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How do flirty eyes work?

I recently bought a K & R Simon Halbig doll with flirty eyes.  Because her wig is not currently attached, I can easily reach in her head and move her eyes back and forth.  How do they work once her wig is attached?  I assume something is broken, or incomplete inside her head, but I've never had a flirty eye doll, so I'm baffled.  There is a small glob of a cement type material at the front rim of her head, and it looks like it has a small piece of cord stuck in it - is this something that once attached to the eye mechanism in her head?  And if so, how does it work from there?  I can get her eyes to move by shaking and tilting her around a little, but that doesn't seem like a very smart thing to do with an antique doll... 🙂

 

Any help out there?

Message 1 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

Please post a few pictures (use the little tree icon that shows in the format bar when posting messages)  of the doll's face and inside eye area, so we have an idea what may be the issue, if any.

 

From Doll Info / Kaylee's Korner, here's the definition of "Flirty Eyes" as it relates to doll collecting:

 

Flirty Eyes - eyes that move from side to side as the doll's head is tilted back and forth giving them multiple expressions

"Love All.....Trust Few.....Do Wrong To None! Wm. Shakespeare
Message 2 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

I think  you're missing the connection with the string.  Manufacturers used many different ways to make eyes flirt.  I have some pics from inside my Simon Halbig 1078 head.   I hope they will help.  DSC04216.JPGDSC04219.JPGDSC04221.JPG

DSC04220.JPG

 

It's a small loop of string through a hole in her forehead that has a hook attached to it.  The hook attachs to the metal piece that keeps the eyes sychronized.  The clear plastic bar that spans the insides of the head???  I have no idea...  It doesn't connect to (or touch) the eye mechanism at all.  Maybe it's there to break the fall if the eyes swing out?  I thought it was strange, but I've seen other SH heads with it in there.  My doll's eyes do NOT sleep, they just flirt side to side.

 

 

 

I did a google images search and came up with some pics

 

They really were quite complicated things.

 

url.jpg

 

url.jpg

 

 

Here's the inside of a K*R SH 126

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I copied those last three pics from different places, but they all look like the same mechanism, don't they?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Message 3 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

$_57.JPG.jpg

$_57.JPG.jpg

 

These are from ebay auction #131053394624

 

 
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Message 4 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

After re-reading your post and checking out all the pictures, I'm pretty sure you are missing the weight bar.  

You could probably make one.  

 

The picture I posted of the K*R came from auction # 321164880387 -maybe you can see it better there.

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Message 5 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

I'm thinking they are supposed to dart back and forth when the legs move.   ?

Message 6 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

IMG_0274.JPG

You can see the little piece of frayed cord sticking out of the piece of glop on the rim of the head (bottom left corner of photo).  I think this attached to the middle of that wire you can see running between the two eyes.  Hanging down from the middle of that wire is a weight, kinda like a lead sinker.  That might be an alternative to a weight bar?  I can't see where anything is missing, aside from the cord, but what do I know?  My thought is that the cord keeps the eyes centered, and by gently tilting the head, they move from side to side. Because the cord is missing, they move too freely to one side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_0276.JPG

Laying down, her eyes do sleep.  Here you can see both of the weights, the lighter colored one from the rocker and the smaller darker one behind it from the "side to side" wire.

 

 

I don't think she's a flirty walker, as there is nothing unusual about her legs and the way they attach to her torso, or the way her torso attaches to her head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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She prefers to look to her right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But with a little help, she can look left, too.

 

 

 


I think she's just super cute!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe I'll try a temporary simple fix with some cord and glue, or something.  Or maybe I'll just leave her alone for now - it's not like I plan to play with her, or anything...  She's fine for display they way she is.  Well, once she's dressed, that is. Smiley Very Happy

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts, links, photos, information, etc...  It appears there are several different styles of flirty eye mechanisms!  At some point I'll probably try to find a good doll hospital within driving distance (I'm in north central Indiana) and have her fixed up right. 

 

Message 7 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

I would try to find a similar one on ebay and write and ask the seller how you change the eye position.

Message 8 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

Great idea, Nieve!  I found one for sale on ebay with the same markings as mine, only a larger size.  There was a photo of the inside of the head, it appeared to be the same design, but the photo was somewhat blurry, so not much help for detail. I emailed the seller and asked if they could describe the flirty eye mechanism to me.  We'll see if they respond. Thanks for the idea!

Message 9 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

Viola & Eureka - it's all there!  The metal rod with the "lead sinker" that is hanging down from the horizontal crossbar, is actually the metal rod that should be attached to the now frayed and broken cord loop.  Because it is no longer attached, it is pulled clear down to the crossbar by the lead weight. All I  have to do is attach some sort of loop to the front rim of the head, pull up the metal rod and hook it to the loop, and it should work.

 

A seller on Ruby Lane has a 117n flirty eyed Mein Liebling, and an excellent photo of the exact same flirty eye mechanism mine has. As soon as I saw it, the lightbulb went on, and yes, I did the forehead slap.  So thanks again, Nieve, for the suggestion that I look for other dolls like mine to try to find out how the eyes work.

Message 10 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

I'm still missing one crucial piece here.   Knowing it's all there, you still need to know HOW to operate it without reaching inside the head all the time.   If you already know, please tell!

Message 11 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

What a SWEETHEART!

You aren't missing anything- the string just broke. How lucky!
You don't need a dollydoc- it won't be hard to fix. Give it a try! It's easier than it seems.

The last picture in my first post is what it should look like.

Take a damp/wet cloth lay it on that glop pile, soak it for a long while and it should just pop off of her rim (or you could soak her head, but don't get the eye-holding plaster wet). Then get a thick string and some plaster-of-paris from Walmart or a craft store. The plaster is water-soluble so if you get it in the wrong spot or mix it too thick, you can always try again.

Pull up on the side to side weight (the darker one) so that it's above the rocker weight and directly below the loop it runs through. Then stuff her neck with cotton balls to hold it up in place so it doesn't fall back down into her neck again. Run your string though the hook that's at the opposite end of the "weight wire" and back over her rim (pulling it close to the rim) and put a new glob of Plaster over it. Wait for it to set for a few days or more, then remove the cotton balls.

If you're not comfortable with plaster, I know some people on the board have used "paper clay" from Michaels (or another craft store) to set eyes, so it might work, too.

Again- She's adorably CUTE!
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Message 12 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

Oh my goodness- I was distracted by the superbowl! I really do post slow!

So glad you figured it out on your own 🙂

Nieve, the weight being closer to the eyes and higher in the head let the eyes flirt easier. Right now, the rocker eye weight (that close the eyelids) is kinda holding the eyes in place.
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Message 13 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

I can't see where you are telling HOW to work them.    Are you saying you DON'T work them, and they just do it when they feel like it, as the doll is moved around... so there is no control over it?

Message 14 of 20
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How do flirty eyes work?

Nieve - Once the mechanism is fixed and working properly, I believe her eyes will "flirt" by tilting her gently from side to side.  Right now it takes more than a gentle tilt to move them without reaching down inside, it takes some shaking, which can't be good.  Once the rod is pulled up and attached, it will have more balance and should move smoothly when she is tilted.

 

Zippity - thank you for the info on how to remove the existing "blob" (I didn't realize it was water soluble), and also on packing the head with cotton.  I wouldn't have thought of that.  I think this will be easy enough for me to do!

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