Listing and Selling Dolls on eBay™

Choosing a category:
There are many factors to consider when you list dolls for sale. Dolls can be listed by age, material make up, or maker's mark (brand name). Dolls over about 70 years old can be listed as antique. If they are bisque or composition, you can list them under the appropriate subcategory. Newer dolls may be listed under their brand name such as Mattel® and Ideal®, or by the material they are made of (such as under hard plastic). If you are unsure of which category is best, do a search on dolls similar to yours, and list your doll in the same category.

Titling your listing:
Start with the title listing the maker of the doll (if known), then the name (if known), then the height. For example, " Ideal Toni P90 14" would be an informative listing. If you don't know the maker or name of your doll, your title could be "Unmarked Hard plastic girl 14." Remember to leave a space between words so that your listing will show up when someone does a search on a key word. If your doll has an important feature such as original clothes, you will want to add that to your title. If she is a "fixer upper," you may want to say that too. The title should be descriptive and eye-catching like an interesting headline in the newspaper. If you indicate that you have attached a picture, a colorful "pic" icon will appear after your title. Many people prefer to bid on items that they can look at, so a picture can help you get more bids. For more information, see eBay's photo tutorial.

Composing your listing:
The more you can tell buyers about your doll, the better. It is helpful to include information about the doll's manufacturer, year it was made, country of origin, how many were made, and so on. Give a full description of the doll - height, clothes, any working parts (sleep eyes, jointed limbs), details that may be difficult to see in the picture (open mouth with teeth), and condition of the doll and its clothes. Condition is a subjective thing. One person's "excellent" is another person's "good." It is best to give a detailed description of the doll's problems, including hair that has been cut or hair that has missing plugs, faded features, missing eyelashes, missing or damaged fingers or toes, crazing cracks, or stains. You may want to use the C10 to C1 condition rating below to describe the doll. Also, don't forget to mention the doll's strong points, such as beautiful eyes or all original clothing.

Include information on how you would like payment (check, money order, credit card) and how much you are charging for shipping, handling, and insurance. If you decide to post a picture with your listing, it helpful if the picture is in focus, without a distracting background, and close enough to see some of the doll's detail. Some people include several pictures including one of the whole doll, a close-up of the doll's face, and another close-up of a special feature or the manufacturer's mark or tag.

Completing your listing:
You can set the length of the auction (3, 5, 7 or 10 days), the minimum opening bid amount, and the reserve price (the minimum you would be willing to sell the doll for), if you want to include one. It's best to be realistic in setting the reserve price so you don't discourage bidders, but be sure to set it at an amount you are comfortable with and really willing to sell your doll for.

Completing the transaction:
eBay will notify the seller and high bidder at the conclusion of the auction. You, the seller will then contact the high bidder to arrange for payment and shipping of the doll. Typically, in your message you will tell them which auction they won and request that a check or money order in the amount of the high bid plus shipping and handling be sent to your address. Once you receive payment, you ship the doll to the address the buyer provides. You may also want to look at feedback the buyer has received. The comments can influence how you handle the transaction.

There are escrow services available for a small fee if the buyer would like to see their doll and accept it before payment is released. If the doll is not accepted, the buyer must return it quickly and the escrow service returns the funds to the buyer. To ensure the buyer is satisfied, it is helpful to be honest and detailed in your auction description. See the escrow section for more details. If the buyer was prompt and courteous, give positive feedback so that other users will know this person is a good buyer to work with!

Terms for listing or buying

Proposed Doll Rating System from 1998-1999 Barbie Bazaar Price Guide, by Barbie Bazaar Magazine, A. Glenn Mandeville.

C-10 Factory perfect. Right off toy store shelves. Never removed from box. No apologies for anything. No matter what the age, item is factory new.

C-09 Mint. No original packaging, but unplayed with condition.

C-08 Near mint to excellent condition. Very slight handling.

C-07 Display quality but "crispness" is missing. It would be obvious that this is not a C-09 doll. Clothing would not be laundered or faded, but might need ironing. Dolls would still be original.

C-06 Gently played with. Missing original accessories, original paint rubbed. May have problems with moving parts, jointing, etc.

C-05 Wear and tear visible to everyone. Can be repaired.

C-04 Lots of flaws and spots. Heavily played with and damaged in some way. A professional is required to repair or restore.

C-03 Damaged. In the right costume, it could be used for display. Lots of work needed here.

C-02 Doll is beyond repair but it might have a couple of parts that a collector wants. Legs or arms are still good for transplanting to another doll.

C-01 One part of doll, outfit, or item could still be used for parts

Betty Boop Type: Usually small, all-bisque dolls with jointed arms, whose molded hair resembles the character Betty Boop. Hair is usually blonde or gold.

Bisque: Unglazed fired clay

Character dolls: Dolls that are shaped to be life-like. They can resemble adults, infants, or children.

China: Glazed bisque or porcelain with a glossy finish

Composition: A wood fiber product that is painted and crazes easily

Crazing: Tiny cracks in the finish and or painted layers of composition dolls. Crazing can also occur on china glaze.

Fixer upper: Sometimes called a "basket case" or "needs TLC." A doll that needs extensive repair.

Flirty eyes: Eyes that move from side to side.

Frozen charlotte: An unjointed doll, usually of china, with arms molded away from the body

Googly eyes: Eyes that look to the side and are large in proportion to the rest of the facial features.

Hard Plastic: Rigid plastic with no give to it. May be heavy or thin.

Hairline: Very thin crack in bisque or porcelain. May not go all the way through.

Immobile: An unjointed, all-bisque doll molded in one piece with arms close to sides

Makers' marks: Incised or raised numbers, letters, or symbols--usually on the neck, head, or back of a doll.

Mint: A doll that is just as it was when it left the factory.

MIB: Mint doll in the original box.

NRFB: A doll that has never been removed from the original box.

Original clothing: The clothing first worn by the doll whether factory made or home made.

All original: Everything worn by the doll is original to it.

Paperweight eyes: Glass eyes that bulge out of the sockets when viewed from the side. They cannot be set to sleep.

Porcelain: A fine type of fired clay.

Provenance: A doll's written history about its owners.

Reproduction: A doll produced by using an existing doll's mold.

Sleep eyes: Eyes that close when the doll is lying down.

Stationary eyes: Eyes set in the head in an open position. These eyes do not sleep.

Intaglio eyes: Eyes are carved to give a three-dimensional look, then painted.

Tagged: The doll or its clothing has the manufacturer's tag.

Vinyl: Soft plastic that yields to firm pressure.