What is a Celebrity Doll?

A Celebrity doll is a doll that portrays a real person who is famous.  The Shirley Temple doll is a celebrity doll; a doll of Vivian Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara is a celebrity doll BUT a doll portraying a fictional Scarlett O'Hara is not.  

What Are Some of the Most Popular Celebrity Dolls?

• Shirley Temple (1930s to today); Originally by Ideal

• Sonja Henie (1930s & 40s) by Madame Alexander

• Judy Garland Doll by Ideal (1930s; Ideal)

• Buffy & Mrs. Beasley From Family Affair originally by Mattel (1960s and reproduction doll currently available)

• Jackie Kennedy Doll (by Madame Alexander)

• The current series of Mattel Celebrity dolls, including Audrey Hepburn, Elvis Presley, Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra and others.

Why Do People Collect Celebrity Dolls? 

People collect celebrity dolls for a variety of reasons.  Some collectors are drawn to the dolls because they are fans of the celebrity the doll portrays or of the television show or movie that featured the person.  For instance, some collectors of Wizard of Oz memorabilia collect Judy Garland dolls (although they do not collect any other type of doll).  Some doll collectors specialize in the many versions of the Shirley Temple doll throughout the years (often because they were a fan of Shirley and her movies as a child).   Other collectors of celebrity dolls aren't doll collectors at all, but collectors of movie memorabilia including movie-related celebrity dolls.  Finally, doll collectors may simply like a doll, and collect the doll although they are not particularly drawn to the celebrity that the doll represents (for instance, a collector of composition dolls from the 1930s would most likely have some Shirley Temple dolls in their collection, even if they are not a "fan" of Shirley Temple).  

How Long Have Celebrity Dolls Been Produced?

Celebrity dolls have been in production for a very long time.  In the 1840s, several famous ballerinas were featured as paper dolls.  Also in the 1800s, various military heroes were portrayed as dolls/figures.  Things  really heated up in the early 1900s with the advent of the silent films.  The John Bunny doll (a silent film star) was one of the first produced in 1914 by Louis Amberg & Sons.  The first Charlie Chaplin doll was produced in 1915.  The composition Baby Peggy doll was a HUGE success in 1923, also produced by the Amberg company.  The Shirley Temple doll by Ideal was a phenomena in the 1930s--first produced in 1934, millions of the composition Shirley dolls were produced (and, variations of the Shirley doll are being produced to this day, generally in porcelain or vinyl).  After Shirley, companies like Madame Alexander and Ideal produced MANY different celebrity dolls, including Sonja Henie, Jane Withers and Deanna Durbin.

Celebrity dolls remain popular today, especially given the cult of the celebrity that has developed in the 1980s-2000's.   Because of the wide collecting audience for these dolls and their appeal as a cross-over collectible in many instances, some collectors also believe that the dolls have the possibility of appreciating in value in the future.

Some Currently Available Celebrity Dolls:

• Britney Spears (Play Along, Inc.)

• Christine Aguilera (Levin & Schneider - Yaboom)

• Charlie's Angels (from the movie; Jakks Pacific, Inc.)

• Brandy (Mattel)

• Frank Sinatra (Mattel)

• Vivien Leigh  (Mattel)

• Elvis Presley (Mattel)

• Lucille Ball  (Mattel)

• Liz Taylor (Mattel)

• James Dean (Mattel)

• N' Sync (Living Toys)

• Rosie O'Donnell (Mattel)

Books on Celebrity Dolls:

The Encyclopedia of Celebrity Dolls by John Axe. Cumberland, Md.: Hobby House Press, Inc., 1983.  This book is out-of print

Collectors Guide to Celebrity Doll by David Spurgeon (Paperback - due to be published this fall.

Celebrity Dolls Price Guide by Michele Kart (Paperback - due to be published November 2001) 

Books That Include Information on Celebrity Dolls: