I want to find wholesale resources for Waldorf-style dollhouse doll
bodies. They are made from hard wood and wire. Traditionally they 
come from Germany, but I would prefer a resource in the US.

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Request for Question Clarification by leli-ga on 31 Aug 2002 01:22 PDT

No luck so far with finding a US wholesaler as you would prefer.  Do
you want us to try to find a German source or do you already know of
one?  And can I check whether I'm right in thinking you mean something
similar to the dolls here?

http://www.luftsprung.de/Home-English/E-Puppen/E-Annedore_Krebs/body_e-annedore_krebs.html

If not, is there any picture on the web closer to what you are
seeking?

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Clarification of Question by dreamelottoys-ga on 31 Aug 2002 08:33 PDT

You are correct about the type of doll body. Here is a brief
description: These Waldorf Flexible Dollhouse dolls are handmade of
hard wood and wire covered with hemp.

I'm looking for the bodies only -- I'll have someone make the clothes
for them.

Here is a link to more examples:

http://www.flectronics.com/peoplenfamiliy.html

Thanks for your work!

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Clarification of Question by dreamelottoys-ga on 31 Aug 2002 10:53 PDT

Forgot to answer your other question -- a German wholesaler will do if
a US wholesaler cannot be found.

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Request for Question Clarification by leli-ga on 03 Sep 2002 07:20 PDT

Just to let you know I am waiting (and hoping) for responses to a
couple of emails I sent to possible sources in Germany.  Will get back
to you.

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Request for Question Clarification by leli-ga on 05 Sep 2002 08:25 PDT

Hello again

I had hoped to be getting in touch with helpful news but what I have
is a little confusing.  I have two emails from two people in the same
company with different messages.  The first says, approximately, "no,
but would you like a catalog?"  Two days later I got one saying that
supplying the bodies (without clothing)  ".....would greatly depend on
whether you need them just for your private use or if you are looking
for a business. We do not supply small quantities, however."  (They
are definitely the manufacturers but usually supply the dolls ready
dressed.)

I started on your question thinking I had useful contacts from the
time when I had children in a Waldorf kindergarten, but none of them
came to anything.  I actually got this far by haunting Waldorf/toy
websites but I don't really think I'm going to get much further.

Where would you like to go from here?  If you want me to post what
I've managed to get as an 'official' answer, of course I'd be happy to
do so.  (Unfortunately I will not be at my desk until Monday unless
you can get back to me by 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time today.)

Regards - Leli

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Clarification of Question by dreamelottoys-ga on 05 Sep 2002 10:16 PDT

Hi Leli,

Thanks for working so hard on this. I spent a lot of time on it, too, 
without luck, which is why I decided to try this interesting resource.

I would like the contact information for the manufacturer with the 
mixed message. :-) So yes, please post the answer.

Thanks again,

Jennifer

Dear Jennifer

Here's the info at last - and I'm hoping it will lead you to a good
supply of little doll bodies.

The email I told you about was from Inge Köhnlein at the Käthe Kruse
doll company in Germany.  My message had made clear I was asking
about:
*dollhouse dolls
*bodies without clothes
*flexible dolls made partly of wood
and then I asked about the quantities in which they might deal.

The reply was:
"This would greatly depend on whether you need them just for your
private use or if you are looking for a business. We do not supply
small quantities, however."

You can mail her at: ikoehnlein@kaethe-kruse.de

Contact details for the company are:

Käthe Kruse Puppen GmbH
Alte Augsburger Str. 9
86609 Donauwörth
Deutschland
Email: info@kaethe-kruse.de
Telefon: 0906-706780
Fax: 0906-7067870

See:

http://207.21.202.219/de/seiten/info.asp

The story of how I got to them will lead to a few pictures of their
dollhouse dolls which, oddly, do not appear on their own website.

After a tour of many Waldorf and doll sites and typing many relevant
words into Google in both English and German, I came back to the
pictures you 'sent' from Hearthsong and realised they had originated
from catalogcity.com.  (By right-clicking on the photo and clicking
'properties'.) That site tells you that Hearthsong are the same
'merchants' as Magic Cabin - see:

http://www.catalogcity.com/cc.class/cc?main=catalog&vid=202837&act=info&ccsyn=1

At Magic Cabin I found similar dolls said to come from the 'Kathe'
Kruse Doll Company, for example:

http://amos.catalogcity.com/cc.class/cc?main=catalog&act=d%2C56395&pcd=3928288&ccsyn=1

Adding an e into the first name to substitute for the German umlaut
(i.e. Käthe = Kaethe) made it easy to find their page and send off a
hopeful email.

Since this became something of a mini-quest for me, it would be
wonderful if Käthe Kruse Puppen turn out to be a good business contact
for you.

Their home page is:

http://207.21.202.219/de/index.asp

The other people I'd hoped to hear from were Kinderkram:

http://kinderkram-lachendorf.de/

See the dollhouse dolls by clicking on Puppen, then Biegepuppen.
(flexible dolls)

Kinderkram stock the right kind of doll and supply some of the toys on
this site:

http://www.cottage-toys.co.uk/qd000000.html

and Waldorf wooden figures here:

http://www.waldorfshop.net/jamietwocoatstoyshop/index.htm

kinderkram4you.de
Inh. Jürgen Kunert
Allerheide 32 A
29331 Lachendorf

Telefon + 49 5145 - 284141
Telefax + 49 5145 - 939353

Email: service@kinderkram-lachendorf.de

So - good luck - I'd love to think this would help you with your
plans.  And please let me know if anything needs clarification.

Regards - Leli