doll auction

Looks like there's an action of dolls coming up on St Patrick's Day. Clars Auction Gallery.

Lot 718 has 23 pieces. Collection of associated Vogue and Ginny dolls including ''Ginny's Trip Mates'' in original packaging with garment and auto bags with clothes.

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/h/item/11118688?ah=306-f821e

09:30 AM PT - Mar 17th, 2012

Also on the block:

Lot 717 Victorian China head low brow doll on a cloth body with bisque forearms and hands, 24'' together with a doll rocker (losses and repairs to left hand).

Lot 717A Collection of associated carolers of various compositions including papier mache and wood.

Lot 719 1 Ginny doll, 11 story book dolls including Bride, Groom with hat, with 8 associated vintage cards, plus a Vogue doll in trunk with clothes.

Lot 720 Vintage wax harlequin with painted bisque limbs, 15''; together with a miniature polychromed harlequin.

Not up my alley, but, it may be of interest to some. I used to go to auctions when I lived in Asheville, NC. It was a lot of fun! You get to rummage around and see what's up for auction. Then, you decide how much you want to spend. It was really helpful for me to say that I wouldn't go over $X because otherwise, you get into a bidding war with someone and you just want to... you know... WIN! So I set an amount, and I never went over.

I once got a whole box of goodies for $4.00. Inside were antique linens which I washed, bleached, and darned. I think I ended up selling them to an antiques dealer for about $75.00. Ah, those were the good old days!

And when I say bleach, I mean boiled on the stove in a solution of Sodium Perborate. It's a powder, and you have to dissolve it in water, and then add the white cotton or linen and let it come to a boil on the stove. Stir it occasionally and lift it out to see if the rust stains are gone. It may take some time, and you don't want to scorch it, so check and stir regularly.

You can find Sodium Perborate at really good pharmacies. I think it's sold for eye washes or something like that. It is really great for restoring old linen and cotton that has yellowed or has brown "rust" stains. It is an antique doll collector's best friend.