Collecting Disney Dolls and the Mint Doll Factor
By Shaili, webmaster of PrincessMonkey.com
Like other little girls, my doll selection when I was a child in the 1980s was limited to ordinary pink box Barbie dolls; I've adored Disney dolls ever since I discovered them as a pre-teen. When you visited the toy store or toy aisles in the 1980's, today's selections of Disney dolls were not available. All of this changed when Disney increased its merchandising and advertising for movie-themed dolls... It began with The Little Mermaid.
My mother bought me my first Disney doll in 1990. It was a Tyco "Ariel" doll; I was thrilled to have my favorite movie star as a Barbie-like doll! For me, Ariel was perfection: a young, beautiful mer-princess, the doll already had a story that I could build upon. Evil Ursula would no longer decide when Ariel's fins stayed off; in my world, Ariel could be happy with Prince Eric forever and later, she would be friends with Belle. It feels like Disney bottled their magic into these dolls... to the delight of many long-standing Disney fans.
A unique feature about my Disney doll collection is that I am a deboxer. A deboxer is a collector that removes the product, in this case a doll, from the packaging. Considering that my collection of dolls is as diverse as a museum's doll collection, I removed many of my dolls from boxes for display.
Concerns for saving mint-condition dolls are not new. Dolls have historically decreased in value when removed from original factory packaging.
Some doll collectors only have boxed dolls. Intact among plastic strips, glue, scotch tape, and threading, I often wonder about their motivation. Are they collecting dolls or packaging materials? It is not only about prices and doll values; some people, like me, do not have a lot of room for open dolls.
Boxed dolls that are untouched and in mint condition retain value the most, so it is smart to own boxed copies of a rare Disney Barbie doll. It is vital that every doll is safely stored out of the sunlight and in a controlled, ventilated environment, so its condition has a better chance of remaining the same years from now. For many collectors, the cardboard boxes of dolls are safe havens that protect a doll. However, materials can and do deteriorate!
How to collect boxed or deboxed dolls and keep them looking great?
1.) Have a 100% non-smoking and pet-free display or storage area, eliminating buildups that can trigger allergic reactions.
2.) Keep dolls away from bright sunlight to prevent color fading and dust.
3.) Well-ventilated areas with cool temperatures for dolls work the best.
4.) Keep dolls and doll boxes high enough to be away from mildew damage and the curious hands of young children... or anything else that moves.
If you watch Antiques Roadshow on PBS, you know that this is good advice. Collectors with deboxed or boxed dolls can benefit by following those tips.
I have decided that the choice to debox is an expensive but good plan; it might not be right for you. I feel like dolls already "wait" on the store shelves long enough... The fabrics on a doll need to be let out to breathe. (No influence whatsoever from Toy Story.) Remember, I counterbalance the immediate depreciation of my deboxed dolls with my stash of duplicate mint dolls. The enjoyment of a doll out of its box is worth it.
Deboxed dolls usually sell at a lower prices, but not always. If a doll is rare or unusually desirable, like a well-kept, pre-1995 Disney doll, it can sell relatively well among certain doll collectors. One-of-kind (OOAK) doll designers do not worry as much about the mint factor either.
Individual collectors will inevitably decide how to collect their dolls and how much doll prices matter to them. I might lose money every time I remove a doll from its box, but it is the price to own an unstifled, open Disney doll collection! It's here and online for all of us to enjoy. °o°
« Click the blue links to view the dolls! Or discuss dolls in the Doll Forum!
I met John at the D23 Expo (September 2009). He now designs Disney dolls for The Disney Store and helped with the new princess faces! He shared some fun stories, and he was happy to show PrincessMonkey.com the latest line of Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen dolls from The Princess and the Frog:
°o° View Shaili's Unfinished Doll Project!
°o° For Sale: Extra Dolls Shaili can sell to your doll collection!
(Non-US international shipping fees do apply. Please contact for details.)
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