One of the oldest doll manufacturers in the US is Valentine Doll, Inc., which was famous for its vinyl and hard plastic dancing dolls in the 1950s. The company was founded by John Landers, who also established Debbie Toy Company with her partner Shelly Greenburg. The latter was known for its line of vinyl baby and doll products. Most of the Valentine dolls were sold only through mail order catalogs. The company had also supplied products for Sear under its toy line called Happi Time.

Some of the dolls marketed by Valentine were mostly dressed in a ballerina tutu. Here is a list of Valentine dolls that were popular from the 1950s to the 1960s:

1) Valentina

Marked with 11VW on her back, this doll is made from a hard plastic body and stands 10.5 inches tall. It is also similar to Sear’s marketed doll in the Happi Time doll line. Doll has rooted hair on her vinyl head and articulated shoulders, neck, hips, waist, and knees. Wearing a tutu with rubber ballet flats, the doll also comes with a plastic stand that she will rotate on to do her ballet dance.

2) Little mannequin (1958)

Still made of a hard plastic body, marked 11VW and measuring 10.5 inches, this doll comes in many different styles and colors. It featured a vinyl head with rooted hair, sleeping eyes, and articulated body parts. The design was similar to the Dollikin dolls from Uneeda.

3) LuAnn Simms (1950s)

The 14-inch tall doll is made of hard plastic and features a closed mouth, sleeping eyes, and a mohair wig. The Roberta and Horsman companies also had their versions of LuAnn Simms.

4) Doreena and Concertina

Both dolls are 20 inches tall and have rooted hair on their vinyl head. The dolls featured sleepy eyes and plastic bodies with hard joints. Concertina doll also has a music box that played the song “Dance, Ballerina Dance” from Swan Lake, while Doreena comes with a costume set in addition to her tutu. Both are also indicated by the “20HH” mark.

5) reign for a day

Also marked “20HH”, this doll stands 20 inches tall and features sleeping blue eyes and a rooted vinyl head. She wears a white ball gown with a red velvet cape and a tiara.

These are just a few of the Valentine dolls that became popular and are now coveted vintage pieces. Dancing dolls can be purchased from auction sites and doll conventions that can be expensive due to their rarity.