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The Reliable Toy Company
Limited of Toronto, Canada (1920-1991) had a long history of making good
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 for other well
known USA doll manufacturer's, like 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 of the dolls made by
Reliable in the 1950-1970's:
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1950 Barbara Ann
Scott doll, 15" tall, all composition with
honey blonde wig, blue sleep eyes, open smiling mouth,
famous Canadian Ice Skater, dressed in her original
white and marabou trimmed ice skating outfit with
white ice skates.
Marked on head: RELIABLE/MADE
IN CANADA
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1950
Barbara
Ann Scott. 15" |
| 1950 Barbara Ann
Scott doll,
15" all composition, jointed hips, shoulders and
neck, blue sleep eyes, lashes, painted lower lashes and brows,
honey blonde saran wig, open smiling mouth showing teeth,
wearing a red skating outfit with white marabou, white
skates and original ice skate hang tag. Marked on head: RELIABLE/MADE
IN CANADA |
1950
Barbara
Ann Scott, 15" |
| 1950's Sally Ann,
17" tall, the tag reads: SALLY ANN, MADE IN CANADA, TRADE
MARK, RELIABLE TOY CO., LIMITED
The tag is attached by string
to her wrist reads" Reliable vinyl flex has added play
value. Made entirely of soft resilient vinyl plastic. Note
perfect detail in fingers, knuckles, dimples, etc., washable,
practically unbreakable, won't crack, peel or
chip." She comes in
her original outfit, shoes, socks and knit underpants. Her
hair is in the original set. Sleep eyes open and close
are clear and have real lashes. Her
body will bend, but is not jointed, but her head can move from
side to side. |
1950's Sally Ann,
17"
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| 1950's Indian
Girl Doll or Hiawatha doll, 17" tall, all
composition, brown sleep eyes, black braided wig, dressed in an
Indian style outfit with headband |
1950's
Indian Girl, 17" |
| 1950's Indian
Girl Doll or Hiawatha doll, 11" tall, all
composition, brown sleep eyes, black wig, dressed in an
Indian style outfit with headband. |
1950's Indian
Girl, 11" |
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1950 Peggy, 16 1/5"
tall, composition shoulder head and arms, cloth body and
legs, blue painted side-glancing eyes, black line over eye,
well defined molded hair with a hole for a hair ribbon,
closed mouth. Mark on shoulder plate: RELIABLE/DOLL/
MADE IN CANADA
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1950
Peggy, 16 1/5" |
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1950 Topsy, 10"
tall, all composition, jointed hips and shoulders, black
painted side-glancing eyes, black molded hair, closed mouth.
Mark: RELIABLE/MADE IN CANADA.
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1950
Topsy, 10" |
| 1951 Pigtails,
18" tall, all composition with jointed body, blue sleep
eyes, real upper lashes, painted lower lashes, honey blond
mohair wig in pigtails, open mouth with four upper
teeth. Marked on head: RELIABLE/MADE IN
CANADA
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1951 Pigtails,
18"
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 1951-1955
Lolly or Tiny Girl, (same doll as Ideal's Lolly), 9"
tall, head turning walker, sleep eyes, molded, rooted or wig
hair, marked Reliable, little sister to the Saucy Walker doll.
Lolly is shown on left and
Patsy is on the right.
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See photo on left
1951-1955 Lolly or Tiny Girl,
9"
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| 1952 Suzie Stepps
doll, 19" tall, all hard plastic, jointed hips
shoulders and neck, blue sleep eyes, lashes, saran blond wig,
open mouth showing teeth. Walks and turns her head from side
to side when you hold her hand. Marked: RELIABLE
Photo courtesy
of Patkan |
1952
Suzie Stepps doll, 19" |
 1953 Coronation Dolls,
8, 11, 12, 15, 16" tall, all plastic, jointed at neck and
shoulders, the 8" tall doll has straight non-moving legs,
the other sizes have jointed bodies, some were walkers, mohair
or saran wig with tiara, dressed in white satin gown with gold
trim, coronation robe, and ribbon sash and were meant to
celebrate and commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth
II.
The Queen Elizabeth II
doll pictured is 15" tall, all composition, jointed hips,
shoulders and neck, blue sleep eyes, lashes, painted lower
lashes and brows, auburn wig, open smiling mouth, showing six
teeth, marked on head: A/RELIABLE
DOLL. Original white and gold gown, red velvet cape,
tiara, wearing a ribbon with her name.
Photo's courtesy of Diane. |
1953
Coronation Dolls; Queen Elizabeth II,
15" |
| 1953 Dress-Me dolls,
11" tall, hard plastic or vinyl, jointed at shoulders and and
neck, non-moving straight legs, sleep eyes usually blue, wig,
unclothed, clothes were available separately, sold as baggies -
in plastic bags with cardboard hangtags, instead of a box. Back marked:
Reliable. |
1953 Dress-Me,
11" |
| 1953 Suzie Walker
doll, 13" tall, all hard plastic, jointed hips
shoulders and neck, blue sleep eyes, molded lashes, painted
lower lashes, brown synthetic wig, closed mouth. Marked: Reliable/MADE
IN CANADA
Photo courtesy
of Danette. |
1953
Suzie Walker doll, 13" |
| 1954 Suzie Walker
doll, 15" tall, all hard plastic, jointed hips
shoulders and neck, brown sleep eyes, plastic lashes, painted
lower lashes, blond wig in braids with bangs, open-closed
mouth showing two teeth. Marked on back: Reliable/MADE
IN CANADA |
Photo
N/A
1954
Suzie Walker doll, 15" |
| 1954 Plassikins, 15" tall,
hard plastic, pin jointed, head turning walkers, sleep eyes, molded
lashes, open mouth with two teeth, wore a pink print cotton dress and
bonnet and brown shoes. |
Photo
N/A
1954
Plassikins, 15" |
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1954 Trudy, 11"
tall, all hard plastic, jointed hips shoulders and neck,
painted blue side-glancing eyes, light brown molded hair,
open mouth Mark on back: Reliable/MADE IN CANADA.
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1954
Trudy, 11" |
| 1957 Baby Tear
Drop, 11" tall, hard plastic head, vinyl body,
jointed hips, shoulders and neck, blue sleep eyes, molded
lashes, brown molded hair, open drink mouth. Mark on head: Reliable |
1957
Baby Tear Drop, 11" |
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1957
Posie, 23" tall, vinyl head, hard plastic body,
jointed knees, hips, shoulders and neck, blue sleep eyes,
lashes, painted lower lashes, rooted blond or brown saran
hair, closed mouth. Marked on head and body:
RELIABLE. |
1957
Posie, 23" |
| 1957 Suzie Walker,
9" tall, all hard plastic, jointed hips, shoulders and
neck, blue sleep eyes, molded lashes, brown wig in braids,
closed mouth. Mark on back: Reliable/MADE IN CANADA.
Photo courtesy of etradeassist
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1957
Suzie Walker, 9" |
| 1958 Little Miss
Canada, 10 1/2" tall, (Little Miss Revlon look a
like) hard plastic jointed body, vinyl head with rooted hair,
blue sleep eyes with real upper lashes & painted
corner lower lashes, high heel feet. |
1958
Little Miss Canada, 10 1/2" |
| 1958 Topsy doll, 12"
tall, vinyl head, one piece vinyl body, black painted
side-glancing eyes, painted upper lashes, hair molded in
braids tied with ribbons, open-closed mouth. Marked on head: RELIABLE. |
Photo
N/A
1958 Topsy doll,
12" |
| 1959 Patsy,
9" tall, all hard plastic, jointed hips, shoulders and
neck, blue sleep eyes with molded lashes, brown molded hair,
closed mouth. Marked on Back: Reliable (in Script).
This same mold was used for the 1951-1955 Ideal Lolly or Tiny
Girl doll. |
Photo
N/A
1959 Patsy,
9" |
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1960 Tickle Toes,
18" tall, vinyl head, one piece vinyl flex body, blue
sleep eyes, lashes, painted lower lashes, rooted blond saran
hair, closed mouth. Doll is unmarked.
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1960
Tickle Toes, 18" |
| 1961 Black Boy
Doll, 12" tall, one piece vinyl body, vinyl head,
black painted side-glancing eyes, painted upper lashes, brown
molded hair, open/closed mouth showing tongue. Marked on
head: 1/1104/RELIABLE/MADE IN CANADA |
1961 Black Boy
Doll, 12" |
| 1961-1962 Mitzi doll,
11 1/2" tall - Barbie clone, was discontinued in 1962
when they introduced the Tammy doll family. The 1962 dolls
have much more exaggerated, slanting eyes. Probably
marked on neck or back Reliable. |
1961
Mitzi, 11 1/2" |
| 1961 Wettums doll,
20" tall, (remake of an earlier doll) vinyl head and arms, plastic body and legs, brown
sleep eyes, lashes, painted lower lashes, molded hair, open
mouth nurser. Marked on body: Reliable/MADE
IN CANADA. See
the Reliable 1920-1940's page for a photo of the earlier doll. |
Photo
N/A
1961
Wettums doll, 20"
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| 1962 Peter,
15" tall, vinyl head, plastic body, jointed hips,
shoulders and neck, blue sleep eyes, lashes, painted lower
lashes, black molded hair, closed mouth. Mark on body: Reliable/CANADA
Photo courtesy
of haysage
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1962
Peter, 15" |
| 1969 Three Faced
Doll, 16" tall, vinyl face and arms, plastic body and
legs, turning knob at the top of head to change
faces.
Photo courtesy of lizedoll |
1969
Three Faced Doll, 16" |
| 1974 Carol Walker
doll, 24" vinyl head, plastic body, jointed hips
shoulders and neck, blue sleep eyes, lashes, painted lower
lashes, rooted blond curls, closed mouth. Marked on body: Reliable/CANADA. |
1974 Carol Walker
doll, 24" |
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