Now you are ready to place bid on a Kenner Blythe Doll on eBay.  A lot of sellers claim that they are not doll experts and write simple descriptions which do not include what you must know before placing a bid.  After all you are spending hundreds of dollars to buy a vintage doll.  Here is a list of questions you could ask the buyer and determine the maximum bid worth placing for your precious KB baby:

1. Condition of the doll

a. Hair: Has her hair been cut?  Are her hair original or have been re-rooted?  Don't laugh, one friend spent tones of dollars and got a really nice soft hair girl only to discover that her hair had been re-rooted.  It is not saying that re-rooted girls are not worth the money.  In fact, this might cause a hundred dollars+ if the hair is being rerooted by a KB specialist.  But you would prefer to know before placing a bid.  Ask if she has any missing hair plugs.  If yes, how many and where?  This will help determine whether you need to open her head later and add back hair.

Lastly colour of KB girl's hair does fade.  I have bought a red hair KB girl from an auction house in Australia, and I found out half of her hair was green when I got her.  This fading of colour is most likely caused by heat or the sun.  Red hair girl will turn greenish, and sometimes the green tint got onto her face too. This tint cannot be get rid of, so beware.

b. Eyes: Are the white of the eyes very yellow?  Are the eye chips clear?  If the white part of the eye is dirty or yellow, it can be cleaned by using Japanese model polishing cream (we have stocked it in our eBay store, look in the repair section in Blythe, Momoko, Pullip doll section in our store).  However, blurred eye chips cannot be repaired and must be replaced.

Does her pull ring work and all 4 eye colours can be changed smoothly?

If no more pull string, check if her eye mechanism is still working fine by helping eye colour change by using hands.  If the eye colours can be changed smoothly by hands, this mean you can add back the pull string easily, but her head will have to be opened for this to be done.

If eye chip is missing, ask the seller to shake her head, if there is sound inside her head, it is most likely the eye chip is inside her head.  You can also ask the seller to look from the hole at the back of her head to check if the eye chip is inside her head. If yes, you can get the eye chip out from her head and glue it back easily.   This will involve head opening.

c. Face: Are the make up original?  Any yellowing, stain, defect, scratch or damage on her face?  Has her face been matted or sanded by sand paper? Yellowing is very difficult to get rid of although you could try sanding it (pls see our shop for Japanese doll sanding paper).  The effect will not be very good and you should expect to still see yellow tint.  Some stain can be easily cleaned by water, and some could be removed by sanding or polishing cream.  Scratches can also be easily taken care of by applying polishing cream. 

No make up or loss of make up are easy to add back, especially blush. You will be amazed how a little air brush or chalk crayon pink blush could do to your baby.  Eye shadow is more difficult to add back because it involves opening of her head.  Missing eye lashes are also difficult to add back, because first it is difficult to find KB lashes; second, KB eye lash design are not like Neo Blythe.  Do not expect you can add back her eye lashes easily.

d: Body: The difference of 6 or 7 lines at her back signifies that they are made at different times.  Some say 6 lines dolls look more sad and 7 lines dolls more innocent, but the face mold should be the same, only that the batch produced at the beginning has 6 lines at her back, and the latter batch has 7 lines. 

Are all her body parts from one doll?  Don't be shock.  As there are sellers that buy a head, get a torso and add back legs and hands here and there to assemble a KB doll. 

Any torso, butt crack, or neck break?  These are most common damage of Blythe dolls.  Torso and butt crack affects legs attachment.  Some review said torso or butt crack does not affect legs movement.  This is true, as I have had 3 dolls who have torso and butt crack, but the legs of 2 of them easily fall off, but the ease of leg movement due to loose part also make her being able to do more poses ordinary good healthy KB cannot do.  This is also the case for KB with neck breaks.  KB who has neck break will have loose head.  Her head can be removed any time easily.  This increases her neck movement hence she can look down, like she is thinking about someone, and can pose more vividly than healthy Blythes.  So if you don'd mind head, or legs falling off occasionally, you can consider to save some dollars by getting a KB with these defects. 

e. Feet: Can her knees be bended 2 clicks and hold 3 positions? Straight up, first bend, second bend.  Ang tears behind her knees?  If yes, this means her knees are going to break very soon, or have already been broken.  If she has only one leg broken, she can still stand all right and make a lot of poses.  But if both knees are broken, or are torn at the back (of her knees), do not expect her to be able to stand straight and tight.  Expect the need to change her legs with Neo Blythe Legs.  These have to be performed by KB repair specialist and it will cost you at least US$100 (to buy the Neo Blythe legs, to send her back and forth to the KB specialist and to pay for the repair fees)

In Short, here is the list of questions you can ask the seller in the ask a question section:

1. Any missing hair plugs?  Any missing eye lashes?

2. Has her hair been cut? 

3. Is her hair original?

4. Is her make up original?  If she has been retouched, which part is original and which part is retouched?

5. Is there any stain, defect, yellowing, cracks on any part of her face, body, butt, feet? 

6. Are her fingers and toes intact, clean?

7. Does her pull ring work and all 4 eye colours can be changed smoothly?

8. Can her knees be bended 2 clicks and hold 3 positions? Straight up, first bend, second bend.  Ang tears behind her knees? 

9. Has her head been opened?

10. Any other defect/problem about this doll I should know??

Last but not least, DO NOT accept any one offer you to buy KB off eBay.  Because there are a lot of scams targeting buyers who are willing to pay a lot for KB dolls.  These scams may offer you a buy it now price, and direct you to a fake web site that looks like ebay or paypal but not really.  They will ask for your ebay and paypal ID and passwords.  So beware and be very careful  Always check the credentials and feedback of the seller before you buy.  Do NOT buy from 0 feedback seller.  Install the ebay Toolbar.  It will tell you it is a fake web site when you are directed to one.

Good luck bidding and if you have any questions, just email us we will be happy to help!