Copyright 2003, Doug Blevins. Used by permission.
FAQs Regarding the Miniature Doughboy
Les Kopel
Viquesney's miniature "Spirit of the American Doughboy", standing just under 12 inches tall on its base, was one of his most successful and popular creations; thousands were sold during the twenty-five years from 1921 to 1946. Thus, today they are not nearly as rare as some of his other miniature pieces. On average, one or two of them have shown up on eBay each month since 2002.
The usual first question I get is, "How much is it worth?" Well, that depends on what condition your Doughboy statuette or lamp is in; most have suffered over the years, due to their being cast of a brittle lead alloy. A Viquesney Doughboy statuette or lamp with no paint scratches and all its original parts (rifle with sling and bayonet, barbed wire on the base, and felt pad and sticker label on the bottom, and in the case of the lamp, all the foregoing plus an original shade, power cord and plug) can sell for several hundred dollars, but they're not common. A nearly perfect and complete miniature Viquesney Doughboy sold on eBay in December of 2002 for $813, but as more of these pieces have turned up over the years, prices have dropped drastically; in March of 2012, a similar perfect example sold for $350.
I began tracking the miniature Viquesney Doughboy on eBay and other auction sites in March of 2002. Several hundred have appeared since then, most missing the bayonet, if not the whole left hand and rifle, but some sellers still advertise them as "rare" and try to ask outrageous prices for them, even for some in broken or derelict condition. Just a missing bayonet cuts the value in half.
The next most common question I'm asked is, "How old is it?" If it says "Americus, Georgia" on the back of the base, it's from 1921 - 1925; if it says "Spencer, Indiana", it's from 1926 or later, until the time production ceased, probably around 1942 for this version. However, the more recent Spencer models are far more rare than the earlier Americus ones; as the years progressed, fading memories of WWI, the Great Depression, and the onset of WWII all combined to slow, and finally kill sales of Viquesney's miniature Doughboy.
The fact that the copyright date may say 1920 on either Americus or Spencer models has confused some owners. Viquesney issued new copyrights on his large monument at least two more times after 1920, but since the design of the little statuette stayed much the same throughout its production (except for the change in the logo from Americus to Spencer), he never bothered to issue any new copyright on it.
"Who collects these pieces?" Although Viquesney's Doughboy was first produced in 1921 as a memorial to the soldiers of WWI, and is thus not a true relic of that war, it is still of interest to some collectors of WWI memorabilia. There's also a small group of Viquesney "Doughboy Searchers" who are interested in these pieces. But although almost every one of these pieces that I have tracked on eBay has sold, the fact that they're so relatively common has kept prices low. They are definitely not rare, despite the tendency of eBay sellers to tout them as such.
"Is the lamp version rarer than the statuette?" Yes, partly because it originally was more expensive than the statuette ($10.85, post-paid, as opposed to $5.00 or $6.00 for the statuette), and partly because the added weight of the light bulb, socket assembly, and shade sitting atop the raised right arm made the lamp version more unstable and highly vulnerable to tipping over and breaking.
"Does that make the rarer lamp version more valuable?" Not necessarily. Because they were more breakable, most of the existing lamps today are in sorry shape. And in trying to salvage the lampbase figurine as a statuette, one would end up with a piece with a hole in the top of the raised fist where the socket was, and one in the back of the base where the electrical cord passed through. Not very attractive to collectors.
"Are there any surviving original lamp shades for the Doughboy lamp?" I've only seen one complete original shade show up on eBay. They're extraordinarily rare. The most common shade, with a poppy flower motif, was made of "parchment" paper which fell apart after a few years. An alternate shade made of "silk" was offered, but I've never seen one except in old photographs (see the Sales Brochure, page 8, on our Viquesney Archive website).
"Are there any other versions of Viquesney's miniature Doughboy? Yes. Besides the 12-inch metal statuette and the lamp, there was a candlestick and incense burner version. The 12-inch statuette and lamp also came in plaster versions. Perhaps due to metal rationing during WWII, there was a 6-inch metal version that was available; it survived up to the time of Viquesney's death in 1946. There was also a 7-inch "flat" bas-relief stamped metal version that was suitable for mounting on a plaque. Although these other versions are much rarer than the "standard" 12-inch metal statuette, prices for them are not higher; in fact they're usually lower. What collectors there are seem to only want the best-known metal 12-inch statuette version.
"My Doughboy statuette (or lamp) doesn't have a bayonet on the rifle." The bayonet (and often the whole left hand and rifle assembly) is commonly missing. This is because the left hand and rifle were packed separately and had to be attached by the customer, and over the years, this piece often fell out and got lost. Even if the rifle managed to stay attached, the bayonet almost always got broken off. So common is the missing bayonet that one seller on eBay tried to convince prospective bidders that "post-1930 models" of the statuette were sold without it. This is untrue; I have original ads from the mid- and late 1930s showing the statuette illustrated with the rifle complete with bayonet just as it was always sold. It wouldn't be a true miniature copy of the large monument without it.
"Is there anybody who can repair or replace parts on my Doughboy?" See the last section of this page, below.
"Is my Doughboy made of bronze?" I've seen these pieces offered on eBay as "bronze" statuettes. While at least two people are known to have made modern bronze copies of Viquesney's miniature Doughboy (see next question), none of his original statuettes were made of bronze. Anyone offering an original Viquesney miniature Doughboy on eBay or elsewhere as "bronze" has probably been fooled by the convincing-looking paint or plating finish. The statuette even came shipped with an insert informing the buyer that the piece was made of soft "white metal which bruises easily". The most expensive original statuettes were offered at $6.00 with an "oxidized bronze" plating, but that was as close to "bronze" as they came; the miniatures were always made of lead alloy. The same holds true for Viquesney's "Imp-O-Luck" medallion; it was made of a similar lead alloy, but I've seen sellers on eBay offering them as "silver".
"Has anyone made copies or replicas of the miniature Doughboy?" Yes. Sarasota, Florida sculptor Frank Colson made a limited run of cast bronze miniatures in 2005, pricing them around $600, and prior to 1987, according to a newspaper account, Connecticut metalsmith Hugo Greco also had cast them in silica bronze "for years" for about the same price.
The usual first question I get is, "How much is it worth?" Well, that depends on what condition your Doughboy statuette or lamp is in; most have suffered over the years, due to their being cast of a brittle lead alloy. A Viquesney Doughboy statuette or lamp with no paint scratches and all its original parts (rifle with sling and bayonet, barbed wire on the base, and felt pad and sticker label on the bottom, and in the case of the lamp, all the foregoing plus an original shade, power cord and plug) can sell for several hundred dollars, but they're not common. A nearly perfect and complete miniature Viquesney Doughboy sold on eBay in December of 2002 for $813, but as more of these pieces have turned up over the years, prices have dropped drastically; in March of 2012, a similar perfect example sold for $350.
I began tracking the miniature Viquesney Doughboy on eBay and other auction sites in March of 2002. Several hundred have appeared since then, most missing the bayonet, if not the whole left hand and rifle, but some sellers still advertise them as "rare" and try to ask outrageous prices for them, even for some in broken or derelict condition. Just a missing bayonet cuts the value in half.
The next most common question I'm asked is, "How old is it?" If it says "Americus, Georgia" on the back of the base, it's from 1921 - 1925; if it says "Spencer, Indiana", it's from 1926 or later, until the time production ceased, probably around 1942 for this version. However, the more recent Spencer models are far more rare than the earlier Americus ones; as the years progressed, fading memories of WWI, the Great Depression, and the onset of WWII all combined to slow, and finally kill sales of Viquesney's miniature Doughboy.
The fact that the copyright date may say 1920 on either Americus or Spencer models has confused some owners. Viquesney issued new copyrights on his large monument at least two more times after 1920, but since the design of the little statuette stayed much the same throughout its production (except for the change in the logo from Americus to Spencer), he never bothered to issue any new copyright on it.
"Who collects these pieces?" Although Viquesney's Doughboy was first produced in 1921 as a memorial to the soldiers of WWI, and is thus not a true relic of that war, it is still of interest to some collectors of WWI memorabilia. There's also a small group of Viquesney "Doughboy Searchers" who are interested in these pieces. But although almost every one of these pieces that I have tracked on eBay has sold, the fact that they're so relatively common has kept prices low. They are definitely not rare, despite the tendency of eBay sellers to tout them as such.
"Is the lamp version rarer than the statuette?" Yes, partly because it originally was more expensive than the statuette ($10.85, post-paid, as opposed to $5.00 or $6.00 for the statuette), and partly because the added weight of the light bulb, socket assembly, and shade sitting atop the raised right arm made the lamp version more unstable and highly vulnerable to tipping over and breaking.
"Does that make the rarer lamp version more valuable?" Not necessarily. Because they were more breakable, most of the existing lamps today are in sorry shape. And in trying to salvage the lampbase figurine as a statuette, one would end up with a piece with a hole in the top of the raised fist where the socket was, and one in the back of the base where the electrical cord passed through. Not very attractive to collectors.
"Are there any surviving original lamp shades for the Doughboy lamp?" I've only seen one complete original shade show up on eBay. They're extraordinarily rare. The most common shade, with a poppy flower motif, was made of "parchment" paper which fell apart after a few years. An alternate shade made of "silk" was offered, but I've never seen one except in old photographs (see the Sales Brochure, page 8, on our Viquesney Archive website).
"Are there any other versions of Viquesney's miniature Doughboy? Yes. Besides the 12-inch metal statuette and the lamp, there was a candlestick and incense burner version. The 12-inch statuette and lamp also came in plaster versions. Perhaps due to metal rationing during WWII, there was a 6-inch metal version that was available; it survived up to the time of Viquesney's death in 1946. There was also a 7-inch "flat" bas-relief stamped metal version that was suitable for mounting on a plaque. Although these other versions are much rarer than the "standard" 12-inch metal statuette, prices for them are not higher; in fact they're usually lower. What collectors there are seem to only want the best-known metal 12-inch statuette version.
"My Doughboy statuette (or lamp) doesn't have a bayonet on the rifle." The bayonet (and often the whole left hand and rifle assembly) is commonly missing. This is because the left hand and rifle were packed separately and had to be attached by the customer, and over the years, this piece often fell out and got lost. Even if the rifle managed to stay attached, the bayonet almost always got broken off. So common is the missing bayonet that one seller on eBay tried to convince prospective bidders that "post-1930 models" of the statuette were sold without it. This is untrue; I have original ads from the mid- and late 1930s showing the statuette illustrated with the rifle complete with bayonet just as it was always sold. It wouldn't be a true miniature copy of the large monument without it.
"Is there anybody who can repair or replace parts on my Doughboy?" See the last section of this page, below.
"Is my Doughboy made of bronze?" I've seen these pieces offered on eBay as "bronze" statuettes. While at least two people are known to have made modern bronze copies of Viquesney's miniature Doughboy (see next question), none of his original statuettes were made of bronze. Anyone offering an original Viquesney miniature Doughboy on eBay or elsewhere as "bronze" has probably been fooled by the convincing-looking paint or plating finish. The statuette even came shipped with an insert informing the buyer that the piece was made of soft "white metal which bruises easily". The most expensive original statuettes were offered at $6.00 with an "oxidized bronze" plating, but that was as close to "bronze" as they came; the miniatures were always made of lead alloy. The same holds true for Viquesney's "Imp-O-Luck" medallion; it was made of a similar lead alloy, but I've seen sellers on eBay offering them as "silver".
"Has anyone made copies or replicas of the miniature Doughboy?" Yes. Sarasota, Florida sculptor Frank Colson made a limited run of cast bronze miniatures in 2005, pricing them around $600, and prior to 1987, according to a newspaper account, Connecticut metalsmith Hugo Greco also had cast them in silica bronze "for years" for about the same price.
Repairs to the Miniature Doughboy
A Doughboy casualty.
I also often get questions regarding broken Doughboys, or ones with missing parts. The most common restoration problem is a missing bayonet or the whole left hand and rifle. Many times I have seen examples where people have made their own poor-looking replacements, having no clue as to what the original looked like.
Any competent antiques restorer should be able to create a replacement, given good reference photos.
Below are some photos of what a complete rifle and bayonet should look like.
Any competent antiques restorer should be able to create a replacement, given good reference photos.
Below are some photos of what a complete rifle and bayonet should look like.
