Collecting Vintage Dolls

People collect all kinds of dolls.  Vintage dolls are some of the most collectible.


Some collectors get some help starting out when they are little when relatives and family friends start buying them some type of collectible dolls. Other people get into collecting as they get older and are able to appreciate the beauty and detail of some particular type of doll. Still others, just like to play with dolls and things go from there.There isn't any right or wrong way to go about starting your collection. Sure, there are choices you can make to make your collection more focused or more valuable, but you should always remember that collecting vintage dolls or any type of doll should be enjoyable for you before anything else.

Just as there are different ways that people get started in collecting dolls, there are different ways to go about building your collection once you are old enough to get the dolls on your own.  If you enjoy collecting some type of doll that is currently popular, you can keep up to date on all of the news related to new dolls being released.  Most popular dolls will have some type of website devoted to collecting them or sharing the latest news.  If you are looking for vintage dolls for sale, you can go out and do a lot of legwork searching estate sales and the like, but one of the best places to check is eBay.  The site has changed the ways dolls are collected and traded.  Now you can see thousands of vintage dolls with just one click! You will find that there are many knowledgeable collectors dealing directly on the site and your selection will be quite large and varied.  In contrast, dealing directly with a doll shop will almost certainly end with you paying the highest price that the shop's owner feels they can get.  This isn't meant to discourage anyone from purchasing from doll shops.  Anyone who has decided to sell and deal with dolls for their livelihood no doubt has a deep connection to this type of collecting.  I am simply saying that you are more likely to find a lower price on a quality collectible slipping through to you on eBay.

That is the other great part about checking out eBay for vintage dolls.  There are so many sellers, that buyers can often walk away with a steal.  Many inexperienced sellers do not do a very good job of listing their items or they assume it will bid up high and start them with very low opening bids.  Some of these get very expensive, but a surprising number slip through the cracks at very low prices. You just have to keep your eyes open for them


It is a little bit sad to think of how many vintage dolls were the victim cleaning purges as children grew up over the years.  Kids deciding that they are too grown up for dolls and Mom's purging clutter after giving the last warning about a messy room have no doubt sentenced thousands of old dolls to an eternity spent buried in landfills.

Fortunately for collectors though, some people get pretty serious about their doll collecting from the minute they receive their very first one.  There are many very well preserved vintage dolls floating around in collections right now all around the world.  No doubt there are also probably an amazing number of great old dolls stored away in attics and other storage spaces as well.

If you are a collector of vintage dolls or dolls in general, you have surely realized that not all dolls hold the same value as collectibles.  That doesn't mean that they don't have value to the boy or girl who has grown attached to them, just that the collectible market doesn't appreciate them quite as much as their owner does.

For the most part, better quality dolls are going to hold their value better than cheap ones.  If you are starting a collection now, or working on building up a collection of either modern or vintage dolls, you might want to keep this in mind.

If you are trying to determine the value of a particular doll that you currently own, there are some basic doll collecting guidelines, but it would be wise to get yourself a price guide and do a little research.  In general, the less that you can tell the doll was played with, the better.  It should be clean with perfect hair and paint work on the face.  If you can provide all of the original packaging and accessories, all the better.  Of course it is understood by most doll collectors that a doll's first purpose is to be a toy.  Hence, finding perfectly preserved specimens of any doll is pretty rare unless the doll was purchased and immediately stored for purposes of becoming an investment piece.

This site will bring you information about and listings for many different types of collectible dolls.  The original intent was to only feature vintage dolls for sale, but after some consideration, more modern and contemporary dolls will be featured as well since they will likely be the collectibles that are sought after in the future.

As this site grows, some of the the featured types of dolls to look for will include cloth dolls, wood dolls, porcelain dolls,composition dolls papier-mache dolls, vinyl dolls, metal dolls, bisque dolls, and hard plastic dolls.  The intent is for this site to grow and never be totally "done" because there will always be something new to talk about regarding vintage, antique and modern collectible dolls!

Exploring the entire history of dolls is quite an endeavor. To be honest, most people looking for antique dolls or vintage dolls for sale are not all that interested in the entire history of collectible dolls. Most are just looking for information related to the particular doll they enjoy collecting. Some may not even want to read about doll history at all. They just want to find and buy the dolls they need to complete or build their collections.

There are some people who enjoy collecting almost any doll that catches their eye, but many focus in on one specific doll maker or brand. Of course there is some natural crossover in interests. A person who collects vintage Mattel dolls will certainly have an interest in a vintage Barbie doll and all of her accessories if they happen to come across a good deal. Someone who collects vintage bride dolls, might collect across brand names as well, since this is a popular theme produced by many doll makers. It follows that this person might also have a collection that includes everything from porcelain dolls to cloth dolls.

Whatever your interest may be, I hope you will enjoy this site and share comments if you have any stories related to your own collecting. Whether you like old dolls or new ones, I hope you will find something you like here.

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