Doctor Who Regenerated!
- Publication: The Mail on Sunday
- Date: 2015-09-20
- Author: Toby Walne
- Page:
- Language: English
With the new series of the sci-fi show back on our screens, the value of memorabilia will soar
DOCTOR Who has just returned to our TV screens with the Time Lord pitted against his arch-enemy Davros – creator of the Daleks. This new series, which began last night, is expected to boost the value of Doctor Who collectables as a new wave of enthusiasts is attracted to the popular BBC scifi series.
The original Davros, who fought the fourth doctor Tom Baker in 1975, was not exterminated but fell apart as he was no more than a cheap rubber prop.
But other items used in past series have survived intact and soared in value.
The earliest Dalek props were stuck together with bits of wood, sink plungers and Morris Minor indicators. An original Dalek involved in fighting Doctor Who in 1979 was auctioned off for £36,000 a decade ago. Other enemy props, such as an original Cyberman suit, now sell for up to £10,000.
Fans have welcomed the latest reincarnation of the Doctor as portrayed by Scottish actor Peter Capaldi. His sidekick Clara Oswald is played by Jenna Coleman, but she will be leaving the show later this year so she can prepare for playing Queen Victoria in a major ITV drama series.
For fans of the long-running series, known as Whovians, there are at least 11 earlier doctors to consider when searching for memorabilia – as well as countless assistants.
Alexandra Looseley-Saul, 56, a Doctor Who fan and co-owner of The Who Shop in East Ham, East London, says: 'As far as collectable sidekicks are concerned, a Denys Fisher Leela from 1977 is the most valuable – up to £500 boxed. It originally sold for £2.95 but at the time these toys were targeted at boys and no one wanted this girly doll.'
The scantily clad Leela – played by actress Louise Jameson – helped get dads to join the sofa when the family show was on. Another pinup assistant who accompanied both fifth doctor Peter Davison and sixth doctor Colin Baker in the mid-1980s was Peri, played by actress Nicola Bryant.
Alexandra says: 'The 1980s was very much an era when Doctor Who was falling out of favour with many viewers and few collectables were made. Peri figurines fell into this camp although one released in the US three years ago costing £16 has already nearly doubled in value to about £30.'
Since William Hartnell first stepped out of the police box Tardis in 1963 a wide range of other related toys, books and games have been produced to promote the show.
The programme was temporarily shelved in 1989 while seventh doctor Sylvester McCoy was at the helm. It returned in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as the ninth doctor, accompanied by former pop star Billie Piper, who played the character Rose Tyler. Paul McGann played the eighth doctor in a 1996 film. Alexandra adds: 'As far as the modern era is concerned, Eccleston is my personal favourite. Without his great acting the doctor could have been killed off for good.
'And the fans loved Billie Piper. A 2000 figure of Rose with robotic dog K9 originally selling for £6 now fetches £25.'
Everyone has their favourite doctor and sidekick, which usually coincides with when they hid behind the sofa watching the show. But when it comes to his foes, few baddies can beat the Dalek.
A 1965 Dalek by Cowan de Groot (Codeg) that sold for 16 shillings and five old pence (82p) when new may now change hands for £800 if still in its original box – most broke after being played with. Find one of a handful of Dalek playsuits that survived a factory fire in 1964 at manufacturers Scorpion Automotives and you have at least a £3,000 investment on your hands.
Richard Heath, owner of the Classic Collectables shop in Leek, Staffordshire, says: 'Condition is key but Doctor Who items from the 1960s tend to be the most valuable as it is rare they have escaped the ravages of time while still being of investment quality.'
He points out that early books also offer a sound way to invest in Who nostalgia, with their fantastic colourful illustrations.
These include The Dalek Book of 1964, The Dalek World from 1965 and a year later The Dalek Outer Space Book. Each of these sells for more than £100 if in good condition – without mazes or crosswords completed and with the original price tag not cut out of the corner of an inner page.
The rarest of the Doctor Who annuals is the first Patrick Troughton book that had a small print run when it was sold in 1968 and now commands more than £100. Troughton rarely signed books so a signed copy can fetch £1,250.
1. Supreme Dalek £36,000 2. Imperial Dalek £20,400 3. Cyberman suit £9,600 4. Battle chair £6,600 5. Alien Auton head £5,154 6. David Tennant suit £5,040 7. Kylie Minogue dress £3,120 8. Malus head mask £3,000 9. Sea Devil costume £2,040 10. Magma Beast £1,560
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- APA 6th ed.: Walne, Toby (2015-09-20). Doctor Who Regenerated!. The Mail on Sunday .
- MLA 7th ed.: Walne, Toby. "Doctor Who Regenerated!." The Mail on Sunday [add city] 2015-09-20. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Walne, Toby. "Doctor Who Regenerated!." The Mail on Sunday, edition, sec., 2015-09-20
- Turabian: Walne, Toby. "Doctor Who Regenerated!." The Mail on Sunday, 2015-09-20, section, edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Doctor Who Regenerated! | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_Who_Regenerated! | work=The Mail on Sunday | pages= | date=2015-09-20 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=23 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Doctor Who Regenerated! | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_Who_Regenerated! | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=23 March 2025}}</ref>
