Horrid?  As if!  She's gorgeous!  You never see these in green (believe me, I go to enough car shows!).  They're almost all red or black.  There's a little more color variety on the '77-'81s (I've even been fortunate enough to see a Skybird).  The Screamin' Chicken looks great too.  And do I spy a vinyl top?  Not a common option on 2nd generation Firebirds.  I've seen a few Camaros with the vinyl but never a Firebird (aside from first gen 'Birds).

That piqued my curiosity so I just did an image search for 1976 Firebird and only found one other with a vinyl top (white vinyl over blue).  Speaking of unique color combinations, I have a car with a burgundy vinyl roof over a white body (the '70s and '80s weren't exactly known for having good fashion sense ):

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If you're going for an engine swap, 455 all the way.   Should be an easy swap too.

With a Pontiac?  Yeah, engine swaps are an absolute breeze.  Anything through 1965ish or so up to the late 70's is pretty drag and drop.  Though the 305 with the Turbo.  OH GODS NO.  Never, never want that. 

The actual color is Metallilime Green, as if that doesn't say the 1970s, and it is the original color, but not the original paint.  As I said, she looks good from afar, but when you get up close, you can see what a cruddy job it is.  Trust me when I say she's going to either remain that color, or I'm going to have a little bit more silver tossed in.  Vinyl top DOES look good on it, and helps to break up all that GREEN, but unfortunately, they're a major rust trap, so when she gets repainted, I'll be deleting that and getting it all sanded away.  But there is way more pressing things to be done before she gets paint.  I was actually joking around that I was going to keep her as a total sleeper for a few years, just to troll all the kiddos with their Hondas, Nissans, Acuras, etc, you know the type. . .    About the only thing that will give her away will be the dual tipped exhaust I have planned for her.  Mmm.  And all the noise, of course, but kids hardly know what a REAL car sounds like. 

I spent 10 years saving for a bird, I just looove these girls and it's kind of a family tradition.  A 76 was absolutely perfect for me, though, because I remember before I got my first car ( a 2004 Grand Am, who I put 8 years and 150k miles on and loved to death ), someone had a 76 Firebird for sale, 65k on the odo, perfect, beautiful, silver and for $5k, I begged dad to help me on it, but he said no because it had the Oldsmobile engine and not the Pontiac one!  Hahaha!  Mom had a 73, Dad had a 69 and still has a 2002 Trans AM WS6 with only 40k on the odo. . .  At the same time, I know I still need a 67, 1967 Firebird is my absolute favorite, and I also have a great adoration for the 1973 Grand Am's. 

She looks maybe Italian?  They made a lot of vinyl dolls, I know, but I'm not at all fluent with European toys after the 1930's.  I'm beyond competent with bisque German and French girls, but I mostly just know what I work on, and since those are what I work on the most besides other American Composition and hard plastic dolls, and Japanese composition dolls, that's really the extent of my knowledge, and anything after 1970?  Nope, notta.  As I said, the biggest nugget of knowledge I have is of those 1972 Blythe dolls, and that's because I've seen what they go for! 

After the 1960's, and 1970's, there was a massive explosion of vinyl and plastic toys, especially with the advent of injection mold processing, which we all should be familiar with, what with my little pony, My Little Pony is made off of injection molds.  Previous to this, doll manufacturing was far more like it is to make Ball joint dolls.  They're made on traditional mold systems that requires seams and what not, and then that to be sanded down, this method is FAR more expensive and time intensive, especially when they used it to make composition dolls here in the US in the 20's-1940's, because each half of the body had to be assembled, glued, and left to dry.  Composition went out of vogue during a really wet summer, think it was 1944 or so, and Madame Alexander lost ALL of their composition dolls that year to mold because the composition saw dust and glue mixture would not dry.  They were forced to scramble together a process to make plastic dolls that first year in time for Christmas, and thus the age of plastic toys really kicked off, but the first generation systems were still more like composition systems, basically time intensive.  When injection molds were invented, it leveled the playing field, and many, many, many more start up toy companies popped up and could compete and produce toys and get into this big toy market, that at least, here in the states, was pretty well gate-kept by the big companies that had been kicking around since, oh, the 1890's.  So, you may never really find out who she was made by, there's still a lot of toys from this era in the US that can't be identified because they have no makers mark. 

I finally got a little cash flow going on getting my dolly business going again, but I am fast running out of stock.

I am looking to buy antique and vintage dolls, pre-1960.  I realize it's a bit hard to tell, so whatever you got, if you THINK it's in the age grouping, feel free to PM me a photo or even just post photos here, and I'll be happy to help. 

I am looking for composition dolls, made of wood pulp, covered in plaster, and painted beautifully.  These dolls commonly show 'crazing' or 'cracking' on their surface.  They can have painted eyes, or open and close eyes. 

I am looking for early hard plastic dolls, like Sweet Sue, Nancy Anne, Cissy, etc, etc.  These dolls are made of a very hard plastic, generally had open and closed eyes.  I am also looking for 8 inch dolls made of hard plastic like Ginny and Muffy.  Ginny will be marked Vogue, and Muffy as Nancy Anne.  Sometimes Muffy is unmarked. 

I am also interested in SOME baby dolls pre-1960.  Dolls marked American Character or some variation of that, or dolls marked Dydee or Effanbee.  I am looking for parts for these dolls, so if you find a head and a shriveled body, I'll happily take that little mess off your hands and get her a new body! 

I am also looking for bisque head German and French dolls of really any condition.  I'll take bodies with busted heads, and the busted heads even if they're mostly complete.  ( They're not worth much, but I know people who can put them back together and make them look like new. ) 

I am not interested in newer porcelain dolls at all.  If they look new, they generally are new. 


Some markings to look out for: Effanbee, Anne Shirley, American Character ( Amer Char, PETITE, AC ), IDEAL, Horsman, R&B, Arranbee, PATSY ( or variations of Patsy - Pasty Ruth, Patsy Anne, Patsy Lou, Patsyette, etc, etc. ), Shirley Temple, etc, etc. 

As I said, if you've got it and you think it's vintage/antique, and you'd like to sell, just post me a picture, and I'll be all too happy to help. 

Quote from: MiRaja on May 13, 2015, 07:47:12 PM

My 76 Firebird

Pictures?  Please?

Ah, trust me when I say she photographs nicer than she is! 

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10481697_831579470186473_6116441210146604742_n by TsurukoMaiko, on Flickr
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10574445_831579280186492_3211826209860904454_n by TsurukoMaiko, on Flickr

The paint job that is on her is HORRID.  But she's straight as an arrow, only some door dings and what not, and some light cracking to her front bumper that can be filled and sanded pretty easily.  She has NO rust or rot, but for one little tiny hole in the back quarter, so she's an excellent starting point in terms of a resto, and not the sort to require a rotisserie job.  Good soda blast a bashing out a few of those dings, and she'll be ready for paint, but that won't be for awhile.  Mechanically she's pretty ehhhhh, not been too messed with but she's missing a lot of crap and has been rigged in more than a few ways. . .  Engine needs a full rebuild, but I'm torn on whether I'm going to resale the 350 that's in her and try to get a bigger engine for her.  A 428 or 455 pontiac engine are my dreams. . . *.*  But then I'd need to tear out the transmission and put in a manual, because why have that sort of power and be driving an automatic?  She also needs pins and ball joints, a full new exhaust system, and then she's kind of a mess interior wise.  She's passable inside but for her center console, but up close it's really kind of meh. 

In other words, she's my big stupid money sink, not that I've yet to be able to do much on her.  I was hoping to snag a better job this summer so I could put away some major cash, but that doesn't look to be happening, so unless I can get my dolly business running again, I won't be seeing the $3k I need to get her into the sort of running condition I want.  That's all mechanical plus plate and registration. 

It's such a beautiful piece, and the finish is so nice and beautiful.  It's so hard to find pieces in such wonderful condition, and while it's your piece to do as you like, I think it should stay as it is.   

So many antique pieces are being lost because they are being painted over and converted into something else when they're very, very restore-able, or are in perfectly fine condition as-is.  It's sort of the same argument a lot of people have for MLP and customization, when it comes to antiques.  What we have in terms of antique furniture is extremely finite.  There will never be any more pieces like this and others, and once painted and changed, there really isn't any going back( I mean, you can strip it and refinish it, but the amount of work it takes to remove paint from wood is extremely excessive and very difficult that even trained carpenters like my father simply won't touch a painted piece for restoration ), and it takes out a piece that someone would be very happy to have as-is.  And that isn't directed in the least solely at you, but anyone looking to paint antique wood furniture.  There is a lot of concern in the market about shabby chic, especially, and I have more than a few angry moments in antique stores, I admit, when I see a piece that was really something glorious, be painted terribly in terrible colors; not to say you paint poorly or have bad taste in colors, not in the least!  I'm just digressing all over the place.   

I know there are several places about an hour out, that have a lot of salvaged wood furniture, some pieces are newer, some older, and they have condition issues where painting them or entirely refinishing them is the only hope of fixing them or making them remotely displayable, and those are the sorts of pieces that I would be fine with being repurposed or painted.  But then I am a big furniture purist, especially anything remotely antique, just because I know how rare these things are, and what pieces are left are going for insane prices at fancy galleries or are being bought up by people who have nothing better to do with their time than to take antiques and make them tacky for a living.  It makes antique furniture very inaccessible for those who aren't rich, and who don't mind a piece that is a bit loved on or roughed up.  Me, I love my antique furniture because it's so much better made than a lot of what is made now, and I find the scuffs, scrapes and bumps just a bit of added character. 

I have this massive piece I've had for over ten years now, I believe it's turkish made, but it looks a lot like a Japanese kitchen tansu ( which is why I bought it, because previously to that, I couldn't find any nice cabinets that looked Japanese and would fit my kimono collection! ).  It's dark wood, and about 10 feet wide, and 7 tall.  It has a lot of damage and scrapes around its 'base' shelf, but it doesn't bother me, as it is completely and absolutely functional, and to me, still looks beautiful. 

As I said, your piece is extremely beautiful, and was made by a craftsperson with a very high-degree of skill.  The glass work is absolutely exquisite.  It's from the 1920s-1930s for sure, it is very clearly Art Deco in its styling.  You don't in the least need to store China in it, I don't think it's a China cabinet in all actuality.  Rather more a knick-knack and collectible cabinet, something for you to store your pretty things inside, and your photos and picture frames on top.    China cabinets of this time are generally taller, classically a glass display at the top, but drawer and door storage at the bottom for ease of access for taking plates in and out of and other fine kitchen implements.  So, this piece of yours?  Is perfectly suited for holding your ponies, as ponies are certainly collectibles and pretty things. 

Do you mind if I ask how much you paid for this piece? 

If it is every bit in the condition it looks to be in, I would honestly appraise the value at anywhere around $450 - $900.  Art Deco pieces like these are extremely sought after.  You might want to insure it! 

bump

I haven't had any issues with slow shippers, to be honest, and I've bought probably six or seven dolls in the last couple months.  More like dealing with people who haven't a clue how to pack a fragile or antique doll.  Had one shipped where they had folded her over in half, so her head was between her ankles, tossed in a box that wasn't completely packed full with peanuts and shipped like that. . .  I was lucky she didn't get more than a few dents and dings to the material of her body. 

I had heard, and quite annoyed myself about it.  I don't really know how they expect to do better than the original?  Also a pagan here, so I'm sure I'll be smacking my head against something fairly blunt as Hollywood completely butchers and casts more negativity on pagans. . .  Is it just me, or did movies do better ten-twenty years ago to get things better?  In terms of being intelligent and accurate, you know?  Now it just seems like complete ignorance and willful at that. . .   

They're also making a remake of Stargate, and pulling a 'Star Wars' with it by nixing the 15+ years of TV series that it created that was vastly more popular than the movie ever could've hoped to have been.