
Appraisal: German Wax Doll with Original Dress, ca. 1890
Clip: Season 29 Episode 3 | 2m 18sVideo has Closed Captions
Appraisal: German Wax Doll with Original Dress, ca. 1890
In Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Hour 3, Billye Harris appraises a German wax doll with original dress, ca. 1890.
Funding for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is provided by Ancestry and American Cruise Lines. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.

Appraisal: German Wax Doll with Original Dress, ca. 1890
Clip: Season 29 Episode 3 | 2m 18sVideo has Closed Captions
In Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Hour 3, Billye Harris appraises a German wax doll with original dress, ca. 1890.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipGUEST: I bought her at an estate sale a couple of weeks ago, and she came with a little card that said she was a rare, 31-inch, poured wax... APPRAISER: Okay.
GUEST: ...blue glass-eyed doll.
I don't know what that means.
(laughs) APPRAISER: (chuckles) Okay.
And what did you pay for her?
GUEST: $100.
APPRAISER: Well, your doll was made in Germany.
GUEST: Oh.
APPRAISER: And she's a wax doll.
And what's really special about her is usually wax dolls have glass eyes...
GUEST: Uh-huh.
APPRAISER: ...that just stare at you.
But these actually sleep.
GUEST: Yes.
They look brown to me.
But the card said they were blue, and I wondered if they'd turned color.
(laughs) APPRAISER: No.
So, you know what?
When you get a card with a doll, it doesn't necessarily mean it went with the doll.
GUEST: Oh.
And she also came with-with this?
APPRAISER: Right.
GUEST: This separate dress.
It was just in a plastic bag with her.
APPRAISER: Right.
So this was probably the dress that she wore originally.
GUEST: Oh, really?
APPRAISER: And then someone added this baby dress later...
GUEST: Oh.
APPRAISER: ...which is very sweet.
And...
GUEST: Here I thought the other way around.
(chuckles) APPRAISER: And one thing I really wanted to note about this doll is I see a lot of German wax dolls...
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: ...and let me tell you, and I'm sorry, I don't want to offend the other wax dolls out in the world, (laughs) but they're usually not very pretty.
They're just kind of... homely.
(laughs) But look at this child.
I mean...
GUEST: She is pretty.
APPRAISER: ...she is pretty.
GUEST: And big.
I-- she's like a small child, really.
APPRAISER: She is, she's child size.
GUEST: (laughs) Yes.
She-- APPRAISER: --trust me, I'm holding her.
She's child weight.
GUEST: (laughing): I know she is.
(both laugh) APPRAISER: Just this costume by itself...
GUEST: Uh-huh.
APPRAISER: ...would sell for $300 or $400.
GUEST: Really?
Even with all the moth holes?
(giggling) APPRAISER: Even with the moth holes.
On ROADSHOW, we like the moth holes.
That means it's not been messed with.
Retail on your doll, we'd be looking at $750 to $950.
GUEST: Not counting the dress!
I'm-- and how much did you say the dress was?
APPRAISER: $300 to $400.
GUEST: $300 to $400?
I'm shocked.
(laughs) I am shocked.
APPRAISER: Are you still going to give this doll to your sister?
GUEST: Mmm... (laughs) Maybe in a year or so.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipFunding for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is provided by Ancestry and American Cruise Lines. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.