directly from the artists at some doll and teddy bear shows today. Of course the largest gathering of the best known doll and teddy bear artists will be at our May 3-5 Artist Doll & Teddy Bear Convention & Exhibition in Philadelphia, which saves you a lot of time and expense traveling around the world to find these artists.

So why would anyone want to collect artist pieces compared to antiques (pre-1930) or collectables (1930 and after)? There are many personal and financial considerations, but there is none bigger than “intrinsic value.” The inherent characteristics that create the intrinsic value of dolls and teddy bears are quality, condition, quantity, signature and authenticity.

Is the quality of today’s artist pieces better than dolls and teddy bears made 50 or 100 years ago? Today’s artists have learned from the vast experiences of other artists over the past decades. Materials have improved; there is a greater variety of supplies; techniques have improved; there is more imagination in the designs; and most importantly, the entire piece today is made by a single experienced artist. In the case of the early and contemporary dolls and bears, the design and production generally involved a number of people, most of whom were not the artist. In some cases, the heads and bodies of dolls were made by different companies.
  
Most dolls and teddy bears through the ages were made to be played with as toys. This is true for the Bru, Jumeau, and Armand Marseille dolls, as well as, Steiff, Ideal, and Chad Valley teddy bears. That is why so many surviving pieces are in such poor condition. On the other hand, artist pieces are not toys. They are not made to be played with, but rather intended to be treated as any other art piece, whether it be a painting, sculpture or tapestry. So collectors know in the long term, the condition of an artist piece will be maintained in excellent condition over the years. Today’s manufactured dolls are expected to be kept in their original box to maintain their condition and value, which is fine if you bought them to store away where no one can see them. Even if they are displayed in their boxes, looking at the piece through cellophane just seems so sad, while artist pieces are intended to be prominently displayed where you and others can enjoy them every day. And if you should lose the box for a manufactured doll, the value can decrease considerably. With artist dolls, none of the value is tied up in a cardboard box. The value is all in the doll, which makes a lot more sense.

The quantity of today’s antique and collectable dolls and teddy bears were originally made in lots that rose from hundreds to thousands to hundreds of thousands to keep up with demand in the growing toy market. In the case of artist pieces, they are one-of-a-kind or a very, very limited edition. Suppose you lived in 1910 and were looking at two dolls or teddy bears to buy and you liked them equally well. The only difference was that one was a one-of-a-kind and the other was from a lot of 10,000. Which would you buy for investment purposes? Well, you have that same choice today when you are trying to decide between artist and manufactured dolls and teddy bears. The only difference is that the lot sizes of manufactured pieces today can be in the hundreds of thousands. It took 80-100 years for antiques to be really rare, while artist pieces are even more rare as soon as you buy them. There is nothing rarer than one-of-a-kind. With antiques you pay a premium for that scarcity; with artist pieces, there is no scarcity premium to pay. The full price goes toward creativity, quality and condition.

What makes paintings, sports memorabilia, and so many other collectables so valuable? A major factor is the signature of the artist or celebrity. It is the one assurance that something selling in the secondary market is authentic. How many artist-signed antique dolls and teddy bears have you ever seen? In most cases, the artists of the earlier pieces are not even known, and it was the manufacturer, not the artist that got the publicity. That is true for most manufactured pieces today too. Buying a company label is like getting the signature of the president of a doll or teddy bear manufacturer – an administrator of a company. With artist pieces, you get the signature of the artist who actually designed and spent the many days and weeks of creating every bit of the creation. 

One of the biggest concerns about a collectable in the secondary market is its authenticity – is it really a one-of-a-kind or limited edition? How often have you heard of something up for auction that supposedly was owned by a celebrity or made by a famous artist, but it is neither signed nor comes with any type of documentation to support the claim? If the item could have been authenticated, the item would have sold for a lot more. Many of the early dolls and teddy bears have some form of marking on them to indicate the company that made them, but there is very seldom any indication of how many were made. However, many of today’s artists provide documentation that their piece is a one-of-a-kind or a limited edition of a specific number. They may indicate it on the doll or teddy bear, on an attached tag, or on a certificate that accompanies the piece.

Whether you are a collector of art dolls or teddy bears or just interested in learning more about them, you may want to join this free (no dues) Club. Just click HERE to access a Membership form. Our first Club Newsletter, which is only available to members, was published January 2012. The content included articles on:
• A Fresh Perspective on Investing in Artist Dolls and Bears
• Why Do Collectors Buy What They Buy?
• Best Kept Secret in the Doll and Teddy Bear World
• May 3-5, 2012 Philadelphia Convention
• Collector and Artist Literature Corner (references to magazine articles of interest to Club members)

The purpose of the Artist Doll & Teddy Bear Club is to create a forum for those interested in the collection and creation of artist dolls and teddy bears in order to make it easier for you to enjoy and have fun in your pursuit of common interests. You will learn more about the history, variety, creation, preservation, value, craftsmanship, quality and appreciation of artist dolls and teddy bears as well as make new friends with similar passions.

The intent is to offer a variety of ways for members to communicate and socialize with each other on a local, national and international level. As membership grows and concentrations of local memberships evolve, the Club will promote the organization of local clubs to be run independently of the Club. The Club will merely be a facilitator and not a governing body for local clubs. Meanwhile, the Club plans to install a website as well as electronic and hardcopy forms of communication. Although there are no face-to-face Club meetings planned at this time, our future Artist Doll & Teddy Bear Conventions may be used as a place for members to socialize. As local Clubs form, members will be able to organize meetings of their own.