Addy Walker was released by Pleasant Company in 1993. She has a beautiful yet simple collection. Each historical character had a six-book story and a doll-sized collection with accurate replicas. Since Addy’s story is set in the 1860’s and revolves around her being a runaway slave, her pieces are modest, sweet and oh so neat! Pleasant Company sold the accessory items as individual pieces or sets and also in grouped collections. The Starter Collection included a doll, her accessories, her school story and her Christmas story along with the first three books. This post will focus on Addy’s Starter Collection.

I have two first edition Addy dolls. The one pictured with the necklace is from the very first month the dolls were sold. My other first edition was sold a little over 6 months later. In that short time a few things changed. Addy’s eyebrows went from black to a dark greenish color, her stockings became shorter and her boots received grommets.

Addy’s black, ribbed stockings went all the way up to her thighs but was soon changed to only go above the knee. Her original black lace-up boots did not have grommets. This was only on Addy boots the first couple of months of production and then grommets were quickly added. Addy’s Meet dress is an 1800’s color called cinnamon pink and has white stripes. She wears white pantelettes underneath. In her hair is a thin blue ribbon holding her original hairstyle in place.

Addy’s Meet Accessories included a bonnet, shell necklace, half dime, kerchief (to carry as a bundle) and a drinking gourd. The original gourds were real gourds. If you purchased Addy’s Meet Accessories in 1993, you would have received a note from Pleasant Company stating that because of flooding in the Midwest, the gourd crop would not have appropriate time to grow and dry out and that you would be mailed your gourd in January 1994 at no extra charge. To me this is so neat because I live along the Missouri River and the flood of 1993 was a major event in my life. Our farm was cut off from the main city where my parents worked and where we did all of our shopping. The flood buckled and washed out our highways and greatly affected my daily life.

The gourd was later changed to plastic. Collector websites claim the change took place in 1998 but plastic gourds were sent out as early as 1995 according to people I know that purchased them at that time. Pictured are my Addy gourds and bonnets ranging from 1993 to around 2005. Notice the bonnets bands move forward as the years progress and the straw becomes thicker.

Addy’s School Collection: Addy’s school items are very cool! Her double desk is wood with metal accents and the bench has metal legs. Two dolls sit perfectly side-by-side as Addy and Harriet demonstrate. The wooden bar underneath the desk helps keep the dolls in a sitting position when pushed up to the desk. There is a thin, flip-up compartment to hold pencils or supplies and a larger one underneath that can hold books.

Addy’s School Outfit is a three piece, blue wool set consisting of a skirt, blouse and jacket. The jacket is lined with two different fabrics because in the story, Momma uses scrap fabric to line the jacket. Addy’s medal came pinned on a card and I have never removed it from the original packaging.

All of Addy’s school supplies fit neatly into her satchel. She has a double slate that came with a slate pencil but I do not have the pencil. Her Union Reader school book is an exact replica of a real school book and she has a little abacus.

Addy’s lunch pail is tin and comes with a lid. It came with a napkin, grapes, a meat pie and cookies. Addy helped Momma learn to read in the evenings by making letters out of dough. Momma made cookies for Addy’s lunch that spelled out LOVE. A green piece of polka dot material is tied to the pail so Addy can easily find her tin at lunch.

Addy’s Christmas Collection: Addy’s Christmas Dress is a beautiful Tartan Plaid and came with a large green ribbon. Her doll, Ida Bean is cloth filled with beans. Ida has tiny little pantelettes that are sewen on at her waist.

Addy’s Needlework and Lamp Set came with an apron that you could embroider. It had Addy’s name printed on it and the rest you could do yourself. The needle book is paper, holds needles and ties with a ribbon. The metal lamp has a real wick that can be raised or lowered, the hurricane dome is plastic. Once Mattel took the company over, the lamp became a working, battery powered light. It is much smaller and the base is now plastic.

Addy’s Sweet Potato Pudding Kit came with a real pottery bowl,  wooden spoon, recipe card and iron skillet. I do not own the skillet. The yellow bowl is stamped Pleasant Company with Rowe underneath. (The camera could not pick it up.) Rowe was a real pottery company that also made Kirsten’s Pottery Set. The tri-fold recipe card has the 1800’s instructions on the front and the modern-day instructions inside. A sprig of holly was included for decoration on the pudding.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at Addy’s early 90’s collection! We will continue on to her Birthday Collection soon! Happy collecting!