Speaking of Dolls columnist Sherry Minton advises all buyers of vintage and antique dolls to inspect a doll’s body before it is purchased. There’s no telling what repairs, swaps and new parts that could have been added to the doll – all of which can change the doll’s value.
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This winter has been a long one, but it’s time for buyers and sellers to be able to get out and do what they love to do — buy and sell. Since the last week in January, I have participated in the IDEX Premiere (a doll and bear trade show), the Leesburg Doll Show, the St. Petersburg Doll Show and attended the Renninger’s Extravaganza in Mt. Dora. The verdict: last year was not so good, but what we have been seeing so far might bring smiles back to the faces of collectors and dealers.
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Carl Halbig and Wilhelm Simon in 1869 founded a porcelain factory for the production of toys and dolls in the Waltershausen (Grafenhain) area of Thuringia, Germany. The production of dolls could be found in many areas of Germany but the Waltershausen area had a reputation for quality doll production. Here could be found the raw materials necessary for doll production such as Kaolin for porcelain, abundant forests with wood for the kilns and for doll parts and, most important, much inexpensive labor both skilled and unskilled.
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"My mother left me this doll. I know that my mom has had this doll forever, and she told me that it was given to her when she was just a young child. As far as I can tell, there are no markings on the head or the body. But I just wondered if you could possibly tell me who might have made this doll, maybe how old it might be and what the value might be." Read More +
In the antique doll world, there are certain names that immediately pique your interest. Examples include the dolls produced by Bru, Jumeau, Schmitt, Steiner and Gebruder Heubach. But, the dolls from these firms can also cause much confusion, and, at times, much financial loss. Read More +
In the antique world, you can find out a lot by just walking around and observing the activity at a show. The economy is on everyone’s lips and what the market – the antique market – is doing is a major part of every conversation. Read More +
Recently I was asked to look at a collection of foreign dolls left to a daughter by her grandparents. The daughter had inherited all of the grandparents’ possessions and was overwhelmed. She needed some advice, “What should I toss and what should I try to sell?” Read More +
Katzhutte, a tiny village in the central eastern part of Germany known as Thuringia, was the unplanned site of what would become one of the largest porcelain manufacturers in the world. The village had once thrived as a center for iron-smelting, but by the 1800s the buildings sat empty. Read More +
In 1814, Samuel Hill opened the doors of the Hill Pottery Company in Flemington, N.J. According to Robert C. Runge Jr. in his “Brief History of Fulper Pottery,” the company was originally formed to produce utilitarian pottery: pottery for everyday use, such as storage crocks and drain pipes. Read More +
A common complaint often voiced by doll collectors is, “Why did I buy this?” This is especially true of early acquisitions. When we start collecting, we often are tempted to buy anything and almost everything that has two arms and two legs. Hopefully, with research, reading, observation and networking with other doll people, this frenzy will quickly pass. Read More +