About appraisals——I am happy to uncover the mystery of what it really “is” that your grandmother willed to you, or what a really good friend simply gave to you, but I do need a little help! It’s truly difficult to identify and illuminate your requests to our mutual satisfaction,  without actually having the doll or accessory in my hands. But honestly friends, I DO need pictures and I DO need as much information as you can give me from your side. This includes ALL the marks incised or stamped into the head, AND the body, the height of the doll, and whatever else you can provide me with. This identification process is already immensely convaluded by the metaphors you ask me to unpuzzle to try to comprehend what you are actually referring to when you give me your descriptions. Again, I’m fine with it, as I love to share, but I need you to do some homework my friends.

And  if I may say one more thing on appraisals. I do  charge for this service. I just done’t want you to be surprised or disappointed. So with all sincerity, if what you want appraised is not really of any significance to you, I humbly ask you NOT to ask for an appraisal.

On another subject, I love hearing from those of you who are truly interested in what I have to offer on the subject of antique dolls, toys and accessories——–but I would really appreciate those of you who attempt to use my site as an advertisement for your own advancement, or just to leave a message like it’s some sort of social networking site to cease and desist. Your comments and silly ads. WILL be trashed anyway, and frankly, it makes YOU look ridiculous. Surely you could leave yours ads somewhere else where maybe someone would appreciate them.  Thanks for your attention to my site as always. I appreciate and greatly value all the support!

THIS IS MY CONUNDRUM….. For some reason, although many  great comments have been gifted concerning my blog, (thank you), weirdly, many have requested a ”template,” of my website. AS IF some sort of copy WOULD be made of my website, or any part of it!      REALLY??!

First of all, even IF such a thing is readily available, does anyon believe that I would hand this out like a bunch of M&M’s or a few chocolate chip cookies? But equally insane, does anyone truly believe that there IS such  a “template”? So to clarify, THERE IS NO SUCH THING! This website was created FOR me, (NOT BY me, honestly, I don’t have that ability), and it will not be used again.  I consider it to be a piece of art,  and it is a one-of-a-kind. Unlike ANY other website, not just because of all the dolls  that have been placed for sale, on the website,——past, present and future,  but because of the composition, ebb and flow, beauty, excitement, enrichment, aura  and level of intensity one receives when browsing through it. That is part of what makes it so unique, and why you all admire it as much as you seem to. And that uniqueness is what makes my website so phenomenal. That is as well,  what makes it a true piece of art. and why there could never be a “template” for it. The person who created it, WAS an artist!

I will share research I have done on dolls, and share knowledge I have acquired about dolls, but when someone creates a piece of art for only me, I won’t share that gift with anyone so that they can attempt to re-create it.No one gets the keys to this kingdom.  Because I know that many of my best customers are artists, I believe you are completely in tune with my philosophy.

When it comes to the category of antique dolls known as ”characters,” there is a minute but nevertheless a chance that you may find a doll that IS one of a kind, or as they say in Europe, “one off.” This is obviously, an extremely important and delightful event, albeit a conundrum.  The confusing part is brought about by the knowledge that  regardless of how conscientious, devoted and impartial you truly may be, and how many years you have been collecting, and/or researching, and how fortunate you have been with regards to the amount and quality of pieces you have examined, there is really never a way to be 100% certain that there is in fact NOT another exact model somewhere “out there.”  This research would include studying all the actual German and French archived material and research, (in itself an immense and daunting endeavor),  that can be found in the doll kingdom, from each company and supplier, encompassing several countries. After all, we all must  appreciate the dolls in private hands that have yet to be seen. Ironically, some of these pieces may not even be recognized in regards to value by the owners. We can only do our best to familiarize ourselves with as many rarities we can find in books, magazines, newspapers, random articles, and in my case, the hundreds and hundreds of pictures people have sent me in an effort to identify their dolls.

Then, every once in a GREAT while, something will show itself that does, in fact, lead to the assumption that it just may be in a category of rarity, that would make even Indiana  Jones take a step back! But again, this happens ALMOST specifically to the “characters,” and to take it a step further, the German “characters.”  When such a rarity factor is found among the French, and it has, a VERY few times, it is almost always in reference to the body type, such as in  French “fashions.” Again there are exceptions, for example the fantastically rare Huret with molded teeth comes to mind. I am not sure if any  production number has ever been imposed on this model—- have there been two, perhaps three? But for the MOST part, even the French models known as ”rarities” turned out to be NOT so rare, as in the example of the French A Marque.

I remember many years ago when a production number of 25 of these was assessed to this mold. Not so many years after, it rose to 50 said to have been produced. Soon after that, it became 100! Now, I have seen much research that  challenges that number, and at the very least, states that although the exact amount produced is unclear,  it was more than 100, perhaps much closer to 200! And interestingly enough? The French dolls that ARE considered to be so rare, ARE “characters” not the “pretty” faces, like the examples mentioned of the A. Marque.

Speciffically. the superbly rare French Jumeau 200 series, are characters, not the “pretty faces.” And MANY of these are significantly rarer than the A. Marque. But that’s an entirely different subject!

So when a customer of mine called back in December of last year, right after my auction, upset because she had missed a very special French piece that had a  particular expression that neither of us had ever seen with that one exception,  I told her to be patient. I was absolutely certain that it would turn up again. I did not say that it would come around in a few weeks, or even several months, but I was secure in saying that it WOULD come up again. These faces were hand painted by artists, the artists in question did not paint ONE doll!  And even if the expression was unusual in some way, and the modeling quite special, this expression would again be accessible.

About 6 months later, I was offerred a small collection of 50 dolls,  the bulk of which were wonderful French. This collector had superb taste and sought out dolls in the category of German and French”characters” AND in French ”pretties” that were unique and extraordinary. Not just in the quality of bisque and painting, but in the expressions and presence. And lo and behold, there it was!THE doll she had been pining over.  It was a size smaller, but it was equally gorgeous, with the same quirky expression,  and in fact the clothes were original!

Bottom line my friends, when it comes to the French “pretties”———they did NOT make one of anything. If you believe you can prove me wrong, fine. But do your own research, as I have already done mine. Seriously. I don’t care what little French “pretty” you have, a tete Jumeau with a Portrait face, A Portrait Jumeau that looks like a character,  Steiners with very unusual painting——-  same for the. Bru, A.T. an R.D with an early F.G. face, I have seen quite a few—-enough to say that they did NOT make one of any French “pretty”, only characters. The important thing is to know, as I wanted to show my customer, is  that if you have some patience, you WILL find that gorgeous French “pretty” face doll that you once saw, or that went too high at an auction, or that you now regret selling.  They always come around. So keep on looking, be descriminating, but RELAX! You will find her again!  Now characters——–also another discussion——

(Oh, please do not leave your web address as an advertisement on my blogs, as they will be removed. Thank you)

The question of rarity in the buying and selling of antique dolls is hugely relevant,  and therefore incredibly important. Within such a  discussion, the subject of the size of each doll is also important and controversial because it is subjective. Size is an area delving into numerous and varied shades of gray, and is so complex not only in accordance with the doll, but again subjectively, because the opinion of the individual collecting the doll becomes an issue as well. Add to this the “ups and downs” of whats going on in the hearts and minds of the doll community, the propaganda being spread by the doll auctions, the international markets, what the “big collectors” are spending their money on, and stir briskly.

It’s no secret that I love the “littles.” Not just the “all bisque” dolls, which ARE only ”little” or small in size, but dolls that were produced in varying sizes, such as the dolls that have bisque heads on composition bodies,  that can be found in  various sizes from small to large. But my fondness being especially acute when it can be acquired in the combination of French dolls in the smallest of sizes. So a Jules Steiner being found in the tiniest size in which it was produced definitely makes me happy! Then add to that, the rarity of the piece. So a phenomenal tiny Jules Steiner if it has a stunning face, and stunning original clothes, would be a heart melter. Then let’s dream on, and wave the magic wand, letting us have a tiny Series G——-well, you’ve got the picture!

And then, let’s not neglect to at least mention that the earliest vetsion of any example, to be a purist, are USUALLY “considered” to be the rarer when compared to the later models of the example.. So, for example,  if we we are considering the French Jules Steiners, the ”Series” models are earlier, so considered rarer than the “Figures” and so preferable. And the marking are different as well. To begin with,  the smallest size of a Steiner Series A, is incised  “4/0,” rather than the mark of a Steiner Figure A which is marked with a size ” 1″.  Again, remember, I said there were many shades of gray. This is one of them. Because YOU may not like the earliest example! And that is absolutely fine! There is no law after all!

Same kind of rules apply to all French examples which are marked both ways, according to earlier and later models. For the tiniest Schmitt, marked both with a 4/.0 in the tiniest size and a 1, an R.D. an F.G. either on the kid body or the composition loose ball body, any of the Bru models, actually, most of the fantastic French beauties, all have different marking systems, including thr Jumeaus, according to which Jumeaus, and these are the most intricate of them all, the markings according to the model of the doll having of course entrie books written to help us figure out which marks “go with” which model. This is  a subject unto itself.

 But, for the German characters, the story of size is the opposite. Not that we must go freaky. But for most people, there ARE always exceptions, and there ARE also exceptions for certain dolls if not for all as well. So collectors may want certain examples of certain characters in small sizes for their own reasons. But to continue,  certainly any character over 16″ is considered more desirable than under, and more difficult to find. Of course, there are many times when a character is SO rare that it’s just not possible to find a large example. Or that an example that is found is fantastic in quality and presentation and so who cares! In fact, very often, especially in many of the exceptionally elusive FRENCH characters, they only came in small sizes so the question is moot! But if there is a chance of acquiring a large, or THE largest size character for your collectiion, in fact especially if it is THE largest size, it should always be something you should hold out for, even though there is a financial consideration. The larger sizes are so amzingly tough to acquire, even if the market gets “soft,” the rarity of such a doll, in either the smallest size if it is a French beauty, or the largest size, if it is a rare character, is pretty well guaranteed to hold it’s value.

So this afternoon, a long time customer/friend related a story to me  about how she had been in a woman’s house who happened  to have a a collection of dolls. This woman had no idea that my customer also had a collection of dolls, but the collections were polar opposites in nature. You see, MY customer’s dolls were antique dolls, and the dolls that were assembled in the house in which she was a visitor,  were “new” dolls. When my customer saw these dolls, a sound emanated from her mouth that occurs, (albeit rarely), when you kind of suck in your breath in a combination of surprise and the fear of having no knowledge of what is now expected of you. She knew that no discussion had previously taken place concerning ANY  sort of dolls so there was no reason for any defensive posturing, which was a relief, because as of this moment she could not remember if she actually formed a word or even several,  (making any sense or not). If, in fact, she HAD said something, or just made that strange sound, she was nevertheless unprepared for the remarks that followed. My customer innocently said, something to the effect, of  ”oh, you have dolls.”  And the woman retorted, “Yes! Aren’t they fabulous? They are from the Franklin Mint. I actually KNOW someone who collects those disgusting “antique” kind. They are so gross and horrific. Can you imagine allowing those  hideous pieces of filth into your home?”

It was as if her mind was over taken by the devil himself, as she answered, “Well yes, I can! I, unlike you, cannot imagine what pleasure you derive from looking at dolls that remind one of robotic images of character-less cutie dull ladies all looking exactly the same except, perhaps,  for a change in the color of the bow that ties the dress. As far as the antique dolls being filthy? They are only as filthy as the person who owns them!”

Antique dolls and new dolls do not even belong in the same arena, aesthetically or financially.  New dolls are much like M&M’s or Hershey Kiss candies, as each bag and consequently each candy is pretty much identical, which is great when you have your mind set on popping one into your mouth, as you do not really want a surprise. You have total recall on what that little piece of chocolate is going to taste like and that’s perfect. However,  when it comes to art, a new doll is ALSO comparable to that M&M or Hershey kiss———- reliable, and again, no surprises. However, an antique doll will make you stop, savor the moment, and your mind will gyrate through a myriad of marvelous “ins” and “outs” that are difficult to put into verbage. For example, trying to remember something that you actually can NOT remember, yet you reach for it anyway, you are NOT puzzled by something and yet you ARE fairly puzzled by what and why. You are amused and confused and enamored all at once, and it is delightful.

New dolls, make no mistake, are all made to look the same, that IS the purpose. So if you or your daughter saw it in the store, or in an infomercial, you CAN go back and find it again—-no problem. There is no reason to worry about the price changing. It will be the same. Except if you try to sell it to someone else. Then it will change—–it will become much more affordable for the person to whom you are selling it TO! Because ANYONE can buy the same doll YOU bought at the same place, store or T.V commercial where YOU purchased it from,  the next person won’t have to pay any more than YOU did! (rhetorical). Perhaps, this doll may come with blue or brown eyes, PERHAPS, but usually, the doll is offered in one way, as the artist likes to keep it VERY simple.

An antique doll, must be sought out, according to not only the maker of the doll, whether the doll was made by, say, the company of “Kestner”, which is a German firm, then sought out according to the mold number, say “208″, the size of the doll, the eye color, one’s desire as to the color and length of the wig, (IF of course you can find it, and this is a very big IF) sometimes being able to find one specific type of body on which it was offered if it was offered on more than one type,  and these can all add up to rarity factors hugely defining the price. Add in to this, what imperfections one allows themselves to accept. For example, one collector may be comfortable with a damage of a “hairline” crack to the back of the head, and yet totally uncomfortable with black speckling to the face. All imperfections are very personal  and individual indeed. And all have so much to do with the “antique doll” and not the “new doll” because almost without exception, the “new doll” does not have any imperfections.

Antique dolls were made by artists, by hand, therefore, even if the same artist painted several dolls, which of course they did, no two were exactly alike. And even if the ensembles were pretty much thr same, they were not EXACTLY the same, And as stated before, the eyes were different colors, as were the colors of the wigs, and the lengths of said wigs  and the thickness, and the styles, and how they held up after SO many years. After all, the dolls were played with, even if they were played with very carefully. and only on Sundays. The patinas on the bodies ended up “showing”very differently, all could be  quite beautiful, but nevertheless, different.

And so the prices could be SO different as well!  Now, factor into this, BIG TIME, who was selling the doll! Or if the collector was getting a doll from an auction, a yard sale, a thrift shop, whatever.

Back to “new dolls.” Passionless, no character, no individuality, like voodoo dolls without the intent or content, robotic images one to another, inspiration less, good for taking up time with your daughter and having the little girl, use HER imagination to tell the story of the doll in front of her,as there is no difference looking at one of these dolls and comparing it to another that was standing next to it on the shelf st the toy store. BUT, if you examine 2 antique dolls, even if they are the same mold numbers, made by the same companies, the same sizes, they WILL be different. because they were painted by different artists, with a different hand with a different stroke and a different imagination. Even if they were painted by the SAME artist!!! Because you cannot paint anything exactly the same way twice!! This is why an antique doll and a new doll ARE inherently different. One is is a piece of art, the other is not. They do not belong in the same arena, either aesthetically or financially. One takes thought, passion, commitment, and courage, not so the other. An antique doll does have imperfections, as any human being has imperfections. To begin with, a new doll is boring, you can always tell it’s new, once you have a tad but of training.

Hi there, I’m Nikki Kvitka. Welcome to my Blog! I have collected and sold dolls since my college days. I remember when I encountered my first antique doll in a charming little shop in Boston. I felt a kind of deja vu, like I was visiting with friends I had known for a very long time. And I have never lost the sense of wonder I get when looking at antique dolls – I love seeing their wonderful faces, some funny, some beautiful, but each one unique, each one special.

I love sharing information and research on antique dolls almost as much as any other aspect of this important and relevant collecting field. And so I have written several articles for various publications, including the “Antique Doll Collector,” “Antique Doll World,” “Doll News,” and the “Doll Reader.” Pictures of my private collection have been used in numerous other articles and books; some even appear en masse, as in the new book on googlies, “The History and Art of Googlies.” I get excited when I find something unusual, or when I find the answer to a question that has been unanswerable up to that point. I think it’s important, imperative, actually, for advanced collectors and dealers to share what they learn with less experienced collectors. I have always felt the more informed you are, the easier it is not only to communicate to others, but to nail down for yourself your particular tastes in dolls.