Antique Dolls: A Collector’s Story
Filed Under Dolls & Bears
When I went to the vintage doll show, I was a little bit surprised by the people I met there. You see, antique dolls have been a passion of mine for a long time. I was a playful child, and I have remained playful, even though I am now an adult. That is how I manage to stay sane while teaching a kindergarten class. Collecting antique dolls is not something I set out to do. It was just that I have always loved playing with dolls of all sorts. I used to construct elaborate stories when I was a kid – pretending that the dolls were families, and coming up with whole dramas around their lives. As a matter of fact, every collectible doll that I have still has her own story. When I was growing up, I wrote them down so that I wouldn’t forget them as I got older. I treasure them to these day.
So surprised that the people who collect antique dolls never play with them. Most of these collectible dolls sit in cases day in and day out. Their owners are extremely protective of them. They won’t even let you take them out to examine them. Not only are they worried about their antique porcelain dolls getting broken, but they are even worried about fingerprints. In my mind, this is pretty absurd. It is alright to have children’s toys when you are an adult, but it isn’t alright to have children’s toys when you can no longer enjoy them like a child. Whether you collect antique Barbie dolls, Madame Alexander dolls, porcelain figurines, or some other style entirely, you should enjoy them. That is, after all, the purpose of dolls.
The one good thing about antique doll collectors is that their fanaticism really drives up the prices of the things that they collect. I was pretty startled when I found out how much my antique dolls are worth. In truth, I have not kept them in perfect shape. Because I have used them, some of them are somewhat worn. Some don’t even have their original clothes anymore, so they are worth less than they would be otherwise. Nonetheless, if I ever decide to cash in on them, I can make a pretty penny off of my collection of antique dolls. It never ceases to amaze me how much value people put in antique curio that they don’t even use!