This new generation needed toys!! Toy manufacturers of the time had the benefit of many new materials perfected for war time use, one of these was "Hard Plastics". This material was used for many things, but the most important use to little girls of the time, was Hard Plastic Dolls. They were more resilient than the pre-war composition dolls and were as beautiful as bisque, but not breakable!!

The first experience I can recall is when I had my tonsils out. At that time all children had to have their tonsils out prior to starting kindergarten. My father promised me a new doll if I didn't cry when I had to go to the hospital. When I awoke from the surgery, at the foot of my bed was a brand new Toni doll.

At that time Toni was the doll whose hair you could wash, set and even perm. For me this was a particularly exciting feature!! My parents owned and operated their own beauty shop. This doll enabled me to be "just like" my parents. Everyday I would wash, set and comb her hair, after all she was my only client!! Unfortunately, Toni eventually went bald!! Sometime after that, she was eventually given away.

Fast forward to 1999….While recovering from an injury, I started becoming "friendly" with my new computer. It was then I found that you could find all kinds of treasures, including old and new friends, on the computer. I found and bought a Toni, just exactly like the one my father had given me. When she arrived I couldn't wait to undress her, put her in a bubble bath, and curl her hair. As a girl, I had always enjoyed curling Toni hair, and at this moment I was delighted beyond belief!! I told my husband that I could do this for the rest of my life and proclaimed I would open a "Doll Spa"!! Thus was our beginning.

In the months since that first purchase I have successfully experimented with various products and techniques to recapture the original beauty of these lovely Hard Plastic dolls. I have intentionally purchased "distressed" dolls to perfect my craft. All of the dolls I use as models on our web site were distressed dolls at one time. Please take a look at our Before and After pictures. They are shining examples of what our Doll Spa treatments can do!!

In addition I have rekindled another passion, costume designing. For many years I designed and made custom clothing for my family, and friends.

During my "Cabbage Patch Years," I designed and made costumes for these dolls. I saw clients by appointment only and would duplicate any costume they wanted. All I needed was a photograph of what they were looking to have created for their doll! My policy was if someone ordered a costume and didn't like it they did not have to take it or could return it. I never had a costume refused or returned!! At one point we had 42 dolls and 42 different costumes. (I still have them!!) I now bring this experience and my passion for beautiful dolls to you , in my creation of the Doll Spa.

Welcome one and all!!

Sincerely,