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Alabama Indestructible Doll, ca. 1910

Value (2018) | $1,200 Retail – $1,500 Retail
Watch  

GUEST:
Well, I brought you a doll that I found in a trunk in the attic when my husband's sister died and we had to clean out her belongings, and this was just down in the bottom of a trunk. I suspect it was hers, because she was a fairly heavy smoker, and there's some evidence there. I think it probably was either her mother's or grandmother's. We don't really know, but, you know, she lived in Montgomery, Alabama, all her life, and somehow or other, the baby came down through the family.

APPRAISER:
Okay. In the mid-19th century, ragdolls were very, very popular, and they sort of went out when all the china dolls and the bisque dolls came in. And then, around the turn of the century, ragdolls came back. Children were playing with more things. Parents were probably getting a little tired of restoring and repairing broken bisque and china dolls, so ragdolls came back into popularity. This particular ragdoll was actually made in Roanoke, Alabama, and it was made by a lady by the name of Smith. And she first started making dolls really just for herself and her friends and her kids. And then she started getting a small home factory together. Her name was Ella, and they were called the Alabama Indestructible Doll.

GUEST:
Really?

APPRAISER:
And she first started in 1899, and she went through 1923. She got a patent in 1912. This doll would probably date early 1900, 1912-- pre-World War I. The clothing's all original. You could buy the dolls with their clothes on or with their clothes off. I'm not going to undress it. It's got great underwear.

GUEST:
She does.

APPRAISER:
Cloth body's in excellent condition. I looked for a mark. A lot of times, she had a mark and a patent date on. This particular one does not have that. The oil painting on the face is great. It's got a sad little expression-- very primitive-looking, very folky-looking. In fact, Folk Art dealers and collectors love these dolls because it goes with the good early American furniture. Of course, there's always this question, well, what's this little doll with a cigarette-burned dress worth?

GUEST:
(chuckles) Yeah.

APPRAISER:
Okay, well, she's survived her life pretty good. A little bit of crackling on the face, not a lot. Again, great expression. Nice painted shoes-- they're still in good shape. You know, at a doll show, you would see her probably for $2,000 to $2,500.

GUEST:
Are you serious?

APPRAISER:
And on a good day, maybe $3,000.

GUEST:
Whoa!

APPRAISER:
So I'm glad you inherited her.

GUEST:
Oh, yeah!

APPRAISER:
Take good care of her, keep all her original clothes together, and keep her as happy as she is.

GUEST:
She's a sweet baby.

APPRAISER:
She looks pretty happy.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Richard Wright
Dolls, Toys & Games
Update (2018)
$1,200 Retail – $1,500 Retail
Appraised value (2003)
$2,000 Retail – $3,000 Retail
Featured In
Savannah, Hour 2 (#0811)
Vintage Savannah (#2220)
Event
Savannah, GA (July 12, 2003)
Category
Dolls
Period
20th Century
Form
Doll , Stuffed Doll
Material
Cloth , Paint

Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."

Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.

Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.

Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.

Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.

Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.

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