I thought I'd make a foray over to ebay to see what the prices are on Genes these days.

Definitely still in the basement, if not through to the root cellar.

There was a time, a couple of years ago that the Premiere Gene was fetching, easily

$500. I was expecting to see this price to remain steady. But if I go by the one listing for this doll, the seller was willing to sell the doll for the "Buy It Now" price of $399. What a drop! She started the bidding at $49.99 and I guess bidders think they can beat the $399 price because no one took the offer.

Has Ashton-Drake practically killed this doll line with their over-zealous over-production of newer dolls? Or has Ashton-Drake managed to cheapen the Gene image in ways I can't articulate? Then again, is it possible that the doll's genre is so limiting that other 15.5" dolls, like the Tonner dolls, relate better to collectors because of their current fashion statements? I just don't follow the doll trends as closely but from what I read on this List, Tonner's larger dolls do seem to have a greater appeal than the Genes. Is this correct?

What is the perceived state of interest for Gene-line dolls? Pat Brown