Are you looking for something special to use to decorate for certain holidays? It could be the delightful Annalee dolls may be what you are looking for. You may ask, what is an Annalee doll? They are not your usual type of doll but rather delightful figurines that seem to take on their own special personality. These figurines are made out of felt and fabric rather than your typical plastic or vinyl.
Seventy five years ago in the small town of Meredith, New Hampshire, a young woman set up a doll business that continues to succeed today. Barbara Annalee Thorndike initially wanted to make some simple dolls for her family. Her family had a chicken farm and after it failed she was determined to find a way to generate some income. She cleaned out the chicken coop and made it into a studio for herself. She began experimenting with different designs. Annalee’s idea was that if you smile, then someone will always return it. Annalee Dolls was born out of this thought. Every whimsical doll has a wonderful smile on it.
Through the years these dolls have endeared themselves to all sorts of collectors. Annalee wanted everyone to know that her dolls were handmade locally in Meredith. The craftsman took pride in their own work. A guarantee of this is the cloth tag that is sown into every doll to also identify it as the genuine thing.
Even with the death of their founder, Annalee in 2002, her family made the commitment to continue making the dolls in her honor. The offerings continued to expand. Six years later in 2008, the Thorndike family decided it was time to sell the business. Two of the Annalee executives, Dave Pelletier, CEO and Bob Watson, EVP headed up an investment group to purchase Annalee from the family. Having management people familiar with the business model along with the knowledge of what Annalee envisioned for the quality of the dolls was maintained and allowed a smooth transition.
The expansion of dolls has continued to honor every holiday. The Christmas season has the largest offering with lots of elves, Santa’s, snowmen and reindeer. Ornaments are also being offered to hang on your tree. The other holidays of Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s, Easter, Day, Halloween and Thanksgiving also have great dolls to inspire your decorating. In addition, dolls for the Patriotic holidays of President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day are also offered. A cute little offering called a Mouse for every House celebrates everyone’s childhood memories. For fans of the Wizard of Oz, there is a delightful offering of 10 special pieces. They include Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion, Glinda Witch, Wicked Witch, Flying Monkey, Munkin, Major and Wizard.
For this year, all of the dolls and figurines have 75th anniversary tags on them. In celebration of this special year is an opportunity to win a 1 carat diamond. You can go to a web site to enter. If you are looking for something unique to help you decorate the different holidays, then enjoy the charm and wonderful smiles of the Annalee collection. |
