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The letter was postmarked Vienna, Austria and it was from one Mr. Vaclac Sladky, the founder of the Vienna Doll and Toy Museum that had been auctioned by Theriault’s that January weekend. Among the dolls sold at the auction was one that Vaclac Sladky, in attendance at the auction, noted was “my first doll”. Returning to Vienna after the auction, Sladky searched through his files and found a photo he knew existed. It was himself, 35 years younger, holding this doll that he had just discovered at a Vienna flea market. He sent it to the doll’s new owner, and the photograph now lives, along with the doll, in its new Michigan home. It may have been the record attendance, the wonderful antique dolls and toys, and the exceptional prices they realized (the weekend totaling over $2.2 million), but it was the bon vivant and generous spirit pervading the entire three days that collectors will most likely remember. Like Mr. Sladky, who spoke little English, jokingly saying through a translator to Stuart Holbrook, President of Theriault’s, “Every time I heard my name I just stood up and waved”. Or like the collectors who clamored weekend-long for his autograph in their exquisite commemorative catalog. And like the dazzling exhibit that recaptured the original museum displays including the actual museum cabinets that had been shipped from Vienna for the auction. And like the collectors who had visited the museum in Vienna and eagerly sought-out the favorite dolls they remembered. Or like the collectors who had never visited Vienna but said “this is my chance to see the museum before it disappears”. Record prices abounded from the get-go. Lot #1 of the Theriault’s auction was a miniature toy shop filled with antique toys and dolls, estimated at $2500/3500. It soared to $28,000. The three dolls featured on the cover of the auction catalog were eagerly sought, tripling and quadrupling their pre-sale estimates. Collector’s love affair with French dolls continued, as a 32” Jumeau triste bebe and a 19” Bru bebe, circle-dot model, each reached $23,000 (pre-sale estimates $15,000/18,000). Two automata by Lambert with Polichinelle themes were featured; one costumed as Polichinelle that clanged cymbals went to $9500, and another with crying Jumeau character-faced bebe holding her “broken” Polichinelle went to $14,000. Meanwhile a French pull-toy Polichinelle sold for $6000. A fine collection of bisque French fashion ladies ranged from a model with original boutique label at $5000 to a wooden-bodied Bru fashion lady at $8750. A porcelain fashion lady by Rohmer sold for $8000 and a model by Adelaide Huret went to $20,000 in vigorous bidding that far surpassed pre-sale estimates. In the German doll category, choices abounded. Collectors at the Theriault auction vied for a delightful collection of bisque googly dolls. One example, of which few are known to exist, was model 319 by the Heubach Kopppelsdorf firm; it sold for $14,000 (pre-sale $2000/2500) despite a repair to the bisque forehead. A little 6” all-bisque Max character was $1600, a Kestner 221 googly was $13,500 and an Einco googly with wonderful military costume went for $8500. Googlies from the helmet series of Max Handwerck, made about 1916, including the two-faced Turkish/Austrian model for $4600 and the rare Japanese model at $8000. Another doll with bisque modeled helmet was a diminutive 10” Gebruder Heubach that sold for $5800, more than tripling its high pre-sale estimate. This is the second major European doll and toy museum to be auctioned by Theriault’s in the past year, and once again, collectors expressed delight at the choices of dolls and ephemera not easily found in American collections. These included a collection of small bisque dolls as Christmas tree ornaments that sold for more than $10,000 in several lots; a delightful 3” all-bisque seated doll by Simon and Halbig that went to $5000 (pre-sale $400/600), a pair of early Simon and Halbig 8” fashion dolls that sold for $4500 and $3700 respectively, three dollhouse-sized paper mache soldiers at $2400, and a rare composition character doll attributed to Kaulitz at $14,000. The collection included a number of dolls by German maker Bahr and Proschild including dolly-faced models with rare model numbers that belie their standard look; these included model 209 at $2400, 261 at $1700, 370 at $1800, and 260 at $1800. Character dolls by the same firm included model 2072 at $1700 and $539 at $3800. Early dolls were also highlighted in the auction. A rare lady doll with black sculpted hair sold $15,000, delighting one collector and deeply disappointing another, while a small porcelain “Morning Glory” head sold for $1900 and its larger sister, complete with body and costume, went to $6250. Combining the delights of dolls and toys was a rare balancing doll in its original box along with tightrope and balancing sticks that sold for $5400, and push-toy butterfly catcher that reached $2100. More than 500 lots of fine dolls and toys were sold in the two-day auction, and each was photographed and fully described in the 185 page hardbound catalog. A few copies of the catalog remain and are available at $75 including prices realized at www.theriaults.com or by calling 800-638-0422. Theriault’s, the internationally respected auction firm that specializes exclusively in dolls and childhood antiques, is located in Annapolis, Maryland and conducts its auctions in major US cities. The upcoming catalog auctions of the 35-year old firm include March 17 at the Sheraton Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia; May 5 and 6 at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas; and July 15 at the Sheraton Dearborn near Detroit, Michigan. For further information, email info@theriaults.com or telephone 800-638-0422. Free color brochures of these events are available.
CAPTIONS Lots 221-223. Three early German dolls had been featured by the Vienna Doll and Toy Museum in museum brochures and posters, and were on the cover of Theriault’s auction catalog. Left to right: 20” German bisque mystery doll, marked 134, selling at $12,000 (pre-sale $3000/4000), 20” German bisque boy (hairline) with kid body, reaching $5000 against a pre-sale estimate of $700/1000, and 14” early German bisque child by Simon and Halbig that went for $8000 (presale-estimate $2200/2800). 304. Few examples are known to exist of this delightful googly, model 319, by Heubach Koppelsdorf. Despite a repair to its bisque forehead, the doll sold for $14,000, seven times its pre-sale estimate, at Theriault’s January auction of the Vienna Doll and Toy Museum. 1. The opening lot of the auction of the Vienna Doll and Toy Museum was this miniature 36”l. toy store filled to the brim with miniature dolls and toys. Estimated at $2500/3500 it soared to $28,000 with vigorous bidding from floor, telephone and internet bidding.
356. A fine all-original bebe Jumeau, with an elaborate trousseau and trunk, sold for $18,000 at Theriault’s auction of the Vienna (Austria) Doll and Toy Museum. 294. An early sculpted hair doll by Simon and Halbig reached $2900 and was one of a fine group of early dolls by that firm that were eagerly bid by collectors at Theriault’s auction. 297. The German dollhouse room, 22” x 11”, was fitted with rare Rock and Graner lithographed tin miniature furniture including a keywind musical piano. It went to $30,000 with numerous bidders contending, far exceeding its pre-sale estimate.
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