Doll Collecting - How To Get Started

Dolls can be babies or high fashion models, sweet little girls or vampish sirens. There are almost as many kind of dolls as there are collectors, so whether you find yourself lingering amongst the pink boxes of the Toys 'R' Us doll department or gazing at the magazine photos of lifelike Ashton-Drake baby dolls, if you're reading this article you're probably thinking you'd like to start a doll collection.

Where to start?

First of all, collecting dolls can be an expensive hobby, so be sure you know where your "dolly dollars" are going to come from. Many doll collectors support their hobby by sewing, knitting, or crocheting doll clothes to sell, either on ebay, a Website, or at craft fairs. Dolls can be like potato chips -- it's impossible to just have one -- so be aware of your budget and space restrictions. You might not want dolls taking over your home!

Second, think about what kind of dolls you're attracted to. Some collectors are eclectic and like to own many different types of dolls. Others prefer to specialize in one main type, such as baby dolls or fashion dolls, while still other choose to concentrate on one brand or line. So while one collector may own several Barbies, a Ginny, a Madame Alexander doll, a few antique porcelain dolls, and a reborn baby doll, another may own Barbies, Genes, Kitty Colliers, and even a few Bratz, and yet another collector may choose to own only Sasha dolls. In short, no two doll collectors -- or collections -- are alike, and each doll collection is a unique expression of its owner's tastes.

If you're not familiar with all the different types and lines of dolls out there, the best thing to do is a lot of research. The Internet has really revolutionized doll collecting and is a seemingly endless source of information on the hobby. Many brick-and-mortar doll shops are also online, but many shops are Internet-only. Read, read, read -- pore over the doll magazines and thumb through collectors guidebooks. Look at lots of photos and read lots of descriptions to see what interests you. It's important, if you can, to attend a doll show or visit a doll shop to see dolls in person -- seeing dolls "in the flesh" is very different from seeing them in photos, and you may find yourself surprised to be pulled toward a doll at a show that you hadn't looked at twice online.

A doll show will expose you to a wide variety of dolls. You'll see, of course, the popular vinyl fashion dolls like Robert Tonner's Kitty Collier, Tyler Wentworth, and Betsy McCall, but you'll also see vintage Barbie and Ken dolls, as well as dolls by the venerable older companies like Effanbee and Madame Alexander. You'll see antique French and German dolls, play dolls, American Girl dolls, Bleuette, and even paper dolls. Take it all in -- this is your education.

Once you're ready to start purchasing dolls, the doll show and the brick-and-mortar doll shop are great places to begin, but the Internet has taken hold as a wonderful resource for doll collectors. Browse eBay for deals, but depending upon the dolls you want to own, you may want to gravitate toward online shops. Building a relationship with a doll dealer can work well for a collector, as once the dealer gets to know you and your collecting interests, she can let you know when something comes in that she knows you want.

If you've done your homework, you'll have a sense of what to pay for your dolls. New dolls' prices are often fixed, and it can be hard to get a bargain, but if you're buying dolls on eBay or elsewhere on the secondary market, you may be able to get some good deals.

It's exciting to bring your first doll home, and you may find that you want to share the fun with other collectors. Look for doll clubs in your area -- the United Federation of Doll Clubs http://www.ufdc.org can help steer you toward a local club. Also check Yahoo Groups http://groups.yahoo.com to see if there is a doll collecting group that appeals to you. These online discussion groups can be excellent sources of information and friendship.

As a doll collector, you can learn about fashion, history, and culture, but above all, you should just have fun!

Florence Bassett is a writer and doll collector, specializing mainly in Sasha dolls, Heidi Ott dolls, and Bleuette reproduction dolls.

Collecting Lifelike Baby Dolls Is an Ever-Growing Trend

Once upon a time, dolls used to be simple, plastic, and unrealistic in appearance. However, nowadays the concept of a lifelike doll is rapidly catching on with children and doll collectors alike. Many people are buying realistic babies and this trend is not about to slow down any time soon. In fact, it is probably a trend that is here to stay.

A realistic baby doll really is a great idea. Tiny intricate details are a major part of the appeal of this item and can make for an enjoyable experience for anyone who purchases these realistic dolls. Children will marvel at the special connection they can make with the baby doll while playing with it because it truly does look like a real baby. Doll collection enthusiasts will appreciate their complexity and craftsmanship.

There are many types of dolls to choose from, including both genders and all different types of races and nationalities. They come dressed in various lifelike baby clothing, too, just like one would see on a real baby. Some of these realistic dolls even have additional realistic features about them such as sounds, movements, and even a flesh-like feeling under the clothes. The design gets better all the time and the resemblance to an actual baby is simply amazing.

If you have any interest in owning a realistic baby doll to add to your collection or to give to a child as a special gift, there are several places you can go for this. There are also many information sites packed with helpful info about which types are available and where to find them online and offline.

Online lifelike doll vendors are usually very affordable and offer a wide selection of dolls for all tastes. Offline vendors offer the opportunity to see and touch the realistic dolls before purchasing. The type of vendor you choose to patronize is purely a matter of preference.

Giving the gift of a realistic baby doll to a child or someone you know who loves dolls makes for a thoughtful gift that is more likely than not to be cherished for a long time to come. For those who appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of this type of doll, it is sure to be a nice addition to their personal mementos. Collectors will keep the dolls in mint condition and children will keep them as a pleasant reminder of their childhood.

Wayne Hemrick writes about-- lifelike doll s

Doll Collecting - The Second Biggest Hobby in the United States

Did you know that doll collecting is rated as the second biggest collectible hobby in the United States?

With all the different doll manufacturers there are today, it can sometimes get confusing on what kind of doll is best to buy. Besides having to determine which manufacturer is the best one to go with, you then need to figure out which kind of doll is suited best for the purpose. Do you want a hand crafted doll, Artist doll, play doll, designer doll, licensed doll? It can get confusing.

Which manufacturer you go with is a matter of personal taste. Germany although, is known throughout the world for their quality made dolls. There have been many countries that have tried to follow but have never been able to match. To this day, Germany is still the leader in quality doll production.

No matter which manufacturer you decide to go with, there are still other considerations. The following is a list of the different types of dolls most manufacturers produce today.

Artist Dolls:

These dolls are specialty dolls often designed to look very much like a real child or person and are among the most expensive. Most often, they are produced in limited editions making it more affordable for the merchants and customers to buy. Newly made original Artist dolls can cost up to and over $5,000. That's a hefty price to pay for most doll collectors. Once the dolls are sold out, the mold is broken and the dolls are not made again. This is another reason for the high price tag.

The artists that make these dolls usually have contracts with specific manufacturers. For example, Hildegard Guenzel is a well known artist that produces dolls for Goetz.

Artist dolls are not the type of doll you would want to buy for child's play. These sorts of dolls are bought mostly by doll collectors between the ages of 30 - 45 and average in price of around $600 give or take a few hundred.

Variation Dolls:

These dolls can also be made by artists as well as the companies that manufacturer them. A variation doll is a doll that stays in production usually for a few years or longer. From year to year certain features of the doll may change. It may be something as simple as a different outfit, or the hair style or face shape may change a bit in the following year. Schildkroet is a good example of this. They carry a classic collection line of dolls which pretty much stays the same year after year. Each year you may see slight variations in the same dolls.

Variation dolls are not as expensive as Artist dolls. They can start as low as $40 on up to $500 or more.

Classic Collection Dolls:

Classic dolls are usually replicas of older dolls dating back to the late 1800's to early 1900's. I have even seen some replicas from earlier dates. They usually come in limited editions and average in prices from $100 - $500 depending on the manufacturer. These types of dolls are usually bought by people that remember having a doll of this sort as a child. These dolls should sit on a shelf for display only.

Hand Crafted Dolls:

These dolls can be manufactured by the companies themselves or sometimes you will even find these dolls designed by artists. Some can come with certificates and others wont. It can vary. These dolls can be played with and are usually a higher quality than the simple "play doll" varieties. Facial features may be more realistic and the materials are designed with play in mind, meaning you will find many of the soft bodied and bath babies in this category. These dolls are mostly bought for older children. Hand Crafted dolls are also sought after by collectors..

Licensed Dolls:

These dolls are dolls that the manufacturer has licensing rights to sell or produce. For example, Goetz manufacturers a "Harry Potter" doll under a special licensing agreement. Engel-Puppen has a special licensing agreement with Goebel to produce the Hummel dolls. These dolls can vary from expensive limited editions to play dolls.

Play Dolls:

Play dolls are made especially for children. They are designed to be dragged around by an arm, left lying on the floor for you to trip over, squeezed to death, spanked and thrown in a toy box.

There are hundreds of variations of play dolls. Some designed for a little less play in mind to the ones that couldn't break if a bulldozer ran over it. Manufacturers of play dolls are always careful to make sure the dolls are made of non-toxic materials and flame retardant clothing. Most of these dolls are made especially soft for children's play and includes the bath babies as well. Many of them are very easy to clean just by putting them in a tied pillow case and into the washing machine.

In closing, the doll you decide to purchase most likely will be one that just strikes you, no matter who made the doll. Most often, this is how dolls are purchased. You see a doll in the window that either reminds you of your childhood, or one that has a striking resemblance to a loved one. Many times, this is all it takes, and before you know it, you have the doll in your hands.

Evelyn Whitaker writes articles for Deutsches Haus http://www.deutscheshaus.cc which specializes in imported German gifts, souvenirs and collectibles from Germany.

25 Years of Doll Collecting

The past 25 years have seen tremendous changes in the collectible doll industry. Until that time, collectors only had antique dolls, or newer children's dolls to add to their collections. As there were relatively few "new collectibles" to purchase, the market on these "played with dolls" and antiques was vibrant and exciting.

There were many doll shows scattered all over the country, and a visit to one would find three types of dolls available, antique dolls, rescued discarded play dolls, and booths featuring doll makers wares. Doll makers were many, with their work ranging from dreadful to stunning.

Flea markets also found doll sellers, usually of the "discarded child doll type", and many collectors searched regularly for collectible dolls. At the time, dolls being grabbed up were from the Chatty Cathy family, Chrissie and Velvet family, Patti Playpal types , Vogue, and of course Barbie.

With the emergence of the "Ashton Drake Gallery" dolls, followed by many mass produced porcelain dolls by many other companies, all offering limited editions, artist renderings and much media advertising, many collectors changed direction and began to purchase these new dolls.

This new collector market was huge for a number of years. People scrambled to complete sets of dolls and to find dolls by certain doll artists. The market on older vinyl "designed for play dolls" softened considerably during this period.

Home based porcelain doll studios, where you could take classes teaching you how to make your own dolls, also became very popular during this time.

A quarter of a century later, many dolls that were so popular, have now come onto the secondary market. Due to the market being so flooded at the time of production, and so many collectors jumping onto the bandwagon, the secondary market is now flooded with these dolls. The value on many has plummeted as a result, particularly Ashton Drake Dolls. Other collectible porcelain dolls that were mass produced are for the most part worth only a fraction of what was paid for them initially. The biggest reason for this is the fact that these dolls are still being produced, the quality has improved a great deal, and the prices have gone down. What reason would anyone have for purchasing an older one!

The market on genuine antique dolls continues to be strong, and investments made seem to be sound. As the years pass, it is harder and harder to find antique dolls unless they are coming directly from another collector's private collection. This keeps the prices high. Unlike modern dolls, there are only so many antiques to go around!

For more useful information on creating your own wooden doll house, visit http://www.eloradollhouse.com You will also find a wonderful array of miniature dolls, furniture and accessories on this website as well. The Doll House Elora has been serving the miniature hobbiest for over 25 years.

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/]

Getting started collecting porcelain dolls

Who says that dolls are for kids? Porcelain dolls are today, the second best collectable item. Bisque porcelain and antique and are therefore very much appreciated. These dolls are also beautiful, give a unique charm to your home. Collectors should be aware of all information related to collect porcelain dolls to build a good collection representing the envy of every collector-and boy will be!

The dolls are handmade and hand painted normally high quality porcelain. The subtle expressions and eloquent poses are captured by the artist, increasing their value even more. Every minute detail has paid attention to when a collectible porcelain doll is judged, as even minor damage to it, especially the face, will reduce the value.

How expensive they are depends on the popularity of the artist and the amount of similar dolls produced. Since the dolls are for collectors for many years and adults who buy these dolls, it offers a fantastic trip back in the memory. The wonderful beauty of these dolls will remind you why you always of dolls.

If you want to start collecting, you must first determine what kind of pop you wish to collect. Research after that, the type of pop you have chosen. Duplicates of porcelain dolls are common, so be careful and your options carefully before buying one. Also understand the value of the antique pop before you in investing. This will help you save money.

Pop collection can be addictive. It's not like collecting vinyl dolls or other types of dolls. Although it takes you back to your childhood, there is intense competition to face once you a collector. You will have to attend shows porcelain doll, socialize with other collectors and keep a look out for each new porcelain doll in the market. Once you fall in love with these dolls, you will want to own every one of them. There are different types of porcelain dolls that you will encounter, so picking up the one you want to collect free over-whelming. Here are the few common types you will encounter:

Handmade porcelain dolls

These dolls are created by an artist in a limited edition and each piece is unique. No two dolls will look the same. This type of porcelain doll is extremely valuable, because of the sheer uniqueness and beauty. The popularity of the artisan adds more value to it.

Antique porcelain dolls

There are antique porcelain dolls that are hardly found. When you come across one that seems antique, make sure you verify the details, such as very realistic replicas of these beautiful dolls are created. These duplicates are sold in flea markets, garage sales and antique shops, they seem exactly as the original collectible. Do not be fooled by such replications. Make sure to verify with experts before you invest in an antique porcelain doll.

Limited Edition porcelain dolls

This is a very popular variety of porcelain dolls. Although they are mass production, it is only in a limited edition. For example, a collection of Christmas in the festive season can be released and it will sell like hot cakes! Make sure you buy limited edition dolls of a famous collector or seller of porcelain dolls.

Porcelain doll reproductions

As mentioned earlier, there are hundreds of people around the world production role models and avoid duplication of the rare and antique porcelain dolls, as well as many other types of dolls.

Porcelain dolls are created in particular in certain countries. There are Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Persian, Native American, Indian and many other ethnic porcelain dolls. They also make excellent gifts! Whether your child or a special person, a unique porcelain doll to give a memorable gift.

Collection of dolls is one of the best hobbies, such as always you young at heart. This porcelain dolls, when displayed in the right way, can a true collector's pride to add character to your House as well. Surrounded by beautiful dolls such as this one is definitely luck to add to your home. Porcelain dolls are beautiful collectibles, as they are very valuable and appreciates their value only with time. That is why it is a worthy investment.

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Reborn Baby Dolls-create or a Hobby for you could be collecting?

Reborn dolls-the carefully designed and painted, life-like dolls that are steadily becoming in popularity over the last five years-have a number of benefits for their creators and collectors alike. Lets take a look at the benefits of this extraordinary creations for both groups.

A creative outlet.

For both professional and amateur artists, reborning dolls is a beautiful creative outlet, patience and skills, and offering an enormous sense of accomplishment in the finished product. This sense of achievement is highlighted by the growing demand for reborn dolls by collectors all over the world.

A hobby that beauty, peace and tranquility.

Reborn dolls for collectors bring beauty, tranquility and peace to their homes, in the same way that an image of a newborn baby could soften your heart and bring a smile to your lips. The effect is with reborn dolls, because it's not only eyes, but touch, keep you involved in or a reborn ' baby ' rock strengthened.

If it is all too weird for you, and you would rather make paper mache, or collecting stamps or something, then by all means-going forward. But if you're even a little fascinated by this growing trend, then you might as well read on.

Too old to play with dolls?

Maybe this thought crossed your mind. But there is plenty of evidence to the contrary. Game is a healthy way to relax and Destress for people of all ages. In children is play a healthy part of normal development. In adults is also a powerful way to integrate a game experience let emotion and relax. Most people with family pets instinctively understand this, if the dog walking or patting the CAT are centuries-old techniques to de-stress and relax. In fact, recent studies suggest that people on their end of their life struggles with Alzheimer's and dementia greatly from the reassuring quiet presence of a lifelike reborn baby doll can benefit.

They are not expensive?

Well, it is true that reborn dolls often-and should-cost more than the dolls factory created that you can buy at your local toy store. They are after all, works of art, created on many hours of detailed work closely. A reborn doll created by a professional reborn artist that can have spent years perfecting his-or her-skill, can sell for well over $ 1000.

However, it does not have to cost that much. Many reborn dolls can be found on auction sites like eBay for about $ 100.

Finally, for under $ 100 you can create your own reborn doll. There are plenty of guides, groups, and community forums available to support you, so you can take your time and add your own personal note.

It Is for me?

Hopefully this has given you an insight or dolls to make you reborn reborn baby dolls or a hobby for collect. Of course, is the best way to find out to give it a try. For lovers reborns, there is no doubt that the special joy that comes from creating or just playing with this unique and special creations. So, why not ... Try it for yourself and see?

Yollana Shore is new to the world of reborn baby dolls and dolls reborn.

Http://www.dolls-reborn.org, on her blog, she shares her journey in this fascinating world of the beautiful babies and the people who make and love them.

You can visit this site to find out more, join her in this trip, and share your own experiences.