It’s been awhile since I’ve done a Hoardzilla post, but life (and OCD) get in the way of going through these boxes. I know that aside from papers and books related to history, the biggest difficulty in parting might be with my collection of Baby Beans dolls.
Some of my Baby Beans Dolls from the early 1970s.
What you think the difference is between hoarding and collecting?
I can think of a few things that might delineate the two: organization; type of items kept; use of the items kept.
Does that cover it? No, but it’s a start.
Let’s talk about this Baby Beans collection of mine.
And please, please don’t confuse Baby Beans dolls with Beanie Babies.
Baby Beans and Beanie Babies are not at all, the same.
Neither, unfortunately is that gaggy 40th Anniversary Baby Beans doll. Put them side by side and I can tell you which one little girls would choose, and it’s the little cuddlers from 40 years ago. Why not just reintroduce the originals?
Baby Beans dolls were introduced by Mattel and produced in their best versions for only a few short years. My first and favorite, Bitty Beans, is from 1972. She’s the pink one, with the little white poms on her onesie, and white lace around her bonnet.The 1972 version still had those wonderful chewable fingers.
A group of some of the best versions of the Baby Beans doll. Notice the fingers.
Behind the dolls is an outfit to put over Baby Beans’ onesie. It was sold by JC Penney.
Also behind them is a coloring and activity book.
They changed the hands to cloth in later versions.
Cloth-handed Baby Beans dolls.
I did not like this version but at least their faces were still adorable. :-6
As their popularity grew, so did the world of Bitty and her friends. Suddenly, there were Baby Beans pets, Mama Beans with babies, Canned Beans (don’t even get me started ) Daddy Beans with babies and Storybook Beans, etc. Bitty’s black counterpart was named, sadly, Black Bitty Beans.
My second favorite Baby Beans doll is Talking Baby Beans which I received the Christmas after I got Bitty. She’s blue, but has that same face and hair as Bitty. In the late 90s, I acquired a French Talking Baby Beans. I’ve only pulled the cord to hear her speak twice, afraid the 40-year-old string might break.
Please enjoy these few photos, which are only the tip of the vast number of Baby Beans dolls I have collected over the years. There are so many more boxes of Baby Beans dolls that are packed away, unphotographed. It’s hard to display them with all our travelling (I know, but I prefer the EU version). Please feel free to give me feedback on any of these things:
A) Your thoughts on the difference between hoarding and collecting.
B) Should I keep, sell or donate my Baby Beans collection? Or, use the babybeans.org and babybeans.info sites I registered years ago to spend my weekend or evening time entertaining others with my Baby Beans knowledge and collection?
C) What do you collect, and why?
Enjoy a few more photos, here…
One of many examples of a Papa and Mama Beans.
Some more Mama and Baby beans.
Baby Beans’ Pets
Storybook Beans on the 3rd shelf. Notice some different Mama Beans on Shelf two, and Jeans Beans (a boy) on the bottom shelf, laying on its side.
Thanks, as always, for taking the time to read and respond and enjoy all the strangeness that I call my life.
Love, Marla Jane
