Antique Dolls

Antique dolls make a great collecting topic and can be very rewarding, personally and financially. Personally you can enjoy tremendous rewards from the thrill of the search, the joy of acquiring knowledge, the actual fun in tracking down interesting dolls and the social interactions with other collectors. The financial rewards can come from your acquired knowledge and the skill with which you apply that knowledge when you sell or trade dolls to upgrade your collection.

It is very important to understand the potential defects in dolls and how they affect the long-term value of a particular doll. Collectors will forgive some defects but not others – depending upon the rarity and desirability of the doll. Eye damage, cracks, chips, stains and missing parts all have varying negative effects upon the value of a doll.

Dolls come in all forms, subjects, and sizes. They range in age from prehistoric to modern. Dolls were and are made commercially in France, Germany, the United States and Japan. Of course, very large numbers of dolls were home made and form a substantial genre of today’s collecting climate. An almost infinite variety of different materials have been used in the construction and manufacture of dolls over the ages. Fine European fashion dolls were made from bisque, porcelain, leather, or glass and were dressed in beautiful fabrics and adorned with exquisitely crafted wigs. Lesser commercial dolls and those crafted at home were made from whatever materials were cheap and at hand such as carved wood, corn husks, simple rough cloth, vinyl plastic, wax, china, pottery and paper mache.

The market value of dolls varies widely. Many are relatively inexpensive, although they can make a very nice and enjoyable collection that is attractive and displays well. However, some fine, older and rarer dolls that are unusually attractive and well dressed can be quite expensive. That makes assembling a collection of them require very deep pockets indeed. Additionally, assembling such a collection requires expert knowledge on the part of the collector and the guidance of a top quality dealer. It pays great dividends to be intimately acquainted with a knowledgeable dealer and have an exceptional reference library if you intend to collect higher end material. Useful, informative and recommended is Jan Foulke’s Guide to Dolls: A Definitive Identification and Price Guide

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