history of the kewpie doll is also very interesting
the kewpie was made by  Rose O'Neill  and they first appeared in ladies home journal in 1909 the first dolls produced were made in Germany they were made out of celluloid and bisque
And then in 1949 Effanbee created the first plastic versions.
Their name comes from the word Cupid,and the first dolls made of bisque are worth thousands of dollars.
The time capsule of the 1939 New York Worlds Fair contained a Kewpie

Rose O'Neill actually died in Springfield missouri which happens to be where I do most of my flea marketing

The kewpie is very popular
it is a mascot of several companies

Knock off kewpies are called Cupies they dont have wings.

Heres a neat video I found on kewpies
http://vimeo.com/47336006

Heres a photo of Rose O'Neill she is very pretty

And heres a picture of the comic strip :)

 Heres the very first Kewpie I sold I love how someone took the time to make this beautiful dress and hat for her It sparks my imagination...I imagine a little girl running up to her grandma and saying her Kewpie is cold and the grandma smiling and and then when the little girl goes out to play
she decides to make it a nice outfit to surprise the little girl :)
This kewpie was interesting I remember when I was paying at the cash register the lady said that people used to take off their heads and put baby powder in them..I had no idea what she was talking about until I was getting the kewpie ready for picture taking and I found that her head was full of the stuff.

This ones rubber felt different from the others and made squeaky sounds.
The other one was marketed towards crafters and is a knock off "Cupie"

The next one is a little one that I named Tiny Dancer and sold sometime back

This one is a little different its eyes arent as pretty because they are almost all black and souless
but every kewpie or cupie has its charm
It got adopted and went off to england.

                                           The next pictures are of my current hoard

                      Here they are lined up by size check out the tiny tiny one :)
                       The second to the smallest has a cute little sundress that I stole off a troll.
   The plastic kewpie in red is one that I bought today on etsy :) I cant wait to get it :)

 

 

 

I thought Id feature some cool kewpie finds

For sale here https://www.etsy.com/listing/122511165/darling-vintage-kewpie-doll-lolita?

 

I love this kewpie picture its full of personality and really sparks ones imagination about what those kewpies were up to before being interupted for a picture.

check it out here  https://www.etsy.com/listing/83755580/kewpie-doll-doll-flea-market-turquoise

 

 

Thats all for part one..yes part one