Collectible Dolls
collectible baby doll
Doll Collecting – The Second Biggest Hobby in the United States
Executive Summary about collectible dolls by Evelyn Whitaker
With all the different doll manufacturers there are today, it can sometimes get confusing on what kind of doll is best to buy. Do you want a hand crafted doll, Artist doll, play doll, designer doll, licensed doll? Germany although, is known throughout the world for their quality made dolls. 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. 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. 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:
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. Each year you may see slight variations in the same dolls.
Variation dolls are not as expensive as Artist dolls. Classic Collection Dolls:
Classic dolls are usually replicas of older dolls dating back to the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. Hand Crafted Dolls:
These dolls can be manufactured by the companies themselves or sometimes you will even find these dolls designed by artists. 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. There are hundreds of variations of play dolls. 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. 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.
Caring For Your Collectible Doll
Porcelain Dolls:
Use warm soapy water. Ultra violet rays can be very damaging to porcelain dolls, so when you are displaying your doll, avoid direct sunlight.
Celluloid Dolls:
These dolls are extremely perishable. Proper care and respect of a celluloid doll helps a perfect example remain in that condition.
Cloth Dolls:
Direct sunlight is not good for these dolls. You should also inspect your cloth dolls every now and then for insects. If you decide to vacuum your doll, place a nylon screen over the fabric first to protect the delicate fibers. Most often, a good vacuuming is enough to restore a doll to display condition. If you doll is badly soiled, get the advice of a professional who specializes in preserving textiles.
Sometimes you can use an eraser or art gum, tapeten and reinger-and-absorene to clean your cloth doll. Apply the hair spray with a cloth, and wipe in a light rubbing motion with a clean white cloth.
Moth crystals should be placed near your dolls.
Composition and paper-mache Dolls:
These dolls pretty much require the same care as the cloth type dolls. Never store composition or paper-mache dolls in a hot or cold attic, or in a damp basement.
There are many popular ways for cleaning composition, but first always test it on an inconspicuous area of the doll and work quickly – never leave any cleaning agent on the doll for any length of time. Pond’s Cold Cream or Vaseline and a soft tissue work well for these dolls. Another option is paste window cleaner but not the ammonia type.
Hard Plastic Dolls:
These types of dolls are very resilient and can be cleaned with almost any soap detergent. You can clean stubborn stains with cold cream or waterless hand cleaner. Avoid chlorine, bleach and ammonia. After each cleaning, wash the doll with mild soap and rinse well.
Rubber Dolls:
If you have a “Magic Skin Doll” always wear cotton gloves when handling her. Rubbing corn starch on these kinds of dolls twice a year will help to preserve the dolls’ life. Maintain an even temperature and avoid changes in humidity.
Tin Dolls:
Try to keep these dolls in a constant temperature environment.
Vinyl Dolls:
Vinyl dolls are probably the most lifelike in appearance and touch. Extreme room temperatures are harmful. Vinyl is also sensitive to fluorescent light; use indirect non-fluorescent lights. Finally, avoid tightly sealed show cases or glass domes because condensation can form and damage vinyl dolls.
Wooden Dolls:
Chipping paint is a major problem with wooden dolls. Keep wooden dolls in a dry atmosphere. Knocks and bumps can also chip paint, so take care in moving or displaying wooden dolls.
Wax Dolls:
Wax dolls can be intimidating to many collectors. They do require special care, but so do all types of dolls. Basic care and common sense will help preserve a wax doll in perfect condition. Of course, never place a wax doll in direct sunlight or near any heat source, such as a fireplace mantle.
The best way to start cleaning these types of dolls is to use a solution of cool water and Woolite. Saturate a cotton ball or a Q-tip and wash the wax. Never use turpentine to clean wax dolls because it can soften the wax!
Tips for Barbie Doll Collectors:
Remember those Barbie Dolls with the earrings and how it would eventually create green deposits around the ear? Here’s a way to remove it:
Cover the ears with a small piece of cotton soaked in Tarn-X silver cleaner. If the ears are still green, replace the saran wrap. After several days, flake off the dried baking soda and clean the area with warm, soapy water on a Q-tip. Carefully remove the head from the body and clean inside and out with a Q-tip soaked in alcohol. The baking soda will neutralize the chemicals and absorb the extracted grease.
Old Tips Recommended By Some Doll Collectors
Then lay the doll in the sun. To remove milk therapy, follow with a warm soapy water wash and rinse.
- To restore color to faded cloth: sponge with chloroform.
- To clean old ivory: scrub with Ivory soap; bleach in the sun for several days, reapplying the soapy solution often.
- To remove tar: clean first with turpentine, then clean with Lux soap.
- To remove paint: Patient rubbing with chloroform.
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