Hello and regal regards again to all subjects of the thrift store realm!!! 

I have been diligently at work sorting through trash or treasures and have come upon a new topic for discussion, doll collecting!!  Collecting dolls is by far the largest of all collecting groups and the reason why is simple, WE LOVE DOLLS!!  Who among us doesn't remember their first doll, or the second, or third, and so on?  Do you occasionally go back into your childhood memories and desperately want to re-live those special moments with your baby dolls?  Then you are a doll collector or at least a "potential" doll collector!!...

A little off - topic, yet relevant to our discussion on doll collecting; doesn't it seem that playing with our dolls as children was a wee bit easier than actually having our own children in adulthood?  They never cried, unless you wanted them to do so.  They never had a diaper that was filled with toxic waste.  And they never screamed for hours for absolutely no reason at all.  They were our perfect little darlings and ill-prepared many of us for parenthood.  That said, we will proceed back to our main topic, which was...oh yes, how to identify a doll that will bring us fame and fortune. 

Here are a few basic tips when searching through a box of assorted dolls in the back corner of your local thrift store, estate sale or antique shoppe: 

(1).  QUALITY AND CONDITION!!!

In order for you to be able to re-sell a doll on eBay or your brick and mortar store you must have a doll worth selling.  Sometimes you can purchase a very old doll that is in really bad condtion, but it will probably only sell as body parts.  (That is the morbid doll info I have).  Get to know your buyers and what they are searching for.  A great place to do this is in the Want It Now section of eBay's homepage. In other words, if you buy a doll (even an "antique" doll) and its head is cracked into pieces, or if it has hands and feet that have found their way into a dog's mouth then you will have a harder time selling it.  There are exceptions to every rule and be aware that truly vintage dolls, even those of good quality, oftentimes have cracks and crazing due to their age.  Check out the completed listings on eBay for research on what is selling and their condition to give yourself a basic understanding of what the buyers consider to be acceptable condition of old dolls.  The quality of your doll can be visible at first sight, once you get accustomed to what you are looking for in each doll.  Sounds hard...Keep reading!!

(2).  MAKER MARKS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM!!!

Most of the dolls you will ever come across in your search for the Holy Grail of Dolls will have a maker's mark located somewhere on its body.  The first place to look is on the back of their necks underneath the hair.  Another choice place for the maker's mark is on the doll's back between the shoulders.  It is a good thing if the marks on the neck and back are the same, as some people have been scammed by a truly rare doll head stuck on a worthless body.  If every doll was marked on both the neck and body with the same maker's mark, this would indeed be a perfect world.  Unfortunately, not all dolls are quite as forthcoming on their creators, so you need to spend some time getting familiar with different doll maker characteristics.  One of the very best places for doing this type of research is....eBay auctions.  Check out the different makers and get to know your dolls and what to look for when you are on the hunt.  And then there are the dolls that you alone will not ever by able to research enough in your spare time to know its true origin.  If this is the case, I will put a description of the doll to the best of my knowledge in my listing and ask for help with the identification.  Listed below are some of the doll maker bigwigs to be on the look for:

• Bru
• Gaultier
• Jumeau
• Kestner
• Kewpie
• Lenci
• Armand Marseille
• Schmitt
• Steiff (mostly bears, but a few dolls)
• Jules Steiner
• Madame Alexander
• Arranbee
• Betsy McCall
• EFFanBEE
• Horsman
• Ideal
• Vogue

These are just a few to get your research started...Keep Reading...it gets easier!!

(3).  WHAT THE HECK IS THIS DOLL MADE OF???

Now that we know some of the big name doll makers, let's concentrate on the different materials used to make dolls.  Dolls can be made of EVERYTHING POSSIBLE!!!  I'll try to narrow it down and be more specific.  There are many different materials that dolls are made of and here are some of the most sought after by doll collectors:

Bisque - Unglazed (flat) porcelain, usually flesh-colored or tinted.  This type of material can be used for the entire body or only the doll's head.

China - This is glazed (shiny) porcelain, and can be used for the doll's head, arms, and legs.

Composition - Anything and everything available to a doll maker in the past few centuries.  Such as, wood pulp, glue, sawdust, flour, rags, cloth, and turnip greens. (Just kidding on the greens!)

Hard Plastic - This material is, well, hard plastic.  Hard material used for making dolls after 1948.

Kid Body - Body is made of leather, usually white or pink in color.

Mohair - A vintage doll's wig made out of goat's hair. 

Paper-mache' -  This material was used for some dolls' heads and bodies.  It can be made out of paper, wood pulp, glue, clay, flour and so on.  Yes, this does sound a lot like composition.  This is the easiest way to tell the difference - paper mache' is lightweight, composition is heavier.

Vinyl - This is a soft plastic material and has only been around in the doll collector world since the 1950's.  It is probably the material of the baby doll you played with as a child if you were born after 1950.  Best described as squishy plastic.

Wax-over - This doll's head and/or arms and legs were made of paper mache' or composition and was then dipped in wax.  The wax layer covering was meant to give the doll a life-like finish.

(4).  WILL ANYONE BUY THIS DOLL AFTER ALL MY HARD WORK!!!

Okay, we now have a basic understanding of what the doll buyers of the world want.  How do I sell it?  Take good pictures of the doll you have and give buyers close-ups of the face, original clothing, maker's mark, anything that makes your doll special.  If you know the maker, put it in your title.  Does the doll have open eyes or do they close when you lay them down?  Put it in your description.  Are the facial features hand-painted, are the eyelashes life-like or painted on, what kind of material is it made of??  Write it in your description.  You must tell your buyers everything you know or have learned about your doll and what makes your doll unique from the thousand others listed on the same auction. 

(5).  HAVE FUN...REMEMBER YOU BEGAN BY SIMPLY LOVING DOLLS!!!

Sadly, again, I must resume my other royal duties....your guessed it, its bedtime and the dinner dishes are scattered over three rooms. 

(Please feel free to check out the eBay community's Doll Collector's section, as they are always willing to help you especially in doll features, characteristics, and maker's marks.  Several people on that discussion group have a vast knowledge of dolls and most will take the time to help you identify your doll). 

Sincerely,  The Queen of The Thrift Stores

http://stores.ebay.com/APRILS-ATTIC-TREASURES_