Buddy Lee Doll

Q: My 13-inch boy doll is dressed in a blue shirt, denim overalls and a denim cap with a brim. The cap has a Lee label on the front. Who made it? When?

A: Check the back of your doll’s body. If it’s marked ‘Buddy Lee,’ it’s an advertising doll for Lee jeans. Buddy Lee was introduced in 1920 by the H.D. Lee Co. of Kansas City, Mo. Your doll is wearing a Lee railroad engineer outfit. Buddy Lee dolls were made of composition until 1948. After that, the dolls were hard plastic until production stopped in 1962. A Buddy Lee doll, no matter what his age, is worth about $500 if he’s in excellent condition and wearing original clothes, including his cap.