Collecting dolls is both a hobby and a passion. Whether you are looking to rekindle your childhood memories, choose a gift for a child, invest in an old doll, or satisfy your taste for contemporary artist dolls, you need to make an informed purchase.

Buy smart

Buying is within everyone’s reach as long as you have the money! Buying smart is a different story. It is easy to find dolls in living rooms, online, in auction rooms, but you will do much better by being a well-trained doll buyer. Your fresh science will help you answer important questions. Print the detailed description of the items you are interested in for reference in the event of a problem

Also, keep in mind that, for making custom bobbleheads, manufacturers successfully copy old models, the heads often appear authentic. It is therefore wise to examine the doll’s body to find clues to its age: an old body shows signs of wear that are difficult to imitate. Still, for old dolls, the absence of marking does not prevent correct identification, once the characteristics associated with the various manufacturers have been assimilated: learning their complexity can be rewarding and is done as the progress made by collectors in the niche they have chosen.

The price of porcelain dolls with the same head mold varies depending on the quality of the face paint. And the doll’s head in the closed mouth can be worth twice the size of comparable open mouth dolls. Original clothing and wigs are preferable, replacements being acceptable, provided they are appropriate for the period. We can expect to crack on the dolls in composition, which will lower the price of the doll unless it is extremely rare. When vinyl dolls have dark or brittle heads and limbs, it is probably due to storage in an attic or garage where they have been exposed to high heat, causing them to lose all value.

It is important to listen to buying advice from different sources. For example, bidding in an auction house has nothing to do with bidding on eBay. You could fail in the auction room and still take advantage of a remote opportunity. It may be common sense, but it is the rule most often forgotten: be disciplined. If you are used to buying several dolls or accessories at the same time in a shop, only budget for one purchase, the one you really want to make. You will feel better with this one quality personalized bobblehead within your reach than with three items that will put you in the red doll.