Randi Moore

Randi Moore, a well-traveled baby boomer originally from California, moved to Illinois after meeting her husband. After settling into married rural life, raising two sons and working various jobs along the way, Randi opened an antique shop in 1979. She found her first Skookum Indian dolls about 10 years ago. Like so many of us, she was hooked from the start! Always on the lookout for Skookum Indian dolls to collect and sell, it didn’t take long for her to start networking. It isn’t unusual for Randi to make a snowy 2-hour drive to meet a dealer in a parking lot to buy, sell, trade, or just plain talk about Skookums. Connecting with other collectors is one of her biggest pleasures along with sharing photos and information about the dolls.

“As you can see, I have a weakness for scowlers,” she says. She lovingly refers to them as her “hags” because of their expressive, old weathered faces. Also among her favorite dolls is the one she calls “her grandmother,” a Skookum type doll made by Mary Francis Woods.* The doll pictured here is 11" tall with gray mohair wig and original walking stick. Being a fairly difficult doll to find, it is a prize in her collection.

“My goal is to win the Lottery and send all my Skookum friends a ticket to meet in a wonderful resort for a weekend and to get to know each other and exchange Skookum stories. Now to remember to buy a ticket!”

We wish Randi luck with those winning Lottery numbers!

* See the featured article in this issue for more on M.F. Woods dolls.

Contributed by Randi Moore. Photos courtesy of Randi Moore

(If you would like to submit a photo and description of a favorite Skookum find for possible publication, write to info@SkookumNews.com)