Kammer & Reinhardt "Phillip" Doll, ca. 1912
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GUEST:
I inherited it from my grandmother. My mother was born in 1908, and this was hers.
APPRAISER:
Did your mother or your grandmother ever tell you anything about her?
GUEST:
Not-- no, no. I really don't know much about her, except that her head is made in Germany, I think.
APPRAISER:
Well, your doll is made in Germany, and she was made by a company called Kammer and Reinhardt. They made the dolls, but the heads were actually made by another German firm called Simon and Halbig. And we can see that mark on the back of her head. Kammer and Reinhardt is indicated with a "K," a star of David, and "R." And then you'll see Simon and Halbig, and then you'll see the mold
number. This doll was made about 1912, but she has a little secret for you. She actually was marketed as “Phillip.”
GUEST:
Phillip.
APPRAISER:
So somewhere in the 1950s, somebody decided this little boy Phillip...
GUEST:
No kidding!
APPRAISER:
...needed to be a little girl. (both chuckling) So she's had a little bit of a change along her long life. She was made as one of the very popular character dolls. Beautiful head made of bisque with glass sleep eyes, and the other wonderful thing about your doll is that it has a toddler body, and that means that the legs are a little bit chubbier and chunky, like a young toddler would be. That's very desirable with collectors. We do have a wig that's been changed out. The clothes, the shoes, everything's different. So that does affect her value. But retail value for this doll would be $2,000 to $2,500.
GUEST:
(chuckling): Wow. I had no idea it was that... that much. That's amazing. Thank you very much. (chuckles) Wow.
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