The Mystery of the Dream Kitchen by Deluxe Reading

The Deluxe Reading Kitchen has always been a love of mine.  I was lucky to found an almost complete boxed set.  I have since then been trying to complete it.  I am lucky to have the most ever.  Just a few things not there.   

The box lists that there are 176 items.  There has been much about discussion what those items are.  I going to try to get it correct in this blog. 

Here is the list that I come up with.

1 sink 61 tumblers 121 ace soap pad 2 water tank 62 tumblers 122 ace all-purpose cleaner 3 water tank 63 tumblers 123 ace bleach 4 dish drainer - yellow 64 tumblers 124 Diamond shredded wheat 5 towel dispenser - plastic 65 cup 125 diamond coconut cookie 6 rubber hose 66 cup 126 diamond sugar 7 rubber hose 67 cup 127 diamond crackers 8 rubber hose 68 cup 128 diamond saltine cracker 9 Dishwasher 69 cup 129 diamond lemon cookie 10 water tank 70 cup 130 diamond corn bits 11 water tank 71 salt 131 diamond three-pack 12 rubber hose 72 pepper 132 diamond four-pack 13 dish rack 73 fork 133 diamond food strip of 6 14 utensil holder 74 fork 134 diamond food strip of 6 15 oven 75 fork 135 deluxe tea bags 16 turkey 76 fork 136 deluxe wheat flakes 17 roasting rod 77 spoon 137 deluxe vanilla ice cream 18 pot holder rack 78 spoon 138 deluxe chocolate ice cream 19 battery cover 79 spoon 139 deluxe oatmeal 20 refrigerator 80 spoon 140 butter/cheese 21 clear bin 81 knife 141 plastic food - steak 22 clear bin 82 knife 142 plastic food - steak 23 rack: two shelve 83 knife 143 plastic food - peas 24 table 84 knife 144 plastic food - beets 25 chair 85 pot 145 plastic food - fruit pile 26 chair 86 pot 146 plastic food - veg strip 27 chair 87 pot 147 plastic food - fruit strip 28 chair 88 pan 148 plastic food - eggs & toast 29 platter 89 pan 149 plastic food - eggs & toast 30 platter 90 pan 150 plastic food - ham 31 platter 91 stockpot 151 plastic food - 3 open face platter 32 platter 92 stock lid 152 plastic food - jello 33 plates  93 large fork 153 plastic food - fish platter 34 plates  94 large slotted spoon 154 plastic food - food platter 35 plates  95 large knife 155 plastic food - food platter 36 plates  96 large spatula 156 plastic food - white cake 37 plates  97 large ladle 157 plastic food - steak 38 plates  98 large icing spreader 158 plastic food - peas 39 plates  99 ice tray top 159 plastic food - beets 40 plates  100 ice tray bottom 160 plastic food - fruit pile 41 plates  101 ice tray top 161 plastic food - veg strip 42 plates  102 ice tray bottom 162 plastic food - fruit strip 43 plates  103 milk bottles 163 plastic food - eggs & toast 44 plates  104 milk bottles 164 plastic food - eggs & toast 45 plates  105 milk bottles 165 plastic food - ham 46 plates  106 milk bottles 166 plastic food - 3 open face platter 47 plates  107 red bottles 167 plastic food - jello 48 plates  108 red bottles 168 plastic food - fish platter 49 plates  109 red bottles 169 plastic food - food platter 50 plates  110 red bottles 170 plastic food - food platter 51 saucer 111 egg tray top 171 plastic food - white cake 52 saucer 112 egg tray bottom 172 towel 53 saucer 113 star scoring pad 173 sponge 54 saucer 114 star cleaner 174 certificate 55 saucer 115 star new sparkling flakes 175 instruction sheet 56 saucer 116 Rex detergent 176 breakthrough in toys booklet 57 tumblers 117 Rex window wax 58 tumblers 118 Rex-wax foil 59 tumblers 119 Rex-wax paper 60 tumblers 120 Rex soap power As you can see I have 176.  I get there by items that most people do not count.  Like the hoses, battery cover, pot rack, and towel dispenser.  This may be correct it may not be correct.  There are also other way to doing it.  Like the multi pack items. Some say that the Diamond strip of 6 counts as 6, so 2 strips would be 12.  They also count the butter/cheese as 2. But that would put us over at 176.  Also you go by that idea then the box of four counts as 4 and the box of 3 counts as 3. That would now make our total 195.  So I do not support that vary of counting.  I believe the strip of 6, box of 4 and box of 3 count only as 1 each. I know the plastic food is correct as there is a photo of them together.   We know the dishes are correct, by what's on the table for 4.  And I have seen them on the plastic still.  Kitchen utensils, pan, and pot are correct because they go on the racks.  That leaves the boxes.  Could there be more? I do know that do some have codes.   Could the box codes help us out?  The Star Cleaner that  I have is code 9b-pg-0035.  I would love to know if all Star Cleaners have the same codes.   I would like to know the codes for all the boxed food if you have any.

American Girl ~ Downhill Racer: Googles

Early American Girl items are very detailed.  A lot of early items have no tags or markings to indicate that they are American Girl.

Here is a new items that are not tagged.

Downhill Ski comes ski suit, gloves, headband and sunglasses.

Downhill Gear comes with ski boots, skies and poles.

This outfit have many untagged items.

poles

sunglasses

mittens

headband

Photo will be added as I got the items.

 

American Girl ~ Samantha Black Patent Shoes

I just bought a lot of American Girl that would date to the 1980's.  This lot has so many cool this in it like a bright red Samantha Cranberry Party Dress and many more items.   Now I like to show Samantha Black Patent Shoes.  The early shoes have marking to say they are American Girl.  So watch out in the doll bin.  You could find Samantha shoes.

American Girl ~ Skating Star and Skating Gear

Some American Girl items do not have tags or labels. 
In this blog I would like to tell about American Girl Staking Star from 1997.  It comes with dress and barrette.  The barrette tag can fall off very easy.

Skating Star has some accessories too. Skating Gear complements Skating Star.

Comes with skates with blade guards and bouquet of yellow roses. The bouquet comes with sticker on the stem.  It can fall off.

The skate blades have no tag and marks.

                          

American Girl Hard to Identify Items

I have been working with American Girl for a years.  I have noticed that some items are hard to identify.   Some American Girl items do not have tags or labels.  Older clothes are not all labeled especially American Girl Today.  This can come in handy with buy at garage and flea markets.  I have noticed that people buy the labeled clothes more then unlabeled.  When buying I look at all  the doll clothes.  I have come home with good piece because of this.

In this blog and future blog I will identify some of the hard items to identify. 

Starting with 1995 Ballet Costume.  It a great ballerina outfit that come with tutu bodysuit, tights, slipper, tiara, wings and wand.  The slipper, tiara and wand have no tags or labels.

Changes in the early Barbie

When I first started collecting Barbie I learned that the first Barbie was made with different plastic then the later dolls.  Earlier plastic can have numerous problems.  Barbie 1 - 3 can had problems with plastic.  The #1 Barbie, #2 Barbie and #3 Barbie can be sickly white.  The #4 Barbie had a new plastic, that does not turn white. but some #4 Barbie's can have limbs that are sickly white. 

Now years later after I moved from Texas to New York.  I did not unpack my Barbie items when I first.  I knew what they were and they were packed well, so I just kept them in the box for safety.  I recently started to unpack them.  I noticed that my first year bubblecut Barbie now has very tan legs. 

So now after 50+ years do the #4 Barbie's also have a plastic problem.  Did it just take that long to come out? Does this mean that the plastic will continue to age unexpectedly.

Is it Vintage or Reproduction Barbie outfit: Enchanted Evening

That is the question for a lot of piece in the Barbie line.  And for someone just starting it very hard to till sometime.  If a reproduction items does not have a label how do you till.  I did blog showed to difference between. 

This will about Enchanted Evening.

Enchanted Evening come with gown, stole, long gloves, choker necklace, dangle earrings and clear open toe shoes with gold glitter.  The gown comes two different ways.  The most common is with a rose, but it also came with three rhinestones. 



The reproduction Enchanted Evening comes with gown, stole, long gloves, choker necklace, pearl earrings and shoes.  The reproduction gown comes with a rose.   The label is in the stole and does have reproduction on it.


The difference start with the necklace and earrings.  The reproduction necklace and earring are plastic and the earring are not dangled.  The snap are plastic.

 

American Girl

I was not luck to be a child when American Girl dolls came out.  I was just getting into Barbie collecting.  A couple years after they were out I see my first American Girl.  She was Samantha, I wanted her.  She was not to come to me for many years.  I was to get a Kit doll first.   I now have Samantha as while.  I have been luck in getting American Girl items up at estate sales and garage

I was not luck to be a child when American Girl dolls came out.  I was just getting into Barbie collecting.  A couple years after they were out I see my first American Girl.  She was Samantha, I wanted her.  She was not to come to me for many years.  I was to get a Kit doll first.   I now have Samantha as while.  I have been luck in picking up American Girl items at estate sales and garage sales.  Even second hand they are not cheap, some are priced higher they the regular price. 

 
Since American Girl are expensive. And everyone wants to go cheap so they buy Target, Walmart or other 18" doll clothes.  They fit why not.  Here is why.
 
I have brought American Girl at sales and have not removed the clothes, we all do it.  The doll look great and you want the items with so you just buy it.  You then get home and remove clothes and see that she has marks on her.  Ok you try to remove the stains.  You cannot.  So you go to the American Girl site to see what they say.  Now you have a choice send the doll to American Girl for new limbs or keep as is. 
 
Here is a key to know you have to look at the doll closer before you buy. 

Is it wearing American Girl clothes?

Does it come with clothes that you know are American Girl?
Does it come with clothes you do not know?
Is it still being played with or was it stored?

The answer is simple.

  If you know it in American Girl clothes you most likely do not need to look closer.

If you have no idea of the clothes you should look closer.

If there are a lot of unknown clothes you should look closer.

Here is why, American Girl doll should never be storage in anything but American Girl clothes.  If you have handmade or other doll clothes on the doll when it just being storage it can stain the doll.  I learned this learn the hard way.  I bought a doll that I love the outfit on her.  It was not an American outfit.  It stained the doll on the legs and arms.

The hard thing was collecting anything is not every piece is tag.  You have to know what you are looking for.  American Girl is not like Barbie, Mattel only mark on item in a outfit.  American Girl from what I have since has marked all.  This helps out a lot.

So if you want to get home & enjoy your doll, it is best that you look at it.  Then you will not have to send it to the American Girl Hospital. 

Is it Vintage or Reproduction Barbie outfit: Red Flair

With all the reproduction Barbie outfit out there I decided to start a series on the differences.   I am starting with the reproduction Silken Flame doll.  It come with a reproduction blonde or brunette bubblecut which is wearing Silken Flame and Red Flair. 

The Red Flair outfit.  Is mostly the hardest to till.  The material very close to the original.  For my the different it the feel of the coat.  The older coat are soft and the reproduction feel harder.  It does have a reproduction label.  So the item to watch are the purse, gloves & hat.  There are no tag in these so they can be called vintage when they are not.  The reproduction gloves are more pointed and the vintage are curved.

 

The Silken Flame has plastic strips.  These strips come off the minute the dress is taking off the doll.  The reproduction dress is not tag and the original dress is tagged.  The reproduction dress has netting under the satin and the original does not.  The original Silken Flame come with dress, shoe, belt and purse.  The reproduction does not have the purse and the belt is made in cloth not plastic.