Special Collectors Sets, Limited Editions and Signature Editions

Special Collectors Sets

These sets, comprising from one to six dolls, were issued to commemorate special or historic events or individuals, and were aimed at the more dedicated (and affluent!) collector.   The sets were issued in limited numbers, and were only made during their year of introduction.   They were usually only made available to members of the “Peggy Nisbet Doll Collectors Club”.   Even more than was usual with all Nisbet dolls, they were typified by an outstanding attention to costume detail, the use of high quality fabrics, and first-class workmanship.   In the early days the dolls in the Special Collectors Sets were taken from the Historical Series

Limited Editions

From Special Collectors Set no.7 - "The Sun King", the dolls began to have their own series of numbers - the LE series.   The first LE doll was LE/50 King Louis XIV, "The Sun King"

Not every doll in the Limited Edition series was numbered - "The Investiture of the Prince of Wales", and the "King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn" are examples

At least one Limited Edition doll, "LE/87 - The Lord Mayor of London - Senior Robes" later appeared in slightly modified form as B313 - The Lord Mayor of London

Signature Editions

Signature Editions were distinguished by a small sewn-in tag that was signed by Peggy Nisbet, or her daughter, Alison Nisbet.

Signature Editions were usually commemorative in nature, and issued to mark an event or occasion of note

In conclusion -

Within this listing, you will see dolls that never made it past the prototype stage, as was the case with Doris Day and Vera Lynn.  

You will also see a set that was withdrawn before being placed on sale – (This was the Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco Wedding Set).  

Another Limited Edition set, (Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn), was quietly placed on sale for dedicated collectors, without any formal announcements being made as to its launch. 

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the complete Special Collectors Sets, Limited Editions, and Signature Editions Doll Collection has been listed in any readily accessible form.   Life being what it is, we are certain that some Nisbet collectors out there will question the inclusion of certain dolls in this listing, or point out others that they feel should also have been included, but aren’t!  

We have tried to remain true to the core aim of this section, by only including those dolls that were officially described in the Nisbet literature as Special, Limited, or Signature Editions.   

One thing remained unchanged - whatever series the “Specials” “Limited” and “Signature” editions were drawn from, they all retained the traditional Nisbet attributes of very high quality, and fine attention to detail

News

21st September 2023

 

Important Announcement

 

My dear wife, Christine, passed away on the 8th December, 2021after 8 weeks in hospital. I was by her side, when she slipped away from me peacefully, with no pain or suffering.

 

Chris had been struggling with a slow decline in health, associated with a progressive, untreatable, and ultimately terminal lung disease, and finally succumbed to her old adversary, Pneumonia.

 

We had been friends for 55 years, together as a couple for 50 years, and married just a month short of 48 years, when she died.   

 

This website was Chris's idea, and I did all the technical stuff, to make it work.   After news of Chris's passing reached her close friends in the doll collecting world, I was deeply touched and gratified to hear their tributes to my dear wife, and I must thank them all for their kindness and support.   Ultimately, it was her doll friends that gave me the courage to continue with the website.

 

In the months before her eventual hospitalisation, Chris had outlined a number of additions and changes she wanted to make to the website, and it is my intention to honour those wishes, and to implement the changes we had considered, over the coming weeks and months.

 

I must apologise to all those who have written to us via the website, only to have your emails go unanswered.   Unfortunately, the email system had been hacked aroung the time Chris was going into hospital, and many emails must have been lost, as a result.

 

As you might imagine, I felt completely broken by Chris's loss, and it is only now, almost 22 months after her passing, that I have felt strong enough to even look at the website again.   

 

My aim is to continue with the website, and to implement Chris's aims for her many new ideas as soon as I can.   In the meantime, I have hopefully got the email system sorted out, and I will attempt to answer any enquiries as soon as I can, and to send replies with the same high degree of accuracy that a reply from Chris would have had.

 

From now on, I will be flying solo, whilst my co-pilot and guide will be soaring much higher, (though she is always in my heart, and in my thoughts).

 

My thanks to all our website visitors for your continued support

 

Dave (also known as Arthur), and Chris, (my lost love, Guinevere)

 

Christine Poulten

25th December 1949 - 8th December 2021