Collectible Dolls and Doll Houses Education and Training
Learn what collectors want in their collectible vintage dolls to target their market
If you don't know much about collectible dolls and doll houses, education and training will help you enter the collectible ceramic dolls arena. Guide books and price guides abound, many online, but there's more to the doll business than pricing alone. You need to know what's hot with collectors and why, what to look for in condition and age and how to effectively market your collectible dolls for sale.Many of these resources are easily available online or at your local library. Seek out:
1. Collectible dolls and doll houses associations that teach you what to look for in collectible doll collections.
2. Instructional videos that help you learn how to buy collectible dolls, and how appraisers value them.
3. Local and national seminars and classes on how to create your own collectible doll houses and collectible play dolls.
Discover online lessons to learn more about how to collect and create collectible dolls and houses
You not only need to learn what to look for when you collect dolls, you need to understand how to value them, store them and make sure they are ready for sale. You also need to learn how to create your own miniatures if you're interested in building doll houses and the miniature furniture to fill them.
Try: The National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts offers tutorials on scaling projects, electrifying them, and much more. Let's Build a Dollhouse offers a wealth of plans, instructions, tutorials and ideas about creating your own custom doll houses. The National Antique Doll Dealers Association offers educational pages with information and instructions on how to collect many different types of dolls.
Watch instructional videos that teach you what to look for before you buy
Like most antique markets, the collectible porcelain dolls market is changing all the time. Values increase and decrease, some dolls become difficult to find, and different dolls require different research and marketing techniques. Online videos offer an excellent way to really see what to look for and learn exactly what each type of collection requires to be financially successful.
Try: Expert Village offers numerous "how-to" doll videos including how to collect specific dolls, what to look for in doll attributes, and much more. The Smithsonian Channel offers videos on doll appraisal and collecting.
Attend classes and seminars to learn how to create your own line of collectible baby dolls a
Find classes in your local area that specialize in instruction on how to create your own collectible dolls and doll houses. If you can't find classes, look for training videos that give you tips on creating personalized doll houses and dolls.
Try: Johnston Original Art Dolls offers classes and seminars around the country, from beginning to specialized one-on-one seminars. MindStorm Productions offers numerous DVDs on porcelain doll manufacturers processes to learn how to create collectible dolls yourself.
- Generally, it's better to collect and sell one or two types of specific collectible dolls, rather than trying to sell dolls from a lot of different collectible doll manufacturers. You'll learn to specialize and discover the many different traits of your specialized collection, and you'll become an expert in your particular field, whether it's vintage Barbie dolls, Victorian baby dolls, or the fantastically popular American Girl dolls. Specialize, and you'll have a ready-made market waiting for your wares.
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