My Finding Blythe Doll Tips

I have obtained my Blythe Dolls as a result of searching flea markets, doll sales, estate sale, garage sales, thrift shops, selling hand made items, responding to and placing ads (both newspaper & online), Shops, Rinkya.com for a couple rare Takaras, online contests and Ebay! Whewwww! I have pretty much finished my collection, but are we really ever done lol I have 25 - 12" Blythe dolls and I don't want to go over... dear God I can't go over 25 again hahaha!

Where To Search For or Buy a Blythe Doll

Flea Markets, Doll Sales, Estate Sales, Garage Sales & Thrift Shops

Okay, so we all know that finding a vintage Blythe in person now a days is like being struck by lightening (twice?)! It's possible, but very very rare. What I have done over the years is a bit outside the box. When I was searching for Blythe I simply picked up other neat little vintage things that I would sell on Ebay so that I could buy Blythe. I was able to build enough savings to buy Blythe dolls and other Blythe items. I still am searching for that box of Kenner Blythes lol! I was close to finding a 1972 Kenner Blythe in person, though... I was at a Flea Market in early 2000 and a dolly shop had just sold a minty red head two weeks prior for only $20 Canadian! Ouch lol Then at a doll show I met a vendor that had 3 originals, but not for sale. She said that she had all the hair colors and she was glad because the prices went so high! I didn't have the heart to tell her that there were really 4 hair colors.At that same doll show I picked up a Leggy doll for a couple of bucks and sold her on Ebay for over $50 US... of course that went into my Blythe fund for buying a Blythe doll!

Responding to & Placing Ads

My very first Blythe doll was a chunky banged red head 1972 Kenner Blythe dolls found for $15 US by responding to a local Pennysaver ad in 2000! Then I placed an ad and found 2 near mint kenners for $300 US. At that time you could find them more often for $50 - 250 US, but now a days they might even ask more than a mint Ebay Kenner! I still see people finding them for a good price though so please don't give up. I find the hunt is a lot of fun and you will always find other neat things to keep or sell for your Blythe doll fund. I have also purchased Blythe dolls and Blythe doll items through Yahoo Kenner Blythe & TIB. There are a lot of Blythe dolls to buy! Please remember if a seller isn't sure the value of the doll because they didn't do their homework and I don't feel that it's your responsibility to educate them. I always let the Seller set the price.

Online

I have placed ads and responded to ads on Craigslist, Kajiji, online dolly bulletin boards and checked the classifieds for news paper websites, as well. I have found 2 of my vintage Kenners that way! In 2004 I found a red head sidepart with her original dress in good condition for $10 US plus shipping. In 2005 I found a brunette with a cute bob for $250 US, shipping included.

Used & Nude Takara Blythe Dolls

I bought a couple of used and nude Takara Blythe dolls that were in really great condition for a terrific price. If you are trying to save money, but can't live without a certain Blythe, try a compromise and consider buying a pre-loved Blythe doll. If you are one that can't stand even a hair out of place, then this is probably not a good idea for you. When you purchase anything used you may encounter a number of unsavory things, like: bad smells like smoke, missing pieces, scratches, broken part(s), stains, etc.

Rinkya

Rinkya sometimes has rare Takara Blythes on Yahoo Auctions, but there is a commission fee involved so please refer to the site info for further details.

Offers

When sellers set prices or reserves too high for blythe dolls, most end up not selling. Look at it as an opportunity! Go ahead and make an offer that you think is fair. If you low ball just remember you will most likely be rejected. Be aware that if the seller asks for money order payment you risk loosing the cash. I always use PayPal for such deals because they can offer you some protection. For more details please go to www.paypal.com

Sell Your Existing Unwanted Things For Cash

Go in those all your closets & drawers, your garage, the attic, the basement, or where ever you have built up tons of what you feel is junk... hey! You may even find a vintage treasure while doing so! Maybe even a vintage 1972 Blythe Kenner! Ask you grandma to have a look too :) Forget having a garage sale after you build your bounty of useless stuff, take those goodies to Ebay!

Selling Blythe Dolls & Other Vintage Items

At one point I had 3 red head vintage Kenner Blythes, but no blonds. I decided to sell one of my red heads to fund my blond purchase. I also had other Takara Blythe dolls that I didn't bond with so I sold them for other Blythes. I did buy a few back because I wasn't sure about selling them in the first place... it's never easy selling Blythes so please be sure before you do and if you aren't then I think it's best not to. I sold them mostly on Ebay and This is Blythe which is now members only, so please sign up and sign in. I also sold other vintage items as well and built my PayPal up so I could afford my Blythe Family! I even had a set of Blythe twins thanks to this. During all of this I developed a good eye for finding really neat vintage treasures. I was able to sell them on Ebay for great prices. I always learned about what I was selling before I listed. I would go into the completed auctions and look up the information about the pieces and what they were going for. I also Googled it too because I never copied other auctions and I strongly believe that doing so is not a good thing. People aren't stupid and would notice... believe it or not it would probably effect your auction. I still sell things on Ebay to this day! It's not only profitable, but a lot of fun!

Hand Made Items

I have made a couple dress sets and knit items that I ended up selling for Blythes. There was only Yahoo Kenner Blythe Group, Ebay & TIB back then but now there is Etsy! I have yet to list on there but I'm sure if you go to it you will find a bunch of information :D There are a lot of free patterns at yahoo Kenner Blythe group and TIB in the customization section. I do also have a pattern category if you wish to look at the auctions. I just learned of a new website that is similar to Etsy and it's called Art Fire.

Online Shops

Goblin and HLJ are where I pretty much pre-ordered the majority of my Takara Blythe dolls and items. To me they were always very reliable and trustworthy too.

Contests

I have entered some Yahoo Kenner Blythe & TIB contests and was lucky enough to win first prize and made off with a NRFB Takara Vino Yamaha Vespa! Thanks again for that lovely prize Blytherules & Keit at Yahoo KB Group! I am very grateful ♥

Ebay

Believe it or not but you can still find great deals on Ebay Blythes. Amazing BINs (Buy It Now auctions) come up now and then, though rare. Some Sellers will consider BIN offers on Ebay if you make them an offer through Ebay, but don't be too disappointed if they reject you outright because your bid is too low for them. I had a thousand of no's before I got 2 yeses on my total dream dollies! (Maria Mint Med Brown haired KB& Bella soft haired blond KB). Some sellers don't take very good pictures, or they don't clean them up well... that will cost them and save you too. Lately this seems a bit opposite and the most beat up 72's get a lot more. CLICK HERE to start your very own Ebay Blythe search for Blythe deals now or please see the categories near the top left of this page. If you are not yet an Ebay member you can sign up through HERE.

The key to all of this is to try and not give up! It might take you a little bit, but I feel it is possible to at least try to earn and save up for that special dream Blythe ♥ ♥ ♥