OVERVIEW: Herself the Elf

Herself

Herself the Elf was a small product line produced by Mattel/American Greeting Corporation in 1982. The dolls were about 5" tall and came with a removable dress that had a jingling bell on it, curly-toed shoes, painted-on tights, a removable hair accessory, a comb and a wand.

The line had three playsets: a house, shower and vanity, all with a flower theme.

There were two ragdolls of Herself made, one big and one smaller that came with a purse with a pocket the doll poked out of.

The line was like Strawberry Shortcake in that Herself's image was placed on so many products. There were postcards, greeting cards, mugs, tea sets, lap trays, jewelry, ceramic figurines, stickers, sheets, fabric and sewing patterns for rag dolls of all five characters.

Snowdrop

Herself the Elf also had a set of four small books, one for each season, plus at least one activity book and coloring book. A animated production was made, which was available on video, and an accompanying storybook of the cartoon came out, too. There were also two books with records/tapes: The Surprise Party and The Sing Out of Spring.

The art for this line is so incredibly cute that I think it's even cuter than the dolls, which is saying a lot, because they're adorable.

Woodpink

I can't remember exactly when I got into Herself the Elf. I don't remember her from childhood at all, but I was only 4 in 1982. Although I did have Strawberry Shortcake dolls, so it's not like I was too young for them. I either just never saw them or overlooked them.

Willow Song

Eventually though, I decided to add these little cuties to my collection. I remember buying a set of Herself, Snowdrop, Meadow Morn and Willow Song on ebay. I don't remember what I paid, but it was a fair price. I do remember asking the seller if they had Woodpink, too, and they said yes. I paid them independently of ebay and of course, they just stole my money and never sent the doll. I got a Woodpink later on and thankfully my anger over the theft didn't taint her, because she's my 3rd favorite.

Meadow Morn

Herself the Elf is an unusual line in that my favorite is the lead character. I hardly ever like the lead character the most, and it's doubly rare because she's also blonde. I hardly ever like the blonde the most! But Herself has the cutest little face, which is emphasized by her bangs framing it so nicely. My second favorite is Snowdrop, because I love dolls with white hair, thanks to Roxy from Jem. Her purple outfit, the berry headband and her inquisitive face are just lovely. Woodpink is my third fave, which is another odd thing, because "the pink one" so frequently comes low on my lists of faves. But she's got great brown eyes, that mischievous look with the upward stare and smile, and her hair is awesome, too. The other two are about tied. I might like Meadow Morn a little more than Willow Song. I think Willow would have been helped by a different outfit color. Maybe white or cream with brown?

Erasers

I do have the larger ragdoll, but I didn't take a photo of her, because she's buried in my plush collection. I think I had the smaller one at one point, but she was given away or donated. My other main Herself the Elf item, aside from the dolls and books, is the set of two figural erasers. I've been a sucker for erasers since first grade, especially figural ones. I had Herself for quite a long time, before finally finding Woodpink. I bought her and Herself together mint on card, so I have an extra Herself.

Herself the Elf is a very cute line that's easy to collect, unless you want every single little bit. I can only imagine how much ephemera exists for this line! Every card and mug, etc. But the five dolls are pretty easy to find in good shape, even boxed, for fair prices.

PHOTO CREDITS: All mine.