COLLECTING DOLLS

The Fun Of Collecting Dolls

Hobbies are nice. It is good to have a little something to do in our spare time that stimulates our minds and gets up excited about life. Collecting dolls can be a fun hobby, especially since there are so many to pick from. They can also be profitable later. They may not be as well. A doll collection should be for your own enjoyment. If they should substantially increase in value, well, great!

First of all, what kind of dolls do you want to collect? There are many themes you can have for your collection. You may want to track down vintage or antique dolls. Perhaps dolls from different countries, or dolls dressed as though they were from different countries

Another theme could be dolls from a certain manufacturer or dolls of a certain name. There are a few famous dolls that come in different settings and include friends and family members. You could put together an entire community of such characters. Or what about baby dolls?

Whatever theme you choose, you will need to start someplace. For vintage or old dolls, you will probably need to visit antique stores. Other good places to look are yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores and specialized doll shops. Online auction sites will probably also have a few to pick from.

Such places are good for other dolls too. Newer dolls and those labeled "collectible" will usually also be easily found in these spots. Just set aside a day where you can spend some time going to a few different places and take your time looking through everything. Fridays and Saturdays are best days for yard sales. Saturday and Sunday are often the best days for flea markets.

When shopping online, keep an eye out for certain abbreviations. Some examples are NRFB which means Never Removed from Box, NIB (New in Box, ) MIB (Mint in Box, ) NWT (New with Tags, ) and EUC (excellent Used Condition.) If you see other abbreviations that are not clear, ask the seller for clarification.

Store your dolls safely. Hopefully, your doll collection is to make you happy. So, you should display them out someplace where you can see them often and where they can be admired by guests. If you have a special room you can dedicate that would be great. If not, it is okay. You could set up a certain area with your dolls. Put some on tables, in chairs; even get them their own little furniture in which to display them. Arrange them in different poses, dress them in various outfits and give them fun accessories. And as for antique dolls: handle them carefully and consider putting them out of reach of admirers, especially children.