I waffled back and forth quite a bit about whether to write this post in English or Spanish, but I have decided to do an English version and then a Spanish version a bit later. It's important for me to practice my second language, and also to show my appreciation for the origin of my new, precious dolls.
The thrifting trip started like any other trip. Afner was having great luck finding all sorts of fun, vintage electronics, and I was sadly, empty handed. He assured me that, "I feel the vibes, you are going to have good luck at the next place." Well, he was almost right. It wasn't the next place, but the one after that has given me one of the top five greatest thrift store finds.
Let me set the scene for you: We are on Freedom Drive, at the Goodwill
Outlet (yes, they have an outlet, and bless them, they sell everything by the pound), where all the toys are thrown unceremoniously into a plastic bin that is about 20 feet long by 4 feet wide. The first thing I spotted was an older Gotz doll, which in and of itself would have been a nice score. Then, I saw a familiar looking leg sticking out of the pile. I pulled the doll out, and it was a blonde Prima Perez. I was so excited I could barely think. I continued looking a little further down the bin and, as if I weren't lucky enough, there was a brunette Prima! I'm sure this is why defibrillators were invented. I collected myself as best as I could, and took the dolls to check-out. In total, I had two Primas, the Gotz doll, and a Battat doll. My total was $6. Over.The.Moon.
My new girls, in their found state.
Quite the mess.
On the drive home, I started to think about how sad this find actually was. As far as I have ever been able to tell, these dolls were produced and sold only in Mexico. For a family to move to the US from Mexico, and bring these dolls with them speaks volumes about the importance of these dolls to whomever they belonged. It makes me wonder what kind of situation led these dolls to Goodwill. A foreclosure, death, or eviction? Or did someone just grow up and get rid of them like old, worn out toys? At any rate, they have a permanent home with me now. The amount of grime that covered the girls was extensive, which could mean they were very well loved or terribly neglected. It was time to work some magic.
The Spa Area
All of the Perez dolls were made with a really strange open/close eye. The metal cup which holds the eye is very prominent in the face, and does not seem to be coated with any protective substance. Because of this, I firmly packed cotton balls into the eyes, and taped them on so that no water would get in them and cause rust.
Close up of the eye protection. It's just like the tanning bed!
The first thing I did was scrub HARD with a magic eraser to get rid of the grime. You can see the in the pic below the difference between the cleaned leg and the dirty leg.
Top leg is uncleaned, bottom leg has been scrubbed.
I also washed the hair with laundry detergent, and for the brunette, I used some fabric softener. The hair is good quality, and stands up well to being brushed and washed. After some drying time, they were ready to be dressed and welcomed into their new home.
After being cleaned up.
I am, unfortunately, a terrible seamstress, and have no time to practice due to grad school right now, so they are dressed in BFC Ink outfits.
My pretty Primas :)
Love this girl and her purple eyebrows!
I am really fortunate to have found these dolls, especially because I never would have expected to find one in this country. It just goes to show that you really can find anything at Goodwill.
