Genuine Vintage 1930's Era Ideal Shirley Temple 18” Composition Doll. Back nech is marked ideal Shirley Temple and back or torso is marked Shirley Temple 18. The yellow dress is probably not original but fits nicely. The shows look to be original. The composition is in decent condition with some typical age crazing cracking but nothing looks to be chipped or missing, the eyes are cloudy from age but will probably polish up OK. Please refer to me detailed photos. She would look wonderful with a fairly easy restoration.
Ideal Novelty and Toy Company began in 1906, by 1938 they changed the name to Ideal Toy Company. Ideal originally produced plush teddy bears. The first dolls were 1910 Mr. Hooligan and Baby Snookums dolls, both plush cartoon characters. By the 1930s Ideal had created some of their best known dolls; Shirley Temple, Judy Garland and Deanna Durbin.
Ideal also supplied dolls to other doll manufacturers; American Character, Arranbee, Eugenia, Mary Hoyer. Ideal dolls are made of wood, cloth, composition, hard plastic, vinyl and magic skin and are of very good quality.
Ideal dolls were distributed by Baker & Bennett, Butler Brothers, W.C. Horn Brothers, Sears and Strobel & Wilken. In 1982 Ideal was acquired by CBS Toy Company, which later went out of business.
Sears Ideal Shirley Temple Baby doll, 15 1/2-16, 18, 20- 22, 25 & 27" tall, Sears Exclusive - composition shoulder plate head with composition or rubber arms and composition lower legs, molded hair with/without a wig, cloth kapok stuffed body, hazel glass-like flirty sleep eyes, open mouth with tongue and teeth, those famous dimples on her cheeks, came wearing an organdy dress with matching bonnet. Marked on head: Shirley Temple.