Ground I've not yet covered

Not in detail, anyway.  These three are dolls from companies that I've either never discussed or have only mentioned in passing.  This isn't going to be a lengthy review of any of these, but rather an overview and a quick discussion of the companies in question.

SUN RUBBER COMPANY
LOCATION:  Barberton, Ohio
ACTIVE:  1923-1974
PRODUCTS:  rubber dolls and squeak toys

Good things and good friends come from Ohio!  Anyway, the short-haired girl's name is Tod-L-Dee, and she's about 10.5 inches tall.  She's got molded but unpainted undergarments and shoes.

"Dee," as I call her, is all one piece and squeaks when squeezed.  See her whistle?

As far as I can tell the only painted thing on Dee is her tongue, visible inside her open mouth.  She has brown eyes, which I was specifically on the lookout for, as most of the Sun Rubber dolls I saw were blue-eyed.

Okay, I lied, since Dee's hair has a light coating of brown paint.  Her hair isn't well-painted, but it is molded nicely with waves and loose curls, similar to the hair on a composition doll.

The sole of Dee's right "shoe" has the information I'd need to know if I'd found her in the wild.

Dee's sister dates from 1955, or so the seller thinks.  She too is a one-piece squeaker with molded undergarments and shoes, but her shoes have a little bit of paint.  She is 8.5 inches tall.

Yes, 8.5 inches.  Though this second doll is clearly the older child, Dee is bigger.

The second doll's given name is apparently "Durkee," but I think that's a horrid name so I'll be giving this little one a pet name.  "Karen" was a popular name in 1955, and I've known many lovely women named Karen, so Karen will be this doll's name.  She doesn't even have the Karen haircut.

Here's a better look at Karen's hairstyle.  From the back she looks like she's got pigtails, but from the front it's clear that she's got two little braids tipped with red bows.  The paint is worn, but y'all can see the bow nonetheless.  Everything's better with a hair bow.

Unlike Dee, Karen has blue eyes that have yellowed a smidge with time, and a cherry red smile that needs a gentle cleaning.

Y'all probably noticed in the above pictures that Karen's hair tips up constantly.  That's not great for photography, but she looks cute in person, like she's looking up at someone with cheerful anticipation.

Sun Rubber dolls were intended for very small children, so they often had clothes that were molded, painted, or both.  Karen and Dee have molded undergarments, but from a distance they look nekkid as...well, babies!  On a hunch, I tried this spare Mia out on Dee...

...and it fits her almost perfectly.  I'm hoping that Karen can wear dresses for the smaller Mia dolls, but I don't have any spare clothes in that size (yet) and I don't want to strip my Mia doll.

Lastly, I had conjectured that my Sunflower was a Sun Rubber doll, and I'm still wondering.  I mean, Sunflower isn't marked and Dee and Karen are, but...she's not as pink as Dee and Karen are.

Dee and Karen have kept their coloration nicely, but then again I've seen some Sun Rubber dolls that are yellowed like Sunflower is.  Also of note are Sunflower's fingers.  They're not as detailed as Karen's, but they're not to be sneezed at either. 

Still, Sunflower isn't marked, and I think that if she were a Sun Rubber doll then she'd be marked.

RELIABLE TOY COMPANY
LOCATION:  Toronto, Ontario, Canada
ACTIVE:  1920-1985
PRODUCTS:  a wide array of dolls, most notably Mounties and First Nations folks

If what I read is correct, then Highland Laddie here dates from 1939.  I've chosen to nickname him "Nigel."

He's about a foot tall and comes with his own stand (Dee and Karen can stand on their own).

I'm a sucker for a man or a doll in a kilt!  Since he IS closing in on ninety years old Nigel's clothes are a little threadbare...

...and his compo has some cracks...

...but he's a good little doll.  I love his bonnet!

Mama says he reminds her of a Campbell's soup kid!  I must say, though, for a doll his age and material Nigel is in great shape.  I'll be taking steps to make sure he stays that way, and Karen and Dee too.  Sun Rubber dolls hold up better over time than other rubber dolls do, but they're still rubber.  Rubber will degrade with time if not cared for.

I need to do some snooping on some of y'all's blogs; as extensive as some of y'all's collections are then you too might have a doll like Nigel or Dee or Karen hiding somewhere!

Love,
RagingMoon1987