What’s the value of a small cloth doll? Is it worth its original price or much, much more? That’s what James and I found ourselves asking during the late night hours last week.
When Adriana was born, we went through a box of Emily’s baby clothes and happened across a small cloth doll with braided yarn pigtails and a rattle inside. After a trip through the washing machine, “Doll” quickly became Adriana’s favorite toy. Ever since, Adriana has gone to sleep - every night and naptime - with her thumb in her mouth and Doll tucked under her arm.
At first, Doll was only a bedtime toy, but now that Adriana is more mobile, she doesn’t go anywhere without it. If they do become separted, Adriana will point in the direction she went and anxiously call, “Doll, Doll, Doll.”
Doll saw Adriana through her teething days. Adriana held her by the pigtails and chewed on her head. But Doll is quite resiliant and comes out of the washing machine and dryer looking brand new - the trick is getting her through both cycles before naptime.
One night last week I picked up my children and took them straight hometo get ready for bed. When I gave Adriana a bottle and began rocking her to sleep, I noticed that she didn’t have her Doll tucked under her arm. I thought it was over with her toys, but Doll was nowhere to be found. I searched frantically while holding Adriana with one arm.
I finally put Adriana in bed and tried to give her a Strawberry Shortcake doll instead, to keep her contented. Adriana was outraged. She threw Strawberry Shortcake down, and when the new doll didn’t make it out of the crib, she kicked it in frustration, picked it up and launched it across the room. Strawberry Shortcake was no replacement for Doll!
I continued my frantic search for Doll. Adriana was screaming for her, and my blood pressure was rising with each passing moment. Eventually she gave up, snuffled and hiccuped herself to sleep.
When James came home, I told him what had happened and we doubled our search efforts. We searched everywhere Adriana had been during the short time we were home. We looked in the trash can and behind furniture. We looked in the dirty clothes basket and the clean clothes basket, inthe toy chest and in Isaac’s toy kitchen.
James took a flashlight and looked under the sofas and the beds. Then he went outside to search around the swing set and under the picnic table.
In desperation, I sat down at the computer to see if similar dollies were still being sold. I knew Adriana would be heartbroken if she woke up and had to go through the day without Doll and I didn’t want her to cry herself to sleep for the next three weeks!
I found that Doll was “out of print,” so to speak.It was no longer available at the large department stores. A few online stores specialized in the no-longer-made dolls and had them in stock but at outrageous prices. One company sold My First Dollies for $50! Another online store charged only $9 for the doll but the overnight shipping was more than $17.
“Should I order it? As soon as I do, we’ll find Doll. But it might not be a bad idea to have a spare,” I said to James in anguish.
James finally found Doll.
“You’re kidding!” I shouted. “Where was she?”
“Right underneath a frisbee in the pile of toys in front of the TV,” he replied.
Janelle Jessen is a reporter and staff writer for the Decatur Herald and the Gentry Courier-Journal. She may be reached by e-mail at jjessen @ nwaonline.com.
Opinion, Pages 5 on 07/21/2010