Looking to buy antique and vintage dolls~

[MiRaja]

I know there are a lot of thrifters around here, and I am currently trying to restart my antique doll business.

However, I need stock, and ebay is a total mess.

I'm looking to see if I could get some people to keep an eye out in their areas for dolls.  I live in Florida, and a lot of the dolls I collect and sell do not handle the elements very well, and as of such, it's generally a very poor place to hunt for dolls. 

I am not looking to just buy any old dolls, but generally those from the 1930's-1960's, though I would definitely be interested in dolls even older, especially German bisque dolls.  There were still a lot of junk dolls around then, so it is kind of hard to suss out the good from the not worth much.

I am in need of money, and I do want to start doing what I really love again, which is working on antique dolls, and I'd love to put money in arena member's pockets.  I would be definitely paying fair prices for anything I would want to buy for resale.  I am not just looking for dolls but also the antique and vintage accessories.  Dresses, clothes, shoes, binkies, bottles, etc.  Not children's clothes, but doll clothes.

I would be super happy to work with some people and help them know what to look for in antique and vintage dolls, such as makers mark's, and materials.  ( I am most interested in composition dolls!  Marked EFFANBEE, ALEXANDER, DYDEE, ANNE SHIRLEY, PATSY, IDEAL, VOGUE, GINNY etc, etc. .  I am also interested in rubber baby dolls, even parts.  I don't care if you find a shriveled up doll marked Effanbee Dydee, and she has a good head, or still has good original clothes, I want to buy her!  I can definitely use parts! )  I am after some unmarked dolls too, including composition and hard plastic dolls.  I especially want doll clothing tagged Effanbee, or Alexander, or Cissy.  Though I will really buy most anything tagged pre-1960.  You got some itty-bitty dress tagged MEDFORD, MASS, I want it!  <3  *Note* I do not buy Barbies, or their accessories, it's after what I deal with and I know little to nothing about them.  I also don't do the little Nancy Anne dolls.  They're sort of a niche in of their own.  I may expand later into them, but not at this time.  I am, however interested in Nancy Anne SHOWSTYLE dolls, which are the larger costumed dolls.  Mary Hoyer is another marked doll I would be interested in, as well as Arranbee ( R&B ) dolls, which are generally well marked.  Look at the backs of dolls, or at the back of their hairlines.  Don't be afraid to lift a wig to see if you can't see something. 

I'm also up for handing out my phone number for texting images to me for quick responses on whether or not it's a good buy or not. 

It's a win-win, extra money for ponies and dollies for you, and product for my business so I can get my business up and going again.

I am also after some very, very rare dolls who are not marked, and I will pay upwards of $200-$500 to obtain these dolls in Fair-to-good condition.  They are NOT for resale, but I am looking for my own collection, and because of their being unmarked, they are very hard to find.  They come in three sizes, 21inch, 24inch, and a 27inch-28inch doll.  They have open close eyes, with lashes, an open mouth with teeth, and they are on a thin, teenage body of full composition minus their arms which are a hard rubber composite material.

[kakenterprise]

I do a lot of thrifting but I'm really unsure of what to look for when it comes to dolls.  Is there any way you could put together a picture guide?? 

I'll definitely try to rember those brands. Also I'd be happy to text pics of my local stores selections.

[Skitterbug]

Oh man, there was a madame alexander doll at the thrift, but I think she was more recent than what you're looking for - she had what felt like stuffed rubber limbs - I don't think she's there anymore, though I'll  let you know if I find anything else!

[lemonice]

do you have any Pictures of the things you looking for?

[banditpony]

One day I'll have to look at the box of dolls in my dad's basement and send you a picture. They belonged to either my grandma or my aunts (so 1910s-1960s?). I'm sure they are just junk, as my family was poor... but I guess having you look at a picture of them is better then me tossing them. They freak me out and I am scared to even touch them.

[Sprinklecupcake]

I see these big ceramic porcelin dolls at my thirft store that are fully clothed! I can take a picture of them for you next time im in the area!

[MiRaja]

Sprinklecupcake - Most of those dolls are modern.  Anything full body Ceramic bisque is generally new these days, takes a bit to figure out an older doll from a new one.  Look for wear or signs of age.  Most bisque dolls were on a composition body, so they should be jointed, and their bodies yellowed if they hadn't been repainted over.  Others had kid leather or cloth bodies, again, check for signs of age.  While sometimes a pristine doll pops up, most of the time these dolls are going to look fifty to 100 years old, so that's a big question to ask when hunting and searching, and the same with clothes.

For finding clothes - please look for snaps and buttons, or even safety-pinned on clothes.  If it has velcro, it is definitely MODERN.  Look for old materials, there's going to be stains and what not likely. 

And I can indeed post some photos of what these dolls look like.  Not entirely conclusive though!

Shirley Temple is a must buy, but there's a lot of dolls of her, so which one is the buy?  Look for dolls that look like this: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/62839357273133874/  Her eyes may or may not be clouded over like this, but if they are, it's a good sign she's old.  Notice the material she's made out of.  When you pick it up, it's going to have some weight to it, but it's not porcelain, and it's not plastic, this is composition.  It's a wood pulp and glue center, covered in plaster and then painted.  Also notice her wig.  It's mohair, BJD people should be well and familiar with it, at this time, it's natural mohair, not synthetic.  You don't see mohair used after the 1950's on commercial dolls thereafter, so it's a good sign you're dealing with an old doll. 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/303007881153254205/ - This is Anne Shirley, she is made by Effanbee.  Full composition body, though some have hard rubber arms.  She can be marked on her back, or the back of her head.  She will say either Effanbee or Anne Shirley directly on her.  She comes in sizes 15inch, 18inch, 21inch, 22inch and 27inch.  The 27 inch is UNMARKED, but she looks like this doll, just bigger.  Effanbee also made a 27inch Honey doll, she's on the same body, but has a different face.  These big dolls are very weighty, very substantial.  They have full composition bodies.  Anne Shirley also has some sister dolls made by Effanbee.  They look similar to Anne Shirley, and will be marked on their backs either, "Suzette,' 'Susanne,' or 'Patricia.'   All good dolls to grab.  There is another doll marked "Anne Shirley,' However, and it's dolls like these:  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/268667933994830209/  Like Anne Shirley, they can have open-close eyes, or painted eyes, however some have open mouths, some don't.  They are on the same body as Anne Shirley, but their heads were sculpted by a very famous doll artist named Dewees Cochran. 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/138907969729801433/  This is a Wendy Anne by Madame Alexander.  This is another full body composition doll, though she briefly came out in hard plastic.  They range from 13-21 inches in height.  They are generally marked on their backs or the back of their heads either Alexander or just Alex.  Again, composition is going to have a weighty feel to it.  The markings are pretty much the same for ALL Alexander dolls, and anything pre-1960 is fairly collectible.  I am MOST interested in girl/lady dolls like Wendy Anne.  She has sister dolls like Margaret, and then later, hard plastic dolls Margaret again, and definitely Cissy.  I am also interested in Elise.  Cissy and Elise are hard plastic dolls, Elise is 15-16inches doll, and Cissy is 19-21inches tall.  I am not interested in the versions after 1960.  Look for a hard plastic head, a doll jointed at the shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees, and with Elise, she will also be jointed at her ankles.  Look for a doll that looks old, and does not appear to be made out of -modern- plastic.  After 1960, most all plastic dolls were made in injection molds, these are the sort of plastics we're used to, such as MLP plastic.  Pre-1960 plastic should not be pliable, though Cissy and Elise both have arms with vinyl sleeves, which will mean they will be pliable on their arms and only there.  There is a rather rare Alexander doll named Sweet Violet, she has a face like Cissy ( http://www.pinterest.com/pin/299841287662248203/ ) but a BALL jointed body. 

Elise - http://www.pinterest.com/pin/516999232197270339/

( I am skipping over a lot of dolls still, but I'm throwing out some of the big names and big sellers, in a hopes to explain and summarize how most dolls are marked and what they look like.  ) 

Arranbee is another company I am interested in.  They are generally very clearly marked, and the good thing with hunting them down is you're almost guaranteed an antique one should you find them.  They went out very early in the 1960's.  Most of what they produced were composition dolls, and later on HARD plastic dolls. 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/16888567323980953/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/138907969727855811/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/119556565080099016/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/555490935259518147/

They are generally marked on the backs of their heads either R&B or Arranbee.  They maintained the same molds when they switched over from Composition to Hard plastic.  Some dolls have cloth bodies, however, while still being made to look like young women. 

Now, for baby dolls.  I am interested in getting Tiny Tears and Dydee.  We'll start with Tiny Tears.  She can be marked a variety of ways, but generally the back of her head is going to be marked with some variation of American Character.  It may be Amer Char or even just AC.  ( This is true for almost ALL American Character dolls, including Sweet Sue, which is another teen body doll ).  She can have a rubber of vinyl body.  Rubber will generally be breaking down, shriveled, etc, but that is okay.  I am STILL interested in buying the heads.  She has open-close eyes, a bottle mouth, and little holes at the corner of her eyes where she would actually cry.  There are some early prototype dolls, or pre-Tiny Tears that use the same mold that do not have these tear holes.  They may be marked Pat Pend.  Tiny Tears came in 11, 13, 15 and 18inch sizes.  She can have a smooth head, or a wigged head.  The plastic her head is made out of is HARD.  I am not interested in heads that have turned yellow.  American Character experimented with a new plastic towards the end of the run of Tiny Tears that after awhile turned yellow and gross.  There is no hope of restore for these heads.  If they have a vinyl body in good condition, I would still be interested.  But not in heads only. 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/42150946482757183/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/437552920017022584/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/189010515585642109/

Dydee is by far the doll I am most seeking, however.  Dydee came out in the late Thirties and she has three different head molds.  She is very similar to Tiny Tears in how she is made.  Hard plastic or hard rubber head with open and closed eyes and a nurser mouth.  Some have tear holes.  She can be wigged or unwigged.  ( The material used for TT and Dydee is called Caracul, it's a fine lambs wool ), Dydee is almost exclusively on rubber bodies, which can often be degraded or ruined.  Again, this is OKAY, I can buy heads only, but I would definitely be very keen to buy good bodies from anywhere from $40-$100 depending on the size.  Dydee's body will be marked, and will tell you exactly who she is.  There is a lot of other numbers on her back too.  She came in 9, 11, 13, 16 and 20 inch sizes. 

First mold - http://www.pinterest.com/pin/200058408422762612/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/117445502757920587/

Second mold - http://www.pinterest.com/pin/66991113182033137/

Third Mold - http://www.pinterest.com/pin/504192120756509849/

As far as telling old clothes and accessories apart, I would invite anyone just to punch in some of those names into Pinterest, which seems to have a very good reference for accessories and clothes as well as additional photos of said dolls that I'm looking for.  These are just a few of the dolls I'd like to find, there's bunches of others, but it's veryyyyy long list. 

[Radiance]

I sometimes see cloth bodied dolls w/ bisque head, arms & legs and painted on eyes (not glass) when I'm out thrifting. Their dresses are all made with snaps, and their shoes are molded into the bisque feet & painted, but I've never looked for any ID marks. I've actually wanted to pick one or two up for myself because they have a lot of character! I'll be on the lookout for the dolls you've mentioned. I have quite a few Topper Dawn dolls I'm wanting to part with but it doesn't sound like what you are looking for. Good Luck finding dolly treasures!

[kCherry]

I have this girl still, a 1966 Alexander "Victoria",
http://mlparena.com/index.php/topic,354899.msg1183040.html#msg1183040

I'm flexible on her price (for you! ) If you're interested in her just hollar, Hunny!! Good luck finding what you're looking for! I'll keep me eyes peeled for ya as I go thriftin'!

[Truly]

I'll keep an eye out when I'm thriftin I know Australia is a long shot but you never know what you find!

[Galactica]

Good luck starting your business! I see antique dolls at the thrift store sometimes, but thrift stores have gotten a lot better at pricing their dolls, (at least goodwill and value village do)  so rarely do I see anything out in the wild that is vintage... seems like even stuff from the 80s is overpriced and labeled vintage these days!

[Gloomygirl777]

My mom just sent me a bunch of really old dolls that were my grandmothers and some of them were hers and my aunts. The best one is an Arranbee baby doll. Its eyes open and close and it has a little bottle in its hands...it is marked sometime in the 1920's. I have been having trouble finding info on it. The closest thing I can find to it is the bottle tot Arranbee line.....but I can't find one that looks exactly the same as the one I have. That is the only one that I have labeled so far....I don't think I could part with it because it is the only one that I know belonged to my grandma. I will have to go back through the others and see if I can figure out what they are. Almost all of them have that white cloudy look to the eyes though.

[MiRaja]

My mom just sent me a bunch of really old dolls that were my grandmothers and some of them were hers and my aunts. The best one is an Arranbee baby doll. Its eyes open and close and it has a little bottle in its hands...it is marked sometime in the 1920's. I have been having trouble finding info on it. The closest thing I can find to it is the bottle tot Arranbee line.....but I can't find one that looks exactly the same as the one I have. That is the only one that I have labeled so far....I don't think I could part with it because it is the only one that I know belonged to my grandma. I will have to go back through the others and see if I can figure out what they are. Almost all of them have that white cloudy look to the eyes though.

There are several variations of Bottle Tot, but they did make some other baby dolls.  She's not really on my buy list, as the prices fluctuate way too much, and buyers can be super persnickety, and there ISN'T a lot of information and then there are just not many collectors looking for her specifically, which is why I stick with Tiny Tears and Dydee for babies because they're big names and there's lots of collectors, which keep the prices -somewhat- stable. 

The cloudy white eye thing could be two things: Shattered eyes, which is from the iron iris rusting and expanding within the cavity and shattering the glass lens, or it can just be soap or other junk that's stuck to the doll's eyes, which I see more commonly with plastic dolls.  That's easy, you just take a q-tip with some cleaner ( I use carol's cleaner ) and wipe it off and it's gone.  It might return after a few months or several years, it's mainly caused by storage, so it actually really doesn't come back unless you put the dolls back in storage.