Hot eBay Doll Categories
1. Terri Lee
Terri Lee tops the hot categories list this month! Prices for Terri Lee dolls have never been higher, and the love of baby boomers for this composition and hard plastic doll has never been more evident. Early Pat Pending dolls are the most sought after, as are dolls in rarer costumes.
2. Dolfie
Dolfie and Super Dolfie dolls by Volks are up-and-coming as collectible dolls. These elaborate, put-it-together yourself fashion dolls from Japan are hot with fashion doll collectors who enjoy customizing their dolls. Pre-made, put together limited edition dolls are also available. Dolfie dolls are generally available only in Japan.
3. Nancy Ann
The values for common 20th century Nancy Ann Storybook dolls may be in a bit of a slump, but the sky is the limit for early, mint and rare examples of these dolls. Interest in these dolls may increase further with the coming release of new Nancy Ann Storybook dolls from the reformulated company.
3. (tie) Antique Dolls (Pre-1930s)
I've seen a resurgence of interest in antique dolls on eBay of late, and Antique Dolls (pre-1930s) ties for the number three hot category this month. Of course, this is a broad category that encompasses nearly every type of antique doll, which may skew the results somewhat.
4. China Dolls
China Dolls is a sub-category of the Antique Dolls {Pre-1930) category, and interest last month was strong enough to garner the number 4 hot doll category overall. This mirrors renewed interest in China dolls in all avenues of collecting--in the mid 20th century, you could barely give away an old china doll; today they are very popular with all levels of antique doll collectors.
5. Vogue
Ginny and all things Vogue continue to be...well....umm...in vogue with collectors! Vintage 1950s Ginnies continue their long-lasting popularity with collectors.
6. Kish
The beautiful dolls of Helen Kish are a smash hit with collectors. Her dolls are some of the few remaining that are completely produced in the United States. Made in limited editions, collectors cannot get enough of them, and their popularity on eBay showcases this.
7. American Character
Betsy McCall: Need I say more? Betsy is one of the major reasons that American Character vintage dolls have made the top 10 hot categories.
8. Ideal
Ideal dolls are classic American dolls of the 20th century. From Shirley Temple to Crissy, the Grow-Hair doll, and literally hundreds of dolls in-between, Ideal dolls were played with by several generations of little girls. Because of this, with Shirley taking a staring role, they are still popular today and are often on the eBay hot categories list.
9. American Girl
Everyone knows that American Girls keep growing in popularity--but did you know that there is a huge, growing market for the older style dolls and accessories for collectors and children, as well as for third-party items that can be used with the dolls? Jim Migdal, eBay Category manager for Dolls, says that "American Girl has become one of the hottest categories in Dolls, with a strong following among adult collectors and parents looking for items for their daughters."
10. Tonner
Anyone who reads this site regularly knows that I am a huge fan of the dolls of the Tonner Doll Company. Evidently, I'm not the only one. Collectors flock to eBay to fill holes in their collections and also to find bargains on Tonner dolls--everything from the new Betsy McCall to Tyler Wentworth.
For the top 10 eBay doll buyer Searches, read the second part of this article!
