Mint. If your doll is not in the condition it was in when it left the factory, it is not mint. Mint is an absolute. Terms like "Tissue Mint" and "Minty Mint" have no real meaning.
Mint In Box. In days gone by, many little girls kept their dolls in the boxes when they were not playing with them. Thus, finding a boxed doll does not necessarily mean it has not been played with, or that the box belongs to this particular doll.
Never Removed From Box. Are you sure? Except for Barbies that are sewn and wired in place, it's often hard to tell though wrinkled retied bows are a clue.
All Original. This means that the doll has the same clothes and accessories it had when it left the factory. Replaced and reproduced items are not "Original" to the doll.
Hair in Original Set. Often confused with "Hair in Original Style." Hair that it truly in the original set has never been combed, and often has the original pins in place. Many vintage doll wigs have a memory like an elephant. I have soaked them for a week (to remove glue) and found that they only required a little combing as they dried to coax them back to their original style. Original hair clips will often be found on played with dolls simply beccause they are so hard to remove. Many are rusted in place and break easily.
Rare. A truly rare doll will probably only be seen once every few years.
Hard to find. A hard to find doll can be seen once every few months. Please note that a rare doll is not necessarily sought after or valuable. If you do a search on eBay and see several listings for your doll, it's probably not rare or hard to find.
Does Not Detract. This phrase is often used to describe a doll's flaws. Whether or not a flaw detracts from a doll's beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have had a dark haired Toni doll for about 20 years. Only recently did I discover that what I thought was a hair on her face is actually a scratch. This does not make her less beautiful to me, but when I list her for sale, I will simply state the flaw without comment.
In Good/Excellent Condition for its Age. Unlike people, dolls do not necessarily deteriorate with age. Just because a doll is old does not mean it cannot be found in pristine condition. There are many perfect 50 to 100 year old dolls out there.
Well, that's all I feel like writing for now, but rest assured, there's plenty more. Tune in next week for another exciting episode of Nurse Edna's Nitpicks.
