Finding Antique Mannequins for Sale

I'd really like to know how many people I know have an antique mannequin stashed away somewhere in their home. I think if I had one, I'd be tempted to keep it sitting on a couch in the living room. It would certainly be a good conversation starter!

I realize that sounds a little bit silly, but seriously, do you have one somewhere in your house? I once knew a girl whose mother was a pretty serious seamstress. They had two or three retired vintage mannequins in one of their upstairs rooms that they used as models. I seem to recall that they actually had given them names.

Antique Mannequins for Sale

Once you have been to a few estate sales, you learn that people collect just about anything you can imagine, so I suppose I should not have really been so surprised at the idea that someone might have twenty or thirty old mannequins tucked away. You see, I recently attended a local estate sale that was just a little bit "different". I walked down the steps and into a large gameroom area expecting to see the usual spread of folding tables covered in bric-a-brac and maybe some piles of tools. Instead, what I found was a room filled with what had to be at least twenty old department store mannequins.

I don't know what the former owner did for a living or in their spare time, but whatever it was obviously involved these old human forms. They were in very nice condition, but I've got to admit that it was a little bit strange walking through the room with them staring at me. It was later in the day, so there were not a lot of people crowding through the place. One other lady came down the steps and seemed a little bit creeped out. She quickly turned around and retreated to the land of the living waiting at the top of the steps.

I had a feeling that second hand mannequins might be valuable, but honestly, I was not equipped that day to stock up on anything so large. It turns out that they probably would have been a pretty good purchase if they were available as a large lot. I checked eBay the next day and found that antique mannequins (and even those that are not actually antiques) are indeed, some pretty good sellers. Some were selling for hundreds of dollars each.

It turns out that these old mannequins are considered by many to be of higher quality than newer models. They are better crafted and made to last (obviously). Some folks just enjoy the older "vintage" look of them.

If you do happen to be one of those people who someone acquired a mannequin at some point during your life, it very well might be worth your time to list it on eBay. Even though a very well kept mannequin will bring top dollar, even portions of the old mannequin forms can draw bids. You may also be interested to know that people look for specific traits in their mannequins. Specialized forms include maternity, child size, baby size, hosiery legs (just the legs alone) and torso forms. Of course there are also mannequin heads that can be found selling on their own.

Older mannequins should be expected to show some signs of wear. They also should have a different look to them. Their features are not quite as detailed as more modern models. A quick test to test for age can be just checking what materials were used in the construction of the mannequin. Authentic forms are more likely to be constructed of plaster or even wood.

So anyway, unless you intend to open a store or museum, you might want to browse the listings to see what is for sale. If you are a collector, don't forget to try your luck at estate sales. Oh, also, if you ARE a collector, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear what these get used for when they get purchased (I think)!

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Tags: antique mannequin, baby, child, department store mannequin, EBay, for sale, mannequin, mannequins for sale, second hand, vintage mannequin

Category: popular ebay auctions, second hand for sale