Price Guide
(First written in 2015.)
What is my doll worth?
A lot of people ask me how to find out what their doll is worth. The best way is to look on eBay. You can get an idea of what is selling and how much it's selling for. Yet sometimes eBay can surprise you. I've seen some dolls that would normally go for $20 sell for $5, and I've seen some that normally sell for $5 go for $20. It all depends on what is listed and who is (or how many people are) looking for that particular item. The market is always changing. If I wrote this page five years ago, the prices would be double. Perhaps in 5 years or whenever the economy picks up again, they will be worth more again.
Fluctuation
As Kat Pershouse states in the fb group “CPK Current Market Values”…
Keep in mind, this is a guide only that I have seen prices on eBay. Prices fluctuate. Prices fluctuate. Prices fluctuate!!
Credit: Kat Pershouse
Why do Values fluctuate so greatly?
So of recent you would of noticed a massive increase in sold values of some CPK items, and wondered why did it sell for so much?
There can be many different reasons for this. I have noticed that when we have a spike in new collectors, then the final sold price increases dramatically. Reasons for this is simply because of DEMAND.
Newer collectors are trying to establish their collection, and have more competition with other newer collectors as well as established collectors, which will ultimately drive the prices up. This demand means it is usually a good time for long time collectors that have been thinking of selling to sell.
Also, newer collectors lack knowledge and experience, which is normal. We all started at some point and I'm sure we have all overpaid for something when starting out. As the newer collector gets experience and knowledge and the drive to build a collection quickly starts to taper off, you will see a decrease in sold prices. This is a result of the demand slowing down.
The biggest issue we have with new collectors is a lack of understanding of the difference between desirability and rarity.
A couple of examples I can give you are:
Portrait dresses, not only are they desirable but only SOME are HTF. A lot of newbies assume that all the portrait dresses are HTF because of that desirability and that all should fetch a high price, not understanding that something can be common as well as desirable at the same time.
Teddy Bear overalls can have the same issue as the portrait dress. Desirability gets confused with rarity, which can then affect the price a new collector will pay.
#19 headmold kids are another example. Most #19 kids are common, with the exception of popcorns and AA's. Of all the Coleco later year headmolds, the #19 is the MOST common, but is sooo very desirable. Again, that misunderstanding drives the prices right up.
DESIRABILITY DOES NOT EQUAL RARITY.
I really can't stress this enough for new collectors. There is a reason that we need to understand this, and that reason is because of underhanded or unscrupulous behavior from some collectors/sellers to maximize a profit from an item that is desirable, and common.
I've recently noticed common portrait dresses being listed on Ebay as rare or HTF. These then sell high because of the misunderstanding between desirability and rarity. The new collector won't recoup the money they have paid, because experienced collectors won't pay the high sold price that the new collector paid. They know to have patience because we have seen this pattern of high and low values many times over.
Another reason for high sold values is unscrupulous behaviour from some Ebay sellers. I recently found an Ebay seller of CPK items that uses a fake account to bid up their auctions to maximize the amount someone will pay. If the fake account won the auction, then it was relisted. This is only successful for the dodgy Ebay seller at a time when the demand is high, and new collectors are happy to bid high on an item to secure it.
New collectors have been taken advantaged of like this in the past many times and was my main reason for starting this market values group as well as the feedback group.
I really hope this may be of some help to you all.
Keep in mind, this is a guide only that I have seen prices on eBay. Prices fluctuate. Prices fluctuate. Prices fluctuate!!
Just to give you an idea of how much the CPK market can fluctuate, here is a graph of previous ebay sales of the #19 headmold in bald and blue eyed caucasian combo. This is why we have (the CPK Current Market Value group), to give the most up to date values. There has been a lot of people asking for a value guide, either in a book or a website, but the values change so much that it is best to have experienced collectors give out the current values. Hope you find this interesting.
Credit: Kat Pershouse
Price Examples
(First written in 2015 when the market was low.)Excellent condition.
I paid $3.66 for him (including shipping)
because I purchased him along with several
others on ebay for a low price
from the same seller.
For the most part, normal, regular Coleco (vintage) dolls are not worth much monetary value, but they are worth more sentimental value. However, if they are rare or have a rare outfit on, then they are worth more. Usually regular (not rare or desirable) dolls are worth around $15-$30 mint condition. And by mint, I mean that they are in absolutely perfect condition, not a stain, not a speck of dirt, no smells, no loose stitches, no scraps/scuffs/scratches/stains/or hair [or skin] fuzzys, and no clear rubs, just as though they came right out of the box (or are still in the box). If they have their box and/or paperwork (birth certificate) with them, they are worth more than if they don't (about $5-$10 more)
Fair Condition
If they are TLC (dirty, needing significant work--seam repairs, stain removal, ink, badly fuzzed, matted, knotted or cut hair, runs in the body, ANY form of eye damage, etc.), or if they have pox (white or dark spots on their head caused by mold), they are not worth much. I've seen eBay auctions with 15-30 TLC 'Kids in one lot go for around $5. People don't want to spend money on dolls that they have to restore. And a lot of people don't want to, or they don't have time to restore, so they wouldn't buy it for any amount. Restoring takes a lot of work and sometimes costs a lot of money. If you have any question whether yours is TLC or not, just look at my restore photos to get an idea.
Yard Sale/Thrift Store
Yard sale prices are around $5-$15 in my area (for good, decent dolls--less if they are TLC). Thrift store prices are $4-$30. However, your area may have a better economy, thus increasing the prices.Dolls from Foreign Factories such as Jesmar (From Spain or Italy), Lily Ledy (from Mexico), and Tsukuda (from Japan) are worth more, in that order (Japan being more). The tag on the side will say what factory they are from. Usually these dolls range from $15-$100 in excellent-mint condition, although I have seen some sell for around $300. A TLC doll from these factories would probably be worth around $10-$30. Preemies from these countries are worth more because they are extremely rare.
Highly Sought-After Dolls
Transitional dolls are worth a little more, also. When Hasbro took over production, some of the tags were Coleco, and some were Hasbro. They have the same Coleco headmolds, but the cheeks are normally more rosy, their hairstyles and colors are different, and the bodies are not as "full". These are normally worth around $20-$100, depending on their combination and outfit, in excellent-mint condition. TLC transitional dolls, like the TLC foreign dolls are worth less.Designer Line Dolls, like the Transitional, are worth a little more than regular coleco dolls. They can range in price from around $30-$100 in excellent condition. Here are some of the Designer Line dolls that I have had in my possession:
Toddlers and Preschoolers are highly sought after. They normally go for around $20-$60 in excellent-mint condition, less if they are TLC, and more if they are still in the box.
Babies (called Bean Butt Babies [BBB for short] because their rump is full of beans), also are worth around $20-$100 in excellent-mint condition, normally depending on the outfit. They tend to smell more like baby powder than other dolls, but they are known for getting pox (mold dots) on their heads, especially if they were kept in storage instead of in the same environment that we comfortably live in. The more humid the environment, the more prone to pox.
Unique Features
There are a few dolls with unique hair/eye/head mold combinations that are very desirable, therefore, making them worth more. There is a lemon yellow fuzzy doll that is so rare that most collectors don't think that he is original. However, for the recent anniversary of Cabbage Patch Kids, when they manufactured the reproductions, they included a lemon fuzzy. The only sure way that anyone would know is if someone had a lemon fuzzy that they purchased originally from the store and never removed him from the box. And even then, critics could assume that the 'kid was made into a lemon fuzzy, then carefully put back in the box. Right now the #19 and #30 head molds are extremely desirable. Popcorn and fuzzy hairstyles have always been more desirable. Jesmars and other foreign factory 'kids have always been more desirable.
First and foremost, find out what you have. Check out my pages on headmolds, join facebook groups such as the CPK Current Value Marketplace*, etc. Also checkout hairstyles.Selling Tips
*Keep in mind the fb group usually values the doll on the buying price, not the selling price. They give you the price they would want to pay for the doll, not the price that you would want it to sell for. But they can help you identify what you have. You must include a photo of the following when posting to the group: Clear close up pics of face (in good lighting), body tag (front and back), bum signature and any flaws. They also do not value large collections.
Timing: April-August seems to be the worst time to sell. People are on vacation, busy with summer activities. October-January is a better time to sell. Monday through Friday (evenings) have bigger selling rates because many people are online.
Be specific. When selling, do your research so you know what you have. If someone is looking for a particular doll and all you have is "Cabbage Patch Kid", they are going to have a hard time finding it, especially when there are thousands of CPKs listed on ebay daily. Find out what it is and describe as best as you can in the title. Use search words that people would be looking for. If it has a birth certificate, put the name and date in the title. I recently sold a Mattel CPK for $50 because the buyer had been looking for a doll with her friend's birthday, and I had the date in the title. I also purchased a pair of rare Jesmar shoes for super cheap because the seller didn’t know they were Jesmar and just put “Cabbage Patch Shoes.” I turned around and sold them for twice what I paid for them because I put “Jesmar” in the title. Also, if selling on ebay, make sure you use the "item specifics" so that when someone is looking for a specific doll, they can easily narrow it down. For instance, if someone is looking for a boy doll, so they click on the "boy" filter, and you don't have your auction item specific set to boy, then your auction isn't even going to show up.
For the most part, include in the title:
- Headmold
- Factory
- Hair color and style
- Eye color
- Size
- Freckles if it has any
- Special editions, such as anniversary
- Name and birthday
- Year
- face, including a closeup
- hair
- front and back full body with and without the clothes
- closeups of any flaws.
- signature
- side tag (front and back)
- back of head copyright info
Auction or BIN? For common ‘Kids, add a "Buy it Now" for people who don't want to wait until the auction ends. For rare and HTF ‘Kids, sell as an auction, as you never know how high the bidding will go. I've seen most auctions that start at under $20 have the best success because it grabs attention to more buyers, therefore more bidders.
Hint: If you have many watchers but nobody is buying, they are waiting for you to bring the price down.
Again, this is just a guide and not meant to be anything set in stone. I am not, nor do I claim to be an expert or appraiser. All the prices on here are from what I have seen on ebay's sold listings.
Again, this is just a guide and not meant to be anything set in stone. I am not, nor do I claim to be an expert or appraiser. All the prices on here are from what I have seen on ebay's sold listings.
Why and How?
Prices also depend on the why and the how. Why are you selling/buying? How are you selling? Are you buying to resell or are you buying for your collection? Are you selling online or are you selling at a yardsale? As a buyer looking to resell, I won't pay more than a couple dollars on a common doll that I have to clean up and find clothes for. If I'm looking to add to my collection, I don't like to pay more than $20-$50 on a common doll that is in excellent condition, fully clothed. For 20" TRUs, BLEs, Jesmars, rare/highly-sought-after 'kids, I wouldn't pay more than $20 for fair condition, $100 for mint. That's just personal preference. If a doll is regularly going for $300 on ebay, I just won't buy it. I don't have that kind of money to spend on a doll. That doesn't mean it's not worth that much. It just means I choose not to spend that much.
As for selling, obviously I want to get as much as I can for a doll. A lot depends on the outfit and condition of the doll. For a naked doll, I wouldn't expect to get more than $10-$20 for a common kid in good condition. If I add shoes ($10), socks ($5), outfit ($20 for coleco, $45-60 for handmade), I would adjust the price accordingly.
How are you selling? If you're selling at a yardsale, don't expect to get much. Yard sales and thrift stores are meant for getting good deals and getting rid of your stuff fast. Selling online, however, you have to pay selling fees, but you are reaching a much larger audience. People are looking to buy specific items, not just looking for a deal.
2022 update: As stimulus packages have been sent out over the last couple years, the market has increased drastically. As noted before, certain head molds and dolls with unique features and clothes are worth a lot more. Search ebay for your specific doll, then under filters, select “sold” listings. You can sort from highest to lowest and vise versa.
Here are some of the results:
All of these auctions sold high because of the headmolds (#19 and #30), because they were Designer Line, and the one because he was a Japanese boy.
2022 update: As stimulus packages have been sent out over the last couple years, the market has increased drastically. As noted before, certain head molds and dolls with unique features and clothes are worth a lot more. Search ebay for your specific doll, then under filters, select “sold” listings. You can sort from highest to lowest and vise versa.
Here are some of the results:
All of these auctions sold high because of the headmolds (#19 and #30), because they were Designer Line, and the one because he was a Japanese boy.