Buying and selling Nancy Ann Storybook collectible dolls is a breeze if you know what you’re doing. By far the best place to buy and sell these highly collectible dolls is on eBay. I recently had an excellent consignment of Nancy Ann dolls from a local collector. Of nine dolls and two pieces of Nancy Ann doll furniture, all of the piece sold, most for excellent prices. I’ll detail the most important points about Nancy Ann dolls, both from a buyer’s and a seller’s perspective.
History of the Nancy Ann Doll
Nancy Ann Abbott began selling these beautiful, miniature dolls in 1936. At first she imported dolls from Japan, dressing them up in her San Francisco apartment. These hand-painted bisque dolls were under four inches tall, and were marked “Made in Japan” on the back. Nancy Ann sold these dolls from a book lending shop which she ran.
Later, in 1937, Nancy Ann joined with Allen “Les” Rowland to form the company Nancy Ann Dressed Dolls, which became Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls in 1945. However, the Storybook dolls were produced since 1936. Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls were so called because they were taken from storybooks such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella. Some of these early dolls also have a marking of “Judy Ann USA” on the back. The earliest dolls are easily identified by the fact that they have molded hair under their wigs, a “pudgy” tummy, molded socks, and other identifiers, such as hip joints. “Frozen leg” dolls were introduced later, in 1942, and are worth considerably less than the dolls with the hip joints.
A line of hard plastic dolls was introduced in 1948. These have a low value in comparison to the older bisque dolls, but can still command a fair price.
Basic Guidelines for Identifying Nancy Ann Dolls
Nancy Ann dolls which were made in 1936 are babies only. They have a gold sticker on their dress, and were packaged in a box decorated with a sunburst design. The mark on the back of the Nancy Ann doll is either “88 Made in Japan” or “87 Made in Japan.” They are generally 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches tall. As of 2006, book value for these dolls ran between $450 and $550.
Nancy Ann dolls produced between 1937 and 1938 have a gold sticker on the dress and were packaged in a sunburst box with a gold label. The mark on the back of the Nancy Ann doll is “Made in Japan 1146,” or “Made in Japan 1148,” “Japan,” “Made in Japan,” or “America.” These dolls have an approximate book value of $700 to $1,000, and the dolls with molded hair can run as high as $1,800.
Nancy Ann dolls made between 1938 and 1939 have a gold sticker on the dress, were packaged in a box with a sunburst which transitions to silver dots. There are crude marks on the back of the dolls such as “Storybook USA” and “Judy Ann USA.” Generally these early dolls have molded socks and/or hangs. Popular dolls from this period include the Masquerade Series, Topsy and Eva, Judy Ann, Oriental, Gypsy, Pirate, the Storybook Set, The Sports Series and the Babes in the Woods pair. This period is by far the most valuable for Nancy Ann dolls. Book value for the Storybook Set is around $4,300, for the Babes in the Woods pair, $2,235, for the Sports Series is around $1,200 each, for the Oriental is about $1,700, for the Gypsy around $1,500, and for the Pirate, around $1,500.
Nancy Ann dolls produced in 1940 have a gold sticker on the dress, and were packaged in a colored box with white polka dots. They often have socks which have been molded into the bisque, and have the words, “Story Book Doll USA” imprinted in the back. These dolls generally have high book values, such as Margie Ann, which can sell for between $400 and $500. The “pudgy” dolls often run between $250 and $350, and the Hansel and Gretel set can sell for as much as $1,600 in mint condition. The Nancy Ann furniture also is typically packaged in a colored box with white polka dots, and carries a book value of $300 and up.
Nancy Ann dolls made between 1941 and 1942 have a gold wrist tag which is made from foil over paper. They were packaged in a white box with colored polka dots. All dolls made in this period are made entirely from bisque and have legs which are jointed at the hips. These have a lower value than the dolls produced earlier, but can still command high prices even at auction. Dolls with white socks generally run around $135 to $165, and the pudgy dolls can go for between $250 and $300.
Nancy Ann dolls produced between 1943 and 1947 have a gold wrist tag, a white box with colored polka dots, and “frozen legs,” meaning that the dolls have no joints at the hips. Many of these Storybook dolls have plastic arms, and these are worth less than the all-bisque dolls, somewhere between $55 and $65. Dolls with a socket head are generally valued at between $75 and $85. The Operetta series has a book value between $175 and $225, the All Time Hit Parade Series between $175 and $200, the Powder and Crinoline Series between $150 and $175, and Holiday Inserts between $80 and $100.
The hard plastic Nancy Ann Storybook doll is by far the least valuable of all the Storybook dolls, with a typical value between $45 and $50. They have a swivel head, a mohair wig, painted eyes, jointed legs, and a gold wrist tag. They must have the original clothing and be in excellent condition to command a premium price according to book value. Topsy is the most valuable, with a book value around $100 to $125, The Big or Little Sister can run between $90 and $100, and the hard plastic Holiday Inserts run between $75 and $85.
Nancy Ann Doll Online Buying and Selling Guidelines
Whether you’re buying Nancy Ann dolls or selling them, it’s important to understand several important facts, especially when buying and selling online. The aforementioned details show subtle differences between each doll which determine its date of production.
Buying Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls
There are certain risks to buying Nancy Ann Storybook dolls online which you will not experience in a doll or antique shop. You can’t pick up the doll, hold it in your hand, turn it over and inspect it. So you will need to be very diligent in determining that it is in fact a genuine Nancy Ann Storybook doll, and determining when it was produced. The date of production, as you see in the above value list, is the primary factor in determining the doll’s value. Other issues are the condition of the doll, whether it has its original box, its original gold tag or sticker, whether it’s all bisque or has plastic parts. Condition issues such as crazing of the paint, chipping or cracking paint, mussed hair, stained clothing, markings on the body, breakage and discolored glue will also lower the value of the Nancy Ann Storybook doll. You should always pay less for dolls with these condition issues. If the seller won’t go down on the price, or if an online opening bid is too high, walk away from the purchase.
Learning how to identify fakes is important. There were quite a few look-alike dolls which were produced during the same period, by doll makers who were trying to capitalize on Nancy Ann’s success. Many were fired by the K & H company, and bear its mark. Other knock-offs include Mayfair Dolls and Princess Dolls. Checking the marking on the back of the doll, as well as checking to see if it has its original gold tag or sticker, are the best ways to determine whether a doll is a genuine Nancy Ann Storybook Doll.
When buying Nancy Ann dolls, its best to purchase one with the original box included, since it’s the primary clue as to when it was made. The seller should at least mention the marking on the back, and when possible provide a picture. When in doubt, always ask questions and ask for extra pictures of any detail you want to see. Any online seller worth their salt will gladly send you anything you need, especially on eBay.
The pudgy Nancy Ann storybook doll is very easily distinguishable from the slim-strung Nancy Ann storybook doll, and as mentioned before, much more valuable. So be sure to check on this as well.
When in doubt, never bid too high, especially on eBay. Always check the seller’s feedback and return policy before making a Nancy Ann Storybook doll purchase. If the seller has made a mistake in the listing, they should be willing to refund the full purchase price, along with both the original shipping and the return shipping. Don’t be afraid to bid on or buy a misdescribed or poorly described item. Just don’t pay too much.
However, for properly described items with lots of photographs that you are sure are genuine, it’s best to bid higher so you don’t lose the item. This is because these are rare items which don’t show up every month on online sales sites.
Selling Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls
When selling Nancy Ann Storybook dolls, especially when selling them online, these factors are much more important. Do any research you need to do; I went to a bookstore and looked at some doll guides so I could be 100% sure of what I had. You can also check your local library to see if they have doll guides. Some libraries also have online downloadable books which can be helpful. When selling Nancy Ann Storybook collectible dolls online, especially when selling on eBay, be sure to list important words such as “Storybook,” “Nancy Ann,” and “Pudgy” in the listing title. Spell all words correctly in the title; for example Goldylocks rather than Goldilocks, and Alice Thru the Looking Glass rather than Alice Through the Looking Glass. If there’s extra room, you can put an alternate spelling, but if there isn’t, don’t worry. eBay has switched to using latent semantic indexing, and you will still get traffic if the buyer misspells the title of the item. You will get more traffic, though, if they spell it correctly.
Understanding what you have in stock and describing it properly is essential to getting a good selling price for the Nancy Ann Storybook doll collectibles. For example, I did all my research, and included as much information in the eBay listing as possible about the dolls. I even stated the year the dolls were made (mine were produced between 1941 and 1942) so that the buyers wouldn’t have to guess or look it up. Anything at all you can do to put your buyer’s mind at ease and make their life easier will increase the final sales value of the items. Be sure to state your combined shipping policy in all your listings.
Next, the most important factor is your pictures. When you take pictures of your Nancy Ann Storybook dolls, put up an attractive background and make sure you have adequate lighting. I photographed mine outdoors on the back porch on a relatively bright and sunny day. However, I did not photograph them in direct sunlight, but instead took advantage of some shade provided by an overhang on my back porch. If there’s any loss in color balance or brightness, you can correct these in Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. Take lots of pictures so that you can be assured of having between two and four really high quality pictures per Nancy Ann Storybook doll. This is most important on eBay, where you have only a week to convince your buyer to pay a good price for your item.
Don’t be afraid of selling your Nancy Ann doll at auction, or of setting the opening bid low ($24.95.) Always use gallery, and list all the Nancy Ann Storybook dolls which you have concurrently, at one time. Even if the buyers don’t combine shipping, they will contend with each other for the Nancy Ann dolls, so you will get a higher price for all of them. Also, don’t be afraid of selling a broken doll. Many of the dolls are highly valuable, even in a broken or deteriorated state, and be sure to mention that the broken doll could be used to repair other similar Nancy Ann dolls. I did this with a broken Goldylocks and Baby Bear Nancy Ann Storybook doll which my client provided to me for sale. It was relatively intact and in good condition, aside from one joint one one leg which had broken off. It had its original Baby Bear, and all original clothing and hair. The arms were intact and merely needed to be restrung, and the item had its original box. It sold for $181.06 at auction, which is more than many of my completely intact dolls in perfect condition sold for.
One important note is that redheads sell for considerably more than blondes or brunettes. I made the mistake of naming a Margie Ann doll a brunette, although since I had a gallery picture and huge pictures in the listing, it didn’t really affect the final sales value.
If you feel at all uncomfortable selling your own Nancy Ann Storybook collectible dolls yourself, don’t hesitate to find an eBay Trading Assistant to sell them for you. In the end, you will still have more money than if you had tried to sell them yourself.
Here are some examples of Nancy Ann Storybook dolls which I sold at auction on eBay:
Bisque Nancy Ann Little Miss Muffet Sat on a Tuffet with its Original Box: $130.27
Bisque Nancy Ann Margie Ann with Auburn Hair, Tag and Original Box, Pudgy: $158.05
Bisque Nancy Ann Storybook Alice Thru the Looking Glass: $51.01
This Alice Thru the Looking Glass had some condition issues. She had some oxidation on her face where the hair had been glued to it. This seemed to be a greater deterrent in some ways than other condition issues, such as chipping, crazing, and a doll which had come unstrung. However, this may not be as valuable a doll than some of the others.
Bisque Nancy Ann Storybook Around The World Dutch Box: $259.00
Bisque Nancy Ann Storybook Polly Put the Kettle On Box: $280.00
Polly Put the Kettle On appears to be a rare and unusual Nancy Ann doll. However, unlike Around the World Dutch, she has accessories. The doll comes with a small red wooden teapot with a decal on the front. This doll will be worth more with the box and teapot intact than without them.
Bisque Nancy Ann Storybook Bridesmaid 87 Box Jointed: $24.95
Set/Lot 2 Bisque Nancy Ann Storybook Bridesmaids in Box: $172.49
Bisque Pudgy Nancy Ann Storybook Doll Bride Box & Tag: $34.33
The bride was in very good condition, but over the board brides and bridesmaids do not seem to be extremely valuable. This bride had an antique lace dress.
Nancy Ann Furniture Series Bed for Storybook Doll: $49.48
This bed had no box with it, and had some minor fading and the hems had come undone and frayed.
Nancy Ann Furniture 1009 Box Dressing Table Stool Box: $128.86
This item was in its box, but was not complete. It had the dressing table and stool, but was missing its mirror. There was also fraying as in the other furniture item. However, since it was in the original box I got a much better price.
“Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls.” URL: (http://www.nancyannstorybookdolls.com/history.htm)
“Nancy Ann Storybook Dolls.” URL: (http://collectdolls.about.com/library/weekly/aa042301b.htm)
Jan Foulke, “Jan Foulke’s Guide to Dolls.” 2006, Bangzoom Publishers.
