Some people's trash...

I found this darling little doll — a Cosmopolitan Ginger — just recently on eBay. She and another Ginger were offered nude as "fixer-uppers" for $22. Her problem? Her eyes don't open quite all the way.

I bought them without a second thought, and boy am I glad I did. The brunette's eyes don't appear to open all the way because of a factory flaw, where one eye is set a hair below the other. (In other words, one eye does open all the way.) Not a huge deal, especially when you consider her minty braids, original hair bows, and high-color cheeks.

The outfit is an original Ginger outfit that I have had sitting in a box, literally waiting for the perfect doll to wear it. I got the outfit over a year ago from Daisy, a well-known doll collector and dealer here in Colorado. The outfit is listed in the Ginger catalogue as Holiday Series #444.

I also have a box for the outfit, which probably adds somewhat to the value. (Too bad it's not a box for the doll!)

I still need to find socks and a hat to complete the outfit. I think the hat is the red one that you sometimes find with daisies, sometimes with red berries and green leaves. I haven't decided yet whether I'll actually replace the hat — I'd be afraid it would snag those perfect braids!

Ginger is one of my favorite toddler dolls from the 1950s (Madame Alexander's Wendy/Alexander-kins being my other favorite). Besides the fact that I like her facial expression the best, Ginger also has some adorable outfits, and is relatively affordable to collect. I'll tell the story of how I got started collecting Gingers, and showcase some of my favorite dolls, in future posts.