How Do I Find Out What My Collectible Teddy Bear or Doll is Worth?

This question is asked of us on at least a weekly basis.  So, where would one begin to find the value of a collectible doll or teddy bear?

There are lots of books written out there that will tell you the approximate value of an item, but keep in mind that these are not updated on a regular basis.  And also please keep in mind that these are estimates and the collectible market is constantly changing in regards to what is popular at the time.  One truly cannot value their collection at X amount of dollars as that is an estimate and sometimes the value will change dramatically when you actually go to sell your collection.

Some books that we recommend checking are:

Boyd's Bears - 

Boyd's Tracker, 2nd edition, 2004
The Boyds Collection Collector's Value Guide 2001

(Unfortunately, no recent Boyd's value books have been published.)

Madame Alexander Dolls - 

There are several Madame Alexander Doll price guides available for purchase.  The latest guide we found was published in 2009.

Steiff Bears - 

Many Steiff price guides can also be found but the latest guide we found in publication was from 2003.

Department 56 Villages and Snowbabies by Department 56 - 

Several guides were available for both Department 56 Villages as well as Snowbabies by Dept 56. We were very pleased to find that a recent guide from 2010 was available.

Charlie Bears - 

Since Charlie Bears is a relatively new company (founded in 2005) there is no value guide available at this time but the founders of Charlie Bears, Charlotte and William Morris, have written a book.  Titled "Love, Dreams and Bears", this book chronicles the first 5 years of the company and contains all teddy bears created in the first five years.

In addition, once in a while, you can find some beneficial information written by sellers on eBay who are avid collectors themselves.


Another excellent way to determine what your collectible is worth is to write in to either "Teddy Bear and Friends" magazine or "DOLLS" magazine.

In the past, Ken Yenke, teddy bear historian, museum curater, and appraiser asked collectors to send him photos and descriptions to him in care of Teddy Bear and Friends magazine.  Unfortunately, we were saddened to find that Ken recently passed away so we would assume that teddy bear appraisals will be unavailable for quite some time.  That is, until a replacement is found to try and fill his shoes.

For DOLLS magazine, collectors can send in their questions regarding doll identification and a current appraisal to:  Curious Collector, c/o DOLLS, PO Box 5000, Iola, WI 54945.  Photos should be included for each vintage and modern doll query.

Hope that you find this information helpful, and good luck with finding the information you desire!

Quote of the Day - "Imagination is more important than knowledge". - Albert Einstein