If You're Serious About Small Vintage Dolls, This book is a Must-Have:

GENERAL PMA IDENTIFICATION TIPS:

• Presence of PMA back mark is absolutely diagnostic - but most are not marked
  This doll is actually marked "Plastic Molded Arts Co.LIC New York" on her back. Most aren't.
  
• The most reliable indicator that an unmarked doll is PMA instead Fortune/Virga is the presence of painted-on lower eyelashes.
  

• arms like Virga Playmate, with "C" hook
  
• second & third fingers usually molded together.
• Molded and/or painted-on shoes: T-straps (toddler walkers) or flats with bow (costume dolls)
• Shoe is usually painted, but not always. 
  
  
• May or may not have PMA identification mark on back of body or head
• Crease in center of kneecap (dimples on either side of knee in 9-inch model)
• Mold runs through ear
  
• Standard "C" arm attachment hook (also sometimes used by Virga)
  
  (remember that arms were held in with rubber bands, which break, and many arms were lost and later replaced - not necessarily with the original.)

HEIGHT: PMA made dolls came in all the popular size formats, including 6 inch, 7 inch, 7 1/2 inch, 8 inch, and 10 inch.

HEADS: hard plastic; After the mid-1950's, some had vinyl heads

FEET: Molded-on T-Strap shoes,

Photo: My collection

 
PMA Joanie Walker 
(photo-my collection)

This slim high-heeled fashion teen was recently sold on Ebay as Joanie Walker. Whether PMA actually intended this, or whether PMA Suzie Shopper ended up in the wrong box, I cannot say at this time. If readers know, please share!
Photo: Ebay listing

Photos: Ebay listings
PMA produced a vinyl-head 8-inch doll. 

Photo: My collection
PMA Joanie Pigtails 

Joanie Pigtails was made by Plastic Molded Arts circa 1953, and came in both "White" and "Black" models. She was strung. Joanie Walker followed her around 1955.

PMA made many other 8-inch toddler dolls besides Joanie Pigtails - in all ranges of the price spectrum. 

PMA  8-inch "child" or "toddler" dolls have the same heads and legs with molded t-strap shoes as the Fortune and Virga dolls. 

Some are labeled PMA on their backs; others are not labeled.

• PMA, Virga, & Fortune also made a  9-inch head-turning walker, with arched eyebrows, sleep eyes, molded lashes, individual fingers, and knees with 2 dimples:
  
• They also made TEEN dolls:
  Photo from Ebay listings

and this 8-inch, moveable-legged costume doll

Marked PMA vinyl-head
Photo from Ebay listing

Photo: Ebay listing

Dating the PMA dolls:

Like most dolls of this genre, pre-1955 dolls are strung, with painted lashes. 

Post-1955 dolls are head-turning walkers, with molded-on upper eyelashes.