This column in the Cincinnati Enquirer provides a lot of good information about Hopi-made wooden katsina dolls (aka kachina dolls), which were and are a common souvenir offered along Route 66 in the desert Southwest.
I didn’t know this before, but there are genuine katsinas, and Route 66 katsinas.
As tourist traffic increased, imitation katsinas dolls were produced for sale at roadside stands. Fondly known as Route 66 katsinas, these dolls are easily discernable from their authentic counterparts; Route 66 katsinas evolved into standardized figures.
Although Route 66 dolls are not real katsinas, there is a market for them and they can be considered desirable for those who collect Southwestern folk art, especially the older pieces.
Prices for katsina dolls vary greatly. Late 19th and early 20th century Hopi katsinas can be worth thousands. Those carved in the 1920s bring several hundred dollars, and contemporary dolls can be purchased for a couple hundred or less. Early Route 66 dolls have fetched as much as a few hundred dollars, but most can be acquired for under $100.
The article has photos of circa-1910 katsinas that recently were sold for more than $5,000. So don’t throw one out if you find one in your grandparents’ attic.