For years now, I’ve been keeping my eyes open for Effanbee’s Tintair Honey doll. Made in 1951 by Effanbee, Tintair Honey was given a platinum dynel wig, which allowed you to dye and style her hair with the included tintair dye and rollers. There were three sizes offered: 14″, 16″ and 18″. According to the Ruby Lane posting, Tintair Honey dolls were “limited to America’s finest stores on a franchise basis”. Clothing for Tintair Honey was designed by famous French Couturier ‘Madame Elsa Schiaparelli’. While googling, I noticed a few different ‘in box’ dresses for Tintair Honey, which leads me to believe she was released in different outfits throughout the early 50’s. (I couldn’t find a good thorough reference for Effanbee and, alas, don’t have a reference book!)
I’ve never seen one of these at the dolls shows, so to find one of these dolls, I decided to venture to Ruby Lane. Ruby Lane is a great place to shop, though prices can be a little high at times! When I saw this Tintair Honey doll, it was love at first sight! At 18″, she’s the larger version (and we know how much I like buying the larger composition/hard plastic dolls to smaller ones)! Made of hard plastic, Effanbee dolls have a different look to their skin tone than Arrenbee or Madame Alexander. It’s odd that we don’t see more of them at the doll shows, because the early Effanbee’s can be quite pretty.
Going back to the story, I placed an offer on this Tintair Honey doll and surprisingly, it was accepted! Cue the *grail item obtained* sound effect! While the dye is missing, Tintair Honey’s hair seems to never have been styled or dyed. She came with her original tag, curlers, dress, dye apron and box.
Tintair Honey is in great shape! Her knees are rosy, her face paint is perfect and her hair is set well. The outfit discolored a little, but it looks nice on her and only has a little smell from being stuck in a box. What I love about Tintair Honey is her cute little face!
I’m excited to have finally crossed this doll off my wish list. She looks great with my other composition/hard plastic dolls! Plus, she’s an example of a doll that you don’t see every day! Have you found something fun recently to add to your collection? What do you think of my new Tintair Honey doll? Share your thoughts in the comment area!