How to Collect Vintage Paper Dolls

Paper dolls have been around for more than 200 years. Early paper dolls were usually hand painted. Manufacturing began in England and the U.S. in the early 1800s. Paper dolls from the 1950s on are fairly inexpensive to collect. Here are tips on how to collect vintage paper dolls.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Decide what you want to collect. Fashion, brides and celebrities are some examples. Limiting your collection will help control your spending and focus your search efforts.
2. Get some books about paper doll values. Join clubs and subscribe to newsletters to get ideas about what paper dolls are available and their values. Check out "20th Century Paper Dolls: Identification & Values" by Mary Young for great information (see Resources below).
3. Look for paper dolls online and in stores. Paper dolls can turn up in many places. Second hand stores, yard sales and eBay are good sources. Look for magazines that have pages of paper dolls printed inside, as well as paper doll books. The website Paper Goodies sells reproductions of vintage paper dolls (see Resources below).
4. Store your paper dolls carefully to prevent damage. Use acid-free materials. If you stack the paper doll books, put an acid-free tissue between each. Do not use cardboard boxes to store the books. Line plastic or wood boxes with acid-free paper or store in a filing cabinet in hanging files lined with archival paper.
5. Frame paper doll prints with a mat to keep the paper from touching the glass.
6. Keep paper dolls away from sunlight and florescent light.
7. Leave paper dolls uncut. Uncut books are more valuable than those that have the dolls and clothes cut out. However, if you only want to collect paper dolls for your own viewing pleasure and not future value, you'll find cut dolls at much cheaper prices.

Tips & Warnings

• Be wary of antique dealers, who may over charge for paper dolls.