COLUMN: Carillon Flashback October 26, 1998 – MCC Thrift Shop offers bevy of Christmas dolls

The MCC Thrift Shop in Steinbach is kicking off the Christmas season next week with its fifth annual doll sale.

Shoppers venturing into the shop on Thursday, Nov. 5 will have the pick of a bevy of dolls, although there’s no fear they will sell out soon.

Based on last year’s numbers, it is estimated there will be at least 600 dolls on display. However, most will be sold by Christmas when the sale ends, says store co-manager Marianne Elias.

As with other items for sale in the Thrift Shop, the dolls have been donated, which means the variety is likely greater than at any other single store. Indeed, it is easy to imagine that little girls entering the shop may think they are in doll heaven.

There are cuddly baby dolls, the ever-popular Barbie dolls, and many specialty dolls of a one-of-a-kind type. The selection of rag dolls – which are usually snapped up – is good, and the collection also includes stuffed toys.

All of the dolls appearing on the shelves have been painstakingly restored and lovingly dressed by Tina Giesbrecht, affectionately known as “the doll lady.”

Giesbrecht, who spends more time working with the dolls than she cares to count, keeps her eyes on dolls that come into the store, since she volunteers her time sorting goods several mornings a week. About 400 or so are sold at any time of the year, while she puts aside those suitable for the Christmas box.

Each doll is thoroughly cleaned and the hair washed and styled. Clothes are mended, or if the garments are in poor shape, discarded and new ones sewn.

Giesbrecht even has boxes with doll parts, including legs, arms and heads, used to repair dolls who have lost a limb. Based on a firm belief that just about everything can be recycled, Giesbrecht creates new dolls from the parts she has on hand.

By the time Giesbrecht is done, one would never guess the dolls are into their second life.

While “the doll lady’ has not come across any official “collector dolls,” there are some from the 1950s and ’60s that are old enough to be of interest to collectors.

While Giesbrecht was not particularly interested in dolls before she began the job of restoration for the shop five years ago, she admits she has become quite passionate about them. She collects her own and reads books to educate her on doll collecting and how much money specific ones will fetch.

The Christmas opening event at the MCC Thrift Shop will also feature Christmas trees, specialty dishes, children’s dress clothes and giftware.

– with files from Doris Penner