Evelyn Meade Chisman, Small Dolls and Other Collectibles. Drake Publishers, 1978: Finding things to sell at thrift shops and yard sales

Evelyn Meade Chisman, Small Dolls and Other Collectibles. Drake Publishers, 1978: Finding things to sell at thrift shops and yard sales

Public Domain; book available on Amazon.com

Chisman’s book, above, is a very handy and practical guide for collectors. She is great at identifying categories to collect, but also gives ideas for how to fund your collection.

90s vinyl baby, Cititoy Variety

18 inch dolls, not American Girl

We all know dealers who sell online as well as at shows.  Many have their own collections that they would like to subsidize.  I know collectors of antiques who gather Star Wars toys to sell at flea markets or online auctions.  A few high end dealers browse yard sales to look for Blythe dolls, Gene, Barbies, or other modern dolls that they can sell.

Mini licensed PVC figure from Toy Story

Chisman talks about finding miniatures and doll related items that could be put on consignment, or sold at a show or booth at an antiques mall.  In fact, if you are a follower of Barbara Allan mysteries, you’ll love Antiques Maul, which features the protagonist and her mother scouring sales for treasures to stock a booth at an antique mall. 

Bratz doll from a yard sale

Here are some ideas for finding small items inexpensively, then selling them at a modest profit to help fund your own collections.  It’s a pleasant way to spend a morning, especially on the weekends, and you can take your coffee, roll the windows down, and follow your usual route, or find a new one.  Have plenty of cash, lots of pockets, an easy purse to carry, or no purse.  Be quick, but I don’t recommend leaving your keys in the ignition.  Start early. 

• Children’s books, particularly those about dolls like Raggedy Ann, Beatrix Potter books, paint books, coloring books, board books.
• Peanuts characters and book; Charles Schulz characters and comics are popular collectibles.  Many have been made into dolls.  Hallmark did some nice jointed bisque dolls; Sally is especially cute.  Snoopy is made in plush for every holiday in all sizes; so have Woodstock, Brother Spike, and Sister Belle. 
• Videos, BlueRay,  and DVDs  related to dolls; Chisman mentions Strawberry Shortcake and friends, but others include Raggedy Ann and Andy, Smurfs, Jem and the Holograms, Barbie, assorted horror movies including Dolls and Child’s Play, Hugo, Child of Glass, Shirley Temple Films, the 90s A Little Princess, and soon, Ugly Dolls (In Theaters May 3).
• Disney characters and films.  These include T-Shirts, other clothing, jewelry, as well as paper items, books, dolls, plush. 
• Cross-collectibles:  Jim Shore figurines and his version of Disney, Gone with the Wind and other popular culture icons.  Coke memorabilia, breweriana, Pokémon and Manga items, comic characters, action figures.
• Other toys for kids of all ages, sometimes these cost under a dollar, or are in the free box.  I used to find dozens of Happy Meal and fast food toy premiums; not any more.  That should tell us something on the state of collectibles.
• Greeting cards, wrapping paper, and other paper items with dolls or doll related licensed characters as motifs.
• Barbies, usually from 2000 on.  You can find whole bags of clothing for under $3.  Sometimes, there are examples of Barbie furniture and houses.  I’ve seen boxed dolls, usually pink label or Avon dolls selling for $10 and under. 
• Babies and dolls by Cititoy, which began in 1979 and is located in Hong Kong S.A.R., China.  These are decent quality, and were very plentiful during the 90s and early 2000s.  Many are babies, but they make an American Girl type 18 inch doll.  Many like to collect the 18inch non-American girl dolls because they are less expensive, fun to dress, fun to hair style.
• Small figurines and pieces of china, what British author Barbara Pym would call in her cozy way, “bits and pieces.’
• Baby clothes and shoes, small blankets, sometimes yard goods.  You can resell these, or use them for your own dolls.
• Holiday decorations, especially Christmas ornaments and Santas, Halloween ornaments like witches and scarecrows, and Easter Bunnies.  Many of these are dolls, and are often sold cheaply.  You can find lots of great midcentury sixties ornaments if you look carefully.
• Radios made to look like different characters, comforters and quilts, baskets, baby buggies, doll buggies, strollers, old cradles, buttons, craft goods, are all great items to buy and to resell, but also fit well with doll collectors.
• Tins old and new, especially candy tins and cookie tins decorated for Christmas.  
• Old Valentine's and candy boxes.

 

Small tin with a Victorian motif; it cost around a quarter at a yard sale. Lithographed tins
of all kinds make nice accents for doll collections; some feature dolls, like one from Current that is
decorated with French Fashion dolls.

You can always keep what you find for yourselves, or keep them as doll club prizes or fun items to trade.  So, “let’s be careful out there, “ but let’s also have fun!!

Christmas items are good finds for resale.  This is an early 2000 vintage snow man 

Vintage Halloween cat with molded toys