NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures

It is the 40th anniversary of American Girl! If you collect American Girl dolls or accessories, we want to see photos and hear your stories in the comments!

Some history from our audio tour:

The American Girl journey began in 1984, as Pleasant Rowland, an educator, was inspired during a business trip with her husband to Colonial Williamsburg.

Rowland found herself captivated by how much the exhibits vividly brought the history of the American Revolution to life. This experience inspired her to create a unique way for young girls to connect with history: by relating to dolls representing different historical eras.

In 1986 she created Pleasant Company and began crafting a line of historically accurate dolls and books tailored specifically for girls aged 7 to 12.

The books are written for girls who are at least eight years old, and they cover significant topics such as child labor, poverty, racism, slavery, animal abuse, and war in appropriate manners for the understanding and sensibilities of their young audiences.

With the doll and book idea in hand, she began searching for a doll manufacturer. After discovering Gotz, a West German company with a track record for producing good quality dolls, she was ready to start production.

Gotz manufactured the first 18 inch American Girl dolls: Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly in 1986 using a "classic" facial mold they already had in production.

All three dolls used the same face mold but varied in hair color and eye color and they also had similar wigs. The success of the dolls was so popular that Mattel purchased the American Girl line in 1998 for $700 million.

The dolls blossomed into one of the nation's most cherished brands. The company fully transitioned to Mattel ownership and the name American Girl in 2000.

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6 hours ago | [YT] | 3

NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures

We've just announced a new way to support the museum: a year-round online auction! Our current selection of items runs until Tuesday, May 12: www.32auctions.com/organizations/98992/auctions/19…

We are so excited about this all-new way to expand your collection and support us. Please spread the word and share!

A few important notes:

US shipping or in-person pickup only.
No international shipping.
Items will be shipped or available for pickup within 48 hours of us receiving your payment through the auction website.
If you subscribe to our email list, we will email you when we add new items seasonally! Let us know if you're not yet a subscriber and want to be added.

8 hours ago | [YT] | 1

NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures

Join us in Spencer NC this Saturday, May 9 to shop a huge range of deeply discounted modern & antique dolls, trains, trucks, toys, plushies, miniatures, and so much more.



10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the First Community Center of Spencer at 215 5th St. Spencer, NC 28159. Elevator & air conditioning.



It’s a collector’s paradise, from vintage Barbie to OOAK miniatures to something fun for the kids. Pick up a few vintage troll dolls, hunt for Ideal and Madame Alexander, or find unique art dolls and international dolls you’ve never seen before. New items added every month.



All purchases benefit our nonprofit museum! Within walking distance.

1 day ago | [YT] | 1

NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures

May to July 2026 Museum Events:

May 9: Super Saturday Sales at First Community Center of Spencer NC

May 14: Afternoon Tea at the Museum. Last one of the year!

May 16: Blue Star Museums annual season begins with free admission for active duty military families until September 1.

May 19: Rowan Doll Society Doll Club Monthly Meeting

May 30: Using Black GI Joes to Teach American History

June 13: Annual Fill-a-Bag Doll Sale & World Doll Day Celebrations!!
Free museum admission and a free doll for every guest. Bag Sale within walking distance of the museum with HUGE selection of dolls and accessories!

June 16: Rowan Doll Society Doll Club Monthly Meeting
No club meeting in July.

June 20: Annual Smart Doll Meetup at the Museum! Free with admission! All dolls (and people) welcome.

July 1: Miles for Museums Summer Passport Program. Great opportunity for kids to explore local museums! Runs through August 31.

July 11: Super Saturday Sales at First Community Center of Spencer NC

See all events for the year at ncmdtm.org/events

1 day ago | [YT] | 1

NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures

It’s a love-a-fair! 87 years ago, the New York World’s Fair brought us tech innovations, science and medicine advances—and View-Master!

Envisioning a dazzling “World of Tomorrow,” the World’s Fair attracted tens of millions of visitors.

Here’s a little View-Master history from the museum’s audio tour:
View-Master, originally designed for sale in camera, drug, and gift stores, has a history dating back to 1939. Its debut was at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and the 1940 Golden Gate Exposition in San Francisco.

Conceived as an innovative alternative to scenic postcards, View-Master initially found its place in photography shops, stationery stores, and scenic-attraction gift shops.

The early View-Master reels featured iconic destinations like Carlsbad Caverns and the Grand Canyon, gradually expanding to include various scenic attractions from Crater Lake in Oregon to Miami Beach in Florida.

During the early 1940s, View-Master production faced a significant challenge due to wartime shortages of film and paper as World War II raged on. However, a substantial contract to produce airplane and ship identification and range estimation reels for the military saved the product from potential oblivion, with the military purchasing a substantial quantity of Model B viewers and reels during the war.

Throughout its history, all View-Master reels have been viewable in any viewer with only minor design changes over the years.

In 1951, View-Master made a strategic move by acquiring its main rival, Tru-Vue, securing the rights to use Disney characters previously held by Tru-Vue.

This partnership led to the production of numerous Disney and other character-themed reels, using various formats such as clay figures, stereo cells, and actual products within the reels.

In later years, View-Master ventured into character viewers featuring beloved figures like Mickey Mouse, Big Bird, Batman, and Casper in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, this venture was relatively short-lived, as the company shifted its focus to colorful variations of regular production viewers.

Today, Basic Fun produces View-Master viewers and reels under an agreement with Fisher-Price. The product line includes an array of gift sets and reels with vibrant graphics, featuring titles like Minions, Star Wars, Hello Kitty, and an NYC Taxi viewer, available both online and in retail stores.

#viewmaster #toyhistory #truvue #worldsfair #america250

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4 days ago | [YT] | 4

NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures

Huge news! Our virtual gift shop is back online!! You can browse and buy some of the museum's most popular gift shop items.

We offer shipping or in-person pickup at the museum. US shipping only. We'll add new items every season!

Shop now at: ncmdtm.org/shop/

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures

In case you missed it: now is a great time to catch up on our Legacy Planning for Doll Collectors webinar as we plan our next installment! Captions have been added!

Learn how to plan your next steps for downsizing a doll or toy collection, including how to work with doll dealers, online sales, and auctionhouses plus tips for keeping your records organized as you plan.

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures

If you aren’t a subscriber yet, you missed a great email newsletter this week! A few highlights:

🌟The museum’s FIRST EVER BJD donation!
🎇America 250 state celebrations exhibit
🤓 Naber dolls
👗 Land O’Sky doll show with Facets Boutique and Smart Doll
💍 44th anniversary of Rowan Doll Society
🎎 Hinamatsuri, St. Patrick’s Day, and Barbie’s Birthday displays
👠 Beautiful cloth dolls
💒 Legacy shoutouts to Brook Ashley, R John Wright, and Rainbow Brite
🚂 Working ferris wheel on the model train layout!

You can read the whole newsletter at: conta.cc/4m8kGV4

And if you are not a subscriber but want to receive our emails, please leave us a comment or message and we’d love to sign you up. We send out news & recaps once per month and upcoming event reminders once per month.

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures

Now, be honest: this is the cutest little teddy bear tea party you've ever seen!

Sending our love and thanks to Cat Wingler for hosting our Teddy Bear Tea Party miniature workshop this month at the museum. Intricate and beautiful.
#miniature #mini #miniworkshop #miniaturemuseum #minimuseum

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1 week ago | [YT] | 2

NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures

Volunteers help the museum in so many ways - including ironing the table skirts that make our exhibits look pretty. Thank you, Penny, for your hard work! Happy Volunteer Week!

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