Disney Princess
Buy and sell Disney Princess dolls in Panama.
Disney Princess dolls in Panama arrive from two directions: the toy-shop shelf, where Ariel, Belle and Moana are Mattel dolls in gowns that come off, and the suitcase, where one of Disney’s own classic dolls rides home from a family trip to Orlando. Second-hand ones add a third maker, because the Hasbro dolls from its years with the licence are still in family toy boxes. Alongside new boxed dolls there are pre-owned ones, and a pre-owned Jasmine has often lost her tiara along the way. Which of the three made her decides whether her gown comes off at all.
Who made the princess decides what she can wear:
three makers have put the same princesses into Panamanian homes, and their dolls play differently. The ones in toy shops now are Mattel’s: posable, in a fabric gown that comes right off. Before them Hasbro held the licence for several years, and its dolls, the Royal Shimmer line among them, wear a moulded plastic bodice with only the skirt removable, so a Hasbro Belle can change skirts and nothing else. The third kind comes home in a suitcase: Disney’s own classic dolls, picked up on a trip to Orlando, with faces closer to the films and more joints than either toy-shop doll. Small princesses sold with a stacking castle or a ship to keep them in are a different toy, made for younger hands. An older girl who has moved past film characters and wants a doll with more attitude is usually heading for the Bratz.
Matching the doll to the child who will play with her:
the youngest players do best with the small dolls and their castles, because there is no gown to lose and nothing to tug off. A child who wants to dress and undress her princess needs a current Mattel doll, whose gown, gloves and shoes all come off and go back on. A Hasbro doll suits the child who mostly brushes hair and acts out the film. Disney’s own classic doll is the one for a shelf or for an older girl who will look after her. The Mattel dolls do not stand up on their own, so one meant for display needs a stand.
Party-dress princesses and the ones sold with a pet:
in Panama a basic Mattel princess in her party dress sits around $10 to $12 new, and the dolls that come with an animal friend, a colour-reveal surprise or a small stacking castle run closer to $35. A loose one in her own gown fetches a fraction of that, because toy shops restock the same characters every season. A feature doll keeps more of her price only while the pet and accessories are still with her. A boxed Disney classic doll carried back from Orlando sits outside both, since she is not on the toy-shop shelves here at all.
Where a second-hand princess shows her age:
on a Hasbro doll, look closely at the plastic bodice. The shimmer finish scuffs and the moulded top can crack at the edges, and neither can be repaired. On any maker’s doll, Rapunzel’s long hair is the one that mats. Turn the gown over and check the fastening at the back still holds, because a gown that will not close is a gown that goes missing within the week. Then look for the small pieces. The tiara and shoes are tiny and the first things to vanish, and a feature doll without her Flounder is a basic doll at a higher price. A Disney classic doll is worth more with her box. Look-alikes sold in bulk copy a princess’s colours but not her face, and the face is what a child notices.
Naming the maker when you list a princess doll:
put the maker in the title next to the character, whether Mattel, Hasbro or Disney itself, because a parent filling the gaps in a set wants the faces to match, and the two toy-shop makers’ Ariels look like different girls. Mattel also makes Barbie, so a family’s toy box often holds both; list the princesses on their own, because they are searched for by character rather than by brand. Photograph each doll from the front and the back with her gown fastened, lay the tiara, shoes and animal friend beside her, and say whether the gown is the one she came in. To a parent planning a Beauty and the Beast party, a Belle in Aurora’s dress is the wrong doll, so make the first photo the one with her own gown closed and her tiara on.