340. Smallville Treasures: VINTAGE BISQUE DOLLS

An assortment of tiny bisque dolls picked from a local thrift shop, sold as a lot. The most precious is the 2nd Made-in-Japan doll with strung bent limbs and head, dressed in an original crochet dress (missing one sock)-- just a mere 3.5 inches tall! Even smaller is the first doll with a polka-dotted dress with sewn-on clothes, maybe part of a dollhouse family. A newer doll with an antique look is this 2 in. souvenir baby dressed in a baptismal outfit, with the name of the recipient attached to the dress. It came with a tiny stroller of woven bamboo. When it comes to dollies, artistry knows no size!

339. Worth Flipping Over: FARRAH FAWCETT GLAMOUR CENTER

You can't miss those flyaway bangs and that wind-tousled hairdo. It's Farrah  Fawcett! The beautiful star who gained worldwide stardom in the hit TV crime series, "Charlie's Angels" first aired in 1976. Farrah was cast as one of 3 crime-busting beauties (Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson were the other 2) working for big boss, Charlie. As Jill Munroe, Farrah captivated the audience with her beautiful sunshiny looks--and locks--that had every girl  styling their hair in a Farrah Flip.

Soon, many toy companies began taking note of Farrah's strong following and in no time at all, acquired licenses to make 'Charlie's Angel" action figures and a separate Farrah Fawcett fashion doll, all capturing her distinct square-jawed face and thick, flyaway mane. . 

But this Farrah Glamour Center beats them all. Made in HongKong in 1978, it features a vinyl bust of Farrah, with rooted synthetic hair that one can style to duplicate her famous flip--using rollers, combs, curlers and brushes. The likeness to the star is very good, but the soft vinyl used has a tendency to droop after some years, causing her chin to droop as well. Farrah--voted as one of the Top 50 TV Stars of All Time-- passed away in 2009 after a 3-year bout with cancer. Thankfully, glamorous bust will allow me to remember her and her famous Farrah Flip with every stroke of the brush.

338. He Is The Greatest Collectible: MUHAMMAD ALI BOXING PUPPET

A very amusing puppet I found on ebay--it's a plastic-headed boxing doll made in the likeness of Muhammad Ali or "Cassius Clay" in his younger days. Good thing the dealer was from the Philippines, so I coaxed him into pulling this out from the auction and selling it to me outright. Never mind if it's missing a glove. Made in Hong Kong in the late 60s, this mechanized puppet has a lever that you push hidden under his robe--that triggers him into a jabbing frenzy!

Boxing puppets like these are still being made today (I saw one recently, with the likeness of Saddam Hussein), but this vintage example has a charm that made me float like a butterfly and which stung me like a bee! :-). Muhammad Ali--you, indeed, are the greatest!