Is that vintage Ginny doll being offered for sale wearing a bright gold Ginny heart necklace?  If so, that the necklace probably is a modern reproduction.  The original Ginny heart necklaces are very rare and most of them didn't survive the trauma of being played with by an 8 year old girl.  Many were broken, thrown away or lost.   Today, a mint original vintage Ginny necklace is a true treasure.  Most of the surviving necklaces are discolored and aged with time, so if there is a shiny metal necklace around the neck of a 1950s Ginny doll, I recommend asking the seller direct questions.

It is important that YOU as the BUYER know that sometime in the late 1990's, Shirley's Dollhouse in Wheeling Illinois, was the seller of a store exclusive reproduction Ginny heart necklace that is nearly identical to the vintage Ginny necklace.  Shirley sold her overstock to a man who lives in Illinois, and over time he has been selling these necklaces on Ebay, at doll shows and other places.   Shirley also sells these Ginny necklaces every now and then on Ebay.  Today, in 2008, most of that overstock has been exhausted, but every now and then one of those necklaces still pops up for sale somewhere, and Shirley still has them available for sale on her website. 

Below is a picture of the reproduction necklace made exclusively for Shirleys Dollhouse.  I apologize that the picture is so small, but the picture size is limited by Ebay:

Certain sellers who restore vintage Ginny dolls have been buying up these REPRODUCTION GINNY NECKLACES and putting them on their restored dolls.  In the time since the exclusive store reproductions were issued,  these Ginny heart necklaces began to show up on these restored dolls and are represented as original by omission, or by direct misrepresentation........."[1955] Ginny, dressed in her little white dress wearing her Ginny heart necklace" is the most common term used.

REMEMBER - just because a doll looks great, has perfect hair and is dressed in a darling clean crisp outfit, doesn't mean you are getting the real thing. 

Unless you plan to keep that doll that was sold as "mint and original" forever, think carefully about paying [$300] in a private auction for a doll that has been restored and may be wearing reproduction replacement pieces. 

Think ahead.  If you ever need to sell your collection for any reason, any emergency, you may never recover your original purchase price because the next buyer may be vintage doll savvy and know what they are getting.

ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS and research your doll before buying it!