3. FIND THE DOLLS

Since there's no "Antique Dolls" aisle in Toys 'R' Us, you'll have to do a little detective work to track down your dolls. Here are some places to visit:

Antique/specialty doll dealers
Auctions
Doll shows
Garage sales, flea markets, antique stores

Antique/specialty doll dealers

You may not find the cheapest dolls in these places, but you'll find dolls of the best quality. Look up an antique doll dealer near you in your phone book or go to online antique doll stores. Some sites you should check out include DollFinder.com and DollUniverse.com.

Auctions

  • Online Auctions. Auction sites like eBay and Amazon are great places to find antique dolls at reasonable prices. In fact, the easy access that online auctions provide have drastically reduced the market values of many kinds of dolls - good news for you; bad news for those looking forward to "SYW Get Rid of Your Antique Doll Collection?" There is, however, a serious problem with buying an antique doll online: you won't get to personally inspect it before making the purchase. Because each antique doll is unique in its aging process, buying one without examining it first may be risky. This is especially true when it comes to online auctions, since a seller may also be a beginner who don't know how to describe a doll properly.

  • Live Auctions. You'll actually have to get out of your PJs to attend one (at least, if you're not an eccentric billionaire), but live auctions can be exciting events. For auction dates and other info on attending a live auction, visit the websites for two doll auctioning giants, Theriaults and McMastersHarris.

Doll shows

If you're up to taking a trip and getting together with a bunch of weirdos (a.k.a. "avid doll collectors"), then visit a doll show. Organizations like the United Federation of Doll Clubs and doll businesses like Seeley's host these conventions on weekends and during the summer. Doll experts recommend that you, as a beginning doll collector, attend these shows so that you can learn from experts and get a chance to inspect dolls before you purchase them. Don't forget to BYOPIAB (bring your own poodle in a bag) to the show or you'll feel like a loser. And who wants to feel like a loser at a doll show?

Garage sales, flea markets, antique stores

You never know what you can find at these places. Don't blame us if you walk away with not only some interesting dolls, but also a bunch of mismatched old shoes, a seashell collection, and a broken phonograph. It's happened more than once.

For more doll-buying resources, it's a good idea to check out special antique doll collecting magazines, like the very appropriately named Antique Doll Collector Magazine. Besides getting updated on the world of doll collecting, there are plenty of ads for doll stores, auctions, shows, and other places to locate them.