Valley of the Dolls

If you were a little girl growing up in the 70s, or wanted to be one...or went to elementary school with one, you may remember The Birthstone Dolls. Originally designed by Muriel Joseph George in California in the mid 1940's ( ..in 1962 they started manufacturing them in Japan for "economic reasons") These sweet dolls remind me of my childhood. Each doll represents a month of the year with a rhinestone in a bed of flowers as the birthstone. Those stones seemed like the real deal to a ten year old! My friends and I used to walk to the stationary store on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City with our allowance to add another of the twelve to our collection. Today you can find them on Ebay or Amazon. They make a really nice baby gift for new Moms. Unless you have money to burn, I would never pay more than around $25 including shipping. I have found these ladies in excellent condition for no more than $12 before shipping and handling. Though you may not be one for the "brick 'a brack," displaying them in a nursery or on a bathroom vanity hardly seems like clutter...Just a sweet reminder of a special occasion. You can also find newly manufactured Josef Birthday Dolls that are numbered 1 thru 16...and various other new designs at www.josefdolls.com.