Knickerbocker Raggedy Andy Cloth Doll, 1947 Copyright Tag, 16"

There's a version of childhood that smells like cedar chests and attic afternoons — where the toys that mattered most were soft, a little worn, and carried in one arm everywhere you went. This Raggedy Andy is that toy. Produced by Knickerbocker Toy Co., Inc. under exclusive license from Johnny Gruelle's Own, he carries a printed back-body tag that grounds him precisely in the Gruelle copyright renewal era: P. F. Volland Co. 1918, 1920 / Myrtle K. Gruelle 1945, 1947 / Knickerbocker Toy Co., Inc., New York City, Exclusive Licensed Manufacturer, Made in U.S.A. That tag is the paper trail collectors want — clear maker attribution, intact, legible.

The construction is everything the type promises and then some: cotton-stuffed cloth body, printed face with a triangle nose, black lash-stitch detailing, black plastic shoe-button eyes set in white-printed surrounds, painted red mouth and rosy cheeks. A full, unthinned head of red yarn hair. He's dressed in the canonical Andy kit — blue and white gingham shirt with white pointed collar, solid blue cotton trousers fastened front with white plastic button "suspenders," red-and-white striped lower legs, and sewn black cloth shoes. Every element present, every button accounted for. This is Andy as he was meant to be found.

Knickerbocker held the Raggedy license from 1963, which means the 1947 date on the tag reflects the Gruelle copyright renewal carried forward onto licensed production tags — not a manufacture date of 1947. What it does confirm is that this doll belongs to the early Knickerbocker run, before the character's image was softened and standardized for later mass production. The shoe-button-style plastic eyes, the yarn hair volume, the cut of the gingham shirt and trouser bib — these are the details that distinguish early Knickerbocker examples from later issues, and the ones serious Andy collectors look for first. The tag alone puts this in a different conversation than unlabeled or later-production examples.

CONDITION

Good with age-appropriate wear. Light staining throughout the cloth body and clothing, with a noticeable stain on the forehead above the right eye. No holes or tears. Yarn hair remains full and intact; clothing is complete with all buttons present.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Maker: Knickerbocker Toy Co., Inc., New York City
• Licensor: Johnny Gruelle's Own
• Copyright Date on Tag: 1947 (Myrtle K. Gruelle renewal)
• Construction: Cotton cloth body, yarn hair, printed face, plastic button eyes
• Overall: 16" H × 7" W × 2.5" D
• Country of Origin: U.S.A.