Composition doll selling questions

[yng1998]

I have a few composition dolls that could be considered to be in poor condition.  They have cracking.  Are people still interested in dolls with damage?  Are they interested in doll parts or accessories such as the clothing, barrettes, wigs, eyes?  I hate to just throw them away if anyone is interested.  I am willing to pull these dolls apart to sell them.   Dolls are marked Effenbee (Anne-Shirley)(Patsy Ann), Ideal (Deanna), Shirley Temple, Alexander.   If anyone has experience selling or trying to sell these, I'd love to hear about it.

[soh.maryl]

Have never sold a doll on eBay; however, from what I can tell from different groups on Facebook, there are a lot of avid doll collectors around, some of whom really do a great job on restoring dolls to nearly their original state.

So, why not pick out one of the dolls and list it? All you have to lose is 30 cents.

And, as far as I can tell, these same collectors are actively seeking original accessories as well.  

[yng1998]

I was thinking about doing it.  It has been years since I sold composition dolls.  The last time i sold a damaged doll,  I made probably only $6-$8 because of how much it cost to mail it.  I'm just wondering if parts is a better way to go.  They need some cleaning too,  so I'm not sure if I want to invest the time in cleaning if I only make a couple of dollars or none at all.  

[soh.maryl]

When you sell on eBay, unless you want to list with free shipping, your buyer is the one who pays for the shipping on the items he buys.

Again, why not pick one out, repair what you can and clearly describe and picture, if possible, any flaws.

[micesco-0]

In regard to your composition dolls: the ones you have are marked by the manufacturer and all that you have listed there are very collectible. If you would post pictures of them here, we can help you know exactly what you've got in regard to each doll as a whole. Composition dolls are pretty much always going to have crazing, cracking, etc. and the eyes may have turned yellow. The manufacturers of the dolls you have are/were higher end and may have held up somewhat better than unmarked, knock-off dolls. Plus, it sounds like your dolls have aspects of originality, such as wigs, clothing, barrettes  (much coveted). Composition is not easy to repair and most people would not pay for someone to do that unless it was a childhood doll/family doll, etc.  We have many in our own collection that have crazing and yellow eyes. 

Again, please post pictures so we can see what you have. A compo Anne Shirley, Deanna Durbin, Shirley Temple, Madame Alexander, those are not just run of the mill dolls. 

[shoelessjjwj]

Hello, saw your post about composition dolls. I just inherited my mom's dog collection. Maybe I have a dozen dolls. I'm going to post some pictures. Hopefully you can give me directions on what to do with these. I'd greatly appreciate it and if they have any value. I'm a 61-year-old son who inherited it and having no experience or have no plans on keeping these dolls. Would like to get rid of them if they have any value. Thank you

 

 

[kathiec]

@shoelessjjwj 

The one doll you've posted a pic of may be a compo Shirley Temple from the 1930s. I say "may be" because it's really impossible to tell for sure from the picture. There were a host of Shirley lookalikes made in the period. It also appears the wig may have been replaced at some point.

If you want to identify the dolls the first thing you need to do is look for makers marks. They may be on the back of the head or neck (you may have to lift the wig a little to see them) or on the back of the body. 

If you want to post pictures here they need to be closer and show much more detail. Honestly, the best thing to do is to see if there's a doll club or dealer in your area who can evaluate the dolls. There are things that go into value that a picture will never show. If the doll you show is an original Shirley she may be worth quite a bit. 

[micesco-0]

Oh, no...do not get rid of the dolls! 🙂 If you can post a picture of each one and if you can look at the back of the head/neck or anything on the body or limbs, that would give the name of which company made the doll and/or at least some potential hints. I am always happy to help as much as I can with identifying dolls and I know there are others who see these post who are also eager to help. The doll you have pictured does represent Shirley Temple. The doll does appear to be made of composition and the wig does look to be a newer replacement. The shoes and socks appear to be vintage, even if not original to the doll (which I don't know). The dress is a more recent remake of one of Shirley's red and white polka dresses.