Morphy’s welcomes summer with a $185,000 doll auction;
Bru bébé wins favor with a top bid of  $14,950

DENVER, Pa. – An early summer sale featuring 542 lots of premium-quality dolls attracted hundreds of specialist collectors to Morphy’s, in person and via the Internet, on Saturday, June 26. Bidders were excited over the prospect of buying rare and beautifully preserved dolls from two long-held collections that crossed the auction block – the estate collection of the late Sunny & Louis Reyes of Washington, D.C.; and a 30-year collection amassed by a couple from northern New England. The auction totaled $185,000, inclusive of 15% buyer’s premium, with 30% of the dolls selling to the floor and 70% to Internet, phone and absentee bidders.

“I was very pleased with the turnout,” said Morphy Auctions’ CEO, Dan Morphy. “We had over 100 bidders in the gallery throughout the day and more than 500 unique Internet bidders. Three individuals spent in excess of $10,000 apiece. During the preview there was a lot of interest in the dolls, and we heard many positive comments about the nice variety and excellent condition in both collections.”

The auction’s top lot was a beautiful 18-inch French bisque-head Bru bébé with kid body and bisque lower arms, blue paperweight eyes and blonde mohair. The doll’s ensemble consisted of a brown silk dress with caped jacket and a matching lace and ribbon-trimmed hat. Impressed with a circle and dot mark and number “6” on the back of its head, and the number “6” on its shoulder plate, the outstanding example of Bru doll artistry was bid to the midpoint of its estimate, finishing at $14,950.

Desirable dolls were available at price points to please every pocketbook. A 24-inch Gaultier French bisque poupee peau fashion lady sold for $3,160; while a 33-inch Jumeau French bisque bébé, mold 1907, achieved $2,185. A 32-inch tete Jumeau bisque bébé, size 14 with excellent K&R jointed composition body with high knee joint closed near the top of its estimate range at $1,840.

A lot comprised of two large K&W German bisque dolls – a 42-inch boy in a tuxedo-style outfit and top hat, and a shorter H. Handwerck girl with jointed composition body – nearly quadrupled its high estimate in hammering $2,300.

A very fancy 20-inch Danel French bisque bébé with curly mohair wig, jointed French composition and wood body, and brown paperweight eyes was bid to $1,725.

Dan Morphy’s Oct. 14-16 Premier Auction will be highlighted by a highly important, multi-generational doll collection from Chicago that was assembled over a 50-year period by Merle Glickman and her mother, the late Martha Cristol. The collection is noted for its many unusual examples, specialty sub-collections and prizewinners from past UFDC (United Federation of Doll Collectors) national competitions.

On July 27, 2010, Dan Morphy Auctions will conduct a Premier Toys & Antique Advertising auction featuring the Michael O’Hearn Collection.

For information on any Dan Morphy auction event, to order catalogs or to learn more about consigning to future sales, call 717-335-3435 or email dan@morphyauctions.com.