Doll Collecting

Doll collectors collect all kinds of dolls- antique, vintage, modern and unusual. To get started with building your collection you can look at the various dolls that collectors are most interested in.

Modern Dolls are those produced from 1980 to the present time:

American Girl
Cabbage Patch
Bratz Dolls
Barbie Dolls
Madame Alexander Dolls
Tyler Wentworth Dolls
Raggedy Ann And Raggedy Andy
Silkstone Barbie
Lee Middleton Dolls
Gene Marshall Dolls

Vintage Dolls are those made from 1925 to 1979. There is an extensive list, which includes:

Shirley Temple Dolls
Nancy Ann Dolls
Ideal Dolls
Terri Lee Dolls
Betsy McCall Dolls
Chatty Cathy Dolls
Crissy Dolls
Liddle Kiddles
Blythe Dolls

Antique dolls refer to dolls from the 1800’s to the 1920’s. There is also a long list of these dolls, some of which are:

Armand Marseille dolls
Kewpie dolls
Jumeau dolls
Bru dolls
Googly dolls
Half dolls
Bleuette dolls
Dollhouse dolls

All the Barbie dolls are considered to be collectibles.

Now that you have an idea of the type of dolls that collectors look for, you need to know how to identify a doll and what to look for when you find one. You have to closely examine the doll noting the size, what material it is made from and the type of hair, eyes and clothing it has. Check the doll to see if has any markings on the head or torso because letters, numbers and marks of the creator or manufacturer are very important in valuing the doll. If there are no identifying makes, you will have to search reference books or online sites to find out the name of the manufacturing company. You can also bring the doll to an antique show or to a doll dealer to find out information about it.

To determine the value of the doll, you can consult several books that have been published as price guides. You can also use the doll section on Ebay to find what these dolls are currently selling for.

If you have a collection of dolls, there is no doubt that it is quite valuable. Therefore you need to take steps to protect the dolls. It is important to always avoid natural light, as this will cause the dolls to fade and lose their value. Fluorescent lighting is also harmful, which means the lighting in the area where you store the dolls should be incandescent light.

You should never smoke or allow anyone to smoke around the dolls because the dolls and the clothing will absorb the smell of smoke. Dust can also accumulate and harm the dolls, so they need to be dusted on a regular basis. Dolls should be stored in closed cabinets where sunlight, bugs and pets cannot get at them. The temperature is also important because extremes of heat can degrade plastic dolls and very cold temperatures are bad for Paper Mache dolls. Under no circumstances should you wrap the dolls in airtight plastic.