If you want to Sell Dolls; More at Doll Collecting @ About.com

I am not a dealer, nor do I sell dolls. I write about the dolls in my collection, and am creating a museum collection and inventory as my retirement project. Yet, many still ask me for my opinions and ideas about selling dolls. So, here are some tips from an amateur. There are more articles at my site at About.com. There will be four separate articles published after July 1, but here is a start: YouTube.com: One day soon I plan a post on my favorite channels with dolls. Some of these are done by stores like Gigi's Dolls and Sherry's Teddies and other businesses that sell dolls. Antique malls: You can rent a booth to sell your dolls. The rate is usually monthly. Sometimes you have to work a day or so a week at the mall if you have a booth there. It is usually up to you to maintain your displays. Sometimes, a percentage of sales may also go to the antique mall. There don't seem to be as many malls as there used to be. Some also feature eBay stores and online sites for buying and selling dolls. Antique shops: Many buy all types of dolls for their inventory. Call and ask for the owner. A dealer will offer about 40-50% of the doll's value because s/he must be able to sell the doll and make a profit to stay in business. Keep them: Not everyone is a collector, and not everyone wants to keep dolls. But, if they are family dolls and you like them, you may want to keep them awhile, and perhaps pass them on to another collector in your family. Denise's articles: Review Denise's earlier articles on doll auctions, selling dolls, and caring for dolls. She has a lot of ideas, and used to run a doll shop. She still sells online and has written a great price guide. Denise's blogs: Denise is writing her own blog about dolls. Inventory: Always keep an inventory of the dolls that you have sold or intend to sell and update it. If you are computer savvy, there are great software programs to help you. Preferably, keep photos as well. Price guides: Consult Denise's pricguides online, or look at Dollreference.com or other sites. Get a good book like Denise's Official Price Guide to doll or other guides by Patsy Moyer, Pat Smith, Linda Edward, or Jan Foulke. Selling to upgrade: Some collectors gather dolls to sell so they can buy better dolls for themselves. Others sell to upgrade. They might buy a damaged German bisque doll and restore it, then, when they find a better example, they will sell that doll and "trade UP' to buy the example in better condition. Selling to change collection focus: Some collectors sell to change the focus of their collection. Maybe they had antiques, and wanted to get into artists dolls. Or, they had vintage Barbies, and then decided they liked china heads. Years ago, Mrs. Lucretia Mott collect large antique dolls. She soon fell in love with miniatures and doll house dolls, sold the big dolls, and Mott's Miniature Museum was born. It stood for years within Knott's Berry Farm in California, and was one of my favorite places on earth.