Q: I have what I’ve been told is a Floradora doll that is 105 years old. My grandfather bought it for my mother when she was born in 1909. The doll has a bisque head and hands, a long curly wig, sleep eyes and an open mouth. She’s about 22 inches tall. I’m 82 years old and have no children who would be interested in the doll. I’d like to sell it to someone who’d take care of it and enjoy it. Can you give me an idea as to how to proceed?
A: Floradora dolls were made from 1901 to 1921. Armand Marseille made the bisque heads. The doll bodies were usually made of kid, but composition, cloth, and imitation kid bodies were also made. Armand Marseille also sold the bisque heads to other companies. The dolls were made in several sizes. A 14 1/2-inch Floradora doll with bisque shoulder head and hands, sleep eyes, wig and kid body could be bought at a department store for 50 cents in 1909 (when the average worker made 22 cents an hour). Floradora dolls have sold at recent auctions for $50 to $70.