Dolls by The American Character Doll Company

       The American Doll and Toy Corporation was established in 1919 by Russian Jewish immigrant brothers Jacob and Max Brock, and their partner Ed Schaefaer, with many of the Brock relatives occupying key positions at the company. The company used the trade names "Aceedeecee" and "ACDC". American Character Dolls' factory was in Brooklyn; the company operated a store on East 17th Street in New York City in the late 1920s. By the late 1930s, the company's manufacturing plant, comprising 130,000 square feet, was in East Hampton, Massachusetts.
       The company made the news in 1937 when it was ordered by the Federal Trade Commission to stop claiming that its patented "paratex" (a hard rubber made from a "secret formula") was superior to composition dolls (popularly made by American Character's competitor the Ideal Toy Company).
       In 1951, American Character partnered with competitors the Ideal Toy Company and the Alexander Doll Company to establish the United States-Israeli Toy and Plastic Corporation, designed to produce material for toys in Israel and the U.S. The new corporation's offices shared space with American Character.
       In 1954, American Character Dolls established a $2,000 annual fellowship at Teachers College, Columbia University, known as the Frances Horwich Graduate Fellowship in Early Childhood Education. In 1954 the company was awarded a patent for a doll that "breathes, sheds tears, drinks from a bottle, blows bubbles, and even smokes."
       By 1967 the company's fortunes were in decline, with unsecured claims said to be approximately $1.4 million. Settlements were arranged in March and June 1967, and the company continued to operate on a limited scale. Shortly thereafter, in 1968, American Character Dolls filed for bankruptcy and went out of business. Molds for some toys were sold to Mattel and Ideal Toy Company, which acquired the defunct company's dyes, patents, and trademarks.

 The Wonderful Doll World of Toni and Betsy McCall

       Toni (1958–1960s) — 10," 14," 20," and 25" fashion doll and Betsy McCall (1957-1959) — 8"-36" hard plastic doll are featured here in this small booklet published in the 1950s.

       Introducing Toni, Beautiful, sophisticated doll that comes complete with her own Playwave Kit. Create glamorous hairdos with your Toni Doll. Betsy McCall, what a cute little girl doll that steps from the pages of McCall's Magazine.

Cartoon.

Extra outfits for Betsy McCall Doll: Chemise, shoes and socks, April Showers,
 Riding Habit, Ballerina and Schoolgirl in stripes.

Cartoon

Betsy in Coat and Hat, Sugar and Spice, Sunday Best and On the ice.

How to style your doll's hair.

Extra Costumes for Betsy: Bride, Town and Country, Sweet Dreams and Holiday Plaid.

Cartoon.

Betsy' McCall Play Packages: Designer Studio, Beach Party and Garden Party.

Cartoon.

Complete Costumes for Betsy McCall dolls are: Holiday, Bride and School Days.
Doll in Chemise with Trunk and three more outfits is available for $12.98.

Betsy McCall doll 20" costumes include: Sunday Best, Ensemble and Sugar & Spice.

Collect the everyday outfits for your Toni doll. Something to wear at brunch, tea time,
 as a collegiete, to the beach and with a "Toni Playwave Set" dressed in a
Brassalette with high heal shoes.

More outfits for the 10 1/2" Toni doll include: coat and hat, Bon Soir,
Shopping Time and Bride.

Extra outfits for the Toni 10 1/2" Doll: Suburbanite, High Society,
American Beauty and Sunday Best.

Costumes for the Toni 20" Doll: bride, Sunday Best and American Beauty.

Children could write the company and join the Toni and Betsy McCall Birthday Club.

Toodles Toddler (1955-1959) — 19-1/2", 21," and 24" vinyl multi-jointed doll.

 

       "Toodles The Action Doll" "Look for Toodles and her super kart. 23" tall Toodles is an all soft vinyl doll with beautiful Saran hair. Toodles has rolling eyes and long curled eyelashes. She wears cotton romper, socks, sandals, and ribbon in her hair. Toodles drinks her bottle and wets. Her 3-way Super Kart is made of steel and can be used as a shopping cart for play-marketing, a highchair for play-feeding, and a doll stroller for her outing."

       American Character's most popular doll was Tiny Tears, introduced in 1950 and remaining in production through the rest of the company's existence.The baby doll's distinguishing feature was her ability to shed tears from two tiny holes on either side of her nose when her stomach was pressed after being filled with water from her baby bottle. Tiny Tears became one of the most popular dolls of the 1950s, due in part to television ads featuring a young Patty Duke that aired on popular children's shows such as the highly influential Ding Dong School with Frances Horwich.