Valley Doll Museum collection auctioned off in Edmonton, with one fetching $1,000


“People were very excited and happy today picking up their new treasures for their collections”

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A massive inventory of dolls from the Valley Doll Museum in Drumheller is up for auction in Edmonton, with one rare item already selling for $1,000.

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On Wednesday, more than 700 rare and vintage dolls went up for sale as owner Linda Schuler withdraws from the business.

Auctioneer at Beck Auctions, Clinton Beck, said the interest has already been enormous, with almost all of the first half of the collection selling Wednesday to collectors across Canada and the United States.

“This is definitely one of the largest collections I’ve ever seen in one genre,” he said.

Beck said the most expensive doll, a unique handmade French fashion doll with a china face and leather hands, dates back to 1840 and is in perfect condition.

“Finding something like that is a real treasure,” said Beck, adding many of the dolls have traveled the globe changing hands, with some selling Wednesday for as much as $500 to $700.

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“People were very excited and happy today picking up their new treasures for their collections,” he said on Thursday.

Because the collection is so big, the auction house ran out of room to hold it all and has to hold two events, with the remaining dolls slated to go up for another auction, yet to be scheduled.

“All the doll collecting people are all very excited that that next section is coming up soon,” said Beck.

Schuler purchased the museum more than 20 years ago, acquiring a collection from original owners Gladys Steeves and Shirley Brack, who had traveled the US and Canada buying dolls from antique shops and other collectors for years.

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