Limited Edition 17" Collector Dolls Information
Shivatopia
Aeon of Macalania
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I agree with LittleMermaidAriel that as far as the Disney Store is concerned with the market trends, that they are more interested in how quickly the items sells direct from them more than what the secondary market sales are going for (though I assume that it is factored in when they do make decisions on edition sizes). As we all know, what people do with their dolls after buying them from the Disney Store is ultimately their business. So, I think that there is still a good chance that we may see more LE Disney princes, but as for their edition sizes, who knows?
Keep in mind that LE Prince Eric is currently selling for around $150+ (~$200 max) on eBay and it's only been a month since release, which shows me that the trend of at least a 50% mark up out of the gate is to be expected more frequently moving forward. Other LE dolls in the past, like LE Lady Tremaine, LE Cinderella, LE blonde Rapunzel, and LE Queen of Hearts were still quite available at close-to-cost listings for as much as up to a year after their releases (from personal purchasing experiences for those that I did not buy at release). LE Wedding Rapunzel, LE Merida and LE Merida & Elinor are still selling at listings around actual cost, sometimes more sometimes less.
A snap-shot of what I was faced with when I started collecting the 17" LE dolls went something like this in early 2012 (Feb-April) as I recall:
LE Snow White (2009): around $600 (this has not changed much since)
LE Tiana (2010): around $140-$150
LE Belle (2010): around $150-$170
LE blonde Rapunzel (2011): around $110-$130
LE Mother Gothel (2011): around $300
LE Alice (2011): around $300 (this spiked considerably higher shortly after)
LE Queen of Hearts (2011): around $115-$120 (her value shot up alongside LE Alice)
By the end of 2012, when I finally convinced myself to get LE Tiana and LE Belle, their prices went up to $200 and $250, respectively. Character desirability, LE size, hype, and availability on the secondary market all play a factor in the perceived current market values. I think that the resellers kind of shoot themselves in the foot by trying to turn a quick buck when so many of them flood the secondary market with the newest dolls. In general, the only ones who really profit well are the first ones to list and sell on the day of release when the actual item is in-hand. After that, it does peter out and stagnate for a while, and then the prices start going up only when there are less dolls circulating. LE Lady Tremaine is a pretty good example of this, as she was just not selling for very much more than cost for the longest time, but now seems to be doing better, selling for closer to $200 now, and let's be honest: she is not a terribly popular character in the Disney canon. Like with all investments, the desirability and rarity have to be there to actually turn a good profit, and sometimes the item has to sit a while to see its time.
The case of the 2011 Designer Ariel doll is a lot like LE Snow White: a gorgeous doll that was not swarmed on by resellers at release and so more of the dolls ended up in collections rather than as secondary market goods, so they are more rare and therefore command a higher price. Designer Ariel was also helped out a lot by the madness of Dollmageddon (hype).
As for the Harrods LE Anna & Elsa LE 100 doll set, I can see the Disney Store doing stuff like this again in the future. Mattel often had exclusive Barbie dolls with FAO Schwartz, and those dolls were often top-bananas for quite a while in those circles. That said, if they do continue with making such highly expensive and exclusive dolls, I hope that it is managed like these: the same dolls, the same outfit design, but just with a lot more sparkly embellishments compared to the "regular" LE dolls that are affordable and available to the rest of us. The Harrods set is clearly not for the average collector, and I am totally fine with that, but I can see how it can be a nightmare for absolute completionists (sorry Polaris!
).
can't wait for them go all out on the merchandise. I'm already excited for the vinylmation jr. set that they're planning to make.