Nun dolls are becoming more and more sought after with the disappearance the the nuns' habits (costumes). There are only a few left who make the dolls's habits to be very accurate and true to the style of each of the orders.

If you want just any doll, there are plenty to be had at an inexpensive cost.

To purchase doll worth investing in, you need to pay attention to a few things. Here are some hints that make a doll more valuable: if the history of the order and what religion it represents is given; if it is made by Blessings, Genuine Nun Dolls or Mutual Friends; if the seller has many of the different orders, they were most likely from a collectors estate and probably worth the investment.

Pricing will give value away immediately. Minimum opening bid should be at $50 and expect to pay anywhere from $100-$250 for prize dolls.

You need to distinguish between nun momento's (pictures, books, postcards, rosaries, etc.), figurines and dolls. The good investment dolls will be 12-18 inches tall. They may have vinyl or ceramic/porcelin (sp?)/china hands and legs. They garments/habits are very well sized to the dolls and to the orignal habit.

Might be careful to collect only one size as too large a doll can be a headache to display. 

There are several individual nun dols "dresser's" who sew accurate habits. Check out the list serves for the three nun doll collector lists group.

Am sure there will be so objections to my remarks but I had to learn the hard way and hope this will help new comers. Probably add more later.

A new note to the designers (added Jan. 2009). My most frequent suggestion is to start the min. bid at $50....If your designed doll is good, you'll get those of use who are buyers brought into the bidding easily. I sew and design textiles also which makes me aware of the time and effort put into these dolls. My philospohy is that one should start a bid low and put the reserve at the half the amount you want to gain from the sale.

I wish all the designers well as I so enjoy the nun dolls done with accuracy.

One thing I haven't seen constructed is the old dress compared to the post Vatican dress matching dolls.. Also the old steps of postulant, novice and professed sisters dressed appropriately for different orders. Also, some orders who were nurses had all white habits for nursing "uniforms" ( and some of us only remember the orders as nurses and not in the non-nursing habit. 

To me, because the nuns/sisters were a religious person, I am a stickler about the faces chosen for the doll's face. It should be angelical but not childish or fashion model appearance. Also certain orders only attracted or accpeted darker skinned women. Like attention has NOT been paid to this matter of skin color.

I would bet that most of us are baby boomers who pruchase these dolls so, our recollection of the sisters would be the 1950-1960's dress and pre-Vatican II. (This would be important marketing information.)

HAPPY COLLECTING! and DESIGNING!