Antique Bisque Dolls
Antique bisque dolls are a must have for any serious doll collector. What most people consider a porcelain doll is actually a bisque doll. Prior to the 1860’s all dolls were glazed and porcelain, they are called china dolls by collectors. After that time there were innovations to doll creating and bisque, which is unglazed porcelain, became the favorite doll making item. Using bisque allowed for more realistic and varied skin tone colors. At first these dolls were made with leather or cloth bodies and then later became more realistic. Today these dolls are not really used as play toys, but are geared towards collectors. Because they are very fragile they are too delicate for most children to play with carefully.
Most antique bisque dolls are only made of bisque on their heads of faces. A doll made completely out of bisque is rare because of the fragile nature of the doll, many would not have survived. You can find these dolls in a variety of sizes from one half an inch to five feet. Antique bisque dolls were made all over the world, but mostly in France and Germany. The more modern dolls are mostly made in China.
The value of an antique bisque doll will vary for many different reasons. The most important part of determining price for these dolls is the quality of the doll. A doll that is in excellent condition with no chips or breaks of scratches is obviously going to be worth more money than a doll with damages. The bisque itself should not look too white or chalky. The color and painting should be delicate and well-painted. Many collectors prefer wooden bodies that are jointed, which allows to poising in different ways, but each collector will determine what they like the most.
If you are going to buy antique bisque dolls make sure that there are no cracks or breaks. Be sure to check for hairline cracks as these are often harder to see at first glance. You will want to make sure that the doll you are looking at is actually an antique and no a reproduction, if the bisque is too smooth it could be a fake. Trust your overall impression of any antique bisque doll you want to purchase. If it is a doll that you just must have you might be willing to overlook some issues, but for serious antique bisque doll collectors know before you buy.
Current Antique Bisque Dolls Items on Ebay:
LARGE ANTIQUE 19TH C BISQUE BABY DOLL GLASS EYES
 | US $200.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-05-2012 10:16:34 PST Buy It Now for only: US $220.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list |
French Fashion German Bisque Doll Antique Bag Purse Chantelaine Tapestry Roses
 | US $9.95 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-05-2012 16:01:17 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
ANTIQUE KESTNER GERMAN BISQUE DOLL GIBSON GIRL W ORIGINAL CLOTHES RARE 13 1/2"
 | US $800.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-05-2012 11:31:47 PST Buy It Now for only: US $900.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list |
Antique White Cotton Dress & Eyelet Bonnet 22" to 23" Composition or Bisque Doll
 | US $14.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-05-2012 9:11:34 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
VTG~ANTIQUE~BISQUE~Composition~Lead Shoes~DOLL~Clothes Parts fix
 | US $9.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-05-2012 7:07:55 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |
ANTIQUE GERMAN MINIATURE ALL BISQUE DOLL HOUSE DOLL WITH ORIGINAL OUTFIT
 | US $199.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Feb-05-2012 5:26:38 PST Bid now | Add to watch list |