Reliable Toy Company - Dolls 1920-1940's

Reliable Toy Company - Dolls <1920-1940's> 1950's Canada

The Reliable Toy Company Limited of Toronto, Canada (1920-1991) had a long history of making quality doll products. In the beginning they imported bisque doll heads from Germany, and used a body from a USA company and assembled these into their own dolls. From 1922-1955 they began producing their own composition dolls.

They are best known for their Canadian style Indians and Mounties, they also bought molds from other well known USA doll manufacturer's, like Ideal's Shirley Temple, and produced their own version that was not licensed for export to the USA. Later still they made hard plastic and vinyl dolls.

Here are some dolls we have found made by Reliable 1920-1940's:

1933 Tousle head, 17" tall, composition head, arms and straight legs, cloth body, blue tin sleep eyes, lashes, brown caracul wig, open mouth showing two teeth and tongue. Mark on head: A RELIABLE DOLL/MADE IN CANADA

1933 Tousle head, 17"

1934 Mama doll, 16" tall, composition head, arms and straight legs, cloth body with crier, blue tin sleep eyes, lashes, closed mouth Marked: RELIABLE DOLL/MADE IN CANADA

1934 Mama doll, 16"

1934-1936 Shirley Temple doll, 18" tall, all composition body, jointed hips, shoulders, and neck, composition head with dimples; green sleep eyes, lashes, painted lower lashes; blond mohair wig; open mouth showing teeth.

Mark on head: SHIRLEY TEMPLE/Cop. IDEAL/N.&T. Co.

Clothing Tag: A GENUINE/SHIRLEY TEMPLE /DOLL DRESS/RELIABLE TOY CO. LTD., along the side, MADE IN CANADA.

Photo N/A

1934-1936 Shirley Temple doll, 18"

1935 Chubby, 17" composition head, arms, straight legs, cloth body, blue tin sleep eyes, lashes, painted lower lashes, mohair wig, closed mouth. Mark: RELIABLE/MADE IN CANADA.

1935 Chubby, 17"

1935 Hair bow Peggy, 18" tall composition shoulder head and forearms, excelsior stuffed cloth body and legs, blue painted eyes, black line over eye, well defined molded hair with a hole for a hair ribbon, closed mouth, Mark on shoulder plate: A/RELIABLE/DOLL/ MADE IN CANADA.

1935 Hairbow Peggy, 13" tall, (shown on left) composition head and lower arms, cloth body and legs, has a place on the head to string a "hair bow". Photo courtesy of Mabverick

1935 Hair bow Peggy, 18"

1936 Mountie, 17" tall, composition head and arms, excelsior stuffed body and legs, brown painted eyes, brown molded hair, closed mouth. Mark on head: RELIABLE/MADE IN CANADA

1936 Mountie, 17"

1939 Clicquot Soda Eskimo, 14" tall, all composition, jointed hips, shoulders and neck, black almond shaped painted eyes, black molded hair, closed mouth. Mark: 1/RELIABLE/MADE IN CANADA. (advertising doll) Original box read: Koweeke & Smilie) box with hang tag

1939 Clicquot Soda Eskimo, 14"

1939 Scotch Laddie doll, 13" tall, all composition, jointed hips and shoulders, blue painted eyes, black line over eye, molded hair, closed mouth, dressed in his Scotch plaid attire with; kilt, shirt, jacket, scarf, socks, shoes and hat. Marked on back: RELIABLE/MADE IN CANADA

1939 Scotch Laddie doll, 13"

reliable_wetums12_1939.jpg (21832 bytes)

ca. 1939 Wetums, 12" tall, all composition, blue sleep eyes, molded hair, open mouth for bottle, drink/wet doll, wore a white organdy dress with blue trim, matching bonnet, her accessories were; glass baby bottle, three nappies, four nappy pins on card, three wooden pegs and instructions for caring for your new doll, came as shown all original . Marked: Reliable/MADE IN CANADA

See photo on left

ca. 1940's Dollhouse Baby, 2" tall, all hard Plastic, wearing molded diaper, no moving parts, painted eyes and mouth, molded hair, Reliable Made In Canada on back

Photo courtesy of Dorothy

ca. 1940's Dollhouse Baby, 2"

1940 Cuddlekins, 19" tall, all composition, jointed hips, shoulders and neck, blue metal eyes, lashes, painted lower lashes, brown molded curls, open mouth showing two teeth, dimple on chin Mark on head: RELIABLE/MADE IN CANADA

1940 Cuddlekins, 19

1940 Dopey doll, 12" tall, composition head, cloth body, legs and arms, painted side glancing eyes Marked: Made under license from Walt Disney.

Dopey also came in a 20" tall size that had a moveable jaw and composition hands.

1940 Dopey, 12"

1940-1941 Eaton Beauty doll, 18" tall, all composition, straight limbed, jointed hips, shoulders and neck, blue lithographed metal sleep eyes, lashes, brown mohair wig, open mouth showing teeth.

Marked on head: RELIABLE/MADE IN CANADA.

Photo courtesy of Heather.

1940-1941 Eaton Beauty doll, 18"

1940 Topsy, 17" all composition, dark brown, jointed hips and shoulders, crier, black painted side-glancing eyes, painted upper lashes, black molded hair with three inset wool braids, open- closed mouth with two painted teeth. Mark: A/RELIABLE/DOLL/ MADE/IN/CANADA

1940 Topsy, 17"

1941 Babykins, 20" tall, all composition, jointed hips, shoulders and neck, blue glassine eyes, lashes, painted lower lashes, brown molded hair, open mouth showing two teeth. Mark on head: RELIABLE/MADE IN CANADA.

1941 Babykins, 20"

1941 Nurse, 24" tall, all composition shoulder head and forearms, excelsior stuffed cloth body and legs, blue painted eyes and upper lashes, molded light brown curls, closed mouth Marked on shoulder head: RELIABLE/DOLL/ MADE IN CANADA (blue cotton dress/navy cape red trim)

1941 Nurse, 24"

1942 Army Doll, 13" tall, composition shoulder plate head and arms, excelsior stuffed body and legs, blue painted eyes, light brown molded hair, closed mouth, dressed in kaki jumpsuit, belt and hat, socks and shoes. Marked on shoulder plate: RELIABLE DOLL/MADE IN CANADA.

1942 Army Doll, 13"

1945 Miss Curity, 18" tall, wears a nurse uniform, all composition, sleep eyes closed mouth, mohair wig wearing a nurses uniform with her name on the front.

1945 Miss Curity, 18"

1945 Standing doll, 8" tall, all composition, jointed shoulders, black painted side-glancing eyes, painted upper lashes, mohair wig, closed mouth. Mark on back: RELIABLE/MADE IN CANADA. These dolls were made throughout the early 1940's and came dressed in various costumes.

1945 Standing doll, 8"

1947 Maggie Muggins doll, (storybook character by Mary Evelyn Grannan), 14" tall, all composition, red mohair braided wig, sleep blue eyes, painted freckles, open mouth, wore a turquoise cotton printed dress with white pinafore, shoes and socks.

Photo on left courtesy of Jazzyjewls

Photo on right is courtesy of Margaret.

1947 Maggie Muggins 14"

1948 Cuddles doll, 22" tall, composition head, arms and straight legs, cloth body, blue metal sleep eyes, lashes, painted lower lashes, blond molded hair, closed mouth. Marked on head: A/RELIABLE/DOLL/MADE IN CANADA.

Photo N/A

1948 Cuddles doll, 22"

1948 Hiawatha, 12" tall, all composition, jointed hips and shoulders. Brown painted eyes, black line over eye, black wig in braids, closed mouth. Mark on back: RELIABLE/MADE IN CANADA

1948 Hiawatha, 12"

1947 Raggedy Ann, 16"

1948 Scotch Lassie doll, 15" tall, all composition, jointed hips, shoulders and neck, blue tin sleep eyes, lashes, painted lower lashes, blond mohair wig with bangs, closed mouth. Marked on head: RELIABLE/MADE IN CANADA. Photo courtesy of Sheryl Schmidt

1948 Scotch Lassie doll, 15"

1949 Bride Doll, 15" tall, all composition, jointed hips, shoulders and neck. Blue plastic sleep eyes, lashes, painted lower lashes, blond mohair wig, open mouth. Marked on head: RELIABLE/MADE IN CANADA

1949 Bride Doll, 15"

Other dolls made by Reliable are: Baby Joan doll, Baby Jean doll, Baby Gloria, Baby Marilyn doll, Baby Precious doll, various Military dolls .

Off site Link to more Reliable dolls - Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation

Reliable Toy Company - Dolls <1920-1940's> 1950's Canada

Items pictured here are for reference only - not for sale.

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