Can I restore the hair?

[NovelNerd]

My best friend is a collector of sorts (well mostly Native American pieces but anyway), and she likes to go to Flea Markets with me. A while back we saw this big doll that about got her crying. She's olde than me an apparently had one of these as a kid that her ex husband stole and pawned or something. We were in a place like a month ago, and she loved it but left it. The other day she went back and got it and she knows I rehair ponies. She asked if it could be restored since the hair is cut to it almost being bald. I'll get some picture up when I'm not on my phone, but it's a 36 inch doll she was calling Candy Lee. It's also an older doll since my friend is in like her 70s. I don't mind helping her rehair it, but I'm not sure how to get that giant dolls head off, and I know if I was to break it she would be very upset. Any suggestions? Doll head removal is new to me.

[Yuitsu]

Get some pictures up and I'll tell you what I think

[NovelNerd]

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[Shining_Lyris]

This appears to be a 1960's Ideal Saucy Walker. She was competition for Mattell's Chatty Cathy back then. Those heads are not easy to get off, or put back on. I would try to find a pro.
Some of the Ideal dolls from the 60's are very tricky to work with because of the plastic pieces used. Trying to pull them out and put them back in again without them breaking, or in severe instances crumbling, is a nightmare.
I do hope you find someone. Her hair actually wasn't any longer than this and you may just want to give it a good douse of fabric softener and mild heat.
I hope this helps! 

[NovelNerd]

Well it's my friends doll not mine. It actually creeps me out to be honest. I think she wanted either her or myself to do it, but I also don't want to break her doll. Hmmm well another question then since I don't know much about his either. Are there wig solutions that might work for her then? That doll has such a large head.

[Yuitsu]

Yeah I'm not sure her hair was much longer. Walker dolls are expensive to get repaired. I'd hunt out accessories for her, clean her up and leave it at that, its amazing what a pair of original era shoes can do

[Shining_Lyris]

I agree. If her walking mechanism still works just give her a good scrubbing... er, your friend should give her a good scrubbing. I'm afraid I had no luck finding custom wigs for the larger 60's walkers.  My saucy walkers are from the 40's and 50's and they ONLY had wigs, so they're much easier to find. (And make, because they're much smaller).
Awe, I think she's rather cute. I don't have any of Ideal's larger 60's dolls, only the smaller Giggles and Chrissy family dolls. I hope your friend gets a lot of enjoyment out of her. 

[toyjunky]

I agree with the above statements about it being a walker doll, and as mentioned above are expensive to fix. They can be fragile as the plastic has aged and depending on how much they were played with. My mother has one and her arm is broken and we have it taped to the body under usually 3/4 sleeves or full sleeve dresses. My mom's dolls hair is in the same condition (not pretty and frazzled and in some places thinning) after all these years. My solution to her ugly hair issue was to get a child's Halloween wig. I put her in a Cinderella wig from the Disney store years ago. I undid the roll on it so she has long hair and usually with a headband. It's not necessarily the style of the doll of course, but it made my mother happy. Depending on how authentic your friend wants the doll to be vintage clothing and accessories could be scouted out. The doll also can fit in toddler clothes and tights (I forget what size) but that also is an option to make it look nice. My mom has a few recent outfits for her now, and she has a few Halloween costumes for her as well. She also puts her in some old dresses that I had when I was a little kid that she had stashed away in a cedar chest.

[MiRaja]

She's not a Saucy Walker.  This is the 60's Saucy, and she's still smaller: http://dollprice.com/dolls/1960_32_inch_ideal_saucy_walker_playpal_doll.html

She's either a straight Ideal Playpal or a Playpal type.  Does she have any markings?  Like on the back of her neck?  It's going to be one or two letters followed by a '-' and then 36, since she's a 36 inch doll, which would confirm her to be an Ideal.  Which is the one worth anything, but I'm leaning to a non-Ideal playpal, the sort that were mass-produced and sold in grocery stores in the 60's. 

It depends on how her head is attached, I much prefer earlier dolls since they pretty much had a rubber band holding all the bits together and it's a pretty quick process.  If she's a walker, then no, do not mess with it.  However, she may not be a walker doll, the playpals are generally NOT walkers, nor are their cheaper lookalikes.  Usually their arms and legs pop in and out.  It's been awhile since I fussed with a playpal. . .

Probably best not mess with her if she is a walker. . . However, you are definitely going to want to condition that hair and take a blow dryer to her face to soften the vinyl so her face isn't squooshed in.    These dolls are no worth the effort to rehair, if your friend seriously wants her to have new hair, buzzing the hair off and glueing a wig in will be your best option.  Saran wig, though, try to source vintage.  New wigs do not look right on vintage dolls. 

- 10 years in doll restoration.