First I want to admit something . . .

I would like to admit since I have been selling dolls the last few weeks, it is not as easy as it looks. Packaging is expensive, and with the rising costs of gas, its not getting cheaper. Packing supplies are very expensive and it is hard to please everyone. That doesn't mean you use a dirty diaper, or a used pizza box, but to some, new packaging is not possible. Porcelain dolls have many breakable parts, and when your customer wants the doll, they don't want to take advantage of your insurance or money back guarantee. Packaging is the key to success in selling dolls. And know matter how great you are at packaging, some one in the shipping industry will still throw that package to the back of the truck no matter how many fragile, handle with care stickers you put on it. I recently received a positive feedback from a buyer that said that her doll arrived with a broken leg. I have a guide that explains how to package things, and I have a casualty. Well, that goes to show you, know matter what you do, something can still go wrong, and you still need to purchase the insurance. She didn't leave a negative, and I had left her a postive when she paid, so she must have been satisfied  with everything. She had to know it was the shippers, gorillas on steroids, that mishandled the package. I vow now to do better, but this is a fight that I may never win, but I will give it my all.  Please read on . . . .

Packaging dolls and a few eBay pointers from that I  have learned along the way . . .

I would like to thank you to those that love the Ashton Drake and similiar modern dolls. I want you to be careful about about NRFB dolls. (Never removed from box). I think that these dolls do exist, but it is hard to prove. If the seller says that he/she purchased the doll, and tells you that he/she did not remove the doll from the box, have them write a note to you saying that. That should be sufficient.  Personally, if you do not take the doll out of the box, how can you guarantee to the buyer that the porcelain is not broken?  The manufacturer states that you must inspect the doll for any flaw when you receive the doll, do they not do this? Let's not put too much concentration on the doll in the box idea anyway. A doll in a box in not much fun. I enjoy the dolls that do not have the box and COA much more. Not as valuable (yet), but just as decorative, and just as collectable.

Ashton Drake Dolls:

These dolls are expensive, well designed dolls that carry a theme and come sold separately in sets. Each doll comes with a window box, the box the doll is in and a shipper box, the box that is mailed to the original owner. Also included are the accessories to that doll and a COA, Certificate of Authenticity. The COA is important because it tells the artist's name, the series that the doll is in, the year sometimes and the number produced. The number on the COA is etched on the doll and the artist of the doll has signed the doll in the mold. So when you see signed by the artist, which means that this is on the doll. All of the dolls are signed. I have some that I have had the artist sign personally. This would be called autographed. That would differentiate it from the signed part. Sellers should clarify if you ask them. There is also a hang tag which has the dolls name and some information to help you figure out the series, the dolls name and varies from doll to doll. The tags fall off easily, and you may not be able to have one with your doll, but it is nice to have. Contrary to what most antique collectors think, these dolls will have their place in doll collection history. The more parts you have and keep of these dolls, the more it is worth. Like the Shirley Temple of the 30's and 40's, the dolls will hold their value even though it is said that they were mass produced. Their numbers were limited depending on the doll. The dolls are worth more if you have the complete set, or have along with them the miniature that they sometimes sell that matches some of them. Ashton Drake has Christmas ornaments, figurines. Now let's talk about shipping.

Shipping Ashton Drake Dolls, or any other doll that comes in a window box with a shipper:

When you sell an Ashton Drake or other doll that is previously owned, don't ship it in the shipper. I know that sounds weird, but the shipper box is valuable too. The Shipper box can be protective too, if you store your collectible dolls. Package the doll in the window box. Try to pack it the same as it was originally packed. Replace the tissue with Acid free tissue if the original tissue is missing. If it is not, do not dispose of it if it is torn. Original is always better. Put all accessories in their original plastic bag. If you do not have one, use a Ziploc. Place the COA in a Ziploc and place it under the doll. Also include in the box the printout from eBay or an invoice marked paid with the item number on it, so that the buyer can leave you feedback.  Make sure that you take the time and bubble wrap the arms, hands, feet and legs so that they don't get damaged during shipping. You may also want to wrap the head. Make sure that you do not mess the hair. Please do not put packing peanuts in this box unprotected. If you must add some cushioning, put the peanuts in a Ziploc, and seal. Loose peanuts will get tangled in the hair and may render the doll unacceptable. This would be a great place to put your eBay ID name and the item number. Use a protective cover for the paper so that the ink wll not touch the doll or accessories. Close the window box and insert it into the shipper box. What you do next is to cover the shipper box with brown wrapping paper, if you do not have any, use a paper bag. Tape with packing tape, not duct tape, as duct tape is a poor choice for shipping. You can apply the Mailing Label on this as if it is the box; apply postage and WOW you have the perfect way to ship. Never cover the window box with brown paper and mail. This never ends happy. The window box is just too fragile and not meant to suffer shipping mishaps.

    Picture of a shipper and a window box

Multiple Item Purchases:

Put the shipper box into another box with the other purchases. This is particularly true with Danbury Mint dolls and other dolls that the shipper is not included. Add some sort of cushioning like bubble wrap, Styrofoam pieces, or newspaper balled up. Newspaper is my favorite. Try to stay away from the comic section, as these sheets carry a lot of ink. We can recycle the paper, cardboard box and the brown paper cover. I can reuse bubble wrap, but I can not do anything with packing peanuts. I have offended some with my dislike for packing peanuts, but with MS, I have a hard time especially in low humidity trying to handle the pieces. Plus, they are not healthy for the environment unless they are reused, and I can not possibly reuse all that I would receive. This is so important:do not let the Newsprint touch the dolls in any way, shape or form. The print WILL come off and cause damage to the doll.

Porcelain dolls without boxes:

I like to buy porcelain dolls and fix them if necessary, clean them, mend their dresses, fix their hair and all that kind of stuff. I also like to see all the different kinds of outfits and the faces are just adorable. It is hard to find 2 of the same doll. I have bought as little a 2 in a lot or as many as 200 in a lot. I have seen it all.

Some small porcelain dolls once came wrapped in newspaper and packed in a pizza box, used, and then additionally put in a Depends box from a warehouse, filled with packing peanuts. I was OK with the Depends box, but I was horrified when I saw that the pizza box once had pizza in it. There were grease stains in it.

Another doll was placed with the  doll in a disposable diaper. I could only hope that the diaper was a clean one. My husband and I had a hard time deciding this. Someone told me that I would know if it was dirty. Well, I have had 6 children, and I had a hard time. I think this one was worn, and not used for potty, but taken off and taped with duct tape. That diaper was not just out of the box.I have used newborn brand new diapers on my larger dolls heads as they do provide cushion for the eyes and faces of the valuable dolls. The seller insisted that it was never used, and apologized. She said she was in a hurry.

Another example of an unacceptable way to pack porcelain dolls is to put them unwrapped into a box full of packing peanuts. Their shoes and tags come off. I have had to sift through the peanuts one handful at a time to look for shoes, labels, hats and sometimes body parts. I may have the use packing peanuts due to the Gorilla on steroids mantality of the postal system, but I will have to wrap the dolls completely in bubble wrap and a plastic bag so as to completely to avoid the problems I mentioned.

          Just one of the porcelain dolls that I love

The importance of leaving your eBay user ID and item number in the box:

I sometimes receive 10 to 20 boxes in a day, from Federal Express, DHL, the USPS and UPS. I sign for a lot of packages. I unpack them, peanuts everywhere, Dolls everywhere. I order sometimes 4 or 5 of the same doll. Like the Ashton Drake Sherlock Holmes as an example. Sometimes I would receive one or two in the same day. No way to tell who sent it to me except for a return address on the package. That name does not help. It does not match what I know about that seller on eBay. I have to wait for all the dolls to be delivered before I can leave feedback. I wonder who I would complain to if I did not receive the doll. I would have sent an email to everyone, and see who does not respond. Please leave me your eBay ID name somewhere on the box! I will leave you positive feedback! I just opened 5 deliveries today, and only one seller left me a packing slip. I left her feedback immediately. Luckily, I figured out the others by going back and forth on the computer to the descriptions, and to the sellers ID trying to see if I could make sense out of the mess. I did it, but it took a lot of time. I am waiting on 25 deliveries, and 4 of them are the same doll!

At Christmas when we all are buying, it would be nice to know from whom we have received it. It would really help too, if sellers would send an email the day it ships so that the buyer can expect to receive it soon. Communication is the key to a successful transaction. I would like to know what your thoughts are about this guide so that I can improve it's accuracy, as I believe that you never stop learning in life. Please leave your comments and suggestions in a nice constructive way and maybe we both can learn some things. Here is the link  .....>>>>  comments

You will be reading the thoughts of Polly at Polly's Passion Dolls and Collectibles eBay store. Dolls and other fine collectibles are being added daily. I hope that you have found this guide useful. Please cast your vote below!!!!!