Start Collecting Porcelain Dolls And Have Fun

Prior to the 1900s, dolls were made from materials which were generally wax, paper mache, clay and wood. But these were not the best materials to make dolls with, so some canny manufacturers started making their dolls with porcelain. Soon afterwards, people started collecting porcelain dolls, and so a new hobby was born.

Why it took doll makers so long to change over to making porcelain dolls is unknown. After all, porcelain was invented in the 600s by the Chinese and used mainly for making pots, plates and cups. Because it can easily be formed and molded, porcelain dolls were easily made in different shapes, sizes and colors. And little girls everywhere loved them.

A porcelain doll manufacturer would first make the face with special clay and carefully mold the features of the face. Then the face is either glazed using a special paint or left plain. This produces two kinds of doll, the glazed one is known as a china doll while the unglazed one is known as a bisque doll.

Next, the manufacturer fires up his kiln (which is a sort of oven) and heats the doll head at around 2000 degrees. After the first firing, the doll head is painted a skin color and popped back into the kiln for more heat. Many more manufacturers produced bisque dolls than china dolls simply because bisque looks similar to real skin.

After the firing, the head is connected to the rest of the doll's body. Just like the head, the torso, legs and arms of the doll have been through the kiln process as well. Once made-up, the doll is dressed in fashionable clothing for the type of doll that it is.

Germany has produced some of the most well-known porcelain doll makers. France follows closly behind as a quality maker of dolls. Doll makers in both these countries have earned their good reputation due to the intricate detail of their dolls. The quality and craftmanship these manufacturers put into their dolls has earned them an excellent world-wide reputation and made German and French dolls very popular among collectors.

Now, if you are thinking of starting to collect dolls, you might believe that it will be expensive. Not so - some porcelain dolls can be bought for around $10, while others may go for up to $500. But antique bisque dolls do occassionally go for $1,000 plus. Obviously, prices depend on rarity, quality and condition.

So, if collecting porcelain dolls sounds like something you would enjoy, the best advice I can give you is do a little research reading before you start buying. This way you will easily become familiar with porcelain dolls and are more likely to get more bang for your buck when you buy.

Some of the most fruitful places to find porcelain dolls worth collecting is at flea markets and garage sales. Often, if you have a rummage around in boxes of old toys, you will find a porcelain doll buried within. commonly because the owner has no idea of the value - to her it is just an old doll to be disposed.