Product Description

Now in full color, 200 Years of Dolls, 3rd Edition is the most easy-to-use comprehensive identification and value guide designed for both novice and experienced collectors of vintage dolls, dealers, auction houses, and appraisers. With updated pricing, new color photos, and new manufacturer marks listings-the principle tool used for identification-the third edition of this best selling book will serve as an invaluable resource.

With thorough historical information on 180 different manufacturers, readers will gain a better understanding of the dollmaking industry. Pricing grids contain values for variations of the same dolls, providing the most accurate pricing available. Collectors will find detailed descriptions for each of the 5,000 doll listings and more than 300 brilliant full-color photographs. Covers cloth, china, vinyl, antique, molded, French, and German dolls plus much more!

-5,000 listings for dolls, each with detailed descriptions and accurate, up-to-date pricing -More than 300 full-color photographs -New manufacturer marks listings-the principle tool used for identification

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #500824 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Review
"Recommended for all doll dealers and collectors" -- Model and Collectors Mart, July 2002.

About the Author
Dawn Herlocher has been collecting dolls for nearly 35 years. As a consultant for historical societies, private collectins and museums, she travels throughout the USA holding seminars and giving lectures. She currently serves as technical adviser for various auction houses and publications.

Customer Reviews

Over 275 doll manufacturers are included in a lovely coverage
Dawn Herlocher's 200 Years Of Dolls Identification And Price Guide, 3rd Edition unlike competing doll guides, over 5,000 dolls of all kinds are identified from Raggedy Ann editions to Barbie. The book comes packed with color photos - but the inclusion of manufacturer's marks, comparison charts and histories is what makes 200 Years Of Dolls so special. Of course, there's the latest pricing to aid in valuations. Over 275 doll manufacturers are included in a lovely coverage.

A nice e ffort but falls short for me
I just got done looking through this book, which is the 3rd edition and is dated 2005. I bought this book for $2 used on Amazon and that is all it is worth to me. I bought it for business purposes and if I'd paid the full retail price, I'd have been inclined to return it.

The photos are nice, full color and close up enough to get a good feeling of what each doll looks like, but there are many more dolls mentioned in text that are not pictured. It makes it hard to identify a doll if there's no photo of it.

For example, I mostly deal with Barbie and other fashion dolls and dolls of the later 60's and 70's. There is a section on Barbie but it offers only a few photos and most of the dolls listed are only mentioned in text. If you didn't already know what you had in your hand, how would you be able to look it up?

Crissy is one of the most popular dolls made by Ideal and there is only a mention of her in the 4 pages devoted to Ideal. There is not one photo of Crissy or any of her family. The only photo I saw listed under Mego was a NRFB Cher doll from the 70's. All the other Mego dolls are only mentioned by name. This book also does not list dates for most dolls. I find that frustrating, too. And the prices suggested as the value are very theoretical. Maybe pre-Ebay somebody would have spent so much for Barbie, let's say, but prices are not that good today, although the author does state she based prices on the doll being in mint condition and with original box, outfit and accessories. Still, I haven't seen too many Barbies in the condition she describes go for quite that much online.

Now, I don't want to say this book is all bad. Its just very incomplete in terms of it being a real history of 200 years of dolls. Its a very brief overview of dolls throughout the last 200 years and most of the photos that are featured, are of antique dolls, not fashion dolls, even though many fashion dolls are listed in text. I don't feel it would be worth $30, which is the suggested retail price. This book would be greatly improved by adding LOTS more photos and if it were spiral bound. Its very heavy and thick (415 pages) and pages don't stay open well. There's a whole chunk of pages seperating from the spine already and this book was like new! I also think the year for each doll should also be added next to the description. Again, a nice effort but falls short. It may be that it is too great of an undertaking to be covered in one volume. I feel the author should have covered less to give us more.

Third edition: Doll Identification by Herlocher
I refer to this doll book often.
Any author who attempts to include 200 years` worth of antique and collectible dolls in one book has quite a feat ahead. But the author does a wonderful job.

This hardback book is printed on quality paper.
The photos are very nicely taken.
Information is very helpful.

PS: Addendum (July,2009): I just found out that this author has just issued "VOLUME 4", in this series(out in July,2009).
I will surely buy Volume 4, and enjoy both VOLUME 3 and VOLUME 4 together, because this author does such a nice job with all her books, and it's worth owning both Volumes 3 and 4. In my opinion, that's how valuable Volumes 3 and 4 will become in my own doll library. Thus, if you are a doll lover or doll collector, I would look into both Volumes (ie:3 and 4).

PSS: I do not own Volumes 1 and 2 in this series.