Talky Tina finished 5/1 New pics/video added to first post

[Bizarro Lois]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - help wanted

Found a dress pattern. It's actually a reprint of doll dresses from the 50s.

Now I know this is a long shot, but does anyone know a good source for human hair doll wigs? Also, I keep getting outbid on the walking doll I want to use for the mechanism. I saw one that has a key that won't turn. Is there anyone who might have some good repair ideas?

 

[Howlrunner]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - help wanted

Not really much help at all, but have you see this?

http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=BBP05005

 

[Bizarro Lois]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - help wanted

Yeah, I like the other bobbleheads better. But then again, I've never been a big fan of bobbleheads in the first place. I guess considering the format, it looks as much like Tina as it can.

 

[venger]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - help wanted

That was such a scary episode. One of my favorite. Im talking tina and you better be nice to me! Telly Savalas was great

 

[JRHermle]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - help wanted

Lois,

Apparently they don't have the doll on the couch. The Castmembers are unaware if it's permanent or not. They tell me it's been that way for almost 2 months at TOT.

 

[Bizarro Lois]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - help wanted

Lois,

Apparently they don't have the doll on the couch. The Castmembers are unaware if it's permanent or not. They tell me it's been that way for almost 2 months at TOT.

That's ok. The one that was posted here is not the correct doll. It looks like it's from the same time period, probably a Shirley Temple, but it's definitely not a Brikette. I don't know if they have the ToT display at multiple locations or not, so I'd be curious to see if there are different ones in different displays, or they used the same kind of doll in each place.

 

[Montagar]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - help wanted

The picture that I posted is from California. I don't know if Orlando has the doll (I don't remember seeing one there).

 

[Bizarro Lois]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - help wanted

I'm still looking for resources on repairing walking dolls from the 50s, but haven't had much luck. Or if anyone happens to have a Wanda the Walking Wonder sitting around, please let me know. The working ones on eBay have been going for more than I can spend on a doll to just take apart. There's a cheap one, but the windup key doesn't work, and I don't know where to start repairing it.

 

[Bizarro Lois]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - help wanted

Well, there's a doll show this weekend, so it looks like I'll be heading there to try and find a beater walking doll that still works, along with the wig and a few costume pieces for Tina.

 

[Bizarro Lois]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - help wanted

I didn't find the walking doll at the doll show, but I came home and found one listed on eBay that is exactly what I want. It still works, but the foot is cracking off. I got it for $40 shipped. I'll post when I have it in hand. Very excited that I'll be able to make some actual progress on this.

 

[Deric]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - Making progress!

Been a while since I've seen the episode but could the original body be Heddi Stroller. The outfit looks similar.

​

1952 Heddi Stroller, 20" tall, walker type with braided hair, wears a plaid school girl dress with white socks and black shoes

 

[defstartrooper]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - Making progress!

Hope these help i could do some more if you like.

 

[Bizarro Lois]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - Making progress!

Been a while since I've seen the episode but could the original body be Heddi Stroller. The outfit looks similar.

The only thing about that Heddi Stroller doll is that she doesn't wind up. I found an old eBay auction with a scan of her hangtag. According to the instructions, you had to kind of rock her to make her move.

I'm fairly confident that Tina was a windup doll. The Wanda the Walking doll that I found winds up, although it's at her hip and not her back. But I'm thinking that since the volume knob was fake, the one that made her walk could have been too. I have yet to find a walking doll that turns its head and arms as well as has a windup key in its back. Someone on another forum pointed out that Tina's key doesn't look big enough to actually wind her. So I'm kind of thinking that they could have wound her up with a hidden key, hit the stop switch(which Wanda has), then switched her back on quickly when they wound the cosmetic key.
The other thing I'm going to have to do is disable the legs, because Tina's didn't move, only her arms and head.

 

[Bizarro Lois]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - Making progress!

Hope these help i could do some more if you like.

Thanks for the pics. They are much clearer than I was able to get. I could really use some ideas on how to do the volume knob and winding key in her back. I also noticed, from your pics, that the lace I got is wrong. I was convinced that it was eyelet. I guess I'll have to pick up the right stuff later.

Edited to say: You know, I'm wondering if they had multiple dolls. The more I look at the first and second pictures, the more it looks like there's a difference in the lace between the two collars. Are my eyes playing tricks on me?

 

[defstartrooper]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - Making progress!

The first picture it looks like the pattern is the outside edge, the second pic and others it looks to have a straight edge is that what you're seeing ?

 

[Bizarro Lois]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - Making progress!

The first picture it looks like the pattern is the outside edge, the second pic and others it looks to have a straight edge is that what you're seeing ?

Yes, that's it. The first photo and the last photo look like they have the same lace - it's a more of a scalloped edge, while in the others, the lace has a straight edge. I think the majority of the photos I've seen have the straight-edged lace on the collar. My guess is that one doll had the moving parts, and another was used for other shots.

 

[Bizarro Lois]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - Making progress!

Does anyone recognize what the volume knob and the winding key on her back might be from? I still haven't been able to find an actual doll that was made with either of those in it's back. From the photos, the windup key looks like a smaller version of what the Wanda the Walking doll had in their hips to control movement. I'm thinking that I might be able to find a jewelry box piece or something that would be close.

 

[Firespray]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - Making progress!

The volume knob is called a chicken head knob. They were used on old amps and guitars. Google chicken head knob or look on Ebay. Looks to be about the right size.

View attachment 16935

 

[Bizarro Lois]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - Making progress!

Thanks Firespray! I had actually seen something in a classroom that I was thinking about looking for, but that looks like it's exactly right.

 

[Bizarro Lois]

Re: Starting to work on Talky Tina - Making progress!

I got my Wanda walking doll today. She doesn't have a key in her back, but the torso is nearly the same size as Brikette's, and her movements are just about right. Or at least they will be, once I disable the springs in the legs. I'm including pics of the switch and key in the doll's sides. The larger of the two looks very much like the windup key that was placed in Talky Tina's back, underneath the chicken head knob. I don't know if they just attached that, or if it was actually what was used to wind the doll up onscreen. I suppose I'll never know. I'm going to try and add one, even though it will just be cosmetic.