This Royal Doulton market to all contrary opinions is alive and well. The 9th edition of Royal Doulton Figurines, a Charlton Standard Catalogue, will reinforce this statement many times over. The good news, over 90% of the prices are higher in this edition over the last, a handful are unchanged, with a small number in negative territory. The downward price trend started in 2000 with stock markets falling on difficult times, taking the edge off collector spending.

Catalogue prices are suggested retail prices, they are prices a collector may expect to pay, possibly with a small discount, in a retail environment.

The 9th edition has 552 pages, 520 include the introduction, listings, collecting by series, and an alphabetical index, then 32 colour pages, giving the collector a complete reference to Royal Doulton figurines.

A new addition to the catalogue is the In Vogue series of Pretty Ladies dressed in black evening gowns. The Breast Cancer Charity figurine for research support continued this year with thirteen Canadian celebrities signing either a Dawn or Spring Morning figure. The Nostalgia series added three new figures, bringing the total to nine in the series. The M Series has been revived with the addition of ten new miniature Pretty Ladies. A very limited edition, only 200 of each new colourway, for Bathing Beauty, Brighton Belle, Summer’s Darling and Taking the Waters, was issued. The new Figure of the Year, the Collectors Club, and Event Figures are all included.

The commissioned figures of Great Universal Stores, and Compton & Woodhouse, plus other mail order houses in the United Kingdom are extremely difficult to find in North America.

The black and white page count has remained constant with the 7th edition. This was accomplished by carrying forward from the 6th edition, the two listings per page format into the Loving Cups chapter, allowing for the new additions without expansion.

What will be a plus to the collector is that the number of 4-colour pages has doubled in the 7th edition. There are now 32 pages of colour illustrating different series, types and colourways of the toby and character jugs series.

The new issues of 2002 and 2003 have been added, with each listing providing the name of the jug, the series to which it belongs, the designer, size, dates of issue and discontinuation, handle design, variations and colourways, backstamps, and current prices for the U.K., U.S. and Canadian markets. Information on the Royal Doulton Collectors Club, Doulton Dealers, Auctions and Fairs has been updated for 2003.

In the late 1960s Royal Doulton experimented with a new body slip, English Translucent China (ETC) for jug production in lieu of earthenware (EW). One of the concepts was a better reproduction of features and detail. The new composition did not perform as hoped and was discontinued in 1971. As a result we have an approximate four year window in which you can have two compositions for the same jug. We have listed and priced all the known variations of these two compositions. Another listing is noted but not priced, that of the white jugs. Jugs that are not painted but received only a white glaze on the earthenware body. There are well over 50 different varieties of white jugs found so far.

Prices have firmed slightly since the 6th edition was released, with some of the scarce jugs inching towards new highs. The Clark Gable character jugs issued for a short time in 1984, sold on e-Bay in March 2003, in excess of $5,000 U.S.F., against a previous catalogue price of $4,800. U.S.F.

Included in the new 7th edition is a chapter on Teapots. Teapots have long been listed in the Jugs book as derivatives, such as Tony Weller, Sairey Gamp, etc., so with the advent of Royal Doulton's new release of eight new teapot designs, we created a chapter for these items and all their supporting information.

The third edition was released November 20th, 2003, in North America and December 5th, 2003, in the United Kingdom. This edition is slightly larger than the previous, with 360 pages of text and 32 pages of colour. A 6% increase over the 2nd edition. Additional information in the Bunnykins Commemoratives section, plus the new additions to the figurine section account for this increase. DB1 through DB313 is now listed and priced. Commemorative wares incorporating the 2003 Bunnykins Extravaganza Event in Stoke, May 11th and 12th, are now listed.

The transfer of the production of Bunnykins figures to China has certainly caused a disturbance in the Bunnykins market. There are those who feel Barbara Vernon’s creations will never be the same, and then there are those of us who feel that her compassion is not so prophetical as to confine her creations to any particular country.

Bunnykins has entered a new phase, they have become a global collectable, like the figures of Walt Disney’s Winnie the Pooh, Coalport’s Snowman, and Border Fine Arts’ Beatrix Potter, all had their roots in the United Kingdom. All now compete in a very competitive market place, and all are produced in the Far East. It is interesting to note that the most outspoken opponent of the new Bunnies promotes a Snowman Series which is manufactured in the same area.

For all the hoopla of Bunnykins sinking into to the sunset, it certainly is not confirmed by the pricing trends in to 2004. The 3rd edition catalogue prices are ten to fifteen per cent higher than those in the second edition. Over 70% of the DB numbers rose in price, while 17% were even in price with the 2nd edition, and only 11% moved into negative territory. The slight down turn in prices (11%) happened mainly in limited edition issues, maybe they ran too high, too fast. Markets correct, it is a sad fact of life, but they will move higher again in the future. Maybe the quantities and issue prices of the limited editions should be examined for the next year or two.

Bunnykins figurines are coming of age, evolving into three main markets: the gift or general issue market, collectable limited edition issues, and the yearly event or commemorative issues. The gift or general issues are now relatively inexpensive and distributed worldwide, making them the collectable of the future. Production numbers of 5,000 to 20,000 pieces, at four bunnies to each outlet, is meaningless in a market when you are able to sell through 2500 retail outlets worldwide. That is only 2 to 8 bunnies per store in a global market place that counts the eligible buyers in the hundreds of millions.

New discoveries over the past two years in nursery ware shape / pattern combinations have been incorporated in to the listings. Prices have been revised. Even with over three editions of accumulated experience behind us, prices are still not fully developed due to the many hundreds of variables, however, the corner has been turned and the 3rd edition prices are the most accurate yet. New finds in Fine White China nursery ware are added, along with pricing for the individual shapes and patterns. We must caution the collector on these prices however, as they are the first listings and our emphasis is on “indications only.” Due to the rarity of white china shapes, pricing is still between the buyer and seller.

This guide is the most comprehensive and informative of its kind on the market today. The only guide to offer the collector a clear insight in to the happenings of the Bunnykins market.