Throw the doll away... keep the clothes!

This particular Ebay sale was the most exciting to watch and most profitable to date. However, it wasn't something I picked up at a garage sale or thrift store. Although you could possibly find one at a garage sale, since I was about to try and get rid of mine for $10 bucks.

When I was young (elementary years), my grandmother gave me a Madame Alexander "Cissy" doll with clothes. I played with it some, but I was more of a tomboy. At some point I put the doll and all the clothes in a big bag, and later, my parents put it up in their attic. And, there it sat for about 30 years. Luckily, moths and bugs did not do much damage except for a pair of her high heel shoes.

Well... I started the bidding at $20 with a buy-it-now for $100. (Am I glad no one jumped at that "buy-it-now" offer!) I really didn't think the doll was worth anything but my wise husband told me to give it a try. Within the first few hours a bid for $20 came in and then this is how the bidding went: $30 - $50 - $69.99 - $79.99 - $100 - $115.79 - $127 - $165.99 - $311 - $336.99 - $436.99 - $499.01 - $525.99 - $555.55 - $565.55.

Unbelievable! That's what I kept saying. Everytime I turned on my computer to check my e-mail, I would go over to Ebay and see how the doll was doing. Unbelievable!! It just kept going up and up!

You have to understand, the dolls head was broken off!!! Her hair was a mess!! The eyelashes where half missing. And, her leg had a crack in it! I just couldn't understand why someone would want this doll! The only thing I could logically think of was the person who won the bid was going to use her for parts. I had heard from another Ebayer that doll collectors will do that in order to make a perfect "antique" doll. Her face didn't have any scratches and the face paint was in perfect condition so I thought that's why it sold for so much. Someone was going to replace the hair/wig, put the head on a perfect body and then resell it for more. Nope!! That was not why the person bought my doll.

How do I know why they bought my doll? I e-mailed them and asked. IT WAS THE CLOTHES!

Here is what they wrote me when I asked:

"The three tagged dresses were rare and there is a group of Vintage Cissy collectors who collect the dolls and clothing. The three dresses were what people were most interested in. I have an extra body with legs and no splits so I can repair her and reattach her head and fix her hair. Madame Alexander was known for having the most beautiful clothing of any doll manufacturer. In the 50s she received the clothing designer award several times that was usually given to Fashion designers such as Dior, Chanel. If the doll had not had a split in the leg she would have gone for more. I'm happy I have the ability to fix her. Merrisue"

So... what one man considers junk another considers it a treasure. I really didn't think there was any value to that doll. All the other "Cissy" dolls on Ebay were in such perfect condition, and mine was far from it! However, looking back after the bidding, not many people were selling "Cissy" clothing. You could buy a Cissy doll on Ebay that would come with one dress, but my auction had three "Cissy" outfits! (The rest of the outfits you see in the picture were hand made by my grandmother.)

Tip of the day: If you see a doll like this, look for the name "Madame Alexander Cissy" on the back of her neck near her hair line. Also, the clothing must have the tag "Madame Alexander Cissy" on it to be worth anything.

Happy hunting!