Madame Alexander Play Wonder Layla Goodwill Find!!

Doll Friends!

Like most doll collectors, I have a 'holy grail' or 'unicorn' list of dolls. What does that mean? Well, a list of dolls I'd love to have come reside at the Doll House but that are rare and/or hard to find. Hence, they are usually pretty expensive if you can find them at all. Still, they are on your list and you hope that, perhaps, someday you might find one at a price that you are willing to pay. If that makes sense. 

Madame Alexander Play Wonder Layla has been in the top few of my holy-grail-unicorn-list ever since the first time I saw her beautiful face in Pinterest or somewhere. She's usually in the $75 to $100 range (new in box) on eBay and... Well... Usually when I decide to splurge that much on a doll, I opt for one of the new premium dolls on my list (like Maplelea or American Girl etc). So Layla stayed on my list... Maybe someday...

Until this weekend at Goodwill! When 'someday' became 'today'! I went shopping with my good friend, hoping to find some good Garage Sales but... We decided it was too hot and the Garage Sales were not plentiful enough (I guess it was silly to pick Father's Day Weekend to go looking... Oops. Oh well... I digress...). Happily, the very first aisle of the very first Goodwill we popped in to had some doll feet hanging out that I could tell were 18inch doll feet... I walked over a quick clip and as I pulled her off the shelf I may or may not have jumped up and down with excitement!! Better still? She was marked only $1.99!! Better than that? She was still in her original meet outfit, with part of it stitched on, meaning she'd never been taken out of it!

She was a bit of a mess, the poor dear. She looks like a doll that was likely received as a gift and the girl couldn't get the clothes off (cos, seriously, there was a stitch in that weird silver looking thing around her neck, holding it to the shirt and dress) and lost interest... Then into a toy box she went. Obviously, I am guessing but... I imagine I'm not too far off the mark. I have kids and they've had similar gifts in the past. It happens. So, she got beaten up quite a lot, her hair taking the worst of it I think. 

She had dirt marks on her face and limbs but... I knew I'd be able to clean her up. 

Here is how she looked when she arrived home. 

She had two stickers on her leg. One was from a Garage Sale where they'd been asking $3.50 and the Goodwill one where she's marked $1.99. Such an amazing price!

Her fingernails and toenails were both painted by factory in a pretty purple. I love her toes having a space where she could even wear flip-flops! So cute! Her feet also have a pretty prominent arch for a doll foot (see below photo, I should've photo'd it more properly...) 

Here's her hand... Isn't the polish lovely?

And here she is, all cleaned up. She's so gorgeous!! She has a small yellow mark on her nose I couldn't get off with my Norwex cloth so I need to go get a MrClean sponge but.... Otherwise she's perfect!! So happy to have found her!!

Better run!
XXOO
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