8″ Cloth & Plastic 1958 Valentino from Taormina, Italy. The doll came with a letter which had the following information: ” Buongiorno, piccola, amica, good day little friends! I bring you tidings from Sicily, close to our Italian main land. Please forgive me for being a proud Siciliano for I can not help but brag a bit about our ancient island island. Our history began thousands of years ago and still today one which has the evidences of many interesting cultures-Roman, Greek, Arabian, Spanish, and others. And Sicily has always been world-famous for its warm and hospitable people and its gay hand painted carts drawn by gentle little donkeys.
I am a tuna fisher man by trade, sailing mostly on the narrow straits of Messina. But I must confess I have never seen vicious whirlpools or the six-headed monster who used to catch unwary sailors, there in the times of Homer’s Odysseus.
In my free time, I love to play the guitar and do folk dances with beatiful Zita, my fidanzata-financea , who has been my steady ever sice we first met in scuola-school.
But I have chattered enough little friends! I am anxious to join your other interesting bambole and learn all about their countries. Ciao for now.”
The doll originally belonged to Clara Sacingo of Chicago, Illinois. This doll and others were part of the World Wide Doll Club which was sponsored through The Nabisco Food Company. In order to purchase the dolls you had to send two box tops from either Nabisco Wheat Honey or Rice Honey and a $ 1.25 to the World Wide Doll Club in Locust Valley, New York. They would then have a doll sent from the country you selected. The doll would have an introduction letter, a coin, and map from the doll’s country. Each country had both a girl and boy to chose from.
I purchased the doll in 2009 from a seller in Warren. Illinios.
8″ Cloth & Plastic 1958 Valentino from Taormina, Italy. The doll came with a letter which had the following information: ” Buongiorno, piccola, amica, good day little friends! I bring you tidings from Sicily, close to our Italian main land. Please forgive me for being a proud Siciliano for I can not help but brag a bit about our ancient island island. Our history began thousands of years ago and still today one which has the evidences of many interesting cultures-Roman, Greek, Arabian, Spanish, and others. And Sicily has always been world-famous for its warm and hospitable people and its gay hand painted carts drawn by gentle little donkeys.