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Doll Collecting and Doll Information
Doll Quick Links
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Doll CollectingBy Cathy Richey, the Cathy Factor
The first thing to remember when you start an antique doll collection is that the majority of these dolls were greatly loved by little girls. They were played with, dressed and redressed, bodies sometimes worn out, patched and replaced. If your budget is limited, well-loved dolls, often without their original clothes, can be a wonderful way to start a collection, especially if you can sew. Remember that replacing eyes, wigs, and body parts, as well finding original or period clothing for an antique doll can be a very expensive. Good antique doll shoes, for German and French bisque dolls can be well over $100 a pair. Original clothes for a Jumeau or Bru can run many hundreds of dollars. Reproductions of clothes and shoes, and the original doll are widely available, but before investing in these, you should study antique dolls for awhile, seeing as many original dolls and outfits as you can to help you judge authenticity and quality. Museums and doll auctions (run by such auction houses as Theriaults,
Frashers, and McMasters) are two excellent places to see antique dolls in
person, and many well-illustrated books are also available. Antique Doll
Collector, a bi-monthly magazine, is an excellent place to find specialist
antique doll dealers. Many paper maché dolls are also under $500, including the lovely German dolly-faced dolls. When selecting a German dolly-faced doll for your collection, try to notice the facial painting, which can vary greatly. For
instance, if you are purchasing a common German bisque doll by Armand Marseille,
pay attention to the individual artistry of the doll--some are hastily painted
with one-stroke brows and heavy tint and blush, while others have nicely
feathered brows, pale bisque, and are as nice as dolls from better-known makers.
Also, although the prices of all-bisques by Kestner and other known makers have
skyrocketed in recent years, there are many affordable all-bisques, such as
unmarked stationary-head German "candy dolls" often for under $200, and frozen
charlottes (china dolls, all stationary) which can be bought for as little as
$25 for a doll under 2" tall. Clothing, Shoes, and Accessories Another niche for someone who admires the artistry of the antique dolls, but cannot afford the finer examples, is to concentrate on the lovely garments, shoes, hats and accessories made for the dolls. Fine French dolls had entire stores devoted to their clothing and accessories, and accessories included everything from purses to card games, and chatelaines to bibles. The clothing made by expert seamstresses rivaled the finest fashions for women. All of these items are quite pricey, but fine examples can be bought for much less than complete dolls. If you are not limited in funds, try to find dolls in original condition, which are in original or period clothes. This is especially true for dolls which are not as rare, such as many of the china dolls or German dolly-faced dolls. All-original dolls are getting harder and harder to find, and their values are likely to continue to soar. Places To Find Antique Dolls Sources of antique dolls include antique and specialty doll dealers, auctions (uncataloged auctions offer the best bargains, but they are "buyer beware," so it is wise to study dolls for awhile before participating) and from the Internet, from both doll retailers and auction sites such as eBay, Boxlot Auctions, and Amazon.com Auctions. One thing to remember, it is very difficult to purchase antique dolls over the Internet. Unlike modern collectible dolls like Barbie, which are painted in a standard way, with standard manufactured clothing, antique dolls and their clothing tend to be unique, like individual works of art, and therefore antique dolls are extremely difficult to purchase without a personal inspection. | |
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