Dolls are not just toys. Some of them are very expensive collectibles. Others are made of expensive materials or in a complicated way, so their price is comparable to a prestigious car. Here are the top 10 most expensive dolls in the world.
10. American Girl Dolls – $ 2,650
The most coveted of the dolls belonging to the American Girl Dolls family were made before 1996, and collectors are looking for them everywhere. And the most famous of the American Girl Dolls is Samantha Parkington, portraying a precocious nine-year-old orphan who is learning to navigate New York at the beginning of the twentieth century. Samantha is so famous that she was sold at auction for $ 2,650, which makes her the most expensive American Girl Dolls.
9. Beanie Baby – $5,000
These stuffed dolls made by Ty Warner are in demand among both children and collectors. Dolls depict different animals and are produced in limited series. The most expensive doll in this collection is a royal blue elephant named Peanut. Most of the dolls of the Peanuts series were made in blue, but due to a manufacturing error, some were made in a darker shade. These rare toys can cost $5,000.
8. Vintage Barbie 1959 – 8000 dollars
After the creation of the first Barbie doll, the history of the modern toy industry has changed forever. Barbie has brought to the market children’s toys that look like adults and have their own biography. So, Barbie received her full name (Barbara Millicent Roberts), hometown (Willow, Wisconsin, USA), date of birth (March 9, 1959 – the day when the first Barbie doll was presented to the public). She had parents, siblings, friends and, of course, her famous boyfriend- Ken Carson. The first Barbie models were marketed as “teen fashion models”. They were dressed in a zebra-striped swimsuit, non-removable shoes and removable sunglasses, and their hair was gathered in a branded “ponytail”. Barbies with hair in both light and brown tones were available, and blondes outnumbered brunettes in a ratio of 3:1. The clothing design was developed by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson, and production was established in Japan, where craftsmen sewed pieces of clothing by hand. Now it is difficult to find a figurine from the first series of Barbie dolls in 1959. It is even more difficult to find it in perfect condition. But if you’re lucky and it’s in your grandmother’s trunk, you can sell it at auction for $8000.
7. Diamond Barbie – $85,000
One of the most unusual and expensive dolls in the world was made in 1999 by diamond manufacturer De Beers for Mattel in honor of Barbie’s 40th birthday. A doll with raven-colored hair is dressed in a dress with a belt decorated with 160 diamonds, and all this beauty is complemented by miniature jewelry made of white gold.
6. Diamond Teddy Bear – $ 193,000
Teddy Bear is a popular toy whose history began in the 20th century. He got his name from US President Theodore Roosevelt, whom the public called Teddy, although he did not like that name. The most expensive Teddy bear ever created was made in honor of the 125th anniversary of the Teddy Bear doll. His eyes are made of diamonds and sapphires, and his mouth is made of a single piece of gold. A total of 125 diamond bears were created.
5. Sponge cake doll (porcelain) from Albert Marquet – $ 280.000
The value of some porcelain dolls is easy to determine after a quick “run” through online auctions. Other dolls can only be truly appreciated by experts. Things like the quality of the clothes, the condition of the porcelain, identification markers and mold numbers – all these need to be carefully studied and taken into account. Dolls that are considered genuine antiques can cost up to $2,000. And the most expensive of the porcelain dolls sold went for a whopping $280,000. It was a figurine called “A Girl in a Lorraine costume”, created by the French sculptor Albert Marquet. As the name suggests, the doll is dressed in the costume of the Lorraine region of the French Renaissance, which is a tribute to Queen Louise of Lorraine, the wife of Henry III.
4. Barbie by Stefano Canturi – $302,500
This beautiful doll from the Barbie Basics collection “Little Black Dress” was auctioned in favor of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and collected an impressive $302,500, making it the most expensive Barbie ever sold. She casually wears an Art Deco diamond necklace, which itself costs $300,000. The jewelry was made by the Australian jeweler Stefano Canturi, using rectangular white baguette-cut diamonds and a large pink emerald-cut diamond. The necklace is complemented by a ring with a square white diamond, it flaunts on the doll’s right hand.
3.Kemmer and Reinhard doll – $336,712
Kämmer Doll Manufacturing Company & Reinhardt was founded in 1886 in Germany. And among her products is a K&R 108 sponge porcelain doll, which was sold for 242,500 pounds ($336,712 at the current exchange rate) at Bonhams’ Fine and Rare Character Dolls auction. Since the sale of this lot at auction in 1994, no other copy could be found. Therefore, it is possible that this doll was an experimental cast. Her facial expression, full upper lip and – a unique feature – pierced ears create a striking portrait of a young woman, not a child. The toy depicts a real girl of the period 1909-1912.
2. Madame Alexander Eloise – 5,000,000 dollars
In second place in the list of the most valuable dolls in the world is a set of five unique handmade toys. The purpose of their creation was good – to help several charitable organizations. Several high-class designers worked on the creation of Madame Alexander Eloise: Harry Winston House provided nine-carat diamonds. The furs were from fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, who works at Alixandre Furs. Clothes and accessories for dolls were made by Christian Dior and Swarovski houses. The entire set was sold for $5,000,000.
1. The most expensive doll in the world is “L’oiseleur” – $ 6,250,000.
The name of this doll translates as “Birdman”, and it is a 55-kilogram automatic machine with a complex mechanism. The 1.25–meter-tall doll is dressed in elaborate Renaissance clothing, holding a flute in one hand and a bird in the other, and another bird perched on her shoulder. A sword and a velvet purse hang from the figure’s belt. The “Birdman” can play the flute, performing Georges Bizet’s “Marche de Roi” and an 18th-century melody for teaching canaries to sing. When the doll is wound up with a key, she brings a flute to her lips, and her fingers move. 12 people worked on the creation of this masterpiece for 15,000 hours, and they needed over 2,400 parts to complete the work. The price of the mechanical figure is $ 6,250,000, and it is considered the most expensive doll in the world.
