Saying that you collect vintage baby dolls sort of gives you a wide range of vintage dolls to consider for your collection. Unlike specialized areas of doll collecting, focusing on “baby dolls” leaves the door open for dolls made from just about any material ever used in doll making. Generally, baby dolls have been made [...]
Everything started to change when celluloid, an early form of plastic, was invented toward the middle of the 1800′s. Dolls no longer had to be breakable. It isn’t that they were built to be fragile on purpose of course. There just weren’t many options if you wanted a doll that could be given detailed features. [...]
Although they are a very popular collectible, it can difficult to find vintage porcelain dolls in good condition that have not gone through restoration. Before purchasing a doll, be sure to ask the seller if any restoration has taken place and also ask about how it was done. If you are going to invest in [...]
Madame Alexander dolls have a long rich history. You should be familiar with a few terms as you begin a collection. Sometimes terms referring to the ages or “eras” of a doll can be confusing and overlap each other. A good clue as to the age of a doll is sometimes the material from which [...]
Composition began to be used in doll bodies in the late 1800s. Composition dolls with heads made of composition became very popular during the early part of the twentieth century. One of the reasons they became so popular was their resistance to breakage. Many little girls were left sadly holding the pieces of a favorite [...]
In his afterword to The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Alex Haley recalled how touched—and amazed—Malcolm was when he, Haley, bought a pair of large Negro walking dolls as gifts for Malcolm’s two older daughters, not long before the former Black Muslim leader was killed in New York. Vintage black dolls are as collectible today as [...]
The Kewpie doll has been with us since 1909, more or less. In that year, comical illustrations of their inspirations first appeared by Rose O’Neill in the Ladies’ Home Journal—who once said dreams of little Cupids, during the aftermath of her second divorce, prompted her to draw the images in the first place. Three years [...]
Vintage Ginny dolls are almost always a popular find on eBay. The classic doll enjoyed immense popularity during the 1950s and became the standard against which many other 8 inch dolls were compared. As such, if you are building a collection, you need to watch out for “Ginny Style” dolls which some may try to [...]
Although this site is mainly about vintage dolls, I still have quite an interest in modern dolls, so I’ve decided to include them in the mix here as well as they catch my eye. To say that reborn baby dolls caught my eye would be quite an understatement. Reborn dolls are simply amazing. If you [...]
Cricket was one of the popular dolls that came out of the 1980s. She is not quite as well known as Strawberry Shortcake or the Cabbage Patch Kids, but she does have her own bunch of devoted collectors. Below, you will find a few Cricket Dolls currently being offered for sale on eBay. If you [...]
Doll clothes are one of those items that are always in demand. Vintage doll clothes in particular can be tough to find in good used condition. Often vintage doll clothes show the ravages of time and little girls customizing outfits for their favorite dolls. One great thing about eBay though is that there are people [...]
Collectors of vintage Strawberry Shortcake Dolls have a lot to keep track of when they consider their collections. This isn’t just because of a wide variety of doll types, but just keeping track of what doll was released with what features can become a bit confusing to a less experienced collector. Many people think of [...]
It is pretty amazing how one little girl could have such an influence on so many people, but Shirley Temple really pulled it off. Shirley Temple dolls have stood the test of time and are still very popular. Many collectors specialize just in Shirley dolls. It is amazing how popular Shirley Temple dolls still are [...]
Corolle dolls are not the fanciest dolls you will find, but they certainly still have a solid following among collectors. Including Corolle dolls may be pushing it a bit as far as “vintage” goes. The company has been around since 1979. Many of them are bought and sold on eBay regularly though with the vintage [...]
Tonner dolls are very popular and well recognized for their beautiful styling and attention to detail. Robert Tonner started out in the fashion industry and was well on his way to a fine career in the fashion and design field, but followed his interest in dolls to break off and start his own doll company. [...]
I wanted to take a moment to invite visitors to leave a comment about their favorite doll(s). What kinds of dolls do you like best? Is there any particular doll that you focus on, and why? What got you interested in vintage dolls? I’d love to hear your responses.
