One of the areas that I enjoy but know little about is dolls. As a girl I tended to play with my older brothers Matchbox cars and build fairy houses in the woods. Dolls just wouldn't have survived outdoors on the 350 acres my parents were caretakers of.
I think dolls know this and thus gravitate towards me. They turn up in most estates and while I'm thrilled to see them lurking in trunks all wrapped up in quilts, I never can say "oh look, it's such & such." Pulling a doll up out of that steamer trunk means hours on the web and reading in books trying to identify her.
Add to that the emotional ties owners have to the dolls and the pressure ratchets up. I hear sweet stories about the doll being a favorite given by Daddy that is rare, one of a kind, and very valuable. When I hear these stories I get so nervous. I want the dolls current value to live up to the high emotional price the owner has put on it.
I don't like to have things restored, because I know most collectors would rather be in charge supervising that task themselves. So I end up with old dolls in gently played with condition, old dolls in horrid condition and old dolls that were never played with and just admired. I offer them in as found condition.
When it comes to vintage & antique toys, I am in heaven. I just need to take the time to learn more about dolls so I can smile when I see them instead of worrying. It feels like a massive task, but I'm going to try!
