Effanbee - Dolls 1940-1970s

Effanbee Doll Company - Dolls 1912-1939 <1940-1970's>

Founded around 1912 in New York city, Effanbee stands for Fleischaker & Baum who were the company founders. They became well known for being the first to produce a realistically proportioned child doll named Patsy; they created companion dolls, a large wardrobe and her own fan club reportedly with 275,000 members. They also created the first hard rubber, drink and wet doll named DyDee Baby, marked: "DyDee Baby/U.S. Pat. 1-857-485/England-880-060/France-723-980/

Germany-585-647/Other Pat. Pending" on their back. The Effanbee Company produced composition, hard rubber, cloth, hard plastic and vinyl dolls.

Note: Many of the Effanbee dolls have the dolls name right in the marking.

Here are some dolls from 1940-1970's that we have found:

1940 Suzanne, 13 1/2" tall, very similar to Suzette only taller, strung all composition, sleep eyes, wigged, this doll has magnets in the palms of her hands so she can hold metal things ie. flowers (wired), fan, parasol. Marked on head: Suzanne/Effanbee and on back: Suzanne/Effanbee Made in USA.

Photo's courtesy of Ronsfancy.

1940 Suzanne, 13 1/2"

1942 Sweetie Pie, 18" tall, (all same head mold as Baby Bright Eyes and others), 16 or 24" tall, composition head and limbs, stuffed cloth body, flirty sleep eyes, closed mouth, caracul wig over molded hair. Also came as a Black or African American doll.

1942 Sweetie Pie. 18"

1942 Patricia, 20" tall, composition swivel head on a wooden neck, painted blue eyes, closed mouth, composition hands, cloth stuffed body, arms & legs, stitched shoulder, hips & knees, cotton yarn hair.

Doll is marked Effanbee & had a paper hang tag. Patricia is the big sister if you will to the next two dolls; Brother & Sister - her face reminds us of the Little Lady, Anne Shirley head mold.

Photo N/A

1942 Patricia, 20"

1942 Big Brother, 16" tall & Little Sister or Baby Sister, 12" tall, cloth bodies with composition shoulder plate head, and composition hands, painted facial features; both have blue painted eyes, cotton yarn hair; his in brown, hers in blonde, closed rosebud tiny painted mouth. Dolls are marked: Effanbee, & had a paper hang tag. Both dolls used the Sugar Pie head mold.

He is dressed in a blue cotton pants with attached suspenders, blue and white checked long sleeve shirt, she's in a pink skirt with attached pink and white checked blouse, each with two buttons as front accent, white socks & white oilcloth tie shoes.

Effanbee's Big Brother is on left and Little Sister is shown on right.

1942 Little Sister or Baby Sister, 12"

1943 Sugar, 29" tall, composition swivel head on a wooden neck, painted blue eyes, closed mouth, composition hands, cloth stuffed body, arms & legs, stitched shoulder, hips & knees, cotton yarn hair. She came dressed like Little Sister in a pale blue dress with white long sleeves.

Doll is marked: Effanbee & had a paper hang tag. Sugar is the biggest sister, if you will, to the prior three dolls; Brother, Sister & Patricia - she used the Sugar Pie round face mold like the Brother & Sister dolls. We are unsure how many other dolls are in this family.

1943 Sugar, 29"

1945 Babyette, 12" tall, composition flange head & hands, soft cloth stuffed body & limbs, molded painted hair, painted closed eyes, closed mouth, came dressed in a christening gown & bonnet, with a lined basket with an outside skirting. Marked: F & B, Babyette

1945 Babyette, 12"

1946 Candy Kids or Kandy Kid, 14" tall, all composition, sleep blue eyes, painted rosy cheeks and knees, closed mouth, molded hair painted brown, marks: none. Various outfits.

Shown left, original clothing Kandy Kid, Photo courtesy of Dollology.

Shown right; The Champ, dressed in red trunks, (not shown; robe marked Champ), white socks and shoes and his real leather black & brown boxing gloves, shown MIB.

1946 Candy Kids, 14"

Photo courtesy of Jane

1947-1955 Howdy Doody, 21-22" tall, Hey Kids what time is it? Hard plastic head, stuffed body, ventriloquist doll, long running TV show character from the 1950's, marked: Effanbee.

1947 Howdy Doody, 21"

1948-1964 Honey, early dolls are composition, 14, 18, & 24" tall, some have flirty sleep eyes, closed mouth, after 1949 dolls are hard plastic in many sizes, sleep eyes and closed mouth, mohair wigs marked: Effanbee.

1950's Honey 18"

1950-1953 Noma, the electronic talking doll, 28" tall, battery operated talker, hard plastic shoulder head on a cloth body with vinyl limbs, open mouth, painted eyes, molded hair, with a talking device in torso. Noma comes wearing a pink taffeta dress with short puffed sleeves, black and white check trim on skirt hem, & same checked vest, matching bonnet with checked binding on brim. Noma Electric bought and owned Effanbee from 1947-1953.

1951 also a Noma Talker that spoke English, French or Spanish, 18" tall sold thru Neiman Marcus department stores.