Learn To Collect Dolls

Young girls aren't young girls unless they have at least one doll in their toy box. But nowadays, dolls are more than just a young girl's play thing. It can also be a source of joy for an adult. And adults, which may seem really odd but true, collect dolls to look at them in their display cabinets.

What is a doll collection without the most famous and hottest Barbie collectibles? Most female adult collectors of this doll average age is 40. Mattel saw the opportunity for this mature market and in 2004, they launched a labeling system that would help collectors find what they were looking for at a simple glance. The colored labeling system consists of the pink, silver, gold and platinum labels. The Barbie dolls that are labeled pink are mass-produced. The Dolls of the World Series, the Model Barbie dolls, and the Pop Culture dolls are the ones that fall under this category.

The Barbie dolls that have no more than 50,000 in number worldwide are labeled Silver. The Silver label has the following series: The Wedding series, Ballet Barbies, I Dream of a Season Barbie dolls, and Birthday Barbie dolls.

Those that come under the Gold label have no more than 25,000 pieces worldwide. The Designer Fashion Model Barbie dolls, Pin-up girls, Designer Bride, and the Vintage Repros' all come under this label.

The last and rarest among these labels is the Platinum label where less than 1,000 pieces are produced worldwide. The Faerie Queen, White Chocolate Obsession, and the Nurse Barbie fall under this category.

Other doll collections that may be worthwhile would be the Pre-1930's antique dolls, Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, Terri Lee dolls (1940's-1950's), China dolls (which is a sub-category of antique dolls), and the American Girl dolls, dolls that represent countries or regions, German antique dolls and the Mundia collection dolls.

Raggedy Ann and Andy are dolls that look simple and very common yet their price fetches up to $3000 for the rarest pieces! They are hot to most doll collectors because of their designs and variety. Terri Lee dolls are vinyl dolls that come in many designs and the oldest models from circa 40's or 50's will easily fetch a doll collector thousands of dollars! China dolls are one of the perennial favorites of doll collectors. China dolls are manufactured in Germany and they come with glazed bisque (which accounts for their glossy appearance). Most china dolls' faces and hair are painted. And the greatest thing about China dolls is their rarity. Most of them were produced in 1830's until the late 1890's.

The 18-inch American Girl dolls remain every American girl's favorite. Mattel (the makers of Barbie dolls) makes American Girl dolls. Different eras of American girls are represented by these dolls. Mattel makes dolls that represent American girls from the 1940's until the modern day. And just like Barbie, the color of the dolls can be made to match the owner.

German antique dolls are one of the best in the world. They come next to France in the era of doll making. The French people started making dolls but soon waned at the trade. They passed the craft to Germans and the Germans, in turn, excelled at it. Kewpie dolls are still collectors' favorites and so are other porcelain dolls.

When it comes to doll making, the French were considered to be the pioneers in this craft. In the early 1800's, the French doll makers dominated the world of doll making. The Mundia dolls were made by French doll makers. Their most prominent features are their very feminine and luxurious clothes and their clear skin. These porcelain dolls seem to have an unexplainable look that set them apart from all other antique dolls and any modern day doll on the market today.

Dolls constitute a major part of every woman's childhood. And if she chooses to continue the wonderful imaginations that she has with her childhood dolls, or if she merely wants to please her passion for collecting rare items, it doesn't matter. Dolls will always be a girl (or a woman's) constant companion.