And Then There Were Three

Helen Kish is one of my all-time favorite doll artists. Her dolls so adequately capture the innocence little girls possess.  Some have adorable potbellies and slightly bowed legs.  Some have expressions of wonder while others appear very serious.  Their painted eyes are so well done, they appear inset.  Because of their continued popularity, collectibility, and ability to escalate in value, even in today's depressed economy, many other collectors share my Kish doll sentiments.

Amalia (the taller doll) and Natalie by Helen Kish from 1997 "Ballet Recital" and 1996 "Ballerinas Collection"

I purchased the first of my now three Kish ballerinas in November 2010.  After Amalia arrived, I became aware of two other café au lait and sepia-complexioned ballerinas by Kish and had to have them.  The second, Natalie, also arrived in November 2010.  These two were featured in a September 2011 post where I mentioned my desire to find Kira. (There I go writing things into existence again; but for the faithful, it works.)

The day after the recent October evening when my disappointing loss of another Kira occurred, the doll that would be mine popped up on eBay's home page through their means of tracking my previous bids and searches.  My doll had been listed in a seller's eBay store since August of this year!   How did I miss her, I wondered? 

While I had an eBay search notification email programmed for "Kish ballerina," my doll was never included in any of my notifications because the seller's title did not contain these exact keywords.  Even with free shipping, the seller's price was far more than I wanted to pay, and I thought it would be useless for me to even consider owning this perfect, absolutely mint-in-box-with-certificate Kira.  After some hesitation and a brief email consultation with another Kish enthusiast regarding the seller's price, I asked Seller if the price was negotiable.  It was and, as they say, the rest is history. 

Finally, the doll that had been on my want list for almost a year is here.  Kira arrived as described, in pristine condition with her box and certificate. The one that I lost to another bidder was not in mint condition:  the neckline of her leotard needed restitching, and she did not have her original box.

Kira "Ballet Recital" 1997

My doll, a perfect-looking 6-year-old, with a potbelly and slightly bowed legs is proof that when exercising patience, long sought-after dolls (or anything else your heart desires) will eventually surface.   Kira is also proof that "it never hurts to ask... if the price is negotiable and if shipping is still free." 

My three ballerinas by Kish

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