Richard Simmons’ massive doll collection is hitting the auction block, and the lineup is already sparking reactions.
The iconic fitness star, known for his high-energy workouts and glitter-soaked ’80s persona, spent decades assembling an extensive art-doll collection.
Dolls, Dolls, Dolls
He amassed nearly 300 pieces, ranging from impressively crafted figures to creations some might consider downright unsettling.
No matter how they’re perceived, their value is significant, according to The Daily Mail.
The collection, known as Marquis: The Art Doll Collection of Richard Simmons, will be offered through Theriault’s in Annapolis, Maryland, on Dec. 6.
Interested bidders can participate in person or remotely by phone, absentee ballot, or online.
The auction is expected to draw serious collectors because many of these dolls are singular creations made by NIADA artists, a group Simmons supported for decades.
A standout item is the 28-inch Barbra Streisand doll crafted by the late soft-sculpture legend Lisa Lichtenfels, Parade Magazine reported.
It’s one of the most anticipated pieces, with an estimated price between $2,500 and $3,500.
Another Lichtenfels creation, Portrait of Woman with Red Feathered Wings, is also expected to attract attention, landing somewhere between $1,800 and $2,200.
Costume designer Antonette Cely’s work is represented as well, with her dolls Here Comes the Bride and Three 18th Century Style Ladies. Both open around $1,500 and could inch closer to $1,800 depending on buyer interest.
And while not every piece reaches the thousand-dollar range, there’s still strong value across the board.
The red-haired Cloth Doll from the Wistful Children Series by Nancy Latham, for instance, carries a more modest estimate of $500 to $700.
If every doll were to land somewhere around the $1,000 mark, the Simmons estate could see upward of $300,000 from this auction alone.
Simmons’ dedication for dolls could be make up the loss for his estate, which it is trying to sell his longtime Los Angeles mansion.
Built in the 1930s, the property sits perched above the Sunset Strip.
While this house might sound valuable, its listing price dropped from its original June asking price of $6.99 million to $5.89 million, Mansion Globe reported.
The market in that neighborhood has cooled, with single-family home prices dipping nearly 11 percent over the past year.
Simmons bought the property in 1982, the same year his motivational album, “Reach,” went platinum, and he lived there until his death in July 2024.
