More Photos, Information, Videos, Ideas, FREE Patterns for Clothing and Such, coming soon. Because for Me. It looks like this Hobby 'has me'. These Doll Restoration Pages will be a Work In Progress, just as the Dolls here are. I seem to be buying more Dolls to restore than I thought I would...some are in better shape than others.

My husband has been not only 'my biggest fan' and 'financial backer', but also involved in the 'inner parts' of these dolls. He has learned/is learning to take the Talk Boxes apart and fix them...a BIG deal! for this Hobby of mine/ours! We hope to get information with photos on this part of it too.

Keep scrolling down to the bottom. I will continue to post different Chatty Cathy Dolls I am working on within this page, and my other Chatty's on their pages. As you go, you learn.

I write up these websites to encourage others to enjoy life, have hobbies and jump in there and Restore Dolls. (Train animals with information on our other websites) LIFE IS SHORT....ENJOY EVERY MOMENT YOU POSSIBLY CAN!

I am currently working on a Strawberry Blonde Chatty Cathy. I bought her from an Antique Store, how did she and I get so old?, and will be cleaning, and fixing her voice/box/mechanism...well?, my husband will tackle that part of the project. I thought I would add some Doll Restoration to the Website.

This photo was actually taken of Chatty Cathy AFTER her first cleaning. She was a bit dirtier and those marks on her face were worse than here in this photo. I did make a video of her called, "Chatty Cathy Before", if you care to see it, look below on this page for link.

I will also be looking for my Original Chatty Cathy, the Brown Eyed Brunette, that I received for my 5th Birthday. We moved. She is here. But dang, I do no know where. My mother kept this one on her bed from the time I stopped playing with it, until my mother went into a 'home'. The doll is in her original clothing, shoes and even original socks.....somewhere, where?

This Strawberry Blonde, early Mattel Toys mold, came with some of her original clothing.

First I soaked her clothing in GOOP, the Hand Cleaner, and let them sit awhile. Then I hand washed the clothing with a Shampoo as I washed the Doll and her Hair.

I have found that the GOOP Hand Cleaner takes any smells, and some stains, out of Vintage Dolls, their Hair, and their Clothing. I do soak each item up, then let it all sit for at least a couple of hours.

Even though I did not smell any odor, other a slight mildew in her hair, I soaked everything up and let it all sit anyway.

If you have more than one doll, do them all at the same time. Less time and mess involved.

I have a video of how I cleaned Chatty Cathy listed below. Please have a look at our videos, Please like them and Please subscribe.

Keep in mind when cleaning ANY Doll, but especially those that are 50 years old and more, too many chemicals, and or too much scrubbing, will be hard on the Doll's Plastics and or Hair. On the flip side of that....using some of the chemicals can mean cleaning or not getting the Doll clean. So you have to weigh this out in your own mind, on your own Dolls.

I LOVE GOOP Hand Cleaner. GOOP is Non Toxic and Biodegradable. It cleans, as the jar says, "grease, paint, ink, tar, industrial soils, etc., from hands to washable clothing."

For me, on my Vintage Dolls, I AM AMAZED AT THE GRIME, MILDEW, AND STAINS THIS STUFF GETS OUT. It makes the dolls smell better too.

I use Magic Erasers where I need to, but I do not just rub the entire dolls with one. I have to say....MANY TIMES THOSE THINGS/MAGIC SPONGES DO CLEAN LIKE MAGIC!!

Chatty Cathy Before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnJz8fsrRZA

Chatty Cathy Part 1 Troll Doll Cleaning Removing Mildew: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEjIcjp7Qm0

Chatty Cathy Clean Up Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCRFMNDCJ9o

Chatty Baby Unboxing Chatty Brother Review - The Tiny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CrPEcz-VDY

Chatty Cathy Part 3 and Charmin Chatty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01f3aU1SzLg

Tiny Chatty Baby Fried Hair Repair: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8PB07ow_F8&t=332s

Chatty Cathy Ornament - TALKS!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8PB07ow_F8&t=332s

My Size Barbie ~ How To Make $1 Outfits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8PB07ow_F8

Jackie Jenkins has many Doll Restoration Videos on Youtube and she is very experianced. One Chatty Cathy Video I watched and learned from (not to mention her Patty PlayPal Videos) is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sEiPlrAfmk

Many of the Vintage Dolls have hair that is a MESS! Some of the Vintage Dolls just need a good Shampoo and Comb Out. But others seem to have a bit to a lot of Mildew Smell to them, these take more work.

I start with a good glob of GOOP Hand Cleaner soaking the doll's body and the hair, then let it sit for hours. How many hours? Depends on how mildewy the smell is. I have found that with Troll Dolls (also a page here on this site for Troll Dolls) a couple of hours usually works, but for some, a long sit and another round of GOOP can do wonders!

Some people that restore Dolls soak the tangled hair in Hair Conditioner or even Fabric Softner, comb out the hair, and let them sit for a few hours. Then they wash out the hair, brush out wet, curl if they are going to, and let the hair dry. CAN YOU SAY GORGEOUS!? I have done this with our 3rd Chatty, and am pleased with the results.

I have seen and even tried (IT WORKED GREAT) washing the hair, curling it (metal curlers if you can find some) and dunking the head, (not face) into water in a bowl that has been boiled or is near boiling hot. Then let that sit til dry. My Chatty's Babys Hair came out CURLY!

I like the 'near boiling water' with Fabric Softner dips. This has worked for me, use you own discretion. I get a bowl or pan large enough for the doll's head. Get the water heated almost to boiling, add a capful of Fabric Softner. I dip the dolls head into the mixture and hold it there a few seconds. DO NOT USE THIS IDEA ON TINY BABY OR TINY BABY BROTHER, THEIR HAIR WILL KINK UP AND OR FALL OUT. As you pull the doll's hair out slowly, let the mixture drip out over the bowl and you comb it starting at the very bottom and working up toward the head. Dip again. If the doll's hair you are working on is stiff or has a straw like texture, dip til you like the softness (keep the roots out of any dips past 2 to 4). Don't over do. I have also found that the nicer smelling softners lasts in the doll's hair for quite some time. Rinse out under cooler running water. Clip bad ends, or style or curl after rinsing.

Some people use Goo Gone, I have not tried this and am wondering if the hair will draw and hold dust and dirt after leaving that in the hair, but the folks that do this, swear by it. It is something I am going to try.

After washing any dolls hair, I let it air dry. I know some folks use hair dryers, I just don't. This can take a day or even longer, depending on weather and house temps, but I think that it is worth it. I have had long hair all my life, I hardly ever use a drier on it.

A Funny Thing Happened....when I bought this Chatty Cathy her pull string worked ok, not great, once in a while, you could make out what she might be saying. After her clean up, if you pull the string off to the right side and upward, she talks, and pretty well. You CAN understand her. However, if you pull to many times in a row, or if you do not pull to the right and upward, gargle/growling noise. So I am very hopeful repairing her voice will not take too much. We shall see when we split her open. I have ordered an O Ring for the Device, but we will 'practice' on Chatty Baby first.

I am AMAZED that almost 60 years after they were first made, not only do some of the Chatty's STILL WORK! But most still have Pull Strings that react to the pull, some slip, but most at least 'growl'. Mattel Toy sure made a STURDY Doll here. I know. I had a Chatty Cathy and a Chatty Baby...and we did NOT baby those Dolls any more than any other dolls!

While the Doll is taken apart for Talk Box Repairs, I took almost boiling water and dish soap and really cleaned out the inside of it's body. I let the water sit inside of the limbs for a while. I saw dirt and even a dead spider inside this dolls legs!

You have to let these air dry for at least 24 hours, moving them upside down to upside right several times, so that all of the water within gets moved and dries out before putting the doll back together.

If you are going to paint the dolls limbs, after drying and before putting them back on the doll, is the time to do that.

Some Chatty Dolls come with, at least some, of their Original Clothing. You CAN wash those. I recommend washing by hand then Air Drying, but some people that restore the Chatty Dolls, do wash them in their washing machines.

I am AMAZED at what GOOP Hand Cleaner can get out of the Dolls and their Vintage Clothing. I sop the clothes and rub then together (not the reds, the reds I do individually), then I let those GOOP sopped Clothes sit for at least a couple of hours. After they soak, I wash them in my sink, by hand, with either Shampoo, or even Dish Soap. I let them sit on a towel or hand them to Air Dry indoors.

I am planning to upload some FREE Simple Patterns for the Chatty Dolls. I LOVE making my own Patterns. So come back and see.

American Doll Clothes kinda, sorta, fit the Chatty's. Some better than others. Some are way too wide. But with a cute ribbon belt....

Many times you can find Original Chatty Clothing for bid or sale On Line. BE PREPARED TO PAY! They are NOT inexpensive. I have found that you can often just buy another doll WITH Original Clothing for the same or even lower prices.

My husband and I are Bicyclist. We ride approx 100 miles per month. I LOVE the old Vintage Bikes and have several. We display them in our front yard that is RIGHT on the KATY Trail

We also have joined a couple of Vintage Bike Clubs and they/we do parades. I want to have one of my Restored Chatty Cathy's ride in the Front Basket with us in Parades. I have Holiday Outfits for different Holidays and can't wait to show her off in them!

After bringing home my 2nd Chatty Cathy (first is mine from childhood), the Strawberry Blonde, and cleaning her up.... I thought about the Chatty Baby the Vendor at the Antique Mall had sitting there...and went back for her....then I started looking at the Chatty Family on ebay.....and....

This Chatty Baby has her own page here on this website if you would like to see her progress in 'restoring'. It is a slow process at my house, as I have many hobbies.

And then, Charmin Chatty. Mother's Day my husband took me back to the same Antique Mall where we bought the other two Chatty's. They also had a Charmin Chatty Doll. I had been looking at the Dolls On Line and knew about what we would pay.

When we got to the Mall, I hurried to the Boothe where Charmin Chatty was, we both looked for her Talk Records and or Shoes or.... Nothing. And that doll was not only in really 'bad shape', she was quite expensive. So we passed.

We watched a few Charmin Chatty Dolls on auction, and I found one that was cheaper and I liked. My husband offered a Talking, with a boat load of Original Clothes, Shoes, and other Items, but I passed on that for now.

This Charmin Chatty needs cleaning and work, and that's what, at this point, I really like to do.

I found a Chatty Brother with all but his original shoes. He is in good shape, dose not talk yet, and finding one with their original Hats, is a big Deal!

I bought another Strawberry Blonde Chatty Cathy from an On Line Auction, for a song! This one came to us with her original Dress and Panties. I cleaned her just as we did the other, please see our videos.

Other than cleaning and fixing his Talk Mechanism, we won't need to do much for him.

I had a LOT of different Dolls as a child. I did NOT however, own this one, nor one like him.

Chatty Brother also has his own page here on this website.

How did THIS happen? I bought another, my Third, Chatty Cathy. I was looking at a different Chatty Cathy, but then found this in better shape, with original clothing, and....well, my husband bought her for me....gotta LOVE that Man of Mine!

She does not talk, but this is how we like them, needing cleaning and work. Please see our Videos of how I will 'attach' the 'fix up'.

Then there were more and more Chatty Dolls at our house. It's a fun hobby. Scroll Down and Down even more, to see more photos and ideas, as well as information on how we restored our Chatty Dolls.

The Mattel Toy Co. made a LOT of talking toys, as well as 'See And Says'. Stuffed Toys like Casper and Snoopy's that talked too. However the Dolls that are considered "The Chatty Family" are Chatty Cathy, Catty Baby, Chatty Baby Brother, Charmin Chatty, Chatty Cathy's Brother named, "Chatty .

Many Doll Collectors collect the Chatty Family....AND MAKE LOVELY DISPLAYS, including dressing them for each of the Holidays.

This Chatty Cathy Doll is a MESS! As we say at our house, "Challenge Excepted". I paid more for this mess than....well, she was not just a few dollars. But. The Pigtail Hair, from what I am finding, and the longer hair, that once was/were pigtails, are more expensive to buy...and HARDER TO FIND! This however, also means that after Restoring Well, they can bring more of a 'Return on Your Money' too. For Me? I just wanted her. Mostly for the 'Challenge Excepted'. Cleaning and fixing them a bit, cleaning and working on their clothing, making them new outfits, THAT is fun for me.

As you can see from the photos, a lot of work. All kinds of work for this doll was in store.

We started by stripping her down and saturating she and her clothing in GOOP. Saturating. We let that sit on the doll and her clothing for HOURS! I used Dish Soap and a Toothbrush to wash her up.

Her two Big Toes and one of her Fingers were chewed. One of the toes, looked like a rodent had done the chewing, but that did not make sense since her hair was all there. If rodents had been around the doll, to chew, they would have ruined the hair and chew in more places, like her clothing....at any rate. I FILED!

After a thorough cleaning with GOOP, Dish Soap and Toothbrush, the toes and finger looked much better. I waited for it all to dry and used the finest file I could find to round off the chews then reshape the digit.

When this Chatty Cathy arrived her string was intact, but when pulled, it just jetted back into the doll, as if on a tight spring, it rewound very quickly.

This doll was right on the border of 'needs new paint and looks good as is'.

The contents of this page for Chatty Cathy Fix Up, Clean Up, Restorations is still under construction. Please check back later!

-- The Far Out Living Team
Sun, 05 May 2019 10:16:23 -0400