One of the most frequent questions we get is: "What do we need to do to get ready for you all to come do our sale?" Talk about a loaded question, lol. Seriously, this is one we answer all the time and there is a basic answer.
Take what you want out of the house before you call us to come look. If you can't remove it, tag it or move it all to one room.
Throw away trash. If you know there are boxes of dry rotted magazines there, throw them away. If you aren't sure if it's trash, leave it and we'll take a look. Generally, if something is mildewed, dry rotted or covered in animal feces, it's trash. Sorry to be so graphic but you'd be surprised...
If you will do these two things, it makes it super easy for us to evaluate the estate and decide whether it is large enough to hold an on-site sale or whether we need to do an online auction of the estate. A successful on-site sale needs lots of "stuff" to make sure it is well attended and profitable for everyone. If there are nice, sellable items, but not an abundance of them, then we can do an online auction. These are an easy way to accomplish your liquidation goals and still realize the most profit. Our app is available in the Google Play Store and in the Apple App Store for free. Search Southern Estate Sales and download today!
Now, this next part is just extra, it's things not to do even if you are just considering an estate sale.
1. Don't give or donate anything until you have spoken with a professional. Many of the things you will give away are the things estate sale companies make the majority of money on. Things like linens, cleaning supplies (even open ones), toiletries, dishes, pots, etc. are always big sellers at sales.
2. Don't pull everything out of cabinets and drawers...we'll do it and it is easier if we do it knowing where it will go than having to pick things up off of floors and round stuff up from all over the house.
3. Don't stress over stuff that is packed up and hasn't been seen in years. We will pull it out and go through it, clean it, prepare it for sale or throw it away if it is ruined. We WON'T throw away any personal items like pictures, letters, financial info. We put those things aside for the family.
4. Don't wait until you have a contract to sell the house before you call us. We usually work 4-6 weeks out and need some time to get you on the calendar. We try to accommodate everyone so please call as soon as you even consider doing a sale.
5. Don't think that a sale needs silver and crystal and diamonds to be successful and great. Some of our most profitable sales have been held in average middle class homes with everyday belongings. People are always looking for quality items at a great price and that's what we offer!
I hope this helps if you are considering an estate liquidation, please don't hesitate to call us for a free consultation. We would love to help you decide if it's the right decision for you.
Monday, July 23, 2018
Friday, June 29, 2018
Antique Dolls
This last article in the doll series of posts is a quick primer on antique dolls. Most of the dolls that little American girls played with in the late 19th century and early 20th century were made in France and Germany. The first dolls from these countries had china and bisque heads and cloth bodies. (even though china and bisque are both porcelain, collectors call shiny, glazed dolls china and the unglazed porcelain dolls are called bisque. Porcelain usually refers to contemporary dolls.)
These dolls had pretty faces but the cloth bodies were not very realistic. In the early 1850's, doll makers in Sonneberg, Germany mixed glue and sawdust to form moldable, paintable dolls. They called this new concoction "composition". The first composition dolls typically had a cloth torso and upper limbs with composition heads, hands and feet. Eventually, entire dolls were made of composition resulting in much more realistic forms. Soon, doll makers all used composition; it was inexpensive, easy to work with and it was more durable than bisque, which cracked easily. Composition dolls survive today and can be easily identified by their crazing. In the 1940's, composition gave way to plastic.
To help you identify genuine antique dolls, here are some of the marks you may see on these dolls. This page is a great resource for researching marks: Identifying Antique Doll Marks
 |
| China Doll |
 |
| China Doll |
 |
| Bisque Doll |
 |
| German Bisque Doll |
These dolls had pretty faces but the cloth bodies were not very realistic. In the early 1850's, doll makers in Sonneberg, Germany mixed glue and sawdust to form moldable, paintable dolls. They called this new concoction "composition". The first composition dolls typically had a cloth torso and upper limbs with composition heads, hands and feet. Eventually, entire dolls were made of composition resulting in much more realistic forms. Soon, doll makers all used composition; it was inexpensive, easy to work with and it was more durable than bisque, which cracked easily. Composition dolls survive today and can be easily identified by their crazing. In the 1940's, composition gave way to plastic.
 |
| Composition Doll |
To help you identify genuine antique dolls, here are some of the marks you may see on these dolls. This page is a great resource for researching marks: Identifying Antique Doll Marks
We also have a Pinterest board for antique dolls. There are some pins with links to articles if you're interested.
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Madame Alexander Dolls
Bertha (Beatrice) Alexander Behrman began making cloth dolls as a young girl. Her stepfather owned the very first doll hospital in the United States and she made Red Cross Nurse dolls in order to help the business during World War I. She and her sisters founded the Alexander Doll Company in 1923. They added the "Madame" in an effort to make their dolls seem fancier. They too started out making cloth dolls but soon switched to porcelain to appeal to a higher end market. Some of their popular dolls were the Little Women characters, the Trapp family from The Sound of Music and The Three Little Pigs. Later they made dolls of celebrities like Judy Garland, Shari Lewis and Marlo Thomas.
During World War II the company made Armed Forces representative dolls to boost morale and they also switched to hard plastic then to make their dolls less susceptible to breakage.
During this time, they also pioneered the usage of rooted hair and eyes that could open and close.
One of the major milestones in the company's history happened in 1953 when they introduced Alexander-kins. These are eight-inch baby dolls made of plastic and are probably the most well-known of all Madame Alexander Dolls.
In 1957 they introduced the 21" tall Cissy doll, a fashion doll for older girls.
They also began to use vinyl in the 50's to make dolls more durable, along with synthetic hair that could be styled by children. The 50's and 60's also saw Disney characters, Kennedy family dolls and international dolls.
Today, the company is no longer owned by the Behrman family but still produces dolls bearing the Madame Alexander name for today's lucky little girls! See more of these wonderful dolls on our Pinterest board.
 |
| The March Family from Little Women |
 |
| Three Little Pigs |
During World War II the company made Armed Forces representative dolls to boost morale and they also switched to hard plastic then to make their dolls less susceptible to breakage.
One of the major milestones in the company's history happened in 1953 when they introduced Alexander-kins. These are eight-inch baby dolls made of plastic and are probably the most well-known of all Madame Alexander Dolls.
 |
| Alexander-kins "Wendy Takes a Train" |
 |
| Vintage Madame Alexander Cissy doll |
 |
| Madame Alexander's Cinderella |
Today, the company is no longer owned by the Behrman family but still produces dolls bearing the Madame Alexander name for today's lucky little girls! See more of these wonderful dolls on our Pinterest board.
Monday, June 25, 2018
Vogue Ginny Dolls
This post is another in the series we are doing on dolls...especially dolls that will be a part of our The Doll House Sale starting July 1, 2018.
One of the most beloved dolls of all time, the Vogue Ginny dolls were first introduced in 1951. They were the brainchild of Jennie Adler Graves of Massachusetts. Jennie had a shoppe, established in 1922 that sold dolls that she imported from Germany and dressed in her own creations. That beginning grew into a company that began manufacturing their own dolls in the late 1940's. By 1951, demand for her dolls had grown to a point that allowed her to introduce Ginny, named for her daughter Virginia.
One of the big attractions to Ginny dolls was the many beautiful outfits available for her. Mrs. Graves insisted on using high quality fabrics like velveteen, taffeta, brocade and lace to make the splendid clothes and that attention to detail kept these dolls popular for many more years.
There are many versions of Ginny, she began as a hard plastic doll and evolved into vinyl in the 1980's.
The best thing about these pretty dolls is that we have some in our next auction! Don't miss it! The Doll House Sale
There are some really good articles about all of the different Vogue dolls that you can access by going to our Pinterest board.
Enjoy!
One of the most beloved dolls of all time, the Vogue Ginny dolls were first introduced in 1951. They were the brainchild of Jennie Adler Graves of Massachusetts. Jennie had a shoppe, established in 1922 that sold dolls that she imported from Germany and dressed in her own creations. That beginning grew into a company that began manufacturing their own dolls in the late 1940's. By 1951, demand for her dolls had grown to a point that allowed her to introduce Ginny, named for her daughter Virginia.
One of the big attractions to Ginny dolls was the many beautiful outfits available for her. Mrs. Graves insisted on using high quality fabrics like velveteen, taffeta, brocade and lace to make the splendid clothes and that attention to detail kept these dolls popular for many more years.
There are many versions of Ginny, she began as a hard plastic doll and evolved into vinyl in the 1980's.
There are some really good articles about all of the different Vogue dolls that you can access by going to our Pinterest board.
Enjoy!
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Silkstone Barbies
Our Doll House Sale coming up has HUNDREDS of dolls in it. All this week, I'm going to try and give y'all a little information on each of the different kinds we have. A happy collector is an informed collector. 😉
In 2000, Mattel introduced a line of dolls made from a material called silkstone. Silkstone is a durable material that looks and feels like porcelain. These dolls were designed with adult collectors in mind. You'll need to be a member of the Barbie Collectors club to buy some of these, as they were and are exclusive to club members.
The first silkstone Barbies were called fashion model dolls and lingerie model dolls. They are beautiful dolls that feature the 1993 resculpted face of the original 1959 Barbie face. These are some of the first ones:
Some of the most collectible ones are the dolls that were limited to a production run of 1000 or less. Two of those dolls are pictured below:
Our Doll House Sale starting July 1, 2018 features some of these beauties. You can register to bid at: Southern Estate Sales - Doll House Sale and you can see more of these dolls on our Pinterest board.
See you there!
In 2000, Mattel introduced a line of dolls made from a material called silkstone. Silkstone is a durable material that looks and feels like porcelain. These dolls were designed with adult collectors in mind. You'll need to be a member of the Barbie Collectors club to buy some of these, as they were and are exclusive to club members.
The first silkstone Barbies were called fashion model dolls and lingerie model dolls. They are beautiful dolls that feature the 1993 resculpted face of the original 1959 Barbie face. These are some of the first ones:
 |
| 2000 Lingerie Barbie #1 |
 |
| 2002 Lingerie Barbie #5 |
 |
| Barbie Fashion Model Collection 2007 - The Soiree - Blonde |
 |
| Barbie Fashion Model Collection 2003 - Joyeaux Barbie - Redhead |
Our Doll House Sale starting July 1, 2018 features some of these beauties. You can register to bid at: Southern Estate Sales - Doll House Sale and you can see more of these dolls on our Pinterest board.
See you there!
 |
| Chataine Barbie-Exclusive to FAO Schwartz |
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Barbies...How Much Are They Really Worth?
I'm sure you all get tired of hearing this, but an object's value lies in whatever someone is willing to pay for it...period. So we are going to talk about Barbies today because we have an auction coming up that includes hundreds...yes, I said hundreds as in over seven hundred we think. So let's get educated about what you'll need to look for.
The first thing to check is the trademark. Is it on Barbie's heinie or on her lower back? The dolls with the trademark on the heinie were made between 1959 and 1972 and are considered vintage. If the trademark says "Barbie TM" and Barbie is in script, then it is one of the first Barbies made. This mark can be found on the #1 Ponytail Barbie, #2 Ponytail Barbie, #3 Ponytail Barbie and #4 Ponytail Barbie. Here are some pictures to help you figure out what you have (or want to have).
#1 Ponytail Barbie
If the copyright information says "Midge 1962/Barbie 1958" followed by the years in Roman Numerals, then it was made by Mattel after 1962. These dolls also have value to collectors. They are the #6 and #7 Ponytail Barbies, the Bubble-cut Barbies and the Midge dolls.
Another trademark to look for says "1958 Mattel Inc." or "1958 Mattel Inc. Made in Japan". If you are lucky enough to see one of these, you either have a "Miss Barbie" (issued in 1964) or an American Girl Barbie which is a collector's favorite! The American Girl Barbies were made in 1965 and 1966 and they can easily be identified by the fact that their knees bend due to an internal mechanism.
The first thing to check is the trademark. Is it on Barbie's heinie or on her lower back? The dolls with the trademark on the heinie were made between 1959 and 1972 and are considered vintage. If the trademark says "Barbie TM" and Barbie is in script, then it is one of the first Barbies made. This mark can be found on the #1 Ponytail Barbie, #2 Ponytail Barbie, #3 Ponytail Barbie and #4 Ponytail Barbie. Here are some pictures to help you figure out what you have (or want to have).
#1 Ponytail Barbie
 |
| Bubble cut Barbie |
Another trademark to look for says "1958 Mattel Inc." or "1958 Mattel Inc. Made in Japan". If you are lucky enough to see one of these, you either have a "Miss Barbie" (issued in 1964) or an American Girl Barbie which is a collector's favorite! The American Girl Barbies were made in 1965 and 1966 and they can easily be identified by the fact that their knees bend due to an internal mechanism.
 |
| American Girl Barbies |
 |
| Miss Barbie 1964 |
 Next, if the copyright says "1966 Mattel Made in Japan" that's a very good sign. These dolls are called "Twist and Turns" because Barbie had a unique hip and waist movement that allowed her to bend and twist at the same time. In 1967 Barbie got a new face also. The other important doll with this trademark is Malibu Barbie. Her features are the same as TnT Barbies but her skin is a dark tan. This is a strange case where "Made in Japan" makes the dolls more valuable rather than less. After 1967 and up through 1972, the Barbie family dolls all came on the market. Skipper, who is Barbie's little sister, Francie, who is slimmer than Barbie and a little shorter and Midge were all popular during this time and still have quite a following among collectors. One thing to look for with these dolls is rooted eyelashes. Many had them but not all. But just because they don't have them doesn't mean they aren't valuable. 😉  This gives you a starting place for vintage Barbies, it is by no means even close to all of the information there is out there...this site has some great precise information on early models. VintageBabs.com I haven't given you any values because there are just too many variables. Each doll needs to be evaluated on it's own merits. I just hope you know a few things to look for now when you're out treasure hunting. Stay tuned, we are about to give everyone their overload on Barbies on our auction site, Southern Estate Sales! |
Monday, June 11, 2018
Collections
I love collectors! People who collect things are interesting, usually adventurous and always happy to share what they know about their collectibles. I’m talking about people who really love the things they collect, not for their monetary value, but for their beauty, function, age, whimsy, uniqueness or variety. People who research the subject and can tell you the who, what, where, why and how about their obsession. Folks that don’t mind tromping through mud or spider webs, and know that even rusted, dirty things have beauty and purpose. Folks who will skip eating lunch out for a month so they can afford the treasure that will make such a great addition to their collection. (I never say complete a collection because who can do that?)
The only time I don’t like collectors is when we go into a house and the family tells us there is “a huge collection of plates from Bradford Exchange” or any of the other “collectibles” from any of the exchanges, mints, or clubs that are modern day companies. The reason I don’t like them? Because these things are marketed and sold as if they are going to increase in value and it’s just not true. You have all seen the ads in Sunday’s paper and in magazines telling folks to “buy now at the incredibly low price of $___ because once we close this offer, the mold will be broken.” (Or pattern retired, plans locked in a vault, yada, yada, yada) The thing they don’t say is that the offer will only be closed when people stop buying them. (So once they hit that 8 million mark, that’s it!) There is no limited run on most things sold as collectibles.
So now I go into a house and mom loved the porcelain babies that look real with beautiful little dresses and life like hair and she never took them out of the box and all of them have the certificates of authenticity that came with them and she paid almost $100 for each one of them…and I have to tell the children that we will be lucky to get $10 each for them. Please don’t misunderstand me though, if you love these things and buy them purely for your enjoyment, by all means, keep right on doing what you love. But don’t let slick ads and pretty pictures make you believe that you are buying “an investment” or a “future rare keepsake”. Also, don’t think that people won’t buy these things; there are collectors out there who love them and only buy them second hand, so they do sell at our sales. But I’ve never sold a modern day collectible for more than its original price. The moral of this story is that just because you call something a collectible doesn’t make it valuable.
Ok, enough tough love, time for fun. I am fascinated by the things people collect so here is a list of some of the more interesting things I’ve heard about and seen:
*Old candy boxes used to display candy in the store. The kind that held 24 Hershey bars and the top lifted off and the bottom one was slipped inside it.
*Postcards, but only ones that were actually used and none newer than 1940
*Original paintings of houses
*Tiny baby dolls, antique, porcelain or bisque but only those small enough to fit in your palm
*Water guns from the 1950’s and 60’s
*Homemade stuffed animals
*Tiny books (the size of a domino or smaller)
*Old game pieces
* Pictures of people with a horse
*Old coat hangers
*Wasp or hornets nests
*Bird’s nests
*Jewelry boxes with ballerinas that twirled
*Cocktail stir sticks
*Pen knives with company logos
*Small screwdrivers (less than 4 inches)
*Barbed wire
*Small animal cages and traps
*Eggs (actual eggs, not plastic or ceramic!)
*Promotional material for products that didn’t make it for one reason or another and of course the actual product if they can find it
*Figurines of great people, works of art, etc.
*Belt buckles that have hidden uses (knives in them, secret compartments)
*Boat paddles, especially homemade ones
*Monkeys doing things that people do (riding a bike, cooking, using a camera)
*Cancelled checks with interesting handwriting, amounts or notations
*Casket pictures
*Unusual kitchen gadgets and serving pieces (silver tray that holds a pickle jar and tongs to retrieve them)
*Wooden clothespins
*Small plastic cake decorations
*Tiny license plate replicas that were to hang on your keychain
*Old boxes of pencil leads
* Toy houses and barns
*Vintage pictures of cowboys and cowgirls
*Homemade Barbie clothes
*Glass eyes
Don’t you just love it?!
Ok, enough tough love, time for fun. I am fascinated by the things people collect so here is a list of some of the more interesting things I’ve heard about and seen:
*Old candy boxes used to display candy in the store. The kind that held 24 Hershey bars and the top lifted off and the bottom one was slipped inside it.
*Postcards, but only ones that were actually used and none newer than 1940
*Original paintings of houses
*Tiny baby dolls, antique, porcelain or bisque but only those small enough to fit in your palm
*Water guns from the 1950’s and 60’s
*Homemade stuffed animals
*Tiny books (the size of a domino or smaller)
*Old game pieces
* Pictures of people with a horse
*Old coat hangers
*Wasp or hornets nests
*Bird’s nests
*Jewelry boxes with ballerinas that twirled
*Cocktail stir sticks
*Pen knives with company logos
*Small screwdrivers (less than 4 inches)
*Barbed wire
*Small animal cages and traps
*Eggs (actual eggs, not plastic or ceramic!)
*Promotional material for products that didn’t make it for one reason or another and of course the actual product if they can find it
*Figurines of great people, works of art, etc.
*Belt buckles that have hidden uses (knives in them, secret compartments)
*Boat paddles, especially homemade ones
*Monkeys doing things that people do (riding a bike, cooking, using a camera)
*Cancelled checks with interesting handwriting, amounts or notations
*Casket pictures
*Unusual kitchen gadgets and serving pieces (silver tray that holds a pickle jar and tongs to retrieve them)
*Wooden clothespins
*Small plastic cake decorations
*Tiny license plate replicas that were to hang on your keychain
*Old boxes of pencil leads
* Toy houses and barns
*Vintage pictures of cowboys and cowgirls
*Homemade Barbie clothes
*Glass eyes
Don’t you just love it?!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)