The Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Dolls

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

This is an invaluable reference for serious doll collectors and a
compilation of some intriguing insights into Canadian social history.

It is the 3rd edition of what has become the doll collector’s bible,
and with more than 1000 dolls, from 40 commercial manufacturers,
illustrated, described, dated, and priced, it is certain to retain that
status.

The catalogue specifies the standards for grading the condition (mint,
excellent, good, fair) of composition, vinyl, and hard plastic dolls.
There’s a brief section on Inuit and Indian dolls, which will interest
social historians as much as collectors. The bulk of the work is devoted
to manufactured dolls, organized first by maker, and then presented
chronologically within these categories. The Eaton’s Beauty Dolls
merit their own section—covering 63 dolls manufactured between 1900
and 1996—and there is a section devoted to Canadian celebrity dolls.
Other features include the concept of “working dolls” (non-toys) and
a cross-reference to the widely used Dolls in Canada: A Reference Guide.
Doll collecting owes part of its popularity to nostalgia, the
remembrance of a favorite or wished-for toy. Well-crafted modern dolls
also appeal to many collectors, with dolls produced in the 1990s already
listing for several hundred dollars.

Charlton’s reputation for meticulous research and for price estimates
that take condition into consideration makes this guide useful to both
collectors and dealers.