Expert: Anne Hoffmann - 12/12/2007

Question
I have have a whole collections of ken dolls and some barbie dolls. How can I determine their value???

Answer
The best indicator of vintage and modern doll secondary market values is ebay, as it reaches a worldwide market and has a competitive auction format. I suggest you match each of your dolls to the same or similar (issue, condition, clothing, box, etc.) listing on ebay to determine an approximate resale value. Watch the winning bid amounts and factor in an additional amount for the shipping, as that represents the total price the buyer is willing to pay.
If you are unsure of issue, there is a wonderful web site devoted to Ken: www.manbehindthedoll.com. This includes a "Ken A-Z" guide, which contains all the identifying information you should need.
Ken is not a favorite of little girls, to whom he acts only as an accessory to Barbie, but he does seem to have quite an adult following. A quick scan of "Ken doll" on ebay resulted in over 2,000 entries! This did include Ken clothes and accessories, but you can fine-tune your ebay search by clicking on "Advanced Search" to the immediate right of the "Search" button.
There are various ways to sell your collection. I recommend offering the more marketable issues-those rare or special issues and the MIB (Mint-In-Box)- individually. Any that have little or no resale value, you can group  and sell as a lot. Often people buy Barbie lots to redress for charitable donations or for repaints.
You may want to sell on ebay yourself, or place an ad in your local newspaper or "little paper". You can contact your local library for area doll or Barbie clubs and for the more valuable of your collection, you can check "wanted" postings online or in Barbie specialty doll magazines.
Selling a collection does involve quite a bit of time-consuming research in order to evaluate it correctly. If it seems like the work is not worth your time, you can consign the collection to a local auction house or sell to a dealer of vintage items, some of whom will take items on consignment. Make sure the store is not a "thrift shop" or a general consignment store, as those attract bargain hunters and do not bring high prices. An excellent example of a good vintage dealer is "Fourty, Fifty, Sixty" in New York City. Take a look at their web pages at http://members.bellatlantic.net/~bj4t5t6t/store/ Proprietor Ben Cassara is a delightful person with a real interest in vintage dolls.
I do hope you get a good value on your collection. And I especially applaud your scrupulous intention to price your dolls fairly.