Over the last few months I've purchased a number of dolls, with the intention of restoring them.
I'm writing this guide for sellers so they know what buyers expect when it comes to listings. And I'm writing it for doll buyers so they know what to look for when buying a doll.
MANY buyers buy dolls with the intention of restoring them - either restoring them themselves, or paying a pretty high dollar amount to have them professionally restored.
I was new to ebay in October, and bought a LOT of dolls that only had a few pictures (or less), and dolls that did not have pictures of them without their clothes on, and dolls that were afraid to look straight into the camera because they were downright ugly because of a bad restoration attempt. My innocence is lost - my lesson learned.
I've noticed that there are quite a few sellers out there that have no qualms about selling dolls with problems without mentioning those problems to the buyer, or they vaguely mention them (like calling broken composition "crazing").
All buyers have a right to make an informed buying decision. If you don't know something about the doll, that's fine. Say so. But when the doll's leg is split from thigh to toes, or the head is cracked through from ear to ear, don't hide it with clothes and say nothing about it or downplay it.
In some cases, it could be that the seller really knows nothing about dolls so doesn't know certain problems really are problems. But in far too many situations, the seller regularly sells dolls and absolutely knows the problems that exist and are intentionally hiding them in order to get a higher price.
Sellers have an obligation to disclose all defects or problems with the description and/or pictures.
Fortunately, MOST sellers are cool and try very hard to mention any problems and take lots of pictures. For those who don't know dolls or who have heretofore been lax about disclosure...
Let's go through some of the more common issues composition dolls have that should be disclosed:
Poor Restoration Attempt:
There are "restorers" out there who literally kill the value of a doll by using the wrong kind of paint, the wrong kind of painting technique, and overall sloppy workmanship. So if the doll you are selling has been painted with a paintbrush by someone without the skills to even paint a barn, you need to disclose this by showing pictures of the doll with close up shots of the doll's face, arms, legs and body, front and back views.
Do not cover up ugly painted hair with a bonnet.
Orignal From: Condition of the Doll You're Selling or Buying
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