What is happening to our local antique shops? Yesterday my husband and I went out antiquing to an area which is about 40 minutes from our home. In the past we have visited the shops in this area at least once a month even during our long winters. Ten plus years ago, there were at least seven shops (mostly large group shops) along a road that stretched about five miles. During the last year, the number had decreased to three and much to our disappointment we found another one closed just over this past weekend! The recent closure was a group shop of more than a hundred dealers. What is happening? One of the two remaining shops seems to be healthy with lots of dealers and lots of interesting stuff. The other shop definitely seems to be suffering with many vacant cases. I also feel frustration with the lack of quality inventory… yard sale stuff at antique shop prices. Some dealers don’t even know the current values of their items and price them unrealistically. Are these bad economic times having a huge impact on the antique world or is it eBay where you can just search for your item and buy it at a discounted price? I do believe that eBay is partly responsible for many items losing their values. Now we have to spend higher prices for gas and come home empty handed. It is a sad picture indeed. I wonder if others have experienced this also. I still enjoy the thrill of the hunt and hope the local antique shop will someday make a big comeback!

I joined the eBay online auction community in January 1997. I actually discovered eBay one night in October 1996 as I was surfing on my brand new personal computer. At the time I was part owner of a small antique group shop (specializing in dolls, teddy bears and vintage toys) that was struggling to stay afloat with a huge overhead. Ebay seemed like a viable alternative to sell our items so after a couple of months of watching the action, I signed on. In the beginning eBay actually kept count of the members. There were only a few categories and all dolls were in just one category! I bought and sold a few items with much success. At that time there were many more buyers than sellers so it was very possible to have a bidding war on fairly ordinary items. Today is quite a different story! There are hundreds of categories and thousands of members (perhaps even into the millions!). The categories have subdivisions and to me it is mind boggling how it all works (software is not my “forte”). It has developed into the current giant that now owns many other companies.

I now enjoy selling as a hobby and sell approximately 80-100 items a year. Some items sell very well realizing a profit while others bring a loss. At this time, I have learned quite a few things. I always search an item on eBay before I list it. This gives me an idea if the item will sell and for how much. There is a listing fee and a final value fee so the item much realize a profit to cover these costs. I also try to sell items that are very good to excellent condition and it helps to be a very rare item. It is still possible to make a large profit if the item is rare and pristine. Knowledge of the item is essential. I have definitely learned not to waste my time on items that are common and not desirable. There are other online sites to sell items but I still remain faithful to eBay. I believe that it still draws the largest audience and is a true global outlet for selling quality items. I would love to hear some great eBay success stories.

Jennie H. Graves, founder of the Vogue Doll Company, was a true early entrepreneur. As a young woman, she had enjoyed sewing fine doll clothing for members of her family and for charity. While shopping in a large Boston department store, she was surprised to find her donated items for sale. So, in 1922, she opened her own Vogue Doll Shoppe in Somerville, MA and dressed imported German bisque dolls in wonderful little outfits. This was the beginning of a very long and profitable business. The shop was so successful that she had to move to larger quarters in Medford, MA. Her daughter, Virginia began designing for the company in 1942 and created the slogan “Fashion Leader in Doll Society”. They worked long hours to fill their increasing orders. In 1949 the company moved to Ship Ave., Medford where they had approximately fifty employees and over one hundred home sewers. By 1951 there were two shops, one in Medford and the other in Malden, MA. This cottage industry continued to grow, producing their own little hard plastic doll which was named “Ginny” after Jennie’s daughter, Virginia Graves. This little doll would become one of the finest dolls manufactured in the 1950′s, the true Golden Age of Dolls. The early Ginny Dolls are now highly collectible. At this time, the company created several other play dolls (Ginnette, Jimmy, Jill, Jeff, and Baby Dear to name just a few) that are also very collectible today. Jennie retired in the 1960′s to Falmouth, MA where she passed away in 1971 at the age of 81. She was a woman who followed her dream and created the wonderful Ginny Doll that is still being manufactured today.

What is it that just keeps us searching for that special doll! Could it be the hunt and the excitement we feel when we actually find a wonderful doll? Ask any seasoned doll collector and they say the same thing. Searching for that very special doll takes lots of time and patience. Many outings often turn up nothing but then, when and where one might least expect it, you find what you’re been looking for! It is truly a rush of adrenalin! One great find can keep us going for months until we find something else. Some of the most popular places to search are doll shops and shows, antique shops, auctions, eBay, the internet, flea markets and even yard sales. Some of my best finds have been at the yard sales in my own “back yard”. Since I am now both a collector and a dealer, I find it harder to buy dolls priced with a little room for profit. In fact, it is really getting much more difficult to find quality dolls at a reasonable price. I have noticed that many dealers are asking unrealistic prices which may be because they are actually unaware of the value of that particular doll or that they have paid too much for an item. This only makes the hunt more satisfying and exciting when it is successful. So keep searching and Happy Dolling!!

I have often wondered why we (doll collectors) become so passionate about the dolls we love. I have many happy childhood memories of countless hours playing with my dolls.  I feel very fortunate to have received a new doll every Christmas morning. Just to name a few…there was Amosandra, Tiny Tears, Blessed Event, Ricky Jr., Toni, Jill, Ginnette and my favorite, Ginny. She came with so many wonderful oufits! A trip to the local small toy shop for a new outfit was a real treat. Somehow, after my own children had some fun, one of my two Ginnys and my original Jill survived with only one outfit each.

Then one day several years ago my husband (an avid train collector) and I attended a Train, Toy and Doll Show. That’s when it happened for me. I saw rows and rows of the wonderful dolls of my past. I bought a little Vogue Ginnette that day and I have been searching and buying ever since! First, I searched that same day for the little doll trunk that held my dolls. I imagined opening it and finding everything that I originally had. To my disappointment all that remained were two dolls and two outfits plus other current items that belonged to my daughter. That was it…my search began for all the dolls and clothes that I had so many years ago. I do think that this is one of the main reasons why we all start collecting. I plan to post pictures of many of my dolls for your enjoyment with a little info about each one. I hope you enjoy them and will also share some of your stories.