The Doll Cradle

"Run, don't walk, run away. You will be probably be cheated, just like we've been. When our family member died, leaving hundreds of dolls, many of which were in their original boxes, our family interviewed two businesses to get the dolls on the market: The Doll Cradle and M & M Auctions, both of which charged the same 50% commission (M & M Auctions did a wonderful job for our family). The Doll Cradle owner, Connie Harrell, promised that she could get five times as much as the auction house, telling us that we should let her have the best dolls, doll clothing, and antique toys, and to let the auction house dispose of the 'lesser' quality items. Like any con man, she pitches a good story, mentioning Jesus and God in every conversation so you'll 'know' she's a good Christian woman. We fell for it. She came with helpers and drove away with two enormous white vans full of dolls, and promised to have an inventory in a few days. After several weeks, and several requests for it, we finally did get a spreadsheet inventory. But it had numerous errors, which I contacted her about. She said, nope, we have to go with the inventory, and refused to fix it, even though I had photographic evidence. She also wouldn't let anybody be with her when she went through the many rooms which contained dolls, saying she preferred to work alone. Now I know why. It's been 2 years and we haven't seen a cent for the estate. She has effectively changed her commission from 50% to 100%. I don't know about you, but in my opinion, this is blatant theft. Over this period of time, I've contacted her numerous times, and she always says she's just too busy now (has a big show, or a big estate to process), and she'll send the check next month. Nope, not a single dime. So, if you are foolish enough to use her services to sell your loved one's dolls, take a photo of every single doll, don't group the dolls in their original boxes into giant boxes to make them easier to transport (she counts those as one doll instead of the eight or nine dolls that are in the giant box), make your own inventory to compare with the inventory list you may or may not get, and film her with your tablet while she is working. Better yet, just don't let Ms. Connie near you. Run away, don't walk, just run."

"Connie and I made arrangements for her to view my 98 year old friend's miniature lamp collection on June 6. I was from FL and would arrive in KS on that date. She told me to text pictures of the collection to her personal text. She would respond immediately with next steps. I followed those instructions. She failed to reply. I even called her and she refused to speak with me. Certainly, that was poor business practice and a total disregard for her customer, as well as zero professional courtesy."

"They cut my cats face off. The eyes are not even set right. I am totally crushed. Went to my car and balled my eyes out. Charged me a fortune to destroy my 70 year old cat."

"I took my dad's doll that he's had for almost 70 years in to be repaired. The ladies at the counter were very helpful and even knew the brand of doll it was (my dad didn't know) without looking it up. Yes, they ask that you pay upfront for services and they even told me it would take at least 2 months for the repairs. I was told to call if I had not heard from them in that 2 month time frame. The doll was cleaned and repaired before the 2 month mark which I was very happy about. As you can see in the pictures they did an amazing job of repairing the crack on the head and cleaning his clothing. My dad was a little shocked at the cost but was very happy with the end result. I plan on taking another doll that my grandmother had given me in to see if they can fix it as well. I highly recommend this place if you need repairs done. I did not purchase any other items from the store so I cannot comment on their pricing."

"The front lady was a pleasure to work with as I explained my bear's nose situation. I was so grateful they were able to expedite his surgery as I was only in town for 5 days! Nose looks great! He got a little lump in his tummy and his nose isn't as symmetrical anymore, but he still looks great!"