Disney Dolls Appreciation Discussion

[Remus_Lupin91]

Before this year, I totally shared your collecting trend of only collecting dolls in 1/6 scale (11 1/2" size). Then when Wedding Rapunzel was announced, I pre-ordered her, and then I bought 3 more of the 17" LE dolls! I must admit that DRJ1828's photos of the 17" LE dolls is what totally tipped the scales. Then I figured that if I were going to take the plunge to get one 17" doll, I may as well get all of my favorites. But since they are so big, I know that I have to limit myself on how many I should get. Otherwise, some will just end up in storage like so many of my beautiful collector Barbie dolls. So far, I now have Snow White, blonde Rapunzel, the Queen of Hearts, and Wedding Rapunzel. I plan on adding Cinderella and Aurora whenever they are made, and maybe Ariel. Don't get me wrong: I would love to get Tiana, Belle, Alice, and Mother Gothel, too, but space is such an issue.

These are pictures of my actual dolls. I love them all, but Snow White is my absolute favorite.


Snow White #0224


Rapunzel #4865


The Queen of Hearts #069


Wedding Rapunzel #6043

snow white is so beautiful!!!!! where did you get her! how much was she!

 

[Shivatopia]

I had to resort to eBay for my 17" LE Snow White doll. Needless to say, I had to pay the going rate for the doll (and let's just say that it's many times the original retail price of $99.50). That said, if you have any available funds through something like a healthy tax return check, treating yourself to this doll is totally worth it! She is a treasure!

 

[alex555]

Wow the prices on Ebay have rise from $1,100 to $1,500 for this Snow White 17in Doll :O ! Good thing I'm not a Snow White fan, I could never get so much money for this kind of memorabilia. How much did you pay Shivatopia? now I got curious

Still, my only concern a Disney Princess doll collector right now, is that the prices for Ariel Designer doll doesn't seem to lower. So far, the other 9 Designer dolls remain their $80 to $150 prices, with Mulan being one of the cheapiest to get. But Ariel still keeps at $280 to $400, I really thought after the euphoria, her price will drop just like the others, and I still don't understand how her price is really high when there are 8,000, compared to Aurora, Tiana, and Pocahontas with 4,000 each and still they aren't that expensive. Hopefully her price will drop someday. I'm even looking for one deboxed or damaged, don't care.

 

[Merriennes]

I would love to add the LE Snow White doll to my collection one day, but unless I can find one for a really good price or come in to a nice bit of money it doesn't really seem that likely. But on the plus side I adore the 2 LE's I do have so far ;o)

More piccys on my http://www.Hollys-Dollys.co.uk blog ;o)

 

[Naname]

Wow the prices on Ebay have rise from $1,100 to $1,500 for this Snow White 17in Doll :O ! Good thing I'm not a Snow White fan, I could never get so much money for this kind of memorabilia. How much did you pay Shivatopia? now I got curious

Still, my only concern a Disney Princess doll collector right now, is that the prices for Ariel Designer doll doesn't seem to lower. So far, the other 9 Designer dolls remain their $80 to $150 prices, with Mulan being one of the cheapiest to get. But Ariel still keeps at $280 to $400, I really thought after the euphoria, her price will drop just like the others, and I still don't understand how her price is really high when there are 8,000, compared to Aurora, Tiana, and Pocahontas with 4,000 each and still they aren't that expensive. Hopefully her price will drop someday. I'm even looking for one deboxed or damaged, don't care.

I am wondering the same thing. I was actually very lucky with my Designer Rapunzel doll, she was $85 plus free shipping. I notice that people only bid Ariel up to the high $200, and nobody bothers to even bid on one that's in the $300-$400 range, so I am kind of hoping that means she's lowering. Can anybody explain why she is the hardest to get? Like how alex555 said, she's out of 8,000 where the other dolls can be 6,000 and easier to obtain. It kind of upsets me that there are SO many designer dolls on ebay that do not have a home because people are charging outrages prices.

 

[Selithiel]

I am wondering the same thing. I was actually very lucky with my Designer Rapunzel doll, she was $85 plus free shipping. I notice that people only bid Ariel up to the high $200, and nobody bothers to even bid on one that's in the $300-$400 range, so I am kind of hoping that means she's lowering. Can anybody explain why she is the hardest to get? Like how alex555 said, she's out of 8,000 where the other dolls can be 6,000 and easier to obtain. It kind of upsets me that there are SO many designer dolls on ebay that do not have a home because people are charging outrages prices.

Ariel came out before the scalpers had a chance to ruin the Disney Designer Princess experience, and so most of the people who got Ariel were actual collectors for the most part. Because of this, there are less people selling her. I saw an Ariel start at 0.99 last week and she ended at $285. If I had the money at the time I would have bought an Ariel for my friend because she couldn't afford it, and now she really regrets not having asked her mom to get it online for her when she was sitting there for a good week or so (just like I regret not having gotten Cinderella - at the beginning I didn't intend to buy the whole collection).

And the Snow White limited edition doll actually goes for about $500 right now. You see ones in the thousands because no one really buys those, because they know that's not what she actually goes for. It's rare, but for anyone who is interested you just got to keep an eye out for ones that start with a low bid.

 

[PrincessxJasmine89]

...And the Snow White limited edition doll actually goes for about $500 right now. You see ones in the thousands because no one really buys those, because they know that's not what she actually goes for. It's rare, but for anyone who is interested you just got to keep an eye out for ones that start with a low bid.

That is true, some people just charge very high prices for the dolls, when that is not really what they sell for. I know that right now, someone is charging $2500 for the full Designer Doll set, whereas I saw a very cheap listing end about a week ago, for around $900 dollars... evilBay and Disney should really start to do something about this!

In other news, I got my LE Rapunzel Wedding doll today! She is so beautiful (I'll refrain from posting pictures, I think everyone else has done a good job of that!) ^_^ I got the short eyelash variation... and does anyone notice it sort of looks like some jewels may be missing from the purple part of her dress? I know they are just randomly placed, but it does look like a few more could have been used near the top of the skirt... or is it just my doll?

And another random fact, there were 1500 Rapunzel dolls available from Disney Store UK, vs. the 400 that were up for grabs from the regular LE Rapunzel doll.

 

[Zanna]

That is true, some people just charge very high prices for the dolls, when that is not really what they sell for. I know that right now, someone is charging $2500 for the full Designer Doll set, whereas I saw a very cheap listing end about a week ago, for around $900 dollars... evilBay and Disney should really start to do something about this! In other news, I got my LE Rapunzel Wedding doll today! She is so beautiful (I'll refrain from posting pictures, I think everyone else has done a good job of that!) ^_^ I got the short eyelash variation... and does anyone notice it sort of looks like some jewels may be missing from the purple part of her dress? I know they are just randomly placed, but it does look like a few more could have been used near the top of the skirt... or is it just my doll? And another random fact, there were 1500 Rapunzel dolls available from Disney Store UK, vs. the 400 that were up for grabs from the regular LE Rapunzel doll.

My Rapunzel has the jewel issue in the same place too. I'm getting a replacement one tomorrow as my box was damaged so I'll be able to compare dresses.

 

[Shivatopia]

In other news, I got my LE Rapunzel Wedding doll today! She is so beautiful (I'll refrain from posting pictures, I think everyone else has done a good job of that!) ^_^ I got the short eyelash variation... and does anyone notice it sort of looks like some jewels may be missing from the purple part of her dress? I know they are just randomly placed, but it does look like a few more could have been used near the top of the skirt... or is it just my doll?

My Rapunzel has the jewel issue in the same place too. I'm getting a replacement one tomorrow as my box was damaged so I'll be able to compare dresses.

I checked my LE Wedding Rapunzel, and there is one area in the upper left area where a yellow jewel could be there, but it isn't. I think the intent was that there was supposed to be a pattern for the jewels (particularly since there are both larger jewels and smaller jewels on the front of the mauve skirt), but the problem is that they are attached by means of a heat-activated adhesive on the backs of the jewels, and if the glue does not get heated enough and stick to the fabric, the jewel will fall off (and probably did prior to the doll's completion at the factory). The up-shot is that these jewels are cheap and easy to apply. So if you can find a match at a sewing/craft store, you can fix this problem relatively easily. However, I would recommend this only for people who have taken her out of the box, since you will need to use a hot iron to activate the glue.

This brings up another good point about the 17" LE Snow White doll: her adornments consist of gold beads that are sewn onto her cloak and gown, so a lot of attention and care had to be applied into this doll even at the factory level to make the whole ensemble look right. I suppose since she was the first doll of the series, Disney did not quite know what they were getting into in terms of handiwork needed, and starting with 17" LE Tiana they have been using only the heat-activated jewels with all of their limited edition dolls ever since (and I am sure it was to cut corners), including the Designer Princess dolls. Now don't get me wrong, I think the heat-glue jewels are very lovely when the patterns are done right (I used them for my own OOAK Designer Aurora doll). But when there are missing jewels, it does look a little odd. Other than my 17" LE Rapunzel's missing jewel, my Designer Belle doll has many missing jewels from the top of her gloves (of all things!).

 

[Shivatopia]

Wow the prices on Ebay have rise from $1,100 to $1,500 for this Snow White 17in Doll :O ! Good thing I'm not a Snow White fan, I could never get so much money for this kind of memorabilia. How much did you pay Shivatopia? now I got curious

Still, my only concern a Disney Princess doll collector right now, is that the prices for Ariel Designer doll doesn't seem to lower. So far, the other 9 Designer dolls remain their $80 to $150 prices, with Mulan being one of the cheapiest to get. But Ariel still keeps at $280 to $400, I really thought after the euphoria, her price will drop just like the others, and I still don't understand how her price is really high when there are 8,000, compared to Aurora, Tiana, and Pocahontas with 4,000 each and still they aren't that expensive. Hopefully her price will drop someday. I'm even looking for one deboxed or damaged, don't care.

Ariel came out before the scalpers had a chance to ruin the Disney Designer Princess experience, and so most of the people who got Ariel were actual collectors for the most part. Because of this, there are less people selling her. I saw an Ariel start at 0.99 last week and she ended at $285. If I had the money at the time I would have bought an Ariel for my friend because she couldn't afford it, and now she really regrets not having asked her mom to get it online for her when she was sitting there for a good week or so (just like I regret not having gotten Cinderella - at the beginning I didn't intend to buy the whole collection).

And the Snow White limited edition doll actually goes for about $500 right now. You see ones in the thousands because no one really buys those, because they know that's not what she actually goes for. It's rare, but for anyone who is interested you just got to keep an eye out for ones that start with a low bid.

Recently, 17" LE Snow White has been selling on eBay in the $500 to $600 range (also keep in mind that many sellers will also slam you with an additional high shipping cost, because they will tend to use USPS Priority Mail, which for a 5-6 lb package measuring at least since 19" long can be expensive). These have been the average selling prices since the start of the New Year, which is pretty consistent with past sales on eBay. In December, I recall that there was a damaged box doll that sold for $350 (I think), and then there was a doll in a good box that sold for a little over $400 a few days before Christmas. My doll's price landed in the average price range mentioned above, but luckily the seller only charged $10 for shipping, even though they used USPS Priority and swallowed the difference. In any case, as beautiful as this doll is, I don't suggest paying the asking price that many sellers are shooting for ($1000+), unless price is really not an issue for you, but few (if anyone) ever buys her for that high of a cost. Just keep an eye out, and you may catch her (or any item there) for a good deal. Just remember to always check the shipping fees, too.

As for Designer Ariel, she became the surprise "expensive doll" from the Princess Designer series, especially since she was available for almost a week after her release. Given how the Designer Rapunzel pins, mugs, and journals were selling prior to her doll's release, I had tagged Rapunzel to be the top tier of the series. But I agree with Selethiel about the fact that since Designer Ariel's release was just before the eBay reselling craze started, and that many Designer Ariel dolls most likely ended up in private collections by people who actually wanted her. So the available supply on the market does not meet the demand (even through she is LE 8000). Add that to Ariel's massive popularity among the Disney Princesses, and her stunning super long red hair contrasting with a very whimsical gown... well, you get the picture. I am afraid that Designer Ariel's price will probably stay in the $200+ range for a while, but it is still a lot less than the $500+ that she was selling for at the height of the Designer Doll craze.

 

[DRJ1828]

LE 17'' Belle, Wedding Rapunzel and Snow White Dolls

17'' Limited Edition Belle, Wedding Rapunzel and Snow White dolls posing together, holding hands. All three dolls have lots of gold in their gowns, so they look very good together.


LE 17'' Belle, Wedding Rapunzel and Snow White Dolls - Full Front View #1 by drj1828, on Flickr
Front view showing off Belle's golden satin gown and long stemmed rose, Wedding Rapunzels ivory and gold satin wedding gown with purple and gold underskirt, and Snow White's multi-layered white and gold collar, and red, blue and gold gown, and red poison apple.
They are all supported by the doll stand that was included with the doll.


LE 17'' Belle, Wedding Rapunzel and Snow White Dolls - Full Rear View by drj1828, on Flickr
Rear view showing off Snow Whites luxurious deep red velvet cape, Wedding Rapunzel's double layered sheer white veil with a glittering sun and floral pattern, and Belle's long curly brown hair. They are all supported by the doll stands that were included with the dolls.

 

[Selithiel]

Just something interesting I saw... I saw a Disney Designer Princess Aurora go for $200 on ebay (through bidding, she started at 0.99!). Quite shocked to see this, as for a while there many of the last 5 dropped in price for a while.

 

[PrincessxJasmine89]

OMG guys! I know you all may have heard already, but have you all heard about the Designer Villain doll collection? It sounds like a dream come true, although I am not sure how some of the villains will translate...! I hope it is true though, I heard from a CM at my store that they will be putting out another Designer collection, let's hope they were right! <3 The only thing I'm worried about is the ordering circumstances... bring on Dollmageddon- pt. 2! I didn't get a single Designer Doll when they were out

What do you all think? I for one am SO excited, cross my heart and hope to die that this rumour is real! <3 <3 <3

 

[Merriennes]

I think they should dress the Princesses as the Villains like this, now that would be amazing in my opinion hehehe ...

 

[PrincessxJasmine89]

I think they should dress the Princesses as the Villains like this, now that would be amazing in my opinion hehehe ...

I know, right!? They totally should, that would be aaaaahmazing! <3 That way none of the costumes would translate that badly, but unfortunately I think Pocahontas would be the butt of jokes regarding the collection, haha! I LOVE how Mulan, Rapunzel, Jasmine and Ariel look, though! How fabulous <3 And if the dolls are released around the same time as the last collection, they would be out for Halloween! How fitting...

Let's keep our hopes up! ^_^ I also hope UK stores stock the next Designer collection...

 

[stybbafirefoot]

Considering half the Princesses' villains are male I can't see a designer villain set happening. I'd rather they did the Princes tbh! But I can see another set of Princesses happening, maybe with Merida this time??

 

[Selithiel]

I highly, highly, highly doubt that a Designer Villain Collection will come out. Designer Ratcliffe? Yeah, I think that one alone is enough to halt the idea, lol! Honestly, I think that Disney is going to coordinate these collections with D23 (like they did with the Designer Collection. I also think they would wait longer for everyone to finish recovering, as it's still fresh for a lot of us.

As much as I am already gung-ho on loving Merida, I do not think that she should ever be included with the Disney Princesses. Princesses and Pixar are two separate things.

Really though, another LE set including all princesses would be nice, just not now. I swear though... They need to make a classic Gaston doll. I'd also love Dr. Facilier and Jafar.

 

[stybbafirefoot]

Merida is already intended to join the princesses as the first pixar princess...

 

[PrincessxJasmine89]

I think Merida should be like the likes of Kida, Tinker Bell, Giselle, etc. and be an 'Unofficial Princess'. I do love her, but as Selithiel says, Pixar and the Princess line should be kept seperate. But I do agree with you stybbafirefoot, I think she is intended to join the Official Princess line and be the first Pixar Princess. ^_^

 

[JanuaryGarnet]

New Designer Villain collection? I hope this is true because that would be so cool to look at! But, will they include the dudes as well as the ladies? I hope so.

 

[Selithiel]

Merida is already intended to join the princesses as the first pixar princess...

Source?

I'm not saying it isn't going to happen, but it just seems a bit unlikely. If Disney starts including every female protagonist from their animated/CG films in the princess line, then they will eventually have to boot out other princesses. It's not practical, and they've done it before (unfortunately). I remember when I was little that the Esmeralda doll they had released at the Disney Store actually stated that she was a Disney Princess. Now she isn't. I think Disney has their official ten that they will stick with. I think they'll certainly release similar products (like how there is going to be a classic and animator's Merida doll), but I just don't see them expanding their princess line-up over and over and over.

On the note of older princesses... I would love to have products of Esmeralda, Kida, Meg, etc. Not going to knock Tangled because it has my best friends favorite princess, but I do have a faint resentment for it because I know it is what will allow Disney to think it's okay to create more CG princess films and less classic animated ones (I severely fear that Princess and the Frog is the last truly animated film I will see on the silver screen from Disney for a long time).

Conclusion - I don't think it will happen (or if it does, it won't be a continued trend), but if it does I also won't be surprised. I mentioned earlier that I am already gung-ho about loving Merida. I have 4 Irish barbies in my collection, and a myriad of red-heads just because I adore red hair. Bring on the Merida products by all means, but I just don't want to see Disney find more excuses to push classic animation further and further away.

 

[Shivatopia]

I am also of the mind that Merida should be kept separate from the Disney Princess franchise. First, she is part of the Pixar family. Second, her design style is way different than the other princesses (even Rapunzel's 3D looks are transferrable into a 2D form, conceivable through the early design sketches for her). I don't want to put down Merida at all, since I want to keep an open mind about her and the film until I actually see it, but her head design really reminds me of the Podlings/Pod People from Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal (great movie!). Third, each of the current 10 official princesses of the franchise has a distinct male companion, and Merida's story does not seem to really be oriented toward romance at all (in fact, she seems to defy it through her independent spirit).

I also have a handful of lovely Irish Barbie dolls (Princess of Ireland, The Bard, The Spellbound Lover, and Aine), and for sure, red haired dolls are incredibly dramatic (re: Designer Ariel, anyone?), but Merida's overall design look unsettles me a bit, and the pictures of the planned dolls are not helping her cause with me. Oh, and yes, I want to acknowledge the fact that Merida is Scottish and not Irish, but my point was to agree that red-haired, fair-skinned dolls are quite visually stunning... there are just a lot more Irish dolls out there than Scottish.

As for the 2012 Designer doll rumors, I am of course curious to see what Disney will produce. I only hope that they don't try to do a weekly release like last time. The 17" LE doll pre-order system is a lot more congenial to all involved. Now, I can only imagine that if it is Disney Villains in couture, they will be the female villains only, miking for a smaller group of dolls than the 10 princesses. Seeing the 10 princesses in villain costumes would be fun for most of them (but definitely NOT for Pocahontas). The concept I would love to see the most is the Disney Princes in a Designer Collection to go with the princesses, but that may be a long-shot from a marketing standpoint. Then again, Disney could throw us a total curve-ball and dress the princesses in another decade's styles...

 

[Selithiel]

I am also of the mind that Merida should be kept separate from the Disney Princess franchise. First, she is part of the Pixar family. Second, her design style is way different than the other princesses (even Rapunzel's 3D looks are transferrable into a 2D form, conceivable through the early design sketches for her). I don't want to put down Merida at all, since I want to keep an open mind about her and the film until I actually see it, but her head design really reminds me of the Podlings/Pod People from Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal (great movie!). Third, each of the current 10 official princesses of the franchise has a distinct male companion, and Merida's story does not seem to really be oriented toward romance at all (in fact, she seems to defy it through her independent spirit).

I also have a handful of lovely Irish Barbie dolls (Princess of Ireland, The Bard, The Spellbound Lover, and Aine), and for sure, red haired dolls are incredibly dramatic (re: Designer Ariel, anyone?), but Merida's overall design look unsettles me a bit, and the pictures of the planned dolls are not helping her cause with me. Oh, and yes, I want to acknowledge the fact that Merida is Scottish and not Irish, but my point was to agree that red-haired, fair-skinned dolls are quite visually stunning... there are just a lot more Irish dolls out there than Scottish.

As for the 2012 Designer doll rumors, I am of course curious to see what Disney will produce. I only hope that they don't try to do a weekly release like last time. The 17" LE doll pre-order system is a lot more congenial to all involved. Now, I can only imagine that if it is Disney Villains in couture, they will be the female villains only, miking for a smaller group of dolls than the 10 princesses. Seeing the 10 princesses in villain costumes would be fun for most of them (but definitely NOT for Pocahontas). The concept I would love to see the most is the Disney Princes in a Designer Collection to go with the princesses, but that may be a long-shot from a marketing standpoint. Then again, Disney could throw us a total curve-ball and dress the princesses in another decade's styles...

The Spellbound lover and The Bard? I'm jealous! I myself have Aine, Princess of Ireland, the current DotW Ireland, and the Irish Dance Festival doll. I'm Scott-Irish partially myself, so I tend to lump them together when talking about those heritages, lol. I think you made some excellent points though about Merida and her design. I definitely don't think it would translate over as well..and, I hate to say this.. But she doesn't have the "pretty" Disney Princess look. For example - I personally think Rapunzel is closer to cute than pretty, but she still very much so fits the Disney Princess line-up. Regardless, I am still super, super excited for the Merida dolls! Also, The Dark Crystal is a wonderful film..however very scary to me when I was little, augh. Horrible memories!

I think it'd be nice to see the female villains done, but even then I don't really think it too plausible. I definitely like the idea of another decade of style for the princesses though Honestly, I would like period-accurate versions of them. There's an artist on deviantart who actually did a whole series of drawings that portrayed each of the princesses in their outfits, but in a style accurate to their point in history. If you haven't seen them you should check them out -they're superb. Here's the link: http://shoomlah.deviantart.com/gallery/29648049

 

[cocosianelle]

I know, right!? They totally should, that would be aaaaahmazing! <3 That way none of the costumes would translate that badly, but unfortunately I think Pocahontas would be the butt of jokes regarding the collection, haha! I LOVE how Mulan, Rapunzel, Jasmine and Ariel look, though! How fabulous <3 And if the dolls are released around the same time as the last collection, they would be out for Halloween! How fitting...

Let's keep our hopes up! ^_^ I also hope UK stores stock the next Designer collection...

I agree with this, I thought is was really unfair how they were only stocked in London - very poor of Disney.

 

[PrincessxJasmine89]

I do think that Merida ultimately shouldn't be a Princess, both because she is Pixar and that, as Shivatopia mentioned, she doesn't appear to have a male companion as of late, but also the fact that every Princess sings or is in a musical film, and therefore has her own 'theme' if you will... Brave doesn't seem to be musical. But who knows? I think there is a lot of speculation regarding whether she will join the line, but I guess we will have to wait and see! ^_^

Regarding the upcoming Designer collection, I think the female villains would be great! But alas, the more about the rumours that I hear, the less likely it seems to be... all we know is that there will be another Designer collection, and in an ideal world, I would love another Princess collection.... They just have the most options in terms of costume designs. ^_^ Excited nevertheless! <3

Cocosianelle, I too wish London would stop getting all the awesome doll releases, the rest of the UK loves dolls too </3 I reckon there should be a pre-order in stores of the doll, so that way customers have the chance to go and pick dolls up straight from the store, rather than put up with the online mayhem... of course an online option should still be available ^_^But with such low worldwide edition numbers though, however Disney sell the dolls there will be problems... And that is the life story of a Disney doll collector.

Sooo annoyed with the UK pin situation at the moment, too! Disney need to think of something to do in terms of UK pin trading, and te sharks on eBay don't help at all, even though I guess there is nothing we can do.

p.s. Sorry for the rant here, guys! D: