Wettums is an all-composition drink-and-wet baby doll made by Reliable of Canada in the late 1930s and early ’40s. Since moisture causes composition to deteriorate rapidly, most of these dolls have not survived in good condition.
Body Construction
Wettums is jointed at the neck, shoulders and hips. She has painted eyes, molded painted hair and a nurser mouth. The drink-and-wet feature was enabled by a rubber tube leading from Wettums’ mouth to his/her bottom, with a metal grommet at either end. Wettums was made in multiple sizes. The doll pictured is 12.5″ long.
Markings
Wettums is marked “RELIABLE // DOLL // MADE IN CANADA” on the back of her head.
Clothing & Packaging
The book “200 Years of Dolls” by Dawn Herlocher pictures an all original Wettums doll, wearing a sleeveless undershirt and diaper. The lettering on the box has the doll’s name spelled “Wetums” and the wording “She drinks, she wets, you’ll love her.”
I have a doll that looks just like this made by Reliable but it does not have the open mouth or bottom. It was a gift to me from someone when i was a small child. She had a fall so a couple of cracks but still in relatively good condition. Could you tell me what year she might have been made and approx worth. I have no intemtions of parting with my baby…just curious.
Reliable made a very similar all-composition baby without the drink and wet feature. His name is Babykins. The one pictured in the “Dolls of Canada” book was made in 1939. Value is not much on composition babies unless they are minty or life size. $20-$30 is a fair price.