You must have come across a porcelain figure at least once in your life, but I bet you never gave much thought to its origins, design, or age. Well, that is about to change because some of the rarest antique figurines have a really high value – and we are talking thousands to millions of bucks!
Intrigued to know what makes them rare or valuable? Then, this article is for you! And trust me, your interest in identifying antique figurines can earn you a fortune, as many collectors already have. So, read on, learn, and thank me later!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Staffordshire, Royal Doulton, Meissen, and Precious Moments are some top figurine manufacturers priced between $1500 and $30000, if not extremely rare.
- Meissen’s White Model of a Great Bustard, with a mere six pieces ever crafted, is one of the highest-selling antique figurines of all time.
- The manufacturer’s logo, style, design, and layout embossed on the base or edges of the figurine determines the age of the porcelain, and so does its value.
- The age of a figurine influences its value and rarity as older creations used primitive techniques, which makes them priceless.
What Makes an Antique Figurine Rare and Valuable?
Have a profound interest in collecting antique figurines but don’t know how to identify the rare and valuable ones? These simple yet special features will make the task easier for you.
- Limited production.
- Owned by a famous person or popularized during a historical event.
- Exceptionally beautiful pieces that look alive.
- Good condition despite chips and cracks.
- Manufactured by famous brands such as Meissen and Dresden Lace.
- Archaeological value; the older, the rarer.
- Signed and numbered typically on the base or edges.
- Manufacturer mark or logo embossed on the bottom or the undersides.
The 12 Most Valuable Vintage Figurines Worth Money
Now that you know how to spot that antique quality in a figurine, it’s time to explore the rarest and most valuable ones out of the lot. Ready?
1. Lladro Cinderella’s Arrival Figurine
Cinderella’s Arrival is a limited Disney edition piece brimming with colorful flowers, gold-plated horse reins, and glossy figures, which make this one as dreamy as Disney movies. Besides, it’s one of the biggest Lladro pieces ever created by the manufacturing giant, so, pretty rare.
Special Features:
- Disney’s limited edition item featuring Cinderella in her carriage
- Harnesses decorated with Zircon
- The intricate decoration inside as well as outside the carriage
- Embellished with glossy porcelain flowers
- Spotless appearance
| Estimated Price | $48,000 – $50,000 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1785 |
| Brand | Lladró |
| Item Length | 19 inches (approx.) |
| Color | Colorful on gray base |
| Place of Origin | Spain |
2. Antique Chinese Qianlong Emperor Blue White Figurine Statue
The story of these vintage China figurines goes back all the way to the Qianlong Dynasty in China. It is a long vintage figurial piece in a blue and white costume with the legendary Chinese dragon hand painted all over it.
Notable Features:
- Ancient Chinese/Mandarin stamped on the bottom
- Exclusively made from porcelain and pottery
- A long braid at the back
- A unique circular pattern on the top of the hat
| Estimated Price | $30,000 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1700s |
| Brand | Qianlong Dynasty |
| Item Height | 15 inches |
| Color | Blue and White |
| Place of Origin | China |
3. Dresden Lace porcelain figurine Volkstedt Lace Carriage
This authentic Dresden Rococo porcelain chariot embellished with colorful flowers carries two beautiful ladies guarded by charioteers on the front and the back. Look closely, and you’d see a small angel sitting on top and admiring the courtly view. The gold polish running all over the edges makes it a rare stunner!
Collectible Features:
- Baroque style figurine
- Women figurials wearing lace porcelain crinoline dresses
- Removable roofs and a flat, solid base
- Marked Volkstedt and signed ‘Dressel and Kister’
- Art pottery design with floral patterns in vibrant colors
| Estimated Price | $15,000 – $25000 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1960-1969 |
| Brand | Volkstedt |
| Item Length | 37 inches |
| Color | Multi-colored |
| Place of Origin | Germany |
4. Meissen’s White Model of a Great Bustard
This extraordinary figurine models a beautiful white Great Bustard preening its feathers while sitting on a tree trunk. The first of only six pieces was delivered to Augustus the Strong in the early 1730s and was sold for about $1 million at a 2015 auction.
Other Special Features:
- Made of hard-paste porcelain
- Initials of designer Johann Jakob Kirchner incised on the underside of the beak
- Exceptionally beautiful and unusually life-like
- Ornate details like trailing leaves, branches, & acorns on the tree trunk
- Minor firing flaws
- Limited edition (only six pieces created)
| Estimated Price | $1 million (Sold at Auction) |
| Manufacturing Year | 1732 |
| Brand | Meissen |
| Item’s Length | 33 inches |
| Color | White |
| Place of Origin | Germany |
5. Rene Lalique Frosted Glass ‘Thais’ Statuette Figurine
A stunner in every sense, this Rene Lalique Frosted Glass figurine is made of glass and exhibits an unclad dancing figure with a tilted head. The beauty of this figurine lies in the wide wrinkled drape held by the wide open arms.
Identifying Features:
- Made of glass with René Lalique marked on the sides
- Mold lines on the body and air bubbles near the base
- Art Deco and Art Nouveau-inspired design
| Estimated Price | $18,000 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1925 |
| Brand | René Lalique |
| Item Height | 9 inches (approx.) |
| Color | Grayish White |
| Place of Origin | Paris, France |
6. Doccia Porcelain Commedia Dell’Arte Harlequin Figure Figurine
It is a pre-Victorian Dell’Arte porcelain figurine of the famous Italian comedian Harlequin in colorful chic clothes with unique patterns. You will also find a hat on the figurial’s head, and it’s holding the hat with one hand and grips clubs in another. The figurine’s face is tilted above, but we can clearly see his beard and mask.
Unique Rare Features:
- Checkered patterns on the costume
- Figurial sitting on a long stand
- Antique Doccia base with colorful scrolls
- Original piece, not reproduced
- Unmarked with only the number 4 written on the bottom
| Estimated Price | $10,000 |
| Manufacturing Year | Pre-1800 |
| Brand | Doccia |
| Item Length | 4 inches |
| Color | Multi-colored |
| Place of Origin | Italy |
7. Meissen’s Pair of Porcelain Chariots
This stunning pair of porcelain chariots carries God ‘Zephyr’ and the ethereal Goddess ‘Floral’ with little cherubs accompanying each royal figure. The beautiful chariots are hand-painted in pastels and decorated with hanging flowers, leaves, and other floral motifs.
Notable Features:
- Lustrous double Meissen swords logo in blue
- Star marking representing the 1774-1815 timeline
- Fully functioning chariot wheels
| Estimated Price | $7,000 |
| Manufacturing Year | Early 19th century |
| Brand | Meissen |
| Item Length | 10 inches (approximately) |
| Color | Multi-colored |
| Place of Origin | Germany |
8. Capodimonte Horse-Drawn Carriage
This whimsical horse-drawn carriage is run by a young coachman escorting a lovely lady sitting at the back and admiring the flowers decorated all over the carriage. This Capodimonte figurine is big and heavy, which makes it more precious and worth thousands!
Collectible Features:
- Base decorated with floral designs and intricate patterns
- Marked Made in Italy and artist signed (D Polo-uiato)
- Crown logo with manufacturing year written on the edge
- Antique-style open carriage with rustic wooden wheels
| Estimated Price | $7,000 – $8,000 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1776 |
| Brand | Capodimonte |
| Item Length | 30 inches |
| Color | Multi-colored |
| Place of Origin | Italy |
9. Super Rare Paired Sevres Children Group Figurine
The VERY RARE Sevres masterpiece is easily distinguishable as it depicts two boys and one sleeping girl on one model and two girls looking at a sleeping boy on another. This figurine pair glows in pure white with detailed floral patterns running on the surface.
Collectible Features:
- A vase placed on a stand behind the figurials in both models
- Ornate engraved floral pattern on the back of the vase stands
- A small piece of a girl’s cloth is adhered
- Marked by ‘Sevres’ interlaced stamp along with letter B
- Attached base with finely detailed flowers
| Estimated Price | $3,000 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1754 |
| Brand | France Sevres |
| Item Length | 8 inches (Approx.) |
| Color | White |
| Place of Origin | France |
10. Bible Judaica Staffordshire Pearlware Vase Figurine
This unmarked Staffordshire pearlware vase figurine represents the popular story of the Binding of Isaac, where a man named Abraham, on God’s command, raises a knife to slay his son, Isaac.
God, however, intervened and replaced his son with a sacrificial lamb, which can be seen with intricate details below the boy.
Other Unique Features:
- A hollow tree trunk at the back as a vase
- Black marks on the back
- Produced using the unique pottery technique
- Barefoot figural
| Estimated Price | $3,000 |
| Manufacturing Year | 18th century |
| Brand | N/A |
| Item’s Height | 13 inches |
| Color | Multi-colored |
| Place of Origin | United Kingdom |
11. Royal Doulton’s Fox in Hunting Dress Charles Noke Figurine
This figurine is a vintage piece from the Animals Farm & Country Series of the Royal Doulton. It exhibits a glazed fox wearing a red hunting dress and sitting pretty and gazing through the corners of its wide eyes. It is created with stoneware and porcelain and has a glossy coat.
Distinct Features:
- Rare Charles Noke Piece
- Company’s logo, ‘the lion,’ inscribed on the bottom
- MADE IN ENGLAND engraved below the firm’s logo
- ‘HN 100’ written clearly above the logo
- Art pottery style from the Art Deco era
| Estimated Price | $1,500 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1920 |
| Brand | Royal Doulton |
| Item Height | 6 inches (approx.) |
| Color | Multi-colored |
| Place of Origin | United Kingdom |
12. Precious Moments God Loveth a Cheerful Giver Figurine
The original God Loveth a Cheerful Giver figurine features a girl holding a cart filled with puppies in one hand and a piece of paper that reads ‘Free Puppies’ in another. The figurine comes with a solid base and is hand-painted with pastel colors.
Identifying Features:
- Jonathan & David inscribed on the bottom with the manufacturing year and title
- Super Rare since the product was discontinued in 1981
- Paper tag with the logo of Precious Moments
| Estimated Price | $500 |
| Manufacturing Year | 1977 |
| Brand | Enescro (Precious Moments) |
| Item Length | 5 inches (approx.) |
| Color | Multi-colored (Pastels) |
| Place of Origin | United States |
Now that you can easily identify a valuable antique figurine from a regular one, we hope you understand that these captivating items are not just ornaments from the past but also treasures of the future.
So, go ahead and start identifying and collecting the vintage figurines with the highest value. And if you’re looking for more unique rare items, check out my exclusive lists of rare breyer horses, unique cabbage patch dolls, and rare beanie boos!
