How to Collect Kewpie Dolls

Everyone knows what the Barbie™ doll looks like. It's known as the most popular doll that was ever made. But, other dolls have also become popular too. They hold a place in collectors' cabinets as well. One of these collectible dolls is the Kewpie. Kewpie dolls didn't need fancy marketing campaigns like Barbie dolls had. Their adorable looks alone attracted people to buy them and collect them. If you're looking for a doll that you're sure to fall in love with, find out
how to collect Kewpie dolls.

An American artist by the name of Rose Cecil O'Neill originally designed what would later become the "Kewpie" doll. Her dream was to design a doll that was completely irresistible. O'Neill wanted everyone to fall in love with it. So, she started out by making it look like a chubby child who had a round, protruding tummy. Then, Rose Cecil O'Neill added a pair of tiny blue wings, a shock of hair, and webbed hands. She completed her "irresistible" doll by giving it an impish smile and eyes that looked to the side.

Unnamed at first, depictions of O'Neill's creation were first seen in the Ladies' Home Journal in the years from 1905 and 1909. In 1909, the impish-looking doll finally got named "Kewpie." It got its name from the mythical matchmaker named Cupid. You can see the likeness between the Kewpie dolls and Cupid. In 1910, drawings of the Kewpie doll appeared in the Women's Home Companion.

Finally, in 1913, Rose Cecil O'Neill brought her designed dolls to life. She patented her design and began to sell actual dolls to the public. The Kewpie doll was so popular that it made O'Neill a millionaire in no time at all.

The original Kewpie dolls were made from china or bisque materials. They were produced in Europe. Once doll manufacturers like the Mutual Doll Company started producing these impish-looking dolls, they were also made of fabric, porcelain, and plastic. If you want to collect Kewpie dolls, you'll need to know that they were made in a variety of sizes. Some of the dolls were only a few inches tall, while others were around eighteen inches tall.