How to Sell Collectible Dolls

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By dorigillman
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1960s Kissy Doll

If you are lucky enough to have saved your toys and dolls from when you were a little girl or you inherited a selection of vintage dolls from a relative who cherished them, you could be sitting on some extra cash. If you haven’t handed your own dolls down to some relative or your own daughter and you feel no emotion toward them, then consider selling them. Money in hand in this economy is better than dusty dolls in the attic.

There are many ways to sell collectible dolls. Read on and find out.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

antique collectable dolls

Step 1

Assess the condition of the dolls. Is anything broken, dirty, lost, or…. oh no!!!..... moldy? These things will be important in determining the quality of your merchandise. If the doll is dirty, try to clean it. If there is a button missing from a dress, get a new one. If it is moldy, well, you probably can’t sell a moldy doll.

If you have a doll in the original packaging, you are very fortunate. That doll will be worth a lot more than one that was played with by a child. Do still check for mold in the box.
Step 2

Determine what the dolls are worth. You can do this by talking with antique stores that deal with vintage dolls. Bring the dolls to the store and have them assess the doll. Check the dolls for special markings and dates engraved on them to prove authenticity. Observe if the doll has red or blonde hair, blue or black eyes, eye lashes that move or do not move, bendable or straight legs, freckles or not—you get the picture. All of this matters a lot when determining if the dolls are worth lots of or just a little bit of money.

There are also some very helpful websites that will give the value of these items from Barbie dolls, to Kissy dolls, to Kewpie dolls. You will find these websites in my resources section.
Step 3

Price the dolls. You can do this by checking on eBay for similar items and see how much the starting and ending bids are. For example, a 1960s Barbie in an original box, recently sold in the thousands. Another vintage doll, Libby Littlechap, sold for only fifteen dollars. Also, from checking the price guide websites (see Step 2 and my resources), you will have a better idea when you compare with EBay and other sites like it, what to price your dolls.
Step 4

Post the dolls for sale on places like Craigslist, Ebay, Etsy (if you set up a store there, they allow you to sell vintage items), and other similar sites. Post it for sale in your local and citywide print and on-line newspaper.

If you find an interested antique store, sell them there but make sure you have done the first three steps in this article first. You want to be able to get the best price from them. Remember, they will not pay you what they get on a retail sale.

Comments

believeinfamily said

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on 11/19/2009 Good information on selling dolls that are collectible. 5*

crosswised said

on 11/13/2009 How to Sell Collectible Dolls was really good information. I've sold a few in the past on eBay for a friend and realized I didn't know much about them. I'll do more research next time! Rated 5*