Dollhouses have been a popular toy and collectors item for centuries. Recently, an explosion in popularity of all things small and cute has meant that many more adults are now getting into making, renovating and styling dollhouses.
If you’re new to the world of dollhouses, or if you’ve had a dollhouse tucked away in the attic for a while, you might be interested to find out if there’s a market for dollhouses. I spoke to some local antique dealers and an auctioneer to find out what the dollhouse market is like in 2021 and below is what I discovered.
In 2021, dollhouses are slow sellers at antique centres and are not as popular as they were a few years ago at auctions. Dollhouses that make the most money tend to be high quality, well made antique dollhouses, that are 100 years old or more. Rarity, age and condition have the biggest impact on price. The market for dollhouse furniture is much more dynamic with furniture selling quickly and at high prices, particularly at auction. As prices are low at the moment, it’s a good time to invest in dollhouses and dollhouse furniture.
Is there a market for dollhouses in 2021?
I spoke to Paul Beighton from Paul Beighton Auctioneers Ltd in Rotherham and he said they sell around one or two dollhouses per month on average, but they aren’t as popular with children as they once were. He said, “Dollhouses are still bought and sold in auction although they seem to have fallen out of favor with modern day children.”
Andy Cook, director of The Warehouse, an antiques centre in Kelham Island, Sheffield, agrees, “I would say there is, not as much of a market for dollhouses as in the 19th or 20th centuries but I’m sure there are many children that would be delighted to play with such a toy.” He also added that it could just be the UK where sales are currently slow, “The market might be larger in Scandinavian countries as many do originate from there, as well as Holland, Belgium and Germany in particular.”
So, although dollhouses aren’t as popular as they once were, there is still a market for them, albeit a slow one. As the market is slow, now would be a great time to invest in antique dollhouses and furniture.
What type of dollhouse sells well at auction?
Age, scarcity, condition and quality of the craftsmanship are the main factors that dictate how well a dollhouse sells either at auction or through an antiques dealer.
Paul said, “Some of the later dollhouses have electric lighting built in them but the antique ones make more money, as they’re usually better made, both versions usually come complete with the furniture.”
So even the the modern fittings of more contemporary dollhouses won’t mean they’ll make as much money as an older, better made dollhouse at auction.
Paul added, “Quality speaks for itself and will always reflect in the price it achieves in auction, but it is fair to say that prices in comparison to five years ago remain low. There has never been a better time to invest in any form of antique pieces.”
I also asked Howard Greaves from Dronfield Antiques what type of dollhouse sells well and he agreed that it’s only really antique dollhouses, and not more modern branded houses that sell well, “As most dollhouses were homemade, branding doesn’t generally come into the matter.”
Andy Cook said that for modern dollhouses, small ones sell better, due to many people not having enough space for larger dollhouses, “I would say the smaller the better for 21st century houses, well painted and decorated within; and of course furniture and the like always make it more desirable. And probably the more ‘Hansel & Gretel’ the better when it comes to design and desirability – think Disney!”
Do dollhouses come up often at auction or antique centres?
Andy Cook said, “I come across dollhouses quite often, especially at large country estate auctions. However, these tend to be rather grandiose and require a large bedroom to fit and also a large wallet to boot. These things are often incredibly well made and take a lot of skill to build and fit out – think wallpapering at this scale! We have had many vintage toys, dolls and vehicles in and out of our doors, but alas no dollhouses to date.”
As Paul mentioned above, Paul Beighton Auctioneers Ltd see a couple of dollhouses come up at auction each month. Most recently a Gee Bee Toys wooden dollhouse sold for £10. Gee Bee Toys was a Hull-based company that started making dollhouses in the mid-1940s, you can find out lots more about the fascinating history of this company at the website Dollhouses Past and Present.
I checked the archived catalogues of sales at Sheffield Auction Gallery and found that in 2020, only two dollhouses were sold at auction (that were listed in the sold catalogues anyway), a Georgian-style dollhouse for £45 and a mock Tudor dollhouse for £40.
In 2019, again the catalogues listed that just two dollhouses were sold, one was a tinplate mid-century Mettoy Dolls House, sold in a lot with other toys for £28 and the other was a 20th century dollhouse that sold for £65.
If you’re looking for a dollhouse to renovate, rather than a possible antique, you might be best looking at places such as Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Charity shops and car boot sales often sell dollhouses for next to nothing, or you might get one for free, like I did, from online recycling websites such as Freecycle.
How much do dollhouses sell for at auction?
After looking at lots of sold prices on online catalogues and auctions, the vast majority of dollhouses seem to sell for less than £100. These are mainly kit built dollhouses, which have been popular since the 1980s, or older houses which have been mass produced, such as Mettoy and Triang dollhouses, but which aren’t in the best condition.
Anything that sells for more than this tends to be a least 100 years old, have exceptional detail and craftsmanship and be in very good condition. Some very early brand-name dollhouse, such as those from the American company Bliss or the German companies Gottschalk and Christian Hacker, can fetch hundreds or even thousands of pounds at auction.
Have a quick look through the sold catalogue at Barnabys.co.uk to see what kind of dollhouses make the most substantial amounts of money – they are often very grand houses that are heirlooms which have been in the same family for generations.
And of course, always get a professional valuation before selling anything of you think might be of value, especially if it’s a much-loved item!
Considering dollhouse kits can cost as little as £100, you may save money buying a standard dollhouse at auction or at an antiques centre and you won’t have to build a dollhouse kit from scratch. I renovated my dollhouse by removing the carpets and wallpaper and stripping it back to its original condition. This didn’t take a long time and it was much easier than building a new dollhouse and I was recycling an existing dollhouse in the process!
This kit house from Hobbies is very similar to my dollhouse and costs £99 if you did want to have a go at assembling a dollhouse yourself.
Is there a market for dollhouse furniture?
According to Nic Marshall at Sheffield Antiques Emporium, there’s no pattern as to what sells well with dollhouses, however, they have “three dealers who sell dollhouse furniture and that sells very well – they probably sell some every day.” I visited Sheffield Antiques Emporium and it was a treasure trove of dollhouse bits and bobs, read more on this below.
This was echoed by John Anderson, an auctioneer and valuer at Anderson & Garland salesroom in Newcastle, in an interview with the Antiques Trade Gazette, “Anderson said the dolls’ house furniture section of this market “is the most dynamic” while demand for “traditional vintage and antique dolls has dwindled”. A lot of dolls and dollhouse furniture from the late 19th century/early 20th century, with an estimate of £500-£900, sold for £2200 at auction in A&G in December 2020.
The catalogues of the Sheffield Auction Gallery tell a similar story – in 2020 two trays of dollhouse furniture sold for £780 and another lot of dollhouse furniture sold for £520. In both cases the estimate was just £20-£30!
It’s the same on eBay, a quick search for dollhouse furniture shows that these lots have more bids and are selling at a higher price than some dollhouses.
Dollhouse furniture from Sheffield’s Antique Quarter
I decided to investigate firsthand what dollhouse items were for sale in the antique shops near us in Sheffield. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of dollhouses, furniture and toys in general that were available. I took my daughter Joni with me and ended spending way more than I intended on tiny pieces of furniture!
We visited Sheffield Antique Emporium and they had a beautiful mock Tudor dollhouse in stock for £90 and loads of dollhouse furniture. I spent over £30 on the below haul. I particularly like the Welsh dresser which was just £8.50. Joni chose the soft furnishings and the mirror which, unfortunately, I dropped on the floor as soon as we got home and broke it!
The chairs were just £2 each and the kitchen sink and cooker were £4 each, the soft furnishings and baskets came in the same set for £4.
Most items of furniture for sale were well under £10, so antique centres are an excellent place to go and have a rummage for some one-off dollhouse furniture and accessories. Compared with prices online for new furniture, you can expect to pay less than half price for similar items.
We also popped into Sheffield Antique Centre and they had a large homemade dollhouse for £40 which had a few items of furniture in it. I spoke to the chap behind the desk and he said that although they do get quite a lot of dollhouse furniture in, it’s so popular, it sells very quickly. He said although there’s no average price items are sold for, most dollhouse furniture goes for a few pounds, unless they are exceptional pieces.
It’s been so interesting looking into the value of dollhouses and dollhouse furniture and, of course, going shopping for some beautiful miniature pieces! If you do want to get involved in buying or selling dollhouses and accessories then speak to an expert at an auction or antiques centre for advice.