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Buddy Lee Dolls By Carol Sarchet The Lee Company created Buddy Lee in the 1920s as an advertising device. The idea for Buddy Lee came from sales manager Chester A. Reynolds. Reynolds later became chairman of the board and retired in 1956. The first Buddy Lee dolls were dressed in Lee overalls and displayed in the window of the Dayton Company Department Store on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Later, stores throughout the country used the dolls in window displays. Lee encouraged dealers to sell the dolls after they were through displaying them. The demand became so great that soon Lee provided dolls for retail sale at about $2.50 each. The first Buddy Lee dolls were 12 ½ inches tall and made of plaster. His eyes were glancing to one side and his hair was molded/painted. "Buddy Lee" was imprinted on the upper back of the doll. In 1949, a new Buddy Lee was introduced: he was 13 inches tall and made from a hard plastic. The proportions were changed to facilitate dressing. His legs were slimmer and slightly bowed and his hands were larger. By 1962, the doll had to be discontinued, for expenses had risen to the point that it was no longer profitable to sell him. At one time, Buddy Lee was the second largest-selling doll in the United States. Of the 17 outfits manufactured, the Cowboy was the most popular. He was dressed in denim cowboy pants, plaid shirt, belt, bandanna, cowboy hat and lariat. The Cowboy and the Engineer were the first Buddy Lee dolls made. The Engineer, sometimes referred to as the Farmer, was dressed in bib overalls, a jacket, shop cap and bandanna. Buddy Lee is a collector's item today, with doll enthusiasts paying as much as $1,000 for his likeness. Companies such as Minneapolis-Moline, Coca Cola, Phillips 66, Mobile Oil, and others used Buddy Lee dolls for advertising purposes. Reproductions are currently being made. A good reproduction generally sells for about $250. |