Porcelain dolls (or china dolls, whichever you prefer), are sometimes expensive, antique collectibles and can be highly sought after in the porcelain doll market. The very first porcelain dolls were first made in Germany, France, and Denmark in the 1800’s, and got more attractive as the years went on (some older dolls can look quite scary). The condition of a doll can affect it’s value very much, as can the date of manufacturer and how rare the doll is. If you’ve got a porcelain doll you’d like to value, it’ll only take you a few minutes with these simple tips:
To value your porcelain doll, it’s very simple. Simply get together your doll, a magnifying glass, and perhaps some doll collecting books and magazines.
1. Find the date that the doll was made. If your doll was made before the 1930’s, it is considered a real antique! This kind of doll will be worth more than a vintage doll made after the 1930’s.
2. Now find the stamp of the manufacturer. Dolls that carry the stamp of a particular manufacturer can be worth much more than dolls made by another manufacturer.
3. Take a close look at the condition of the doll using your magnifying glass. The doll could be in ‘mint’ condition, near mint, very fine, fine, good, or poor. Obviously, the better condition your doll is in, the more it’s worth. Many things can affect the value of your doll, even how clean it is! Make sure there are no chips in the dolls features, whether any hair is missing, and whether the clothing is original to the doll.
4. Are there any signs that the doll has been restored? Some collectors like to buy dolls in their original condition. Unfortunately, restoration can lower the value of the doll.
5. Read books, magazines, and more articles online on doll collecting. This can help you to identify your doll as well as get an idea of what it’s worth.
To help you identify your doll further, look for painted eyes instead of glass eyes and wigs of real human hair. You may even find a mode number on the doll’s shoulder plate, but there will be no other markings on the dolls body if it is a genuine antique china doll. It’s unlikely that any princess dolls are going to be genuine antiques. Doll makers used to make dolls in the image of their children rather than princesses, and they were for display purposes rather than play. Unlike other types of dolls like Russian nesting dolls, where there often was a proper way to play with them to make them last. That being said, princess dolls of today make perfect decorations/toys for young girls and collectors alike.
By using these simple tips to value your doll, you’ll easily be able to work out how much your doll is worth – you could have a small fortune on your hands! You then need to decide whether you’d like to pass the doll down as a family heirloom, or sell the doll on to a collector and make some money. Thanks for reading!
