1890's Bisque Sports Dolls

[vintagesportflips]

Hello everyone,
I recently picked up this neat group of dolls, and wanted to see if anyone has encountered these before, or seen anything similar. They are a group of 4 bisque or composition dolls to include 2 football players (Princeton and presumably Yale although I wish the sweater or Y was blue), a great baseball player with pillbox cap, and a boxer. The dolls measure about 4.5 inches tall, and all have present but unattached arms. They aren't in perfect condition obviously, with some paint chipping in areas, and various degrees of damage to the feet. Each of their right feet has some sort of pin that extends down below the foot. Not sure what this pin was for, other than for mounting on something. I plan to have the arms restrung by a doll restorer I know of near me. Has anyone encountered these or anything similar before?
http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp36/VintagePigskin/fbdolls_zps26b6cf1d.jpg
http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp36/VintagePigskin/baseballboxing_zpse28a35ca.jpg

[Jim F]

Great find!! The pins make me think that each doll had a base.

[jcmtiger]

The pin could have been used to mount on some type of game so that they could move.

Joe

[WillowGrove]

I've been collecting for decades - and have never seen those before.

[jbsports33]

first time I have ever seen them too!

Jimmy

[slidekellyslide]

Never seen them...they are very cool!

[lefty147]

Super pieces !!

[ruth-gehrig]

Yeah those are really neat! Must be pretty rare.

[vintagesportflips]

Thanks everyone.
I had also shown them to a forum member who is very knowledgeable with early figural pieces, and he had never seen them either. What these little guys were mounted on will likely remain a mystery (whether part of a game, part of a sports themed music box, individually mounted, or for something else).

[ruth-gehrig]

I'd be interested in the baseball player.
Thanks
Michael

[slidekellyslide]

Thanks everyone.
I had also shown them to a forum member who is very knowledgeable with early figural pieces, and he had never seen them either. What these little guys were mounted on will likely remain a mystery (whether part of a game, part of a sports themed music box, individually mounted, or for something else).

You come up with some of the greatest stuff...how did you find them?

[vintagesportflips]

Michael, I sent you message. I anticipate them being for sale at some point, but want to research them further first.
Thanks Dan. They were an ebay purchase. I actually found them thanks to one of the few ebay improvements over the years that I love. The portion of the home page that shows you the newly listed items that coincide with your frequent searches. These dolls popped up individually as buy it nows, and I found them likely within minutes of their being listed. I bought them all as soon as I saw them.

[CarltonHendricks]

Keith, Those are phenomenal...like Peter said I've never seen them before...They look a lot like the sports candy containers made of paper mache....and the condition looks like easy restore...I think there are lots of doll repair people out there. I speculate they're German...They were big on decorative things like these in the late 19th- early 20th century...The pins are very curious...obviously they were mounted on some kind of base...The fact you nailed four of them is incredible!...Nice job...Congrats on a great pick up!..Below two candy container examples...

<img src="http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc120/CarltonHendricks/YaleFB_CandyContainer_zps26b0fb7a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo YaleFB_CandyContainer_zps26b0fb7a.jpg"/>

<img src="http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc120/CarltonHendricks/BBCandyContainer_zps174d23a5.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo BBCandyContainer_zps174d23a5.jpg"/>

[vintagesportflips]

Thanks a lot Carlton. If you and several other figural collectors haven't seen them, they are undoubtedly very rare. Thanks for showing the candy containers - those are fantastic.
I actually gave these 4 on Sunday to a doll restorer that was recommended to me in Adamstown PA. She stated that it would be no problem to restore the feet, but I opted to just have her restring the arms.
Thanks again