How much is a collection of forty antique porcelain dolls worth?
They range in size from about 6 inches to 2 feet… i have been collecting them FOREVER and now i want 2 sall them, but i want 2 b sure that i am getting a good price.
i dont have the time to get them appraised because i am currently moving. can anyone please just give a flat estimated cost? i need to get them off my hands! and at a good price!
Answers below in Comments Section
Take them to an appraiser. Lots of things matter in appraising something’s worth, including its rarity, its maker, its age, its quality, and any number of things. You won’t get a good price estimate off what little you told us here.
Keep them another 10yrs, the price will probably triple
I would get them appraised so you know how much they are worth. It also increases the price if they are in their boxes and have never been opened.
You need to have them appraised individually and by at least two different and associated appraisers. You should get two prices from each appraiser: one for each of the dolls and then as a collection. You’ll have to pay for the service but it’ll at least give you peace of mind knowing that you weren’t ripped off.
P.S. Don’t entertain any offers until you have them appraised.
If you put them on Ebay and do a good job with the pictures and the description, they will bring their market value, and you won’t have to worry about getting ripped off. Shipping will be a worry, but you can double pack and double stuff.
But why would you want to sell them?
It depends what make they are + how old they are + what condition they’re in…. without that information, it’s impossible for anyone to be able to tell you.
As a rough example, my Grandma collects “Beatrix Potter” character figurines made by Beswick….. some of the older ones (say 1960’s or whenever) can be worth at least £100 if they’re in good condition.
WELL MY GRANDMA WAS SAVING THEM TO AND SOLD THEM ON EBAY ONE OF THEM SOLD FOR 524! CAN U BELIEVE IT HER OTHERS SOLD EVEN MORE! IT DEPENDS IF THEY R IN GOOD CONDITION (IM SURE THEY R) AND IF U DONT NO HOW TO GET UR THINGS ON EBAY THERE SHOULD BE AN EBAY STORE NEAR U!(CHECK PHONE BOOK) BUT IF U DONT WANNA DO THAT THERE R ANTIQUE STORES AND PAWN SHOPS U COULD SELL THEM TO.! SO I HOPE I GAVE U SOME ENCOURAGEMENT! TO HELP U IN UR FUTURE AND OH OF COURSE GOOD LUCK!!!!! I WILL KEEP AN EYE OUT ON EBAY FOR U!:)
It depends in antiquity, how well they have been taken care of, from what company was it made, things like hair, the color of the porcelain, the clothes, original shoes, anything like this will be added to the value of the dolls and then start checking antique stores. and see who gives more money for them, tell them someone is giving you more money than what the person is giving you and then you will bring the price up.
I agree with the others. The problem with asking about them here in this forum is that no one can actually LOOK at them in person to determine many things: maker, age, material make, overall condition of EACH doll, provenance (which is kind of like a proof of historic significance… whether through a photo of the item with a famous person, or an historic letter that somehow ties the item to a historically significant event.)…. but these can only be determined by someone who can look at these dolls hands on (like on the Antique Roadshow… a show on PBS).
Anyway, I would ALSO make sure you go to SEVERAL appraisers to be sure you are getting a fair assessment to the dolls’ values. You never know who’s honest and who’s not…. so getting several numbers will help you get an average.
Finally, if you determine that they ARE of significant value, I would go with a reputable auction house to generate monies from them THAT way before I followed a path like E-bay…. An auction house deals with reputable clients and will work very hard to generate the best bid for your items.
Good luck.