Tampa Woman's Handmade Porcelain Doll Collection of 2,000 Seeks New Homes

A Legacy of Handmade Dolls

• 💡 Fritz Peltton is seeking help to find new homes for approximately 2,000 porcelain dolls made by his late mother, Mary Elizabeth Pelinin.
• 🎨 Mary Elizabeth, who passed away just before her 99th birthday, was known for her talent in painting the faces of the dolls, a skill she taught herself.
• 🤝 She also taught doll-making to others, including a widow's class to help women transition to single life.

The Doll Collection's Journey

• 🎭 Some of the life-sized dolls were used as mannequins in clothing stores, and Mary Elizabeth even had her own company, selling dolls for $300 to $400 each.
• 🌍 The collection includes dolls representing every race, showcasing her diverse artistic vision.
• 🏠 While Fritz has some dolls in Tampa, the majority are still at his mother's house in Michigan.

Seeking New Ownership

• 📉 Fritz has found it difficult to sell the dolls in the current market and wants to find a better purpose for them.
• 💖 He wishes to see the dolls with people who will enjoy them, rather than throwing them away, which he believes his mother would not approve of.
• 🏛️ He is exploring options like donating them to museums or finding other suitable places in society for the collection.
• 🌐 More details on how to help can be found on the fox3news.com website.