How to identify your antique doll

Ways to Identify Your Collector Dolls

Denise Van Patten is a professional doll collecting expert and doll dealer with over two decades of experience. She has authored «The Official Price Guide to Dolls» and shares her extensive knowledge about modern, vintage, and antique dolls.

Illustration: Ashley Nicole Deleon. © The Spruce, 2018

Everyone discovers a doll sooner or later that is hard to identify. A good doll identification guide will always help, as will a magnifying glass. Here are some general steps to follow that may help you identify the name and/or manufacturer of a doll.

Examine the Doll

First, examine the doll thoroughly in good, clear lighting. Note the size of the doll, the material the doll is made of, the type of eyes, hair and clothing details.

Next, check the doll for markings. Most doll marks are found on the back of the head, on the torso, and sometimes the feet. All letters, numbers, and symbols may be important. Don’t forget to look for labels on the doll clothing, or paper labels.

Who Is the Doll Manufacturer?

If the markings contain the name of a doll manufacturer, you are halfway there! Mattel, Madame Alexander, Ideal, and other modern doll makers often mark dolls with their name as the sole mark or as part of the mark. Antique dolls such as Armand Marseille or Simon and Halbig may also be clearly identified on the back of a doll’s head, but this is not the case for most antique dolls. Usually, dolls made after 1890 or 1891 are marked with the country of origin.

If the manufacturer is not named in the mark, check doll reference books to determine who’s mark it is. Many reference books will list marks in an appendix, alphabetized or in numerical order. Many antique dolls are marked with a mold number, and the mold number may be enough to identify the maker of the doll.

How to Identify Your Doll Visually

If your doll has no marks, your job will be more difficult. You will have to search for books to find and identify your doll visually. Having an approximate date of manufacture will help—if you know the date that the doll was purchased, or if the doll belonged to your mother or grandmother as a child, you can narrow that important date down to a decade or even a precise year. eBay, Doll Shops United, Doll Reference.com, Antique Doll Content, and Etsy are good places to look. Ruby Lane also has good information and photos for identifying dolls.

Once you know the doll manufacturer, you can search reference books and online sources such as this site and also eBay (which have many doll photos!) to find your doll.

Sometimes the markings alone will tell you which doll you have (such as AM 390 = Armand Marseille, Mold #390). Other times, photos and the characteristics that you found when you examined the doll will help you determine which doll you have.

If you cannot find your doll using these methods, you can find out the manufacturer and/or name through a doll appraisal at doll shows or doll shops. Some are free, and some require a fee.

You can also find online doll appraisals for a fee. Many dolls can be adequately identified via online photos.

Tips and Additional Information

Not all dolls can be identified! Especially difficult to identify are unmarked dolls of any kind, tourist dolls, and less-expensive supermarket line and drug store dolls. Sometimes, an era and type of doll are all that can be determined, such as «1940s Composition Child» or «French celluloid tourist doll from the 1930s».

Some new collectors get frustrated when all they can find out about their doll is that it is an «Eegee vinyl doll from the 1960s». Sometimes that is the best identification that can be made unless another researcher or collector has found the doll previously in its original packaging with the doll’s name and has published the information.

Also difficult to identify are many dolls made in Asia (often sold through magazine ads, gift shops, or general retailers) during the last 30 years.

Antique Dolls: Identification & Values Guide

Owning antique dolls possess a great interest in passionate collectors for display & trading. However, there are differences to notice between new dolls with genuine antiques. And many classic dolls may appear new to fool you, restraining valuable sell.

How to identify older-looking dolls in terms of genuine antiquity for proper valuation? The precise answer stands pretty long, requiring you to dig deep enough to reach the conclusion. Stick with the expert discussion on choosing worthy/valuable antique dolls.

Table of Contents

What is an Antique Doll?

Actual emergence of dolls as a toy can date back to ancient periods without certain facts. However, antique dolls in the current market specifically refer to porcelain/bisque dolls.

How to Identify an Antique Doll?

Identifying an antique doll is often incredibly easy with imprinted marks. But the precise valuation requires absolute consideration of interdependent facts. Our team broke down the essential points for your simple understanding.

1. Doll Materials

Different materials adorned the dolls over time. And it results in four specific classes of antique dolls based on its materials.

Porcelain Dolls – Earliest form to remain available as the rarest amount. Wooden body held Chinese porcelain shoulders & heads.

Source: Etsy.com Late 1800’s to early 1900’s porcelain doll.

Bisque Dolls – Standard bisque dolls featured either leather or clothed body. Bisque head included molded eyes, mouth & ears.

A German bisque doll from around 1900 Source: wikipedia.org

Parian Dolls – Not-tinted white porcelain held excellent decorative value. Dolls specified for display checked the special material.

German Alt Beck & Gottschalck parian doll with glass eyes Source: wikipedia.org

Baby Dolls – Dolls for adults dominated the market for the entire 19 th But baby dolls had much popularity by the 1900s.

And the 1900s observed a massive transformation in designs. It’s better to skip the 20 th –century dolls for good value with particular exceptions.

2. Manufacturer Mark

Confronting any specific mark is indeed the single-most-important step of identifying the doll. Confirmation from the manufacturing mark can save you a troublesome search for pricing as well.

Source – Hidro Mak/Antique Dolls Collectors Online Advisors

Examine the doll closely to figure out the intended mark. Older dolls should contain clear imprints on its physical surface. Take sufficiently bright photos or gently press to wipe vague marks or symbols.

How to Find the Mark?

Noteworthy Manufacturers from the Past

Of course, the list doesn’t seem much to identify/value the wide extent of antique dolls. But it should help you to catch the essential company marking details.

3. Doll Partitions

Apart from the materials & marks, you must emphasize additional sections. Even the individual part can reveal important clues on the doll.

Dishonest sellers often try to trade heavily or visibly worn-out dolls for antiques. You must remain cautious about fake antique/vintage dolls on purchase. Check the presentation from Rachel Hoffman to learn details on identifying the fake ones.

How to Determine Antique Doll Value

Evaluating the exact price of an antique is always difficult for commoners. There are many factors to consider at the same time for proper valuation. Experts enlisted the following points to narrow down the ultimate price tag.

Missing any point can significantly affect the valuation, even with the professionals. You need to cover all kinds of info to reach a precise amount.

Online Pricing Guide

There are many well-established sites to deal with antique dolls for trading. It’s a good idea to keep browsing relevant options to develop primary ideas.

Check the nearby antique shops, reputed collectors’ collection & occasional sales. The investigation should provide good ideas on antique prices on a local scale.

Attending online auctions can also enlighten your knowledge on the price & its potential customers. But you must understand the basics of trading value.

Initial Research on Doll Marking

You may face trouble in finding an exact match of the doll’s marking at first. But there are other ways to confirm the manufacturing mark than direct search. You must take a good-quality, clear picture of the mark for identification before anything else.

Leave the valuation to a reliable appraisal when you can’t find any conclusive result. Online as well as offline appraisals should remain available based on your residence.

Resources for Antique Doll Collection

The community to specializes in antique dolls remains the best resource to satisfy your quest. But not every community can provide instant or immediate support. That’s where you should consider the following online sources for response/research.

In addition, don’t forget the Theriault’s Auction Company to attend live trading. It’s a site to specialize in antique toys including dolls.

Alternative Collectible Dolls

Not everyone is fond of classic Chinese porcelain or bisque dolls. And collectors to despise/avoid the two kinds often hits a disappointing end.

Of course, no one actually intends to play with antique dolls anymore. And that’s where the buyer looks for something different for tastes.

But there are several vintage dolls from the last century to satisfy the demand. However, actual dolls to possess worthy value are slightly limited.

Check the Collectible Kachina Dolls as well as Vintage Barbie Dolls. Either type should contain some impressive, considerable choices at least.

Final Words

It seems somewhat easy to identify a real deal regarding antique dolls. However, the process gets noticeably difficult in valuating the intended piece. But the aforementioned details should save you unnecessary research to make a dependable start.

Highly Informative Tips to Identify Antique Porcelain Dolls

Collecting vintage porcelain dolls is a hobby for some people, but some could also be worth a fortune. Whatever the reason for collecting, it could be a big deal if a genuine antique doll is acquired. This HobbyZeal post tells you how to identify antique porcelain dolls.

Collecting vintage porcelain dolls is a hobby for some people, but some could also be worth a fortune. Whatever the reason for collecting, it could be a big deal if a genuine antique doll is acquired. This HobbyZeal post tells you how to identify antique porcelain dolls.

Did You Know?

Porcelain dolls originated in France and Germany around 1800. Earlier, dolls were created to look like women. Later, more were made to resemble children.

Antique means something that belongs to an earlier period, fashion, and style. Collecting antique things will be like bringing a piece of history into your house. When the collection comprises vintage porcelain dolls, it is a treat of different hairstyles, clothes, facial expressions, etc. The value ranges according to their time period, maker, and style.

However, it is hard to get your hands on a genuine antique porcelain doll from the 1800s and 1900s. You may not have all the information about different eras, styles, manufacturers, etc. In addition, there is constant reproduction of these dolls, which have similar appearance of the antique dolls. This might make it difficult for you to judge if a doll is genuinely antique or not. However, with a little information at hand, you can identify a vintage doll and add it to your collection.

◆ In earlier times, either whole doll or parts of it were made of porcelain. In later style, mainly the head would be made of porcelain, and remaining body parts would be made in materials like bisque (unglazed porcelain), composition (wood, sawdust, and glue), kid (soft leather), ceramic, cloth, and paper-mache.

◆ The porcelain-made head, neck, and shoulders would have been made in one mold. You can find two holes near the shoulders of doll, which were used to sew head to remaining body.

◆ Compare the head of the doll with the other body parts like the hands and feet. The difference between the two materials used will be noticeable.

◆ The porcelain used in creating the head is easy to recognize. Touch the surface to your teeth. It will feel hard and cold, compared to the other materials.

◆ With age, fine lines are formed on the porcelain surface. These are called crazing or craze lines. For example, dolls with heavy crisscross cracks will be very old.

Other Physical Characteristics

◆ Around the 1800s, some doll makers preferred to use their own children to model their dolls. These dolls will have more real-life looks; and therefore, look different than the other vintage dolls.

◆ Many antique porcelain dolls have a hole cut out on their head. Removing their hair, you can easily peer into this hole.

Color

◆ An antique doll will normally suffer from discoloration. A faded and dull color is the mark of the doll’s old age.

◆ It can be identified with its glazed contraction as well.

◆ Before 1870, the eyes were painted on the porcelain dolls. These eyes were usually light-blue in color. Sometimes, black and brown colors were also used to paint the eyes.

◆ From 1870 onwards, porcelain dolls had inset glass eyes. These inset eyes do not move.

◆ In the early 1900s, big round eyes with a sideways glance was in vogue.

◆ Most antique dolls have painted hair.

◆ The hair would usually be in black, brown, and blonde colors. Red color was thought to be an unlucky color for hair.

◆ However, a majority of antique German porcelain dolls were fitted with wigs, rather than painted hair. These wigs were made from either human hair or mohair.

◆ Wigs were glued to the doll’s head, rather than rooted hair like there is in newer dolls.

◆ Vintage dolls sport different hairstyles, as they belong to different eras of fashion. For example, dolls made between 1840 and 1860 will have a Covered Wagon hairstyle. On the other hand, dolls made in the 1870s will show off a Dolly Madison hairstyle.

Clothes

◆ A porcelain doll’s age can be easily guessed by the condition of its clothes. The clothes will have signs of dust and occasional signs of fading.

◆ Vintage porcelain doll makers never used modern Velcro to fasten the clothes onto the doll.

Manufacture’s Name, Symbol, and Other Numbers

◆ Every doll is marked with the maker’s symbol. This mark will help you identify the genuineness of the doll.

◆ This mark is typically located on the back of the doll’s head, neck, shoulder plates, or on the bottom of its foot.

◆ The mark includes the manufacturer’s name, either spelled out or in symbols. It might also include a number series, which typically constitutes a mold number, patent number, or a date.

◆ You can find out more about the manufacturer by looking up the mark online as well as in a doll collector’s reference book. Many manufacturers have their own website or product catalogs as well.

◆ Matching the markings, you can get the information about the time the doll was made.

Professional Help

◆ If you are still unsure whether the doll is antique porcelain or not, take it to an expert. Take it to a doll appraiser to clear all your doubts. A person who is skilled in doll appraising will definitely be able to help you out.

These pointers will help you determine if your doll is antique or not. In the end, remember that your antique porcelain doll might be in a delicate condition. Even though you may not decide to sell it, you still need to clean the doll for safekeeping. It may not make your doll as good as new, but it will surely help retain the value of your beautiful antique!

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Antique Spotlight: How To Identify And Value Your Antique Dolls!

The production of dolls dates back thousands of years, although these days it’s rare to find a doll that was crafted prior to 1850.

The production of dolls dates back thousands of years, although these days it’s rare to find a doll that was crafted prior to 1850. Technically speaking, an “antique doll” is one that was made before 1930. Throughout the years, dolls have been used in religious ceremonies, as holiday decorations, and of course, as playthings. Dolls are treasured for their unique histories– no two dolls bear the same story. They’re also prized for their beauty and workmanship. Read on to learn more about the history of doll collecting and how to identify and price your own dolls…

A brief history of antique dolls…

The early 19th century ushered in a period of papier-mâché doll-making across the U.S., Germany, and France. Dolls were mass-produced with molded painted hair, wooden limbs, and eyes that were painted on or made of glass. During this period Germany became a world leader in doll craftsmanship, to be overshadowed only briefly by France’s production of Bebe dolls featuring infant and childlike features in the early 1850s. During this time, wax dolls became fashionable, along with china and parian.

By the late 1800s, the French introduced bisque dolls with heads made from unglazed colored clay to more closely match human skin tone. German doll makers caught onto the trend and began producing fashion dolls along with the French. Dressed in exquisite costumes, these dolls typically belonged to girls from wealthy families and often arrived with a trunk full of accessories. By the 20th century, big name American doll manufactures such as Ideal, Vogue, Madame Alexander and Mattel arrived on the scene, bringing with them Shirley Temple dolls and Barbies.

Resources for Determining the Value of Your Doll…

The single most helpful thing you can do when researching the value of an antique doll is an Ebay search. Simply search for and follow recent auctions for dolls of the same (or similar) make/year/condition to get a feel for pricing and bidding dynamics. Prices can vary greatly depending on the condition of a doll and many other factors. If you’d like to do further investigating, head to Theriault’s website for information on recent auctions of antique dolls. Doll magazines, price guides, shows, and of course, appraisers are also valuable tools in determining how much your doll is worth.

How to Identify Your Doll…

Sometimes it takes little to no effort to identify a doll’s make and year of production. But often, a little bit of sleuthing is necessary! Before you do anything else, examine your doll in good light with a magnifying glass. Take notes on the material the doll is made of, size, and features like hair, eyes, and clothing. Keep an eye out for any special markings. Usually you can find clues about the manufacturer and age from markings on the doll’s torso, back of the head, or feet. Modern doll makers like Madame Alexander may print their names directly on the doll, but older dolls may bear letters and numbers or no markings at all.

If that’s the case, take a flip through a doll reference book or do a search online to see if you can find a visual match to your doll. If all else fails, a doll appraiser may be able to help you solve the mystery. Keep in mind that some dolls are never “fully” identified, instead listed as “English wax doll 1860s,” etc.

How to Identify a Kewpie Doll? (8 Great Tips That Works)

Back in the 1920s, Kewpie dolls were famous for their adorable eyes, budding wings, and small, lovable hair tufts. While a lot has changed since then, bisque Kewpie dolls are yet prized antique dolls, especially the originals created by the illustrious Rose O’Neill herself. But with the profusion of production dolls (copied from original Kewpies), how can you identify a genuine Kewpie doll?

A genuine original Kewpie doll should be produced under the original Kewpie copyright license. Traditionally, such dolls are furnished with the signature O’Neill foot mark. In other cases, the doll’s body is further decked with a red and gold paper heart. Later versions of authentic Kewpie dolls produced around 1914 have their backs embellished with an additional paper label specifying details of the copyright.

This is just a synopsis of how to identify original Kewpie dolls from knockoff models. Further in this guide, we will dive deeper into insightful techniques to tell original bisque Kewpies from celluloid makeovers and reproduction models.

But to better appreciate these techniques, let us first learn about the original versions of Kewpies and how the material design trend has evolved since the 1910s.

How can you identify the material design of original Kewpie dolls?

The first set of Kewpies – specifically those exclusively designed by Rose O’Neill – were made strictly from bisque. This category is what is commonly referred to as genuine Kewpie dolls.

Bisque here is a form of porcelain and was preferred by Rose O’Neill for the realism it gave her dolls. Bisque’s matte finish strongly mimicked the human skin. What’s more, the bisque was the material of choice for producing dolls back through the 1860s to the early 1910s.

By the 1920s, composition models of Kewpie dolls were introduced with consequent progression to celluloid models and even vinyl versions by manufacturers like Jesco and Cameo.

While not having the esteemed commercial value collectors associate with the exclusive bisque Kewpie dolls, composition Kewpie dolls are yet valuable and worth way more fortune than the latter celluloid versions.

Particularly, composition Kewpie dolls Rose O’Neill signed herself yet command a fortune in the antique doll market and can arguably yet be classified as among the original Kewpie dolls.

Having laid this foundation, let us now learn specific techniques in identifying the various versions of Kewpie dolls in circulation today.

How to identify genuine Kewpie doll models

You must be thoroughly investigative when ascertaining the originality of your Kewpie doll. There are hordes of celluloid knockoffs in the market today. While they closely mirror the original, they don’t hold as much value in the collectible market.

Identifying Kewpie dolls from the manufacturing license

Commonly, I see amateur collectors associate just any doll with Kewpie’s signature googly eyes as an original. No, there remains one definitive way to tell a genuine Kewpie doll.

Was it produced under the copyright holder’s license?

A German porcelain company, J. D. Kestner, was the first to manufacture Kewpie dolls, with a patent being consequently issued in the U.S on November 4, 1913. Thus, the bulk of the first set of Kewpie dolls was engraved with the company’s marking.

Kewpie dolls produced under licensed copyrights are characteristically furnished with blue-tipped wings. These wings made with premium quality tended to have hands shaped like stars.

In most cases, these licensed Kewpie dolls had the bottom surface of their foot engraved with © O’Neill. In other scenarios, their backs were marked with Rose O’ Neill-related labels.

Take note that while a significant number of celluloid Kewpie dolls were produced in Japan, none of the original licensed Kewpies were manufactured on Japanese soil. Original Kewpies are not marked Nippon either.

You can tell from the size and design

The original set of Kewpie bisque dolls were produced within the size range of 6cm to 31cm. This is distinct from the bulk of vinyl Kewpies you readily see around today within the size range of 69cm.

More than that, the clothing and overall architecture of the dolls are valid ways to identify original Kewpies.

Kuddle Kewpies – typically cloth Kewpies – were made with fabric bodies. This felt really plush. Now, original Kewpies enhanced with wings barely came with clothing. The clothed models commonly didn’t come with wings either.

Some antique doll appraisers say original action Kewpies always come with accessories. But this is not entirely correct. There are yet original Kewpie figurines that have no accessories. Take the Antique Rose O’Neill German Bisque Action Kewpie Doll The Thinker, for example.

You can tell Composition Kewpies from the manner of their leg molding. The first models of Composition Kewpies were designed to stand on molded bases, usually a blue pedestal.

After this set, the next batches of composition Kewpie dolls stopped coming with bases. Instead, their legs were jointly molded.

Composition Kewpies made in the 1940s would revert to a separated leg design with both legs coming together at the hips.

You can identify a Kewpie doll from the marks and labels

The originality of Kewpie dolls can also be confirmed from the markings. But given that these are old dolls from the 1900s (and have consequently aged across the years), you need sufficient illumination to identify the markings.

As said, the foot of the Kewpie is the best place to check for the paper labels. Aside from bisque Kewpies, take note that celluloid kewpies also come with the Rose O’Neill paper labels (shaped like a heart) with the associated autographs.

However, celluloid Kewpie dolls don’t usually have markings. Nonetheless, some come with their date and patent numbers brocaded on them.

While vinyl Kewpies are traditionally marked with the Cameo name, hard plastic kewpies (especially those that are fully-jointed) don’t have markings.

You can identify a Kewpie doll by researching the manufacturing details

The fact that your Kewpie doll has no markings doesn’t automatically make it fake or a production doll. There are cases where genuine Kewpie dolls could lose their marking due to aging (and suboptimal usage).

Therefore due diligence would help. Yes, research. First things first, we would need the manufacture date of the doll if yet available.

If you can source that, you can research through the internet, eCommerce websites like eBay and Etsy. You may further dig into specialized doll platforms like Doll Reference.com, Doll Shops, and Antique Doll Content to see if you can find photos as close as possible to your Kewpie doll.

The bulk of these online directories for researching your doll are free. Others could require you to part with a one-time fee for a search query.

Admittedly, this process can be grueling. There is the last option of paying a professional doll appraiser to help identify your Kewpie doll.

Let us talk about this.

Getting a professional appraisal to identify your Kewpie doll

There are a handful of online (or in-person) professional doll appraisals you can leverage to help you identify your doll. This way, you can tell if it is genuine Kewpie and if the doll is worth keeping or tossing away.

A professional appraisal can help you interpret the label, even as far as accurately determining the era, the type of the Kewpie doll, and what it could be approximately worth in the collectible market.

Factors influencing the variations in rates include location, skill, and doing the appraisal in person or online.

Why is it difficult to identify genuine Kewpie dolls?

By now, you may have been wondering why all this fuss in identifying just a Kewpie doll. I will tell you. Kewpie dolls hold a strong sentimental value due to the rich cultural history attached to them.

Since the original Bisque models are no longer in production, many celluloid knockoffs have been profusely poured into the market. These are reproduction Kewpie dolls.

At first, reproduction Kewpie dolls were created as a diversion or on a limited studio production scale. But by the 1970s, there was massive adoption of production dolls across the United Kingdom and the whole of Europe.

This was such that by the 1980s, these reproduction Kewpie dolls began to be produced on an industrial scale. It, therefore, becomes paramount to be informed on identifying genuine Bisque dolls and differentiating them accurately from reproduction dolls.

How to identify genuine Bisque Kewpie dolls from reproduction dolls

Aside from the label and markings, a keener investigation of the make of your Kewpie doll can help you identify if it is genuine bisque porcelain or a reproduction doll.

Start your inspection by using your teeth to inspect the texture of the head. If it feels significantly cold and hard, the chances are very high your doll is bisque.

A bisque Kewpie doll normally has tiny pores. This is because bisque – being unglazed ceramic porcelain – doesn’t have a perfect finish.

Old and genuine bisque Kewpie dolls should have collected dirt or dust into these pores over the decades. The commonest place to inspect for dirt in an aged Kewpie doll is behind the ears and the spaces between the feet and hand digits.

You can also tell a genuine bisque Kewpie doll from its color fading. A doll made in the early 1900s must have inevitably experienced some deterioration despite how optimally used it was across the years.

Remember, it must have passed through many hands if real. Therefore, it is natural to expect a measure of color evanescence.

Check the lips of your Kewpie doll closely. The color should have dulled a bit. The same color fading applies to the cheeks and eyes of the doll if original bisque.

Lastly, you can tell a genuine bisque Kewpie doll from a reproduction doll from the body. The former commonly comes with double holes situated close to the shoulders.

This is because antique bisque dolls are produced from a single mold. Accordingly, the double holes in the shoulder region are reflective of the attachment points where the head was fixed to the body. While rare, you can find some dolls with these two holes at the base of the doll’s neck.