The Five Secrets to Getting the Best Price When Buying an Antique Doll Or Collectible Barbie Doll

The absolute best way to get a great deal when buying a collectible antique doll or Barbie doll is to be armed with information. There' no substitute for knowledge when it comes to buying or investing in dolls.

There are usually only two things you, as a doll collector, are looking for when considering antique dolls:

#1. You are looking for a very specific doll. You know the designer, when and where the doll was made and you know a lot of other things about the exact doll you're looking for.

#2. You are looking for a bargain. You are looking for any antique doll or collectible doll that is available way below it's actual value.

Here's how to get the best value for both types of dolls.

You have to approach each of these situations differently. The first situation is easier, but there are still some things that many collectors overlook. You need to do your homework and find out what dolls like you are looking for are actually selling for. And you need to know what they have sold for recently.

The market may have changed.  A particular doll that was in high demand and expensive not long ago, may be a lot less expensive now (or it may be even more expensive). Either way, don't rely on your previous knowledge. Find out what the value of the doll is NOW.

By all means it's important that you don't let your emotions get in the way of logic. Of course, that's easier to say than to do. If you love antique dolls like I do, it's easy to fall in love with a doll. But remember that you will have a better chance to get the best doll at the best price, if you can remain logical and not let your emotions rule.

Of course, the condition of the doll you're looking for has a lot to do with the price. This means that there could be (and probably will be) a wide range of prices that the particular doll you're looking for will be selling for.

In the second situation where you are looking for any doll that you can get at a great price, your job is even harder. You need to know the value of many dolls in order to find bargains. Of course, you can't know the value of all dolls, but there are probably a wide range of dolls that you're interested in and have some idea about the the price range they should be selling in.

One of the best ways to find a bargain in an antique doll is to realize that a lot of people start out collecting dolls and then lose interest. Also realize that in many cases the person selling the doll wants to sell it a lot more than you want to buy the doll. Regardless of how high (or even how reasonable) the initial asking price is, make a low-ball offer and work from there.

The Internet has a wealth of information about dolls. One of the best places to find out about antique doll prices is on eBay. Be sure to check completed auctions to see what antique, collectible or Barbie dolls like the one you're looking for really sold for. You can use this information in your negotiating.

CraigsList is another good place to search for antique dolls or Barbie dolls. But remember that the prices shown on CraigsList are the asking prices and not what the doll will or did sell for.

When you're armed with all of the above information, your final step is to use the five negotiating techniques shown below and don't be in a hurry -- be the reluctant buyer.

Five  Secrets to Getting the Best Price When Buying Any Antique, Collectible, or Barbie Doll:

1.    Offer way less than you expect to have to pay. 

2.    Always act shocked and surprised at the other side's first price.

3.    Say, "You've got to do better than that." 

4.   Walk away (or pretend to walk away) sometime during the negotiation.

5.    Arm yourself with information.  The more you're prepared with facts and information, the better deal you can negotiate.  For example, say, "I have checked eBay and other Internet sources, and dolls like this one never sell for more than $200."

Use these techniques and you will come out with the best deal possible on an antique doll. Don't forget that there are a lot of collectible dolls out there, so always be willing to walk away from any negotiation. 

Bottom line: Do your homework, check prices on eBay, negotiate, be patient and walk away (or pretend to  walk away) from any negotiation if necessary.

You are free to publish this article as long as it is published in it's entirely including the author information and links shown below.

Jerry Minchey is an engineer, author, researcher and he holds seven patents. He cuts through the hype and gets down to the bare facts to reveal secrets that are easy to understand using non-technical terms. He has written several books and produced DVDs as a results of his research.

You can see the latest information about antique dolls (including prices that are updated hourly) at Rare Antique Dolls. At this site you can find the best prices for all types of rare and collectible antique dolls.

You can also see the latest hourly updated information about collectible Barbie dolls at Rare Barbie Dolls [http://www.RareBarbieDolls.com]. At this site you can find the latest information and the best prices for all types of Barbie dolls.

Collecting Antique Dolls Makes a Wonderful Hobby

The great period for doll making was from 1840 through 1830.

In this era doll makers took great pride in their work and turned out dolls of great fine tuned detail, from the hand painted eyes in the smooth porcelain heads to the steel riveted leather or cloth bodies and porcelain limbs. The clothing on these antique dolls were hand made by accomplished seamstresses who took the same pride in their work as the doll makers did.

Today we can see this pride reflected in the dolls that have survived the past hundred or more years and they are truly a joy to look at. The fine porcelain heads with human hair set in the pates with the fine detailed faces reflect the countenance of the time period in which they were made. The wonder and innocence that seems to emulate from those faces can bring us back in time in our imaginations.

The wonderfully refined and cultured dress of the antique dolls that were made to represent the women of the time are exquisite. From the long underclothing to the many layers above, finished off with the high topped shoes and the sun shading hat. Armand Marseille, Heinrich Handwerck, Ernst Heubach, JD Kestner, Ernst Kammer, Franz Reinhardt, Pierre Jumeau and Leon Casimir Bru were each in the top of the top doll makers in the time period in which they lived and worked their doll magic.

Today any of their dolls are the ones collectors keep an eye open for.

Marceille, Handwerck, Heubach, Kestner, Kammer and Reinhardt were all of German descent, Jumeau and Bru of French descent.

When collecting antique dolls, everyone wishes for the best, of course, a doll with no cracks or crazing, which is a "weathering" of the doll shown by lines on the surface, and certainly no missing limbs. However, even those dolls are worthy of having in your collection. They show a loved and well played with history and are valuable just as they are, not all cleaned up and repainted and redressed and given new wigs.

More often than not, a " redoing " will diminish the value of a collectible doll.

If you are a doll lover of any kind, beware. Once you begin to really look at these old antique dolls, you will be smitten. They are hard to resist, but.. know that any one of them that makes its way into your home and your heart will never let you down. Their value can only go up as time goes by... and there will always be doll lovers around.

Mandy has a broad knowledge of all aspects of antique dolls...having collected dolls for more years than she cares to say.. and you can get a wonderful look at their history on her blog... The Doll Maker Of Old [http://thedollmakerofold.blogspot.com/]

Purchase of antique dolls for your Collection

Collectors can purchase a variety of antique dolls to add to the collection is of a variety of sources. Collectors can find that online retailers are an excellent source for locating dolls original 1980s and before.

Using online retailers, collectors may also find forums especially dedicated to the collection of dolls, which can be of some help collect antique dolls. The dolls online is really simple and will enable collectors find dolls that are actually located everywhere in the world. Of course, collectors prefer to consider before buying dolls and prefer to watch rather garage sales, markets to chips or antique store for antique dolls. However, this may be a much more difficult process of searching for these items, but it allows the collector of the opportunity to carefully examine the element of authenticity before performing any type of purchase.

Good health care are important in helping the dolls to maintain their appearance and their value. It is very important as a collector of stores their collection of antique dolls in a free showcase of dust, and that it does not get exposed to direct light from the Sun. The case of the display should provide an environment that is constantly cool and dry, which will help keep the dolls collection clean and prevent any discoloration. Fainting can be also be the cause of the excessive exposure to sunlight and exposure to moisture damage. Collectors should also know that when the antique dolls are placed sheets of tissue acid free between the dolls clothing and body will prevent the colours of the colour of the body of the doll clothing. Also, collectors should inspect their collections of dolls they have stored regularly to ensure no damage occurred.

Cleaning antique dolls greatly depends on the type of dolls that you have in your collection, as wooden dolls should get wet ever due to the fact that they will stain. Collectors must clean the dolls of ancient cloth with talcum powder or corn starch gently rubbing in the body and leaving it overnight. Powder bulk can simply be brushed free or dolls of cloth can be vacuumed by placing in a pair of tights nylon.

Some collectors will specialize their collections on the specific dolls like Charlotte dolls strawberry or Barbie dolls. Barbie collectors are really lucky, because they have agreements that are available that they can network with other collectors to enable the purchase, sale and trading dolls in their collections. These types of agreements are organized each year in a variety of different locations and interested collectors may attend these conventions by signing via the Web site at Mattel.

Collectors may have one or more of their antique dolls evaluated to determine the value. To do this the collector should take with them to the assessor and which can with the doll as boxes, letter of authenticity, labels or any other supporting documents. If a collector does not know how to find an experienced evaluators doll, they can contact the National Antique Doll Dealers Association for more information on the evaluators of the who are more qualified to determine the value of any doll ancient in their collection. However, if a collector is simply interested in the determination of the approximate value of some dolls in their collection for personal use, and then they might want to refer to the use of pricing guides for the value of their ancient dolls. Collectors can also refer to other collectors who could be better informed to some extent you the value of your antique dolls.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant on the rare coins and collections of stamps rare collectibles. Follow these links to find the best market: rare pieces, collections of stamps.