My teenage daughter (16) and I collect and restore old dolls. This is a project Jordan and I are working on together. We decided to take on up to 20 additional dolls for a new project. We're going to restore these dolls, sell them, and the profits from these dolls will go toward the care and spaying and neutering of stray/abandoned cats.

If you have some old dolls in your attic, garage or in storage, or if you know someone with old dolls that are just laying around collecting dust, we're interested in seeing them, and perhaps buying them for this project (and if we can't use your doll, we have a friend who also restores dolls who might be interested)

To show us your dolls, just take a couple pictures of the doll without clothes, so the head, arms, legs and body can be seen from the front and back clearly, and email the pictures to us at LMALCOTT@aol.com. We'll look the pictures over, and if it's a doll we can work with, we'll make an offer.

The dolls we are looking for were made mostly in the 1920s and 1930s (though we've been known to buy dolls that are older and dolls that are from the 40s).

Look at the pictures of some of the dolls we've purchased (all pics are of UNRESTORED dolls - NOT dolls that have been restored), or read more about the types of dolls we're looking for below (there's probably more than you ever wanted to know about old dolls and restoration below!)

Here's a description of the types of dolls we are looking for
(click here to see pictures of UNrestored dolls we've purchased to restore):

They are made of a hard material (a wood and glue mixture that was molded - would feel like a hard plastic or porcelain to someone not familiar with the dolls), and most often have cloth bodies (but sometimes the bodies are made of the same material as the limbs and head).

Their eyes are usually either tin or glass (the tin eyes often get "cloudy" or "bumpy", but if they are not cloudy or bumpy, they look just like real eyes)

Our favorite dolls
(but we like all types - this is just our absolute favorite type)

First, dolls are not like most antiques. Where many antiques are worth a lot of money simply because they are old, even if they are in rough condition, that's not the case with a doll. Also, most antiques are worth more unrestored - in other words, they are worth more in rough original condition than they are in beautiful restored condition. Not so with dolls.

An unrestored doll in pristine original condition, or near mint condition, is the most valuable.

The next most valuable is a well-restored doll that looks almost as it did the day it was taken home from the store by the first little girl who owned it.

Simply put, just because a doll is old does not make her valuable. And dolls that are excellently restored are worth more than an all original doll that is damaged.

These dolls originally sold for under $1.00 to around $8.00 (top of the line dolls - the biggest dolls by the biggest manufacturers)

The value of the doll is determined by condition, maker, and size, as well as when the doll was made.

Cracking or peeling paint, paint that's lifting or faded, fingers or toes that are chipped or broken, cloudy or rough eyes, missing or broken teeth/tongues, torn or tattered or dirty cloth bodies, funky smells, or cracks that go beyond the surface paint and into the actual mold, and most especially, a poor restoration attempt.

Obviously, the more of the above problems a doll has, the more difficult she will be to restore, and the more costly and time consuming to restore.

A 26"-28" doll that is excellently restored (so that she looks like she's in her original condition) might sell for $100.00 - $400.00.

First, the doll is taken completely apart, and if the body can be salvaged but needs cleaned, it's very gently washed, as is its stuffing (you wouldn't believe some of the yuck that is in the stuffing!). If it cannot be salvaged, a new body must be sewn after a pattern is made from the original body.

Then the eyes are adjusted or replaced, and the teeth are adjusted or replaced (with some dolls, the teeth have to be hand crafted because they were unique in some way)

hen there's stripping the doll of her original paint (we're not talking a chemical stripper - we're talking sand paper and an exacto knife to literally pick the paint off piece by piece), sanding her, repairing cracks (we're talking Bondo here, folks), sealing the doll, a couple coats of primer, a few coats of paint, another coat of sealer, and then painting her hair and blush, then hand painting her brows, lashes and lips.

If you took a doll to a doll restoration artist and had the above done, it would cost between $200.00 - $600.00, depending on whom the artist is, and the quality of their work.

And finally, the doll must be dressed. There is usually no less than $50.00 invested into a doll's clothes (bonnet/hat, dress, slip, bloomers, socks and shoes), and very often it is more - whether it's true antique clothing, or modern old-fashioned clothing.

So let's say you buy a doll for $50.00, dress the doll for $50.00 and invest $200.00 (low end) into the cost of restoring the doll. That is $300.00 invested in a doll.

Most of the big babies - fully restored - sell for about $150.00 - $250.00 (some a little higher, some a little lower)

In other words, doll restoration is usually something that's done for love, not profit (because being the fry girl at McDonalds usually pays better).


This doll is an Effanbee Lovums, 28" tall Sold for $212.50	Unmarked, 27" Sold for $192.49

24" Acme (rare) Sold for $255.00	20" Effanbee Sugar Baby (doll on right) Sold for $195.00

That depends on many factors - size, condition, and maker, as well as what the value of the doll will be after it is restored.

Normally, for dolls I intend to restore, for an average 24" - 28" doll in good "played with" condition (minor or no paint cracking, little paint fading, maybe a chip out of the paint in a few spots, or a chipped finger), that is relatively clean, with a relatively clean body, I pay $20.00 - $100.00, depending on the maker, and the overall condition. I've rarely paid less than $20.00, and on a few occasions I've paid over $100.00 (up to $270.00) for a doll to restore.

For smaller dolls in the same condition, I usually pay $10.00 - $50.00 (have paid as much as $100.00 for smaller dolls)

Dolls that are in fair or poor condition would be worth less than these amounts, based on the extent of their damage.

I can only make an offer if I see the doll. So take out your measuring tape, and measure your doll from crown to toe. Then take a few pictures so I can see the head, arms, legs and body clearly - front and back - and email the pictures to LMALCOTT@aol.com

Once I see the pictures and know the size of the doll, I will know if it's a doll that we're looking for, and then I'll be able to give you an idea of what we can pay for her.

Please note: I am not an appraiser. I base my offers on dolls on what I think the doll will be worth once restored, and how much work will go into restoring her. If you want your doll appraised, you can probably find a local appraiser for $50.00 - $100.00 (that's a guesstimate) who can give you a better idea of what the doll's retail value is based on her condition (an antique appraiser is not necessarily qualified to appraise dolls).

If you need help finding an appraiser, email me and I can give you the name of someone that I've used (she usually charges $25.00 - $50.00 for an appraisal, and she does it by email if you send detailed pictures)