>> FOR YEARS, LITTLE GIRLS HAVE DELIGHTFULLY CARED FOR THEIR
FAVORITE DOLL AND FOR MANY OF
THOSE SWEET FACES, THEIR JOURNEY
BEGAN RIGHT HERE IN INDIANA.
♪
♪ >> I DIDN'T LIKE DOLLS WHEN I
WAS THE KID.
I THE OLDEST OF A FAMILY OF SIX
AND PLAYING WITH DOLLS IS TOO
MUCH OF WHAT I HAD TO DO EVERY
DAY.
DAY. MY PARENTS WERE BOTH ARTISTS AND
I HAVE LOVED ART ALL OF MY LIFE.
MY HUSBAND'S SISTER STARTED THIS
THING WITH DOLLS.
THEY WERE RECREATING ANTIQUES.
MY SISTER-IN-LAW TOOK THEM AND
SHE PUT REAL EYELASHES IN THEM
AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND THAT
CAUGHT MY EYE.
IT WAS THE LOVE OF THE DOLL THAT
WAS PRETTY.
WAS PRETTY. >> TOGETHER, THEY DESIGNED AND
SOLD DOLL MOLDS TO RETAILERS.
UNTIL 1989, WHEN VIRGINIA
STARTED HER OWN STUDIO,
SCULPTING AND PRODUCING DOLLS
DIRECT TO CUSTOMERS.
>> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO
ME IS TO DO A FACE THAT IS SWEET
AND NOT SAD.
YOU CAN'T DO EVERY DOLL SMILING
OR LAUGHING, BUT THEY CAN STILL
BE VERY PLEASANT AND SWEET.
I HAVE FOUND OUT THROUGH THE
YEARS THAT WHAT WE CALL A
GENERIC SCULPT RATHER THAN A
CHARACTER SCULPT.
CHARACTER SCULPT. MY BEST DOLLS ARE THE ONES WHERE
I HAVE NOT TRIED TO TOTALLY MAKE
IT LOOK LIKE THIS PICTURE.
>> VIRGINIA DESIGNS AND PRODUCES
EACH TURNER DOLL, FROM HEAD TO
TOE, ON SITE AT THE FACTORY NEXT
TO HER FAMILY FARM.
INCLUDING THE CUSTOMIZED
CLOTHING.
CLOTHING. >> FABRIC, IT WILL START THE
WHEELS TURNING AND WE ARE KNOWN
FOR OUR CLOTHING.
IT'S ALL HAND MADE.
THE FABRIC WILL CLICK WITH ME,
BUT I DON'T ALWAYS SEE THE
DESIGN UNTIL I GET IT IN HERE.
THE DOLLS ARE MANNEQUINS.
WHAT YOU DRESS THE DOLL IN WILL
EITHER MAKE IT OR BREAK IT AND I
HAVE TRIED A FEW TIMES, BUYING
COMMERCIALLY MADE DRESSES.
UH-UH.
UH-UH. THEY DON'T WANT IT.
THEY WANT THE HANDMADE TURNER
DRESSES AND WE ENJOY DOING IT.
THAT'S FINE WITH US.
>> AND AS MOST TOY COMPANIES
MOVE THEIR OPERATIONS OVERSEAS,
VIRGINIA FOUND NEW WAYS TO
REMAIN SUSTAINABLE AND
INDEPENDENT.
INDEPENDENT. >> I SAID PORCELAIN WILL PLAY
OUT.
OUT. SO THE VINYL IS KICKING IN.
EVERYBODY WAS LOVING VINYL.
AND THE GREAT THING WITH
ROTATIONAL MOLDING, YOU DON'T
HAVE ANY SEAMS FROM THE MOLD.
IT'S DONE WHERE IT'S SMOOTH.
AND WE INVESTED IN THE OVEN.
WE HAD A MOLD MAKER OVER IN
CINCINNATI THAT DID THE METAL
MOLDS THAT WE NEEDED.
WE PUT IN OUR OPERATION IN 1991
AND PORCELAIN, I HAND PANTED
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
WHEN I GOT TO VINYL, THERE'S A
DIFFERENT ASPECT.
DIFFERENT ASPECT. THE PAINT YOU USE TO PAINT VINYL
WITH, YOU PURCHASE IT FROM THE
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY.
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY. WE HAVE WHAT THEY CALL STENCILS,
IT'S A METAL MASS THAT CAN GOES
OVER THE FACE AND WE SPRAY THE
LIPS AND WE SPRAY THE CHEEKS.
IT'S HAND PAINTED BUT IN A WAY,
IT'S NOT LIKE WITH A BRUSH
WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU DO EACH
STROKE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T WITH
VINYL.
VINYL. IT HAS TO BE SPRAYED ON OR IT'S
GLOBBY LOOKING.
GLOBBY LOOKING. THERE'S A LOT OF MECHANICS IN
MAKING DOLLS, NOT ONLY THE FACE
ITSELF BUT ALSO YOU HAVE TO
THINK OF THE TECHNICAL PART OF
IT.
IT. IS IT GOING TO BE ONE THAT'S
GOING TO GO ON A SHOULDER PLATE?
IS IT GOING TO BE ONE WHERE THE
NECK IS ATTACHED TO THE HEAD?
OR IT GOING TO BE ONE WHERE THE
IN HE CAN IS ATTACHED TO THE
SHOULDER MEAT?
SHOULDER MEAT? BECAUSE THERE'S A DIFFERENCE --
PLATE?
PLATE? BECAUSE THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN
THE WAY THE HEAD ROTATE.
VINYL, YOU HAVE TO MAKE WAY MORE
OF THEM.
OF THEM. AND ONCE YOU GET THE WORK DONE
TO WHERE YOU HAVE THE METAL
MOLDS TO MAKE IT, THEN IT'S VERY
EASY TO MAKE ONE AFTER THE
OTHER.
OTHER. WELL, THEN THE MARKET BECAME SO
LARGE, THAT WE HAD 1,000 RETAIL
DOLL SHOPS THAT WE WERE SELLING
TO.
TO. THEY WOULD BE LINING UP TO GET
INTO THE BOOTH TO BUY THE DOLLS.
SO THEN WE HAD TO EXPAND.
WE HAD TO BUILD MORE BUILDINGS.
WE HAD TO ADD ANOTHER OVEN.
WE HAD TO HIRE MORE EMPLOYEES
AND IT WAS REALLY FUN.
I LOVED IT.
>> AT ITS PEAK, TURNER DOLLS
SHIPPED UP TO 6,000 DOLLS A
YEAR.
YEAR. UNFORTUNATELY, THE COLLECTION
LOST POPULARITY AND THE
PRODUCTION SLOWED.
PRODUCTION SLOWED. TODAY THEY MAKE LESS THAN 100.
>> I AM THE ONLY ARTIST THAT IS
PRODUCING HER DOLLS IN THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. I JUST CAN'T SEE LETTING MY
DOLLS GO INTO KITS OR ANYTHING
ELSE.
ELSE. I'VE GOT TO PROTECT THE
COLLECTORS.
COLLECTORS. IF A PERSON IS A DOLL COLLECTOR,
RIGHT AWAY THEY KNOW WHO
VIRGINIA TURNER IS.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY WHEN I
SAY I MAKE DOLLS.
THEY THINK I'M MAKING DOLLS AS A
HOBBY.
HOBBY. THEY DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE DONE
IT AS A LIVING.
I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE BECAUSE I
GOT IN ON THE GROUND FLOOR AND
TAKE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
THERE ARE NOT TOO MANY ARTISTS
WHO HAVE LASTED 33 YEARS.
I WORKED VERY HARD IN IT, I WILL
SAY THAT BUT THE WORK HAS BEEN A
JOY.
JOY. AND THE EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN LIKE
MY FAMILY.
MY FAMILY. I WILL SAY TO MY HUSBAND QUITE
OFTEN, WELL, IT'S GOING AWAY,
BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE AWAY THE
MEMORIES.
MEMORIES. THEY WERE MADE WITH A LOT OF
LOVE AND A LOT OF PRIDE.