"OUT OF PRINT BOOKS: ESSENTIAL REFERENCES FOR DOLL COLLECTORS > Page 1, 2
Out of Print Books: Essential References for Doll Collectors, and Delightful Looks Back on the Past
Most doll collectors treasure their libraries of
doll books--books give history about dolls, help with identification and valuation, and
teach valuable how-tos on costuming, conservation and restoration. It is a rare doll
collector that doesn't have a few (or a few dozen!) books about dolls in their libraries.
There and hundreds of books about dolls currently in print. However, there
are hundreds of doll books that are OUT of print, which are only available via the
secondary market that have information about dolls that is difficult to find elsewhere.
Other out of print books provide a valuable glimpse at the past--they show what
doll collecting was like at various points in the 20th century, and they show how doll
valuations (and popularity) has changed over the past 100 years.
Out Of Print Doll Value Books: Some collectors pass up out-of-print books on doll values as being
too out-of-date to be useful. This is a mistake. For instance, the Blue Book
of dolls is in its 14th edition. It is a useful book, but the book becomes even MORE
useful if you have past editions. There are only a limited number of photos in each
edition of the blue book, and it can be hard to identify many dolls without visual
references. Blue Books refer back to PRIOR blue books
for photos of dolls, and
the photos of doll have NOT been repeated in the 14 editions--each edition has a new set
of photos. Of course, the values are outdated in the older editions (but, they are
amusing--in the 4th blue book, printed in 1980, a 22" Tete Jumeau was listed at
$2200. How about a #1 Barbie NRFB for $500?). Back editions of Patricia
Smith's Doll Value books (which are now being written by Patsy Moyer) are useful in a
similar way
Out Of Print Doll Reference Books
There are many
important doll reference books that are out of print--many of these books contain
information and photos of dolls that you will not be able to find elsewhere. TWO of
the most essential reference books for any collector of antique or vintage dolls are,
unfortunately, out of print. These are volumes I and II of the Collectors Encyclopedia of
Dolls by Dorothy, Elizabeth and Evelyn Coleman. These books are the most complete
reference books on dolls ever compiled, with thousands of pages (together) doll photos and
doll marks identified. Each volume contains different information (although many of
the same subjects). The second volume is more extensive than the first.
Another great Coleman reference book, also very hard to find, is the Collector's
Book of Doll Clothes; Costumes in Miniature 1700-1929. This book has it all--history
of doll costuming, many photos and illustrations, and actual patterns, all in almost 800
pages. Many dollmakers/doll costumers consider this book to be an invaluable
reference. Finally, if you collect vintage dolls that are not antique, take
note--not only are great books on antique dolls out of print, but so are many excellent
books on Madame Alexander, Barbies, Ginny, and many other mid-20th century dolls.
Out of Print Historic Books on Dolls and
Doll Collecting: This category of books
includes books about doll collecting and the history of dolls in general. 
The Doll Book by Laura B. Starr (see below) is in this category, as are such
books as "Dolls: A New Guide For Collectors" by Clara Fawcett, printed in
1964. These books can tell you much more about the history of dolls than most modern books
tend to today, and these are the books with valuable "snapshots" of what doll
collecting during the history of the hobby. Here is a priceless excerpt from
Fawcett's book: "An early French Bru doll thirty inches high sold at a
Washinton antiques show in 1946 for $75; in 1960 the same doll might have sold for
$600....a fair price for an Izannah Walker cloth doll in good condition is $100 in
1962." Pretty fascinating, considering today's prices for those dolls!
How to Find Out Of Print Books: There are several ways to find out of print doll books. Amazon.com and many of the other large online book sellers will conduct out of print book searches for your. This is a hit or miss process--they find SOME books, but often the searches are unsuccessful. Another excellent method of finding out-of-print books is eBay. You can find almost all of the back editions of the Blue Book and Patricia Smith's Doll Value books for under $20--even the 2nd and 3rd editions of the Blue Book regularly sell for under $40, which is down considerably from several years ago. The 1st edition is the hardest to find, and prices for it can go much higher. As for the Collectors Encyclopedia of Dolls, the first edition generally sells on eBay for between $50 and $60; the second, larger edition is much harder to find and sells for much more (its original price was over $100). The Doll Clothes Coleman book? Between $70 and $100. The older historic books, such as the Starr book are extremely difficult to find online, and your only options are auctions, out-of-print book stores (bricks and mortar and online) and doll shows. My latest acquisition, a hard-to-find book by Clara Hallard Fawcet, called "Dolls: A New Guide For Collectors" was obtained from a local doll collector thinning out her collection.
Serialization of the 1908 "The Doll Book" by Laura B. Starr: "The Doll Book" by Laura B. Starr is a very interesting, and possibly pivotal book on dolls and doll collecting in the English language. The Collector's Encyclopedia of Dolls does not list an earlier book on dolls for doll collectors printed in America, although several books printed in France (in French) do exist, and there are a few specialized books from England including "Queen Victoria's Dolls," printed in 1894. I have found similar information in other early bibliographies on doll reference books. IF you know of an earlier book on dolls printed in America, please contact me at collectdolls.guide@about.com I would LOVE to hear about it (and I would love to find a copy!).
In any event, I am serializing this historic book, in its entirety, starting this week. I will "publish" online an additional part of the book each week until the complete book is available online. It is an enjoyable read, with a slightly archaic style. Some of the information is slightly out of date, but I found much of it to be reliable. The book focuses on the history of dolls as well as dolls from around the world, with a special emphasis on dolls from different cultures. The book also discusses fashion dolls, puppets, the manufacture of dolls and various doll collections, including the author's own. I will include the color and b & w plates with this online serialization.
Part 2 > Don't miss the first part of the serialization of "The Doll Book," by Laura B. Starr. Printed in 1908, this book may be the FIRST American book about dolls for doll collectors. > Page 1, 2
Which out of print books about dolls do you find to be essential? Which old books are your favorites and why? Discuss in the Dolls Forum!
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