Photo: Jo. Jo and Holly.
I remember the first time I heard about Jo was on the crafting blog Meet me at Mikes three months ago.
Photo: Meet me at mikes. Frankie Magazine. Can you spot the Kenner?
Photo: Jo. Eclair.
Then I started to admire Jo’s Flickr stream and what many people call her “killer Kenner collection”! I am very honored today that Jo can be the first Kenner expert of our series.
Hi Jo! Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Jo, aka Jaffacake on some of the Blythe forums. I was born in the UK and lived there until the age of 11. I’m now 34 years old and live in Perth, Australia with my husband, 3 kids, one dog and one goldfish. My hobbies pretty much revolve around my dolls at this stage. I love photography, so that aspect of being a doll collector appeals to me. I used to be an avid scrapbooker and I’d like to get back to that again soon. I’ll have a bit more free time now as my youngest child has just started school 2 days a week.
How and when did you discover Blythe?
Just over 2 years ago I was in the process of collecting the Strawberry Shortcake dolls (also made by Kenner) I’d had as a child, when I kept seeing these big headed dolls (usually in awful condition) pop up on my “Kenner vintage doll” eBay searches. Then a fellow SSC collector mentioned she had Blythe dolls so I went back for a closer look……. that was it, I was hooked! It wasn’t until a little while later that I discovered that Takara Blythes existed! I joined a couple of forums and the rest is history.
How many Blythe dolls do you have in your own collection?
I had to go and count for this answer. I currently have 33 Blythes: 14 Kenners, 5 BL, 4 EBL (one of which is a pink mohair girl), 1 SBL, 8 RBL and 1 FBL. Right now I’m happy to call my Kenner family complete… but you never know 
Photo: Jo. Kenner family.
Where and how do you store your own dolls?
The Kenners occupy the top 2 shelves of a bookcase in my lounge room. There are usually a couple of Neos hanging out there with them too… whoever has been having their photo taken or trying on new clothes. With small children often visiting my home, the rest of the Neos have to live in a cupboard but this is only temporary while we organize more shelving.
When and how did you get your first Kenner Blythe?
Raine, my first Kenner, came to me in Feb ’08. It was love at first sight when I saw her on ebay. I had been looking for a while but hadn’t found “the one” until then. She was listed with a BIN price so there was no anxious bidding involved. The seller was a lovely lady who was sad to have to sell her doll. She told me she thought Raine was “the most beautiful doll in the world”. Of course I agree. 
Photo: Jo. Raine
Could you describe the different types of Kenner?
There a so many variations when it comes to Kenners, which is one of the things I love about them. You could have a dozen side part redheads next to each other and no two would be the same. The differences in make-up, skin tone and hair fibre are endless. Some of this is due to age and the way the doll has been stored all these years, but a lot of the differences came from the factory in 1972.
When people talk about Kenners having “6 or 7 lines” they are referring to the amount of lines of text on the dolls back. There are generalizations about 6 line dolls having pinker skin, or 7 line dolls having softer hair. This is true in some cases but it is not a rule. I have seen many 7 line Kenners with coarse hair fibre… and some of the palest dolls I’ve seen have been 6 line girls.
The different hair types are as follows:
- Blonde – side part.
- Dark brunette (also known as raven) – wispy bangs centre part.
- Redhead – side part, wispy bangs centre part, chunky bangs centre part.
- Light brunette – side part, wispy bangs centre part, chunky bangs centre part.
Why are Kenner Blythe dolls so special in your opinion?
Their uniqueness is something that I find special about them. The fact that “your” Kenner is recognizable from all the others in a huge online community is pretty amazing. They all have a history and it’s great if you are lucky and can find out about it from an original owner. The way these dolls are made fascinates me. That pearlescent sheen of the plastic is something Takara have never managed to replicate and the “pip” sound of their eyes when they change still delights me every time. Kenner Blythes were ahead of their time in so many ways and the fact that they were made as children’s toys still astounds me. The quality of them and way they are put together is far beyond any doll on the toy store shelves today. At the risk of sounding ancient “they don’t make them like they used to”.
Photo: Jo. The Kenner glow
Photo: Jo. Parfait.
Why did you start to restore Kenner yourself?
I started fixing up my own Kenners as they arrived. I found I enjoyed working on them and it was so rewarding to see the end results. There was no-one in Australia doing Kenner restoration and with our customs system it can cost a fortune to bring an expensive doll into the country, so sending them overseas to be restored isn’t a great option.
How did you learn how to do it?
I read tutorials and posts on forums and the internet but most of my methods are self taught. I tried a lot of different ways of doing hair treatments on my own dolls, for example, to find the most effective one. Each one of my dolls had different issues and I learned a lot from working on them. Only once I was confident I was getting good results did I start working on other people’s Kenners. I officially opened Spa ’72 in February 2009 and I have been busy ever since. I find that I am still refining my methods as even now some dolls bring a new set of challenges. I am a bit of a perfectionist though, so they all leave here in the condition I would be happy with if it were my own doll.
Photo: Jo. Summer – after.
Photo: Jo. Peggy Sue -after.
What is the worst condition in which you received a Kenner?
That’s hard to answer. Some have come to me with no body, dreadlocks and deep scratches on their face, but they aren’t necessarily in worse condition than the ones with a good body and hair, but a badly yellowed face and eyes. Or a girl who looks fantastic at a glance but has a torn scalp and a huge amount of hair plugs missing. It’s all about the amount of time involved in the restoration process. They are all beautiful, sometimes it just takes a bit of TLC to uncover it.
Photo: Jo. Carly’s girls – before.
Photo: Jo. Carly’s girls – after.
Photo: Jo. Sippy – before.
Photo: Jo. Sippy – after.
What is your work rhythm?
I’m not sure I really have one! With 3 kids (one whom has been home with me full time until this month) I have to allocate blocks of time on weekends when my husband can take over family duties and leave me to work in peace! I like to complete a task once I’ve started though… I won’t put down a part re-thatch halfway though! Once I get started I build up momentum and I hate to interrupt that and leave something unfinished. Maybe now I have more time alone I will find my work rhythm.
Photo: Jo. Sippy – after – Part re-thatched.
How do you like to work?
I work best with no distractions, I tune out from everything else for a while and just focus on the doll in front of me. I like to be organized and usually work on Kenners in the same process, body work first, then face / eye work, then the hair. Doing it this way seems to work for me and provides some fun photo opportunities once the doll is just waiting to get her hair back.
Photo: Jo. Bella is making the most of her spa appointment.
What does your studio look like?
I don’t have a studio…. I set up either in my bathroom (luckily we have two) or at the dining table, depending on what type of work I’m doing. I’d love to have a studio one day, but for the moment it works fine. My family are quite accustomed to seeing dolls in pieces in the bathroom and hair plugs laid out along the bench top.
Photo: Jo. Jo is securing Abbey’s loose hair plugs.
Photo: Jo. This is the sight… .. that Jo’s family is used to seeing in the bathroom on any given day.
Is there anything Kenner owners should be particularly cautious with?
The main issue for Kenner owners is loose hair plugs. So many people start brushing their doll’s hair and then panic when they find plugs coming out. The problem is that once you have one missing plug the whole row is at risk of coming out. Check your doll’s scalp carefully and if you find empty / loose plugs either get them secured or avoid brushing the surrounding hair. Apart from that these old girls are pretty tough. They’ve already survived 38 years, often with rough handling from a child, so there’s not much that’s going to harm them in the hands of a loving doll collector.
Why do you love doing Kenner restorations?
It’s an incredibly rewarding process to work on such beautiful dolls and to see the joy it brings to their owners. I have met lots of wonderful people by doing this and I appreciate the trust they place in me when they send their precious doll to me. I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to have so many Kenners pass through my hands. (Number 50 is arriving soon!)
Congratulations on number 50, Jo! And thank you very much for sharing your Kenner love and advice. Everyone can see on your beautiful pictures how your work is amazing, and I personally always enjoy the way you dress these ladies with so much style and elegance.
Photo: Jo. Holly wearing Dollsville and SqueakyMonkey.
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what a wonderful spotlight to read on the lovely jo
WoW!!! Love your collection!
Whoah! You do an excellent job at fixing up the Kenners! I love Sippy, her hair is a dream!
Hi ur restorations are wonderful, how much do u charge I have an origial Kenner that I have had since a child I am 43 now and would love to fix her up.
Hi Debbie, You should contact Jo directly through her Flickr profile here: http://www.flickr.com/people/jaffacakejo/
Good luck with your girl!
oh! look at my special girls being all special in jo’s special feature. im so honoured
go jo!!
xx