There is much confusion about buying and collecting Antique Japanese dolls. I will try here, to give some basic pointers about how to purchase a Japanese doll with confidence. The first thing to consider is that the classic Japanese dolls are still being produced today, as doll festivals such as O Hina Matsuri are still very popular holidays.High quality new dolls can be very costly, even more so than an antique doll of the same quality.The reasoning behind this is complex, but briefly, the Japanese as a rule value high priced gifts and gift giving, and tend to discard old items. Japanese dolls are usually bought as gifts for the household, ones children etc.This is changing now that there is a great overseas demand for the antique dolls, as well as the whole doll culture of Japan has shifted somewhat so that there now are many shops with exquisite high-end antique dolls. The key here is high-end. Even if the doll is old, it must be an example of great art, usually by a master craftsman to have significant value.Many sellers on eBay are not experts in this field, or are purposely trying to give that impression so an inferior doll can be passed off as being more valuable.Be very concerned if the seller says "I think," "I am not quite sure," or other such vague comments that tend to be an out if being accused of inaccuracy of the seller's description. Whether by ignorance, or design, you do not want to pay a lot of money for a doll that is not worth half of what you paid. Also, don't as rule, use, or believe the retail prices you see on the internet. Surely do not base a doll's value on a similar doll seen on a collectible doll website, or the seller's reference.This is because of a few factors.Many doll sites are not specializing in Japanese dolls. They might be knowledgeable about European doll prices, or contemporary doll artists, but they use outdated, and generic doll value guides to determine prices which are often wrong or very vague.Even from a dealer of Japanese dolls, both on the web and an actual store, you must be aware of the necessary mark up and overhead attached to the doll's price. If you see a very expensive doll from a dealer, remember that it most likely has some special attribute, or is a superior example to command the high-end price. The dealer's stated price can often be bargained down, especially if the dealer has had the doll in stock for a while. I was able to purchase an ichimatsu doll made by TOKO I from a well known dealer for 40% off the listed price because I just happened to inquire about it at the right time....so retail means nothing more than a negotiable starting point.The key is how much the dealer bought the doll for, and how long the doll has been in inventory.If the doll is taking up space in his shop, or has been listed on his website for months, the price may be negotiated. However, the amount the seller is willing to devalue the doll would depend on how much wiggle room he has, and how much cash-flow he needs to generate. Also, the dealer need to show fresh items, both on a website or in his shop or collectors will stop looking. Just like at a tag sale, or flea market, you should always start negotiating from a reasonable low offer, but don't offend the seller either. If a Taisho doll by Hirata Goyo is priced at $5,000. don't start the offer at $500.Use common sense.Also remember that age alone has nothing to do with a doll's value, but size does to some extent. The Japanese dolls had a golden period during the long EDO era. ANY doll in fairly good condition from this period is possibly quite valuable. If it is a 18th c. doll, it usually is only found in very high-end shops or museums. Later, pre-Meiji dolls c. 1850;'s -1860's are more common and are priced more reasonably. The main time periods (eras) that a Japanese doll collector should know is the Edo (17th c. to 1868) Meiji (1868-1912) Taisho (1912-late 1920's) Showa (late 1920's until late 1980's.A doll is considered "modern" after the occupation of the late 1940's. I will not address these dolls here.I also will mot discuss specific types or construction of the many areas of Japanese doll collecting except when needed to determine value.Here are things most important to considered when buying an antique doll:If the doll is signed on the body it has more value than an unsigned doll. If it signed by a well known doll artist (not company) it has even more value.All Japanese antique dolls are made from natural organic materials. In general, there is NO PLASTIC used before WWII . clothing was made of silk or cotton. NO SYNTHETICS.Dolls have silk, human, or animal hair. Human is the most common in larger dolls.Antique dolls have a finish called GOFUN which is a paste made from oyster shell and glue. It is usually highly polished during the Edo period. It can be polished or matte in later eras. Traditional Japanese dolls (not the European style dolls made in Japan) are NOT made of porcelain (though many uninformed sellers will mistakenly use this term)Older, Meiji era dolls of higher quality are "sexed" This is usually an indication of a high-end doll, but not always. The dolls are either jointed or non-jointed. Not ALL jointed dolls are valuable. ONLY the Meiji era true MITSUORI dolls have a substantial value. Many dolls are called Mitsuori when they are NOT. Later dolls limbs could be bent by various methods, loose joint hinges, wires etc. This is not an indication of value. In fact, a bendable doll that is not Mitsuori, was most probable made AFTER WWII and is not an antique at all!Different doll makers, and dolls coming from other regions, Kansai for example, rather than Tokyo have other attributes that determine value.Other things to look for is detail. On Ichimatsu / play dolls, look especially at the hands, feet and ears. The more highly detailed (fingernails, creases, carving) the more valuable doll you may have. On Hina, Musha, and other style dolls, pay attention to the quality of fabric and accessories (or lack of there of.) and missing parts of the dolls or accessories. Commonly lost accessories are the Emperor's hat and sword, paddle, and the Empress's fan and head dress / crown.. Sometimes these and other items are replaced and it is very hard if not impossible to tell if they were original to the dolls. In the case of the Emperor and Empress dolls, for a matched pain, look to see if the clothing designs and colors match (though they do not always match, but should be similar in style and age) The relative size of the Imperial pair is that the Emperor without his hat is a bit taller (but not much) than the Empress without her head piece. however, the tall head piece of the Empress is taller over all than the Emperor with his hat on. Be advised that it takes many years of studying Japanese dolls to be certain of the era that the doll was made. Edo dolls tent to be quite large, and have either very elongated faces or, in the case of very early Edo dolls, have almost round faces. Edo dolls have more squinty, half-closed eyes than later dolls. Obviously though doll styles did change over time, it is quite impossible to date most Japanese dolls especially ones made near the end or beginning of an era. A late Meiji doll made in 1900 will not differ from an early Taisho made around 1913. UNLESS THERE IS DOCUMENTATION, no exact age can be attributed to a particular doll. A best guess is all one can do. Some dolls are more easily identified than others.Sellers who actually know very little about Japanese dolls, just put a bunch of facts gathered from internet sources to puff up their listings and give a false sense that the seller knows what they are talking about. If you are buying an expensive doll, you should already be knowledgeable to some extent, and do not need the seller to give you the history of Japanese dolls...just the facts about the particular doll you are bidding on.Also, be wary of third party referred testimonials about the doll. "The previous owner said..." "I was told..." "I read on the internet..." are useless in evaluating a particular doll.Again, I must stress that the condition, quality, and perhaps maker of the doll is more important in determining value than age.For the most part, I see very few really fine Japanese dolls on eBay. Even more distressing, besides misrepresentation and fraud, is that many dolls are in a very bad state condition wise. UNLESS the doll is extremely rare, or by a very famous maker, if it has major flaws..STAY AWAY. Its value has been compromised. Japanese dolls are very delicate objects. I wouldn't turn away from an otherwise fine doll because of a hairline along the neck or limbs, a small abrasion or chip to the finger or toes etc. But large cracks or chips, especially on the viewable face, missing fingers or toes, or missing foot etc. Missing, or hair that falls out, MUST be considered when buying. Unlike their European counterparts, Japanese dolls cannot be fixed in the same way Western dolls can. Thee are a VERY FEW Japanese doll repair artists in Japan, and only ONE in the USA that I know of. Even if the doll can be fixed, the cost may be more than the doll is worth.So DON'T buy a doll with the idea, well, I'll bring it to my local doll hospital, or I will attempt fixing it myself...you will probably end up with a doll that is worse than before. A bad, noticeable repair is quite ugly, and far more unsightly than the original damage. Even just dirt is a problem. The clothes are delicate, and in some cases, non-removable. The gofun coating is water soluble so NEVER CLEAN with water, or liquid cleaners on any part of the "skin". ( a well-known trick is to use a pencil eraser, 0000 steel wool, or even Magic Eraser) However, you must be very careful, do it in stages, very lightly, and stay away from painted parts, such as eyebrows, cheeks, lips etc.I am not saying don't buy a doll that is damaged, only that it should be priced accordingly, and you should be prepared to "live" with the doll in the state you bought it in.The most important thing is that you must love the doll for itself, and pay only a reasonable price for it. If you are only buying as an investment, or to "flip" it, you better know what you are doing.In my many years on eBay, I would say that most Japanese dolls are either tourist quality, or very overpriced, largely because of condition.. But, as I said, even if the price is lower than a excellent condition doll, you cannot in most cases fix it, so it is what it is...The best way to be a good buyer is to read as much as possible about Japanese dolls and collecting. Besides the internet. Dr. Alan Pate has published 2 books recently that cover everything about Japanese dolls. NINGYO, and THE JAPANESE DOLL are available from sources like Amazon.com.
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