To have said out loud that the doll was hideous

[Thornyrose7]

My in laws went to visit an elderly distant relative and since then, they have been hinting that they have a really special item to pass onto my DD, like some sort of heirloom, but they didn't say what it was.
We went to visit them and as I entered the living room, there was what I can only describe as a terrifying girl doll sat on the sofa next to my father in law.
It had blue lips and ash/ blonde grey hair and looked like a corpse doll. I was horrified and said the first thing that came out of my mouth ' how hideous'.
Well, as you can guess, this was supposed to be the special ' heirloom gift. My MIL acted as though I had insulted one of her friends and said ' oh poor little girl, well, I think she's lovely'. My Dd was a bit perplexed and didn't seem to know whether to side with me or her Gran. Apparently it is an expensive American Doll.But the colours have faded over time giving it its deathly pallor. In my opinion absolutely horrific. We left it there.
DH thinks that I was a bit mean and blunt.

Or a cat :-(

Pediophobia is the fear of dolls. Use that, sound all medical and that.

Omg scamp

Wasn't that the same thing out,the poltergeist movie

This is MIL's precious childhood dolly..... if we ever inherit it there will be a mysterious house fire!

I hope the elderly relative haunts you OP.

For laughs.

And to tell you your taste is 'hideous'.

It was rude to say it was hideous, but to be fair it then saved you from having to take it home. I'd apologise for being so blunt.

I wouldn't let one of those old dolls anywhere near my house. Too creepy. and you know they'll come and kill you as you sleep

Just thinking op it might be worth borrowing a guard dog tonight.
Creepy Death Doll will have heard you and will be plotting her revenge as we speak.
Have a fire ready.

Hmmm, I'm an American of 'a certain age'. Trying to think back to my childhood (late '50s/early '60s) for any type of vaguely creepy 'girl' (as opposed to baby) doll.

Patty Playpal? About the size of a 3 year old? Vaguely realistic looking, I can see how fading could make her look like a zombie.

Nobody puts Baby in the attic.

O HAI CAN WE BE FRIENDS YOU SURE ARE PRETTY YOU SMELL LIKE RAIN

Is it an American Girl Doll and are you in the UK? If so you can sell it on eBay - there is a market for customising these dolls if it is in really poor condition - or if it has been retired it will fetch much more.

What is it with these fucking ugly china dolls and old women. My MIL wanted to buy my DDs one each, saying how beautiful they were. No! They are hideous and ugly, with scary, physco, poltergeist killer personalities.

Don't watch this film, OP.

ah Rubbish I knew it was going to be that!! I haven't seen it but I will....the trailer looks brill.

is anyone else remembering the Philppa Gregory novel - with the voodoo dolls that will not die...?

You should have kept your opinion to yourself, or maybe you don't mind offending people.

This is a doll, I had and loved, my DD loves it too but loads of my friends are freaked out. Is it really that bad?

Scared of dolls?

I'll add that to the scared of spiders, scared of clowns, scared of millions of things list that seems to be constantly updated on MN. Usually accompanied with loads of 'burn it with fire' commentzzzzz. Did you ask your daughter if she wanted the doll?

Your DH is right, you were mean and blunt. But can't you see that yourself?

Contessa

Hell's Bells! That is a seriously malevolent stare . . .

()

Can't see your problem really, OP.

There's a doll refurbishment place in Cheshire - took my friend's creepy walking doll there. Maybe they could recolour it for you??

.

Everyone who commented on elderly relative - she wasn't there at the time!!! It was OP's in-laws who had got the doll from elderly relative from a previous visit. Unless in-laws tell her, she won't know OP didn't take the doll.

An American Doll? Do you mean American Girl? Or an American doll? What kind of doll was it? I can't imagine an elderly relative having an American Girl (plastic) doll to give as an heirloom! Do you mean it is a porcelain doll, American made? If so I would be surprised at the colours fading giving a deathly pallor and the lips turning blue. Porcelain dolls' paint tends to flake not pale or change colour so completely.

Even if you think it's creepy, if it's old, it's likely to be worth something (maybe not a fortune depending on make/condition etc etc but something). You could have it totally restored, full repaint, hair replaced etc. by a doll hospital which might have made it a lot prettier.

Probably you should apologise for your initial reaction if it hurt your in-laws feelings. They were obviously all set up to give up this doll as a kind of "moment", regardless of how attractive or not the doll was, and your reaction and then not taking the doll has spoiled their moment.

Tbf 2kids, this is MY beloved childhood dolly and so I am being a bit U towards MIL!!

You can try and be polite and civilised but sometimes things just spark an instinctive WTF response. It's like a startle reflex.

It could always stay at your ILs house so your DD can play with it there. Just make sure it doesn't follow you home and kill you in your sleep

Putting in the loft is a good idea.

At night you'll be able to hear it running around and laughing.

That would've been nice.