Should I Display My Dolls?
I have a collection of 20 Danbury Mint Shirley Temple dolls that my grandma had bought for me over the years. None of them have never been displayed. They are all in their orginal packing. Up until a year ago they were all in her house. My dad & I didnt know the collection was that big. They have gone from her closet to mine. How much will they be worth in several years if kept in the packaging? I would like to display them one day but, don’t want to lose the value of them either. I think they are beautiful dolls and am starting to add to the collection for my daughter. Should I display them or keep them locked up?
To be absolutely safe and sure of not reducing the value, they should stay in storage (but whats the fun in that?!) If you plan to display them, here are the rules for helping retain their value…..
1. Save all boxes and paperwork to re-package the dolls into at a later time.
2. Keep dolls out of direct sunlight (sunlight can fade the colors of the clothing and cause uneven coloring in skirt folds and such areas not evenly exposed to light). Even artificial lighting can fade items over a long period of time, but sunlight does it much faster.
3. Be careful of the display shelves (cover varnished wood). Certain varnishes on wood can react to metals, vinyls and plastics. I know doll collectors that have had items ruined because shoes actually melted to the wood, wood stain reacted to vinyl and stained the dolls, etc…. The safest surface would probably be a glass shelf.
4. Keep safe from pets, dust, cooking areas and smoke.
5. Remember dolls values fluctuate over time. The selling prices can go up or down without notice (I remember when it was difficult to get $50 for a boxed Blythe doll, then prices shot over $1,000 for the same thing in the matter of one year, then gradually came down slightly over a few more years!)
I hope those tips have been helpful. I have been collecting dolls for many years and belong to several doll groups where we share experiences to help keep our collections as nice as possible. I personally like to display my favorites for at least short periods of time (although I do own some that have never really seen the light of day). They are not as much fun to own if they just stay in a closet, but you have to do what you think is best for your collection.
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