Help! -estimated value of antiquity doll?

I am in the possession of a doll of some antiquity.
external imageClick picture for larger image

Since this is hardly my territory, I have not really been successful in figuring out the aproximate value of it.

What I believe I have figured out, is that it was made between 1860-1870, in England.
Thats about it.
It has been very hard to find pictures of other similar dolls from that same era, that I can compare my doll to.
I would like to figure out where it was produced, and what the estimated price at an auction would be.

I have attached links to 9 pictures of it, showing different details.
Hat
Face
Arm
Hand
Shoes
Layers of clothes
Handkerchief in pocket!
Unfolded handkerchief
Because they are detailed, I haven't been sparce with their size...

The Doll is 14" tall from head to toe.
The quality of the doll is not in mint condition, but all parts are there, no changes has been made. No repair, no fix-up. The things that make it less than mint, is for instance the metal thread-broidery on the arms are somewhat loosened over the years. (everything is still there). And the hat has been damaged due to wear and tear. Including some degree of fading of the colour of the outer dress, due to sun.
Fine cotton and silk tend to wear down over the centuries

I think it is very nice, and amazingly detailed with silk-broidery, multiple layers of handsewn cotton and flanellclothing. The lady even wears long cotton underpants.
The china porcelain face has not a single "wrinkle" to it yet.
She has still got her small handkerchief in a pocket under her top dress.
The head is china painted. What I find peculiar, is that she has a very asian-looking face, compared to other dolls of the time, which looks much more lustrous/plum/obese, whatever you'd like to call it...
The body is made of cloth.
The hands are of leather, and the shoes too. The hands still has it's fingers and the shoes has it's laces. the shoes seems to consist of three separate parts, made to be... ...a shoe. Impressive handcraft.

If someone could give me an input on what kind of dress this is, that would also be much appreciated. Is it a folk- or sunday-dress or is it free design of patterns, colourization and alike...

I have figured out that the value of this kind of doll will be between 50$ and 11.000$

It is worth alot more than 50$ but surely less than 11.000$...
As far as I can tell, it should start on 300$ as the absolute minimum

What is it that makes a doll SO valuable, as 11.000$?? Any clues?
Of course, if it is never taken out of the original box, and the box is sealed.
If it doesn't have it's box, deduct 50%.
Still that would make it to 6000$

What makes the value of a doll surpass 1,000$?


Edited in an "if" to improve my slacker grammar

[edit on 5-4-2005 by Ulvetann]

You've got all the pictures and stuff you need to contact Sotheby's and find out. Or look up doll people on eBay and contact them.

Note auction people will value it high (commission) and buyers will value it low (profit).

Thanks. Sotheby's... Good idea...
-I have a problem with "doll people on Ebay"... ...I feel they are posessed by Chucky...

I have finally figured out some more stuff regarding this fashionable little Lady...

She is the unique result of some unknown old lady making it, inspired by the danish folkdress of the time, used in the area of Copenhagen where there was a rather large dutch colony. A place named Amager, today.
It is most likely not that old as first believed, but it is created somewhere before/around the 1920.
No wonder it was hard to find clones... ...there is none!
Looking through some books, some pictures where found of daily life at the time. Not many though. Geez, didn't they have the colour-videocamera, already?
And, indeed. There was the dress. Success.

Now, I only have to brace myself, take the doll under the arm, and go to the museum, to see if they can tell me some more...

5 dollars.

Maybe you can trick someone. J/k