Peanuts Pocket Dolls are a very early Peanuts collectible made by Boucher and Company/ Determined Productions in 1967. Peanuts collectors love them for various reasons. For some, it was their earliest Peanuts toy. For others, they are iconic collectibles and a must-have for completing their collection.
The original set of Pocket Dolls consisted of Charlie Brown, Schroeder, Linus, Lucy and, of course, Snoopy! The dolls were made from a hard white plastic for the body with a white soft vinyl for the head with painted features. Charlie Brown wears his iconic zigzag shirt in red, paired with an orange hat and black shorts. Schroeder displays his love of Beethoven with his graphic orange shirt. Linus sports his red and white striped shirt and carries a red security blanket. Lucy is dressed in a pink dress with purple ribbon. The moody character came in two facial expressions, wide-opened mouth or a happy smile. Snoopy takes to the skies in his Flying Ace kit comprised of a flying helmet with googles and a blue scarf. Each doll was packaged in a clear plastic bag with their name and other product details printed on it. A full set of the 5 Peanuts Pocket Dolls was just $12.90 in 1968.
Snoopy Goes to the Moon
In 1969, Snoopy became an astronaut to visit the moon, just like other heroes of the day. To commemorate this great event, a new pocket doll was made of Astronaut Snoopy. He is dressed in a white flight suit, accented with blue shoes, blue flight safety box with white hose, red scarf and a space helmet. The original graphic box shows a drawing of Snoopy and other product details.
Astronaut Snoopy is the most sought after of the pocket dolls because of his connection to the cross-collecting of NASA space memorabilia and he is the hardest doll to find fully intact. His helmet is frequently missing and his white suit is difficult to keep clean when used. He sold for just $3.77 in 1969.
Pocket dolls are very popular with collectors. A mint condition doll in its original bag can sell for around $55-70 at auction. Complete dolls without their original packaging can bring $10-25. Characters with missing clothes and accessories or lots of wear and tear will sell for around $4-7 a doll. A mint condition Astronaut Snoopy in the box can sell for over $150 at auction, no box for over $70 in mint condition. If Snoopy is missing his helmet or other accessories, the price varies based on the condition of the remaining doll.
POCKET DOLL REPRODUCTIONS
Due to the continued popularity of the Peanuts Pocket Dolls, they have been reproduced for collectors. Medicom released a full-sized Astronaut Snoopy in 2013. A smaller figurine was released in 2016, and as part of a special two-pack for the 2018 San Diego Comic Convention. The regular Peanuts pocket dolls were released in 2017 as smaller figurines. The smaller Medicom figurines are easy to visually distinguish from the original Determined Productions. Care should be taken when buying the regular-size Astronaut Snoopy as the reproduction is very close to the original. Always check the labels to identify an original versus reproduction.
POCKET DOLL PRETENDERS
Since Pocket Dolls are sure-fire sellers, a lot of online listings try to cash in on their success, whether intentionally or not. Just because it’s a doll that can fit in your pocket doesn’t make it the infamous Pocket Doll. Flip through our gallery of just a few of the items I’ve seen mislabeled as Pocket Dolls. Click the link to see similar collectibles.
MORE RESOURCES FOR PEANUTS COLLECTORS
Peanuts ads and catalogs on our Pinterest board.
Peanuts Pocket Dolls in their original packaging at the Charles Schulz Museum.
