Doll collectors are passionate about their collection and trade in only the best. While they have in-depth knowledge about doll collections, many of us don’t. However, if you are planning on learning how to identify antique dolls, this piece will tell you all about them and a lot more, making you a specialist in the field.
How To Identify Antique Dolls?
Antique doll collectors identify valuable dolls very easily as there are some imprinted marks. Most antique dolls have adult-like features and are often in removable items of clothing. There are some that look like children too. Following are some of the ideal doll identification marks.
1. Material
Dolls have been made from different materials over the course of time. However, most antique dolls are made from Porcelain, Parina, or Bisque. So if you chance upon dolls made from these materials, in all probability, they are antique.
2. Manufacturer Mark
If the doll has a manufacturer’s mark, then it’s essentially an antique doll. Besides, a manufacturer mark can save you the pain of searching for the price as well.
3. Doll Portions
Besides the mark and materials, the different partitions of the doll can reveal important information as well. For instance, painted eyes are a sign of early dolls.
We will find out more details about this later in the article.
What Is An Antique Doll?
The actual emergence of dolls dates way back to ancient times. It cannot be known for certain when the first dolls were manufactured. However, currently, antique dolls refer to porcelain or bisque dolls, and while gauging antique dolls’ value, it’s important to consider the following points.
Antique Dolls the 1800s-1920s
Antique dolls 1800s-the 1920s are very popular among collectors and are highly valued. Mostly the antique bisque porcelain dolls were in rage during this time. Unlike China porcelain, bisque porcelain is unfinished in nature and thus produces a more life-like quality with a matte finish. Similar to china dolls, these are well dressed and have amazing detailing.
As mentioned earlier, there are some tell-tale signs that will help you with your doll appraisals. Let’s look at some of these features in detail.
1. Doll Material
As already stated, most antique dolls are made from three primary materials:
- Porcelain: The earliest and the rarest dolls are made from Porcelain. However, the body was wooden, supporting the China-made head and shoulders.
- Bisque dolls: Standard issue bisque dolls either had leather or clothed body. The facial features, eyes, mouth, and ears were molded.
- Parian dolls: Made from non-tinted Porcelain, these dolls had an excellent decorative value.
Besides these three popular materials, baby dolls have some antique value. While adult dolls had the largest market share in the 19th century, baby dolls became highly popular during the 1900s. There was a high transformation in design.
2. Manufacturer Stamp
While determining that vintage dolls are worth money, it’s important to look for some identification marks. A manufacturer’s confirmation mark will save you the trouble of further research.
To identify any stamp, examine the doll closely. If the doll is old, there should be some clear imprints on its physical surface. If the print is not clear to you, click close photographs or gently wipe the marks to identify the sign.
Following are a few ways that will help you identify the manufacturer’s mark easily:
3. Doll Separations
Apart from the marks and body parts, the individual parts of the dolls can have certain clues.
Doll clothes: Most dolls from the 1800s had leather clothing. Later on, during the 1900s, synthetic cloth with Victorian-style design became popular.
Eyes: Early dolls had painted eyes; it was later on that stationary eyes were installed.
Hair: The early-made China dolls had mid-parted, painted, or molded hair. Again from the 1900s, real-life rooted hair was used.
Body: Older dolls had porcelain, wooden, or bisque bodies; cloth stuffed bodies came later on.
Who Is The Doll Manufacturer? Popular Antique Doll Manufacturers
To conduct a proper identification of doll maker marks, you need to know a few popular doll manufacturers. The list below should help you.
Alexander Doll Company: Bertha Alexander, along with her sisters, founded the company in 1923. Though the company is new, it has manufactured some of the most priceless vintage dolls. The designer edition of Madame Alexander dolls has great trading and decorative qualities.
Ideal Novelty and Toy Company: Founded in 1907, this company manufactured the sturdiest dolls of its time. The dolls were specially crafted, making them unbreakable.
Armand Marseille Doll Company: This company made many antique dolls available in the current market. This company specialized in bisque dolls and came to the market in the 1800s.
Antique Doll Manufacturer Mark Examples:
Now that you know a few popular antique doll manufacturers, let’s check out where these companies put their identification marks. This is crucial as different companies use different things. For instance, porcelain dolls with numbers on their necks are often regarded as antique dolls.
Here are a few examples:
How To Identify Antique Bisque Dolls
Brisque dolls were first manufactured in 1869, and from then on, these dolls went from being toys to treasures. Dolls collectors drool over these dolls; however, to buy an original one, it’s important to look into the following identification marks.
1. Matte Look
Originally bisque dolls had a matte finish to make them appear life-like. This special characteristic separates these dolls from the China ones.
2. Material
As the name suggests, the head of these dolls is made of bisque, a white ceramic type of material. However, since this material is fragile, the rest of the doll is made from a combination of leather, wood, and cloth. The facial features of these dolls are painted, and their hair is either goat it human hair. Finally, the eyes are glass.
3. Country Of Origin
Though Americans too started making bisque dolls in the 70s and 80s, those were plastic reproductions. The original ones were made in France, mostly in Jumeau, Bru, and Huret.
How To Identify Antique Dolls Value?
While it’s easy for collectors to determine the value of a collector doll, for commoners, it can be challenging. However, experts have identified a few pointers to make the process easy:
Brief History Of Doll Materials:
Collector dolls have a vast history. Porcelain dolls first emerged during the mid-1800s. Between 1840-and 1880 porcelain feet, hands and heads were crafted in China. These were either Chinese Porcelain or china and had a glazed or polished look.
Following this, in 1850, bisque dolls were manufactured in Germany and France. The porcelain heads of these dolls were mostly matte. Finally, during the 1900s, bisque dolls were produced in China and US.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What type of dolls is collectible?
There are primarily four types of dolls that are worth collecting.
Chinese porcelain dolls: The earliest type of porcelain dolls featured a porcelain head and shoulders coupled with a wooden body
Bébé dolls: Before the 1800s, dolls were mostly adults. But following that era, many brands started making dolls that resembled children.
Parian doll: These dolls are basically bisque dolls made from untinted Porcelain created for the display and not for play.
Bisque dolls: The early versions of these dolls had a leather or cloth body with a bisque head along with molded hair, mouth, and eyes.
2. What are old dolls worth money?
Collectors are always on the lookout for valuable collector dolls. Some of the most popular ones are:
Conclusion
Playing with dolls is, of course, fun, but if you want to buy a doll as an investment, then checking out collector dolls is advisable. From how to identify antique bisque dolls to checking for authentication marks, we have covered everything in this article. Let’s get playing, shall we?