Lenci Sam sold for $19,000

The Candy Spelling Doll Auction results are online now and Lenci collectors will be interested in the closing prices,especially for the rarely seen Lenci characters. The highest price in the Lenci category went to the later model Lenci character Sam that sold for: $19,000. This may well be a record price for this 1940's-50's era remake of the earlier 1925 Sam.  This later model Sam is slimmer than the chubby and more child-like earlier Sam of 1925. This model Sam was exhibited in  December 1953 at the annual Toy Trade Show in Italy - watch the 1953 archive  video clip below  or see the entire newsreel at Archivo Luce  CLick Here to watch the archive video at archivioluce you can see the 1953 Lenci exhibit at around 0-2-18-20 the on screen counter. Sam is briefly is on the left of the screen at the start of the following clip - see also the screen capture below.

Lenci Sam Original 1925 Lenci Catalog

Compare to the earlier 1925 Lenci Sam which is a standing chubbier child-like doll with more rounded eyes, listed as model 260 at 31 inches tall. He did not have a waistcoat and is made of brown felt. The later Sam is made to be seated like a boudoir doll and is of black felt.

Screen Capture Lenci Toy Trade Show 1953 - Sam is seated on the left

Above is a screen capture from the 1953 Trade Show video, the Lenci Sam is seated to the Left of the screen, this video clip is interesting because it shows some of the larger boudoir dolls that were on sale that year - note the lady doll in black the commentator refers to as "Anna Karenina" and the Spanish Lady with Guitar, Large Russian Dolls and Japanese Costume dolls. This newsreel is a brief but rare glimpse of the Lenci dolls on offer in the early 1950's - there is no complete Lenci catalog for the 1940s-50s. If you have Marco Tosa's Book "Bambole Lenci" you can see full color photos of dolls from this era of production. The Lenci Sam on page 155 in the Tosa book has a green Lenci paper tag that was in use during this later period of production - however the date given in the Tosa book refers to the date of the earlier series of 1925.

SAM 1925

See the rest of the auction results of the Candy Spelling Lenci dolls