Collecting antique German dolls is a very popular pastime and many of the best quality dolls come from Germany. You will need to read up on each manufacturer to decided what you want to buy and how much you spend. Luckily there are many dolls to choose from you should be able to find something to suit your budget and is especially easy now thanks to internet auctions.

Kewpies - These dolls have been produced since 1912 and are based on illustrations by Rose O'Neil. The sizes vary enormously from 1" to 3 feet. In the early days Kewpie dolls were made of bisque but are now made from vinyl. There are number of companies producing Kewpie dolls however the largest is Charisma Company, owned by Marie Osmond

Armand Marseille - These dolls were produced from approximately 1885 until 1930. In general, the head is made of bisque which is attached to a stuffed body. When looking for a makers mark, you will find it very clearly on the back of the head. You will see a number (eg 370 or 390) which indicates the model number.

Kestner - Kestner dolls were made in Germany between 1805 and 1925. They originally manufactures toys but then moved into making dolls. When buying Kestner dolls you will have to look out for model numbers as they typically don't have names.

Kathe Kruse - Kathe Kruse has been manufacturing dolls for over 90 years and continue to do so today. The modern dolls they make are handmade and not mass-produced. An amazing amount of work is put into each doll and items of clothing and feature hand embroidery, knitting or crochet. Even the human hair is hand knotted into the doll's wig cap! Therefore, even if you purchase a brand new Kathe Kruse doll, you so should consider them antiques of the future.

If you are plant to spend a lot of money (many dolls can sell for hundreds or even thousands of ££s) it would be a wise idea to buy books or subscribe to magazines on the subject. There are many available due to the fact that doll collecting is so popular.