Looking for a My Twinn doll? eBay is a wonderful source of My Twinn dolls, however when shopping you may be faced with a number of collector-centric terms that may confuse you. What is a Denver doll? What is a Virginia doll? and what in the heck is an "upload" doll?

Note: This guide deals with the 23" My Twinn doll. It does not address the My Twinn Toddler, My Twinn Cuddly or My Twinn Baby doll.

My Twinn dolls sold on eBay are advertised in a variety of ways on eBay, but some terms can be confusing. This guide will hopefully help you navigate the waters of My Twinn collecting as you make your choices and bid appropriately.

My Twinn Eras

The My Twinn doll company has been in existence since 1993. Much of the history of the company is known only through retellings and anecdotal observations from former employees and collectors. But, some historical data is generally agreed upon and is presented here.

My Twinn dolls are typically categorized by collectors to fall within one of three eras:

• Denver
• China
• Virginia

Denver Era

The "Denver Era" of My Twinn dolls refers to the time prior to My Twinn's bankruptcy in Fall, 2003. A "Denver" doll was not necessarily created in its entirety in Denver; more so the term denotes that the doll was produced during the time the company was headquartered in Denver.
Denver dolls are considered "cream of the crop" by many collectors. The vinyl used in this period was high quality, eye color selection was optimum and of high quality, and wigs were of extreme high quality. In addition, the My Twinn company employed some exceptionally talented doll artists in their "doll hospital;" most notably Connie Marshall, Carol Ferrin, and Kim Olsen amoung others. Some of these artists still accept commissions for repainting My Twinn dolls.
During the Denver heyday, as many as 42 face molds were sculpted and created. Most of these molds are no longer available for general order, although the company has apparently regained the rights to using all of the original molds. Molds no longer produced are considered "rare" to varying extents and are not generally available via direct order from the My Twinn company, but they are at times made available through the My Twinn "Friends" page (see below).

China Era

The "China Era" of My Twinn dolls was very short lived. In the Fall, 2003, My Twinn significantly revamped its entire manufacturing/ordering/delivery process. All processes were moved to China. Only 15 of the 42 molds were retained and those molds were reversed engineered and recast -- resulting in a doll that was noticably smaller and with less detail.
China dolls were at the time of their introduction considered shadows of their precedessors. The vinyl was less luxurious, the eyes were of lower quality (often paper inserts over plastic half-rounds) and the wigs were thin and sparse with the weft often showing through the strands.
China dolls were shipped directly from China. Because they were shipped directly from China, the dolls were treated with a chemical retardant to preserve the dolls during the long trip. This chemical smell was often still present upon delivery of the doll and ranged from mildy irritating to overwhelming.
My Twinn declared bankruptcy in 2003, leaving thousands of ordersunfilled for the coming holiday season.

eToys and Virginia Era

In Summer, 2004, rumblings of a resurrected My Twinn began to surface amongst collectors. And shortly thereafter, assorted My Twinn dolls began showing up on the eToys web site. These dolls were either "Denver Era" dolls that were in storage or "China dolls" that were never delivered. Dolls that were sold through the eToys site were advertised with cute stories and rather "energetic" poses of the dolls (more than one collector remarked that the dolls looked like they were performing with semaphores).
The My Twinn web site (under the direction of eToys) was officially relaunched in 2004.  Originally the company retained the concept it had created for its "China" era with only 15 face molds available and dolls often of the same quality as those of the "China" era. Eventually more face molds were reintroduced, although not all 42 original face molds are yet available.
Later, as the company moved operations to Virginia, higher quality vinyl (though still not consider as good as "Denver" vinyl by collectors) was introduced, wigs were upgraded, more face molds were reintroduced, and facial painting was somewhat enhanced.

Buying a My Twinn doll on eBay

First and foremost, your choice in purchasing **any** doll should be determined by whether you like the doll or not. Don't be swayed by terms like "collector's doll," "HTF (hard to find)," "rare" or "retired." Do you like the doll? Does it speak to you? If you can answer those questions with an unqualified "YES!" then continue reading.

Second, why are you buying the doll? Are you buying it to enjoy it? Are you buying it for its resale value? Will this doll be a collector's doll or a play doll? Answers to these questions will determine appropriate bids for dolls.

If you are buying a doll for a play doll, simply abide by the first caveat -- do you like the doll?

However, if you are buying the doll as a collector's doll or one that you hope will retain its value consider the following:

**Face mold - some face molds are more rare and therefore more desirable than others. At this writing (June, 2007) molds that are extremely rare are those named:

• Josie
• Clementine
• Beth
• Mallory
• Karen

Other rare (but currently less-rare) molds are:

• Beatriz
• Bernetta
• Madalene
• Tamsen
• Whitney
• Pearl (both Denver and Virginia era)
• Lydia

This second set of rare (but less rare) molds have been downgraded recently due to the volume of dolls released by My Twinn through their Friends page for as little as $169 per doll.

Evaluating a My Twinn doll on eBay as a collector's doll

How do you decide what to bid on a My Twinn doll on eBay? There is no easy answer, but there are some guidelines to consider:

Given that Denver era dolls are considered of greater value than Virginia (or China) dolls what should you look for when bidding?

First, look for a mold that is not being produced currently by My Twinn. This is often hard to determine as My Twinn has been reintroducing molds over the past two years. For example, the Allison and Pearl molds are now available again, but the Virginia versions are not as desirable (in collectors' eyes) as the  Denver offerings. Markings for both era dolls are the same so to the untrained  eye it is hard to determine the era from which the doll came. Another mold that is difficult to evalute is the Berkeley mold because the mold is available both in Denver and Virginia iterations (as well as China).

Second, look for a doll that is NOT offered by other sellers. A recent release of otherwise "rare" face mold dolls by My Twinn has resulted in a rash of offerings of what was in the past considered very hard to find dolls. So, if more than one of a particular face mold has been offered on eBay in the past 30 days, the doll may have been purchased from the My Twinn web site as a Friend for $169 or less.

Third, ASK THE SELLER...IS THE DOLL TRULY "DENVER." My Twinn has been selling a number of "rare" faces through their web site in the past six months. These dolls have all the earmarks of "Denver" dolls -- they have Denver era heads and Denver era bodies (2002 and earlier) but they often have post-Denver wigs, eyes and facial painting. ASK THE SELLER: "IS THIS DOLL AN UPLOAD DOLL?" While this may not make sense to the non-collector, it will to the My Twinn collector. An "upload doll," is one purchased through the My Twinn Friends site at a price of $169 or less.

Fourth, ASK THE SELLER IF THEY ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND HOW LONG THEY HAVE OWNED THE DOLL. Dolls purchased directly from My Twinn prior to Late Summer/Early Fall, 2003, fall within the "Denver" era based on the timeline of My Twinn history.

And finally, in deciding what to bid on a My Twinn doll, ask the seller if any alterations have been made. Have the eyes been changed? Has the wig been replaced? Has the head been removed from the body to make any adjustments? Has the body been swapped out or mended? These are all questions that a buyer should ask in order to determine the value of the doll.

Ultimately the My Twinn doll will speak to the bidder. But to hear the true answer, a collector should consider the above.