An Inspection Walk Through

Selecting a doll to buy is a simple process once you've done your homework! The first thing I suggest is to buy a doll price guide, there are several very good ones on the market, perhaps the most well known is "The Blue Book" by Jan Foulke, but there are others. Peruse them all and select the one that suits you best.

The next step is read through the book to try to determine where you want to start collecting. You may find bisque dolls appeal to you, or hard plastic, or the dolls you remember from your childhood. You can (and should) also determine the price range of your first doll from reading the books. My advice is to start slowly, don't jump into your first purchase without some idea of where you want to start. Go to a few dolls shows (leave the checkbook at home the first time or two) to get a feel for what is available from the dealers in your area. Do not be afraid to ask questions of the dealers, they are there to assist you, not just sell dolls, remember most started as newbie collectors at some point.

My first outing at a doll show was great! The dealers were (and are) very friendly and helpful. I was upfront about the fact that I was new to dolls and still learning, but not quite ready to purchase my first doll. I was inquiring about a particular child doll in the booth of one dealer, and after answering my initial questions about the doll, asked me if I would like to see her, and I quote "You won't learn unless you undress and examine her!". Words of wisdom I remember to this day! She then proceeded to take the doll off the stand to show me the doll.

Now lets walk through what you should do when inspecting a bisque doll. The first thing is to ask questions of the dealer about the doll you've got your eye on and request permission to examine the doll. They know you will need to throughly examine her, so they won't be surprised, but they will be glad you asked. Allow the dealer to take the doll down from the display for you if there are several dolls grouped together, you don't want to knock one over. When the dealer hands you the doll, be confident and grasp the doll securely like you would an infant. I like to tell the dealer that "I have her" once I have a good grip (I do the same with glassware) and she can release her grip, this assures one the doll won't fall.

The next step is to remove the doll stand if the dealer has not already done so. It is a simple process of gently squeezing the top ring and separating it from the base with a sliding motion. Be sure to keep a firm grip on the doll while doing this. Ask the dealer to show you if you are unsure, or if you'd like an extra pair of hands.

I usually look for a flat place to lay the doll down, but sometimes there isn't room for that if the dealer has a lot of dolls and a small booth. Once you have the doll secured, the first thing you should is give the doll an overall look to see if the clothes appear to be old or new, and appropriate for this doll. If the doll has a hat remove this first and examine the wig, is the wig old or new, is it appropriate for this doll, is it worn?

The next step will be to see if the wig is attached or loose, this is an important step. If the wig is firmly attached to the head, stop here, ask the dealer if he/she can remove the wig. If the wig cannot be removed from the head, I thank the dealer for their time, and put the doll back. I will not buy a doll where the wig cannot be removed, as it can be covering a crack (learned a hard lesson on this one). There are ways to remove a wig but most dealers will not allow that while on the show floor, to time consuming.

If the wig is removable, then remove it from the head. Check the back of the head and neck for any identifying marks and size numbers. Check around the rim of the head for cracks and hairlines (small, thin tight cracks), check how the eyes are set inside the head, check the rocker on sleep eyes to see if it is intact, also check to see if the cork the rocker weight rests on is intact. Look down into the head to the neck of the doll to see any obvious cracks there. Now, take your flashlight out, and holding it close to the inside of the head, try not to bang it against the head, candle the head like you would an egg. Bisque is translucent and transmits light, this will help you detect repairs in the head or hidden cracks, these would show as dark areas where the light should show through. Do not mistake the dark patches around the eyes as repairs, this is probably just plaster from when the eyes were set.

Use the flashlight to examine the neck also! The head should be shifted around in the socket to examine it throughly as sometimes there are cracks hidden where the neck fits into the body socket. Check to see if the teeth are in place inside the head.

Now turn your attention to the face of the doll. Check the painting, is it nice and colorful? Are there any rubs on the nose or cheeks? Rubs are areas where the color has "rubbed" off from being played with. Are the ears ok? Did the doll have earrings, check the earring holes for chips.
Check around the eyes, the bisque is very thin here and often develops small chips. An eye chip is not a good thing. Are there painted lashes or real hair lashes? Is the mouth open or closed? Open moth dolls often have teeth (remember to check inside the head for them).

Now you should carefully remove the doll clothes to examine the body. On some dolls the clothes are sewn on and cannot be removed, or in the case of Fashion dolls so tight and fragile that they should not be removed, in these cases ask the dealer to assist, amd just move the clothes enough to get an idea of the body type and condition. If you can remove the clothes, check the body for wear and damage or mismatched parts. Composition bodies can have 5 pieces (body, 2 arms and 2 legs) on up to fully jointed with 19 parts! Is the string tight or loose? Are there any identifying marks on the body? On leather bodies are there any repairs or open tears? Are any parts of the wire armature showing through the leather? Is the body straight? Fingers ok? On leather body dolls there is usually a bisque breast plate the leather body attaches to and which the head rests on, is this intact?

Once you have examined the body as best you can, redress the doll and replace the stand. At this point you have enough information to assess the doll and consider price. I usually do not buy the first doll I see, as I want to compare it to other dolls of this same type available at the show (unless I am positive the price is low for this type of doll and it's condition). I also like to consult the price guide also to confirm that the doll is what it is and it is not grossly overpriced for this type of doll and it's condition. I don't do this in front of the dealer, I excuse myself, as I have to "think about it" , take a break away from the crowd and do last minute research.

The stratgety at this point is your call, I can't really help too much here as each individual doll, dealer and you are different, but if you like the doll and the price seems fair based on your research then .....

If you have been following the blog at this point, you may have questions or need clarifications on some points, please do not hesitate to ask or comment.

That is all for now, today, have a Good Night!