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Where can I sell vintage doll molds? I have 500+.
I do not think you can sell them individually unless you plan to do this over a period of several years.
You only state 'doll molds' and that doesn't provide a lot of information as there are several types of molds; head molds, body molds, head and body molds, and any of these can be out of several different types of material.
You probably have several of each type so that might be your first project:
sorting them into 'like' groups. You will need to do this even if you later decide to sell them as one lot or you will not have a way to describe what you have available.
You may have some that are more valuable than others but unless you do an individual search you will have no way to know this.
There is not a lot of call for doll molds as doll making is not a popular thing like it was many years ago, so I do not believe you will be able to sell these for a really big price. In fact, if you sell them as one group/lot you may not even profit more than $1-$3 each.
One of the reasons for this is due to the trouble and cost of shipping.
You will most likely have to sell locally and your area may or may not be 'into' this type of thing. You'll probably never know unless you research sales in your area and you may not find very many listed for sale. eBay is the best place to look but for individual pieces only and most of those can be shipped.
You could try and get an appraisal but a local appraiser would probably charge you more than you will clear on the molds.
If there are any weekly/monthly auctions in your area this might be something to check out. Just be sure you understand how auctions work BEFORE you sign a contract.
This is probably the very worst time to try and sell your molds so you will have time to do a little research on how to list items for sale. Your molds would require several good pictures and maybe some numbers from the molds as these are usually what identifies them.
if you wish to sell them in groups of 5 you may be able to make more money but sales may be slow and shipping would still be a big problem as breakage would be easy to happen.
You might post a notice on any media sites you belong to just to see if anyone might be interested - do not give a price but take questions.
Whatever you decide, take good pictures and post listings on sites like; Craigslist, USA4Sale (your zip), Facebook Marketplace and any other site that will let you post in your area so you can list these as 'local pick up only'. This way you can start your price high and lower if you receive no takers.
I would check in your area for some companies who offer ceramics, hobby shops, or even craft stores who might want to off doll making classes. These will be harder to sell online because there are not that many people who still are interested in making these. You might want to check on some retirement classes they off and see if you can sell them there for the person to teach classes with.
My neighbor has many boxes containing porcelain dolls, wigs, clothes, etc. that his wife made. There are molds also. His wife actually made them for years. He needs to get rid of all of it. We do not want to just throw the supplies away. I am trying to help him find someone who might appreciate having them or have a use for them.
You could put an ad on eBay or etsy
These are the kind of things that make you feel sad to see all the things someone loved and then find it difficult to dispose of. I do not know if you live in or near a large city but if you do, I would suggest you try calling several antique shops and see if someone can give you an idea of the value or make you an offer. Do not take an offer until you check several areas for the true value. If there are any local auctions you might want to check those out also as it may take seeing some of the doll supplies to get very much money.
eBay and Etsy are good selling places but this kind of thing is not fast moving and unless you are familiar with selling on these sites, I would not recommend it.
You might want to try Craigslist and let some people come out and make an offer. Please do not be surprised if it is only a few dollars.
Thanks for the suggestions. I was inquiring for an elderly neighbor. He does not have a computer or the knowhow to sell online via easy or eBay. He may need to take the things to a flea market just to make it a quick sale. Anything he is unable to sell, he will donate to a local charity. He just needs to clean out and has no use for the things. It is sad that his wife loved making the dolls and left behind supplies and dolls when she passed away. No family members were interested in any of it, leaving him to dispose of it all. If he could make a few dollars from it, he would be thrilled, but at this point, he will be happy to have it out of his way.
I may try posting on local Facebook garage sale site. good idea.
This is a nice thing that you are trying to help him. I agree that it would be nice if he could realize some money from all of these mementos but there may also be a safety factor.
First: will it be safe for him to have people come to his house to look at the stuff you are talking about? does he have other things in his house that someone may want to steal? It is true that many times people will make like they are interested in buying (or even buy something) but they are really "casing" the house and the people to see what else is around. If he now lives alone this could be a problem later on - especially if it looks like he is not too savvy about what is really going on.
I think a local flea market may be a good idea, especially if he has someone to help him. The problem is that some flea markets now charge high daily fees so people have to sell a lot to just break even.
Have you thought about a yard sale? This may work and perhaps you could help him with something like this.
Sometimes local churches have "flea market" type sales and let people set up tables so this might be another area.
My only concern is his age and vulnerability so if you keep that in mind I feel sure you will be able to help him.
If donating to a charity, please consider Hospice or Habitat as I have worked with both of these and they do good things with their money (most of it).
Please let us know how things work out.
Im Interested in the doll supplies contact me on fb Laura Wilkins
