In this post, I'll be reviewing American Girl, Alexander Girlz, Madame Alexander Friends 4 Life, Karito Kids, and Gotz Little Sister dolls. I will especially focus on how each of the last 4 dolls mentioned compare to American Girl dolls, since they are the most well-known doll brand. I wish I still had my Magic Attic doll for this post. I think that would have made a good comparison doll too...but oh well. I'll just have to be satisfied with what I have (and I don't regret getting rid of my MA doll other than for review purposes...she didn't really fit my collection). :)
This post took many hours of photography, measuring, comparing, and writing, so I hope you all enjoy it. :)
For each type of doll I'll have a list of facts about them, including body style, measurements, and so on. After I've gone over each different doll, I'll have some photos comparing each doll to my American Girl (or AG) doll.
I wanted to clarify, too, that all of my measurements will not necessarily be 100% accurate. I'm not a professional or a perfectionist by any means!! Not to mention that measurements will likely vary between dolls of the same brand. Just because one American Girl doll has certain measurements doesn't mean every American Girl doll will be exactly the same (especially since AG dolls have changed through the years, most notably when Mattel bought out Pleasant Company in 1998). The same thing applies for the other doll brands. Despite all of this, I figured that having an approximate measurement for each type of doll would be helpful to those of you who are seamstresses or doll customizers. :)
To help keep the measurements as accurate and understandable as possible, I took a picture of my measuring method for each doll body part. :)
Head:
The head measurements will probably be the most approximate, simply because it was hard to measure the head circumference over all that hair! :} I tried to measure as close to the wig line as I could, since most people interested in doll head circumference are interested in re-wigging them. :)
Shoulders:
When measuring the shoulders, I put the dolls arms straight down, as close to the body as possible. Then I wrapped the measuring tape around the shoulders.
Arms:
The arms were really tough because they were curved. I started right after the socket and measured to the middle finger. Oh, and for those of you who are wondering, when I did the actual measurements, I did pull the tape straight. I just couldn't do that and take the pictures at the same time. ;)
Chest:
When I measured the chest, I put the tape as close under the armpits as I could.
Waist:
For the waist measurements, I put the tape as close to the middle of the body as possible, usually at the narrowest point.
Hips:
For the hip measurement, I included the doll's buns and hips a bit above the leg sockets. I hope this is helpful, because I realize that sometimes the thighs go out just a little farther. :{
Legs:
When measuring the legs, I started right below the leg socket and measured down one side to the foot.
Feet (length):
Okay, I realized after I took this picture that measuring this way wouldn't do any good. I need to measure from the big toe (Duh!). Sorry, I'm just a little slow on these things sometimes. ;) After realizing my mistake, I went back and measured the doll feet from the big toe to the heel.
Feet (width):
I tried to measure at the widest part of the foot.
For each doll, I've mentioned the availability for purchase. For dolls only available on the secondary market, some of my favorite places to check are eBay, Craigslist, the AG Playthings Message Board, or Bonanza.com. You can also check your local thrift stores. :)
Okay, now that we got through that boring stuff, on to the actual dolls! :)
American Girl (aka Charlie...renamed Mia St. Clair doll)
(I'm not going to go into as much detail on AG since most of my readers are very familiar with them!) ;)
- Head Circumference: 12" (size 11-12 wig)
-Shoulders: 15"
-Arms: 6 3/4" long
-Chest: slightly over 11"
-Waist: 10 3/4"
-Hips: 12 1/4"
-Legs: 7 3/4" long
-Feet: 2 1/2" long; 1 1/2" wide
-Total Height: 18"
-Body Style: Vinyl head, arms, legs; cloth body with neck string closure
-Eyes: Beddy-bye style (they close when the doll is laid down)
-Body Tag: Most AG dolls have a side body tag, although some of the earlier Pleasant Company dolls don't.
-Distinguishing Marks: "American Girl LLC" or "Pleasant Company" stamped on the back of the neck (see the picture below...sorry it uploaded sideways!) :}
-Availability: Can be purchased at Americangirl.com or on the secondary market
-Pros:
1. Beautiful, high-quality dolls that are still easily available
2. Lots of variety to choose from
3. Historical dolls bring history to life
-Cons:
1. Very expensive (and prices keep rising)
-Other Thoughts: It's funny. When I started this blog, I wasn't as into American Girl dolls. I really loved my Gotz dolls and my 18" Madame Alexander dolls. As I've gotten more into the 18" doll world, though, the irresistible pull of AG has gotten to me. I love the variety of dolls, outfits, and accessories you can find. I do all of my AG shopping secondhand (see "cons", reason #1), ;) but I find that even more exciting than just buying something at a store. There's nothing like rescuing a trashed, forgotten doll and restoring it to its former glory. And really, American Girl is what started my love for 18" dolls, all those years ago when I saw them at our school library. There's just something about them that's so fun and likable. :) I love finding dolls that look alike and coming up with my own family groups.
Gotz Little Sisters (aka Tess)
-Head Circumference: about 13" (size 12-13 wig)
-Shoulders: 16"
-Arms: 7" long
-Chest: 11 1/2"
-Waist: 11"
-Hips: 12 1/2"
-Legs: 8" long
-Feet: 2 1/2" long; 1 1/2" wide
-Total Height: 18"
-Body Style: Vinyl head, arms, legs; cloth body with neck string closure
-Eyes: Beddy-bye style
-Body Tag: none (at least on my doll); Precious Day dolls do have a side body tag like AG dolls
-Distinguishing Marks: "305" or "305/16" stamped on the back of the neck (see picture below...sorry it's sideways!!)
-Availability: No longer being made, but can be found on the secondary market.
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-Pros:
1. Beautiful
2. High quality hair and better quality than other knockoffs
3. Unique
4. Work great with AG dolls and can fit into most of their clothes
5. Can be re-strung and repaired using the same methods for repairing AG dolls.
4. Work great with AG dolls and can fit into most of their clothes
5. Can be re-strung and repaired using the same methods for repairing AG dolls.
-Cons:
1.Tend to be pigeon toed, so sometimes they are harder to stand up
2. Can appear "hunchbacked" because of the way their cloth bodies are stuffed
3. Tend to have problems with "cloudy pupil" (a milky white color that takes over the pupil of their eye) [Side note here: Not all second-hand sellers notice the cloudy pupil problem, so it's always important to ask about this when purchasing a Gotz doll over the Internet.]
3. Tend to have problems with "cloudy pupil" (a milky white color that takes over the pupil of their eye) [Side note here: Not all second-hand sellers notice the cloudy pupil problem, so it's always important to ask about this when purchasing a Gotz doll over the Internet.]
-Other Thoughts: The Gotz Little Sister dolls are some of my favorites. They have beautiful, high-quality wigs, sweet faces, and are very compatible with American Girl dolls. Gotz also made a line of 18" dolls called Precious Day dolls. The main difference between the two lines is that the Precious Day dolls have rooted hair instead of wigged. They also have slightly smaller eyes and a slightly different face mold. The differences are so minute that you can hardly tell unless they are right next to each other. For more information on Gotz 18" play dolls, you can read this excellent eBay guide HERE, written by eBay seller Debonair Designs. :)
Alexander Girlz (aka Maggie)
-Head Circumference: 12 1/2" (12-13 wig)
-Shoulders: 14"
-Arms: 6 1/2" long
-Chest: 11 1/4"
-Waist: 10 1/2"
-Hips: 11"
-Legs: 8" long
-Feet: 2 1/2" long; 1 1/2" wide
-Total Height: 18 1/2"
-Body Style: Vinyl, poseable head; vinyl legs, arms, and chest; cloth body
-Eyes: Beddy-bye style
-Body Tag: Long tag on the left side, right at the waistline
-Distinguishing Marks: "Alexander Doll Co" and year stamped on the back of the neck (see picture...sorry it's not very clear!)
-Body Tag: Long tag on the left side, right at the waistline
-Distinguishing Marks: "Alexander Doll Co" and year stamped on the back of the neck (see picture...sorry it's not very clear!)
-Availability: These are usually in stock at Costco around Christmas time for around $25. Of course, I found mine at the thrift store for $4! :) They can also be found through the secondary market.
-Pros:
1. Very inexpensive
2. The most beautiful of the low-end play dolls (in my humble opinion). ;)
3. Great starter doll for little ones
4. Poseable head is great for doll photography
5. Their vinyl shoulders look much better in a sleeveless top than AG or other similar dolls with full cloth bodies.
-Cons:
1. Very low-quality hair (I re-wigged Maggie).
2. The arms and legs seem to wear out quicker than AG or other more expensive dolls.
3. They can't be re-strung as easily because of their vinyl chest.
-Other Thoughts: I really love my Maggie doll. She has a sweet, expressive face that I love capturing on film. The fact that her head is poseable allows for great, artistic photos. I got one of these dolls for each of my 3 daughters as their starter dolls and was very pleased with the results. While their hair is pretty bad, they can easily be re-wigged as needed. Plus if you have a little one that wants a big girl doll, but you're reluctant to hand over $100 for it, this is the perfect doll for you. You can't beat $25!! :) The vinyl chest bothers some collectors, but I don't have a problem with it. My only complaint with the different body style is that they can't be re-strung using the AG doll re-stringing methods. I'll probably just have to send Maggie to a doll hospital of some kind if she ever falls apart!
Madame Alexander Friends 4 Life (aka Melanie)
-Head Circumference: 12" (12-13 wig)
-Shoulders: 14"
-Arms: 6 1/2" long
-Chest: 11 1/4"
-Waist: 10 1/2"
-Hips: 11"
-Legs: 8" long
-Feet: 2 1/2" long; 1 1/2" wide
-Total Height: 18 1/2" (note: I did NOT include Melanie's hair in the measurement!) ;)
-Body Style: Vinyl, poseable head; vinyl legs, arms, and chest; cloth body
-Eyes: Beddy-bye style
-Body Tag: Long body tag on the left at the waistline
-Distinguishing Marks: "2009 Alexander" stamped on the back of the neck (see picture below)
-Availability: These were available at Walmart during 2009, but have now been replaced with the poseable "Madame Alexander Friends Boutique" dolls at Walmart (which are not as good, in my opinion). FB are available for around $28, but if you want a F4L doll, check the secondary market. I've seen a lot of them on eBay.
-Pros:
1. Another fairly inexpensive, great starter doll for little ones
2. Beautiful faces (especially the African American version!)
3. Poseable head
-Cons:
1. Low-quality hair
2. These dolls have pretty huge heads compared to other 18" dolls, so if you're into having all of your dolls have the same proportions, this might not be the doll for you. :)
-Other Thoughts: I definitely prefer these dolls to their newer Walmart counterparts, the Friends Boutique dolls. While poseability is great in theory, the way they've made the FB dolls poseable makes them hard to stand up and makes them look rather silly with their hollow, bent limbs. Not to mention that the FB dolls have an odd smell from their rubbery plastic arms and legs. (You can read my review of my former Friends Boutique doll HERE.) I much prefer the Friends 4 Life dolls. They have the same sweet faces but stronger arms and legs, no funny smell, and are better starter dolls for little ones.
Karito Kids (aka Elena...renamed Pita doll)
-Head Circumference: 12" (12-13 wig)
-Shoulders: 13"
-Arms: 7 1/4" long
-Chest: 10"
-Waist: about 10"
-Hips: about 11 1/2"
-Legs: 9 1/2" long
-Feet: just over 2 3/4" long; 1 1/4" wide
-Total Height: 20 1/2"
-Body Style: Vinyl, poseable head; vinyl legs, arms, and chest; cloth body
-Eyes: Stationary (do not open or close)
-Body Tag: Side body tag on the lower left hip
-Availability: Discontinued; can be found on the secondary market.
-Pros:
1. Beautiful, high-quality doll
-Cons:
1. Their proportions are not the same as other 18" dolls, so next to some dolls they look like giants with small heads.
2. Her clothes do not fit most 18" dolls, although she can fit into some of their clothes.
-Other Thoughts: These dolls are absolutely stunning. Pictures do not do their lovely faces justice. Proportion-wise, they don't always fit with other styles of 18" dolls, but if that type of thing doesn't bother you, I would highly recommend them.
AG and Gotz Comparison
As you can see, these dolls have very similar body styles. This isn't surprising since the Gotz company was the original maker of American Girl dolls. Aside from slightly wider shoulders and a darker colored cloth body on the Gotz doll, they are practically identical. The Gotz doll feet tend to be slightly larger than AG doll feet, so some AG doll shoes are a bit snug on them. You can't tell very well from the pictures, but the Gotz bodies also tend to be stuffed more like the thicker-bodied Pre-Mattel AG dolls, so some modern Mattel AG clothing can be a bit tight on them. Also, AG hats don't fit my Gotz dolls very well because they have bigger heads than AGs.
AG and Alexander Girlz Comparison
I was surprised how much taller Maggie looks than Charlie. The Madame Alexander dolls do have a good 1/2" on the AG dolls. Maggie has a much thinner cloth body, and her vinyl shoulders are slimmer as well, so some AG clothing is a bit loose on her. It's not enough of a difference to look odd, though. My AG dolls sometimes have a hard time fitting into skirts, pants or tights made for the Madame Alexander line because of the differences in waistline. And Tess (my Gotz doll) can't even get Maggie's pants or skirts up over her bottom!!! [Poor Tess. I know what it's like to have friends that are skinnier than you!] Maggie's feet are pretty much exactly the same size as AG doll feet, so shoes can easily be shared between them. AG hats don't always fit her because her head is a bit wider. All in all, though, she's pretty compatible with my AGs.
AG and Madame Alexander Friends 4 Life Comparison
There's not much to be said here, since Melanie's body is practically identical to Maggie's. :)
AG and Karito Kids Comparison
The Karito Kids dolls are much taller and slimmer than the AGs. As I mentioned earlier, Karito Kids can fit into some AG styles, but the Karito Kids clothes are too small for AG dolls. KK feet are also much slimmer, so they can't share shoes. The two dolls are technically compatible, although Charlie almost looks dumpy and childlike next to Elena. The head difference is actually not as bad between KK and AG. I think I noticed it more between KK and Maggie and Tess, my Alexander Girlz and Gotz dolls. And honestly, somehow it doesn't seem to be as noticeable in the photos as it is in real life. Anyway, you can take a look at the pics and decide for yourself. :)
Karito Kids and Madame Alexander Comparison
I thought it would be interesting to put these three dolls side by side since they have a very similar body structure. As you can see, Elena (my Karito Kid) is much taller and slimmer than my Alexander dolls. And for those of you who might be curious, Maggie did not fit into Elena's clothes either, even though she's slimmer than my all-cloth bodied dolls.
"All Together Now"and Final Thoughts
So, here they all are! (Maggie is never going to forgive me for these pictures.) ;)
There are things that I enjoy about each and every one of these dolls. I'd have to say that my favorites are Gotz, American Girl, and Alexander Girlz. I do love my Karito Kids doll, I just haven't figured out where she fits in the scheme of things. Especially since, being an artistic sort, proportions are really important to me!! :} The Friends 4 Life dolls give me the same problem because their heads are so huge! Nonetheless, I would recommend any of these dolls for their various positive features.
I realized as I was finishing this post that it would have been nice to add a Battat doll to this line up (Battat is the company that produces the "Our Generation" 18" doll line at Target). Since I didn't do that, I'll just take a moment to say that I really don't care for the Battat dolls' oddly put together shoulders (their arms curve very unnaturally compared to other dolls) and their wide-eyed, vacant expressions. Honestly, I haven't come across a Battat face mold that I care for yet. I will say that I prefer the quality of the Battat clothing and accessories to most of the Madame Alexander clothing and accessories at Walmart. (Although the "What a Doll" clothing line at Kmart, also tied in to Madame Alexander, isn't bad.)
Anyway, if any of you would be interested in seeing a Battat doll compared to any of the others, leave me a comment and I'll modify this post (or do a new one) at a later date. :)
I hope you found this post helpful. I love seeing side-by-side pictures of different types of dolls myself, so I figured at least some of my readers would enjoy the same thing. :) If you have any further questions or requests, feel free to leave me a comment or two! I'd love to get your feedback.
By the way, one of my all-time favorite sites for doll comparisons is justmagicdolls.com. I love using this site to identify and compare dolls. :)
Don't forget to check out my previous post to see details about my 1 Year Blogoversary Giveaway! :D
48 comments:
I'm not a doll collector, nor do my boys have an interest in dolls, but I have to say that this was a really interesting post to read! Good job, H!
The Doll's are very pretty and cute. Nice photograph and also the post is awesome. Very informative.
I never thought of Karito Kids as being considered 18" dolls. They're 21" dolls (it says on their website when you go to Shopping and click on any of the girls) that fit some AG clothes. AG t-shirts work well on them, but as far as pants and long-sleeved tops go, those make the Karitos look like they had a very recent growth spurt ;)
Very well done! I know this must have taken quite some time to put together and I really appreciate all of your efforts.
Bravo!
:o)
~Carolyn
What a lot of work you put into this post! Very helpful and informative! (Now, if I can only remember how to turn off my sound, so I won't wake anybody when I want to look at it, again! :))
Thanks so much, everyone! This was 3 days in the making, so I'm glad it was worth the effort. :)
Hi Casey! It's good to hear from you. :) I'm glad my post held your interest even though you're not a collector. Hmmm, maybe I'll convert you yet! ;)
Bwaybabs, I realize that Kartio Kids aren't technically 18" dolls, but I thought it would be fun to compare them to the others, especially since not as many people are familiar with them. :)
Sorry to wake up your family, Aunt Lou. :} I wish I could control the volume or balance on my music, but I haven't figured out how to do so yet. It's especially frustrating since some of the songs are really quiet and others are blasting!!
Atlax and Carolyn, thanks so much for commenting. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. :)
It was so good to hear from all of you. Keep the comments coming! :)
I love them all! I think Melanie has really cute hair! :)
Wow thanks so much for all this information. You must have worked so hard on this and it is really helpful!! btw I love your new blog header! Also your Karito kids doll is really cute!
Thanks for commenting, gals. :)
Elliebob, I love Melanie's hair too, although you have to be really careful with it! :}
American Girl Dolls Rock, I'm glad you enjoyed the post. Elena is adorable...I'm just trying to figure out where she fits in my cast of characters. ;)
Oh hai, Elena! (I love that you've chosen that name - Elena was actually her middle name while she was Evangeline of Casa Nachos. :D) I've seen people on AGPT use Karitos as older sisters to AGs and other 18-inch dolls.
And I'll second your dislike of Battat dolls' limbs and spacey expressions! The Pie has a Battat Jack we picked up at Goodwill, and the poor guy not only has a creepy smile and shiny eyes, but his legs are seriously pigeon-toed!
(Remind me to post the body comparison I did of my AGs at some point - I never realized how short Felicity is!)
Hi Jen! Thanks so much for commenting. I'm glad you approve of the name change. ;) I actually named her after Catherine Zeta-Jones's character in the Zorro movies. She just kind of reminded me of her.
Oh, and by the way, Elena wanted me to tell you to say hello and give her regards to Robin and Co. :)
And just in case any of you are wondering:
1. No, I have not forgotten my earlier resolution to bring Elena home when I've lost 10 pounds.
2. No, I have not lost 10 pounds.
3. Yes, I am compromising...but just for a bit. I wanted to do this comparison post for my Blogoversary, so Elena is temporarily visiting and will then go back to my mom's while I get back to the whole weight loss project (oh joy).
Why did I have to open my big mouth and say I would lose 10 pounds before I brought her home? Now I have to be consistent and stick to my word!! Sigh....
Elena does look like a doll version of Catherine Zeta-Jones! I remember thinking that when I brought her home, the resemblance is uncanny. :D
I'm glad I'm not alone in noticing the resemblance. I really enjoyed those movies. They came out when I was in high school. While I don't approve 100% of everything that was in them, I LOVED the sword fighting and most of the storyline. I had a bit of a crush on Antonio Banderas, too. :D
I found this post extremely helpful. Thank you for taking the time to do it. You have helped me tremendously. I am a doll collector and I was wondering if all eighteen inch dolls could wear the same clothes.
Thanks, Conmango. I'm glad you enjoyed the post. :)
Great job, beasts'sbelle! And thanks for the JustMagicDolls mention. :) Come check out my new site: Dollation.com. We could use someone with your photography and writing skills.
Thanks so much, Maria. I'm honored to have a comment from you. I've learned so much from your site. It was really helpful when I was first getting into dolls and wanted to learn more about the different lines.
Dollation.com looks amazing! At this point, I don't know that I can add yet another website to my group that I'm already involved in, but I'll see what I can do! ;)
I am going to start sewing clothes for 18" dolls - I couldn't afford an AG doll, so I bought a Madam Alexander - but now after reading you post, I am wondering that since the AG doll is the widest (waist & shoulders) is it safer to make clothes for AG dolls (because they will still fit the MA, instead of the other way around?
Hi Anonymous. I think as long as you didn't make the clothing too snug on the Alexander Girlz doll, you'd be okay. However, I would highly suggest keeping your eye out for a used American Girl doll in nice condition if you plan on sewing commercially. I realize that new ones are very expensive, but you can sometimes find good deals on Craigslist or at thrift/antique stores or yard sales.
There are a couple of reasons I think this would be a good idea. First, it would give you the peace of mind knowing that your clothing would fit American Girl dolls, which are the most popular and well-known brand of 18" doll. Second, you will save yourself a lot of customer questions. If you use another doll such as an Alexander Girlz doll (which I LOVE, don't get me wrong!), the most common question you will receive is "do these clothes fit American Girl dolls?" Since American Girl dolls are usually the standard for 18" play dolls, it would benefit you to show them modeling the outfits.
Another tip: making sure the doll's hair looks nice and you have some great photography are also really helpful. :) It makes the product more appealing to the customer.
In the meantime, I'd say use your Alexander Girlz doll but don't make the clothing skin-tight. And just be aware that you'll probably have some questions about whether your doll clothing fits AGs.
I hope this was helpful. Feel free to comment again if you have more questions, or you can email me at nevergrowup.beastsbelle@gmail.com. :)
THanks so much
for all your time and effort putting this together, It was ever so helpful!!
You're welcome! Glad I could help. :)
I'm a new fan of your blogs. I just love this post. Such useful information. I'm new to the doll world and all your explanations is making me a little more savvy everyday. Thank you so much for your efforts.
Welcome, Andrea. :) Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I'm so glad you're finding my posts helpful. That's why I'm here! ;)
This post took a lot of time, but I'm so glad I did it. I love having all of the side-by-side comparisons in one place. :)
I will most likely try to do another post like this in the future that includes some of the lines I missed this time around. ;)
Thanks for this post! I have really been considering getting my 7 year old daughter an American Girl doll for Christmas this year. She is even willing to save up her own money for clothes and accessories. It is still a lot of money to spend though! I like the idea of the Alexander Girlz doll (especially the vinyl shoulders for strappy tops!) or a Journey girl. I really wanted a doll with beautiful hair though. How much work is re-wigging and what is the cost? Would I be better off just finding an American girl?
You're welcome, Brandi. :)
Rewigging can be a little bit intimidating at first, but there are several helpful websites and YouTube tutorials out there that make things a little less overwhelming. ;) Here's a link to the first of three rewigging videos that really helped me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnNAfGxpgQY
This is a great online tutorial as well: http://justmagicdolls.com/articles/rewig/rewig.htm
As far as cost, it really just depends on the wig and what you're looking for. I tend to buy my wigs on eBay (I especially like the eBay seller arto) or on prillycharmin.com. Prilly's site has a very helpful guide on how to make sure you measure the doll and have the right wig.
I've also heard good things about the wigs from rubyredgalleria.com, but I've never personally used them.
I hope this helps you and at least gives you a place to start. After doing some research, hopefully you will be able to have a better idea of whether you want to take on the project or just buy an AG doll. ;)
Feel free to comment again or email me if you have more questions. :)
This was very cool and informative. Thank you for taking the time to write and photograph it all.
-Shelley
Long Beach, CA
You're welcome, Shelley. I'm so glad you found it helpful. :)
Where can I buy a good quality size 12-13 wig that will fit the Madame Alexander dolls. I looked at RubyRedgalleria but they only have smaller size wigs. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!
Hi Nate! I've purchased wigs from prillycharmin.com and have been pleased. However, they are a discount outlet, so they don't have a lot of selection.
I've purchased a lot of wigs on eBay. I've been pleased with my purchases from "arto". They only have one 12-13 wig right now, but you can see it here (you'll have to copy and paste): http://stores.ebay.com/Art-of-Dolls-and-Other-Past-Times/_i.html?_nkw=12-13&submit=Search&_sid=719882
If you want to go for a bit of a different look, I've also purchased Blythe wigs from "shopaholican". They fit the MA dolls very well: http://stores.ebay.com/Blythaholic/Blythe-Wigs-/_i.html?_fsub=12665621&_sid=175110424&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322
I hope this at least gives you a starting point! :)
Hi!
I wanted to give you an update about the Gotz (actually it's Götz, because it's german) dolls.
They are still produced.
At this time there are two kinds of 18" dolls, the "precious day" collection and the "happy kidz".
The preciuos day dolls are very similar to the AG dolls. They are slightly chubbier, and they have (as you've wrote in your post) rooted hair. AG clothes and shoes fit. (I havn't tried hats so far).
The happy kidz dolly are fully made of vinyl, and the have 9 joints. They are thinner then AG dolls an they have longer feet (AG chlothes fit loosley and shoes just don't). They also have a smaller head circumference.
If you want to look at them www.goetz-puppen.de
A few weeks ago I read an article, that Haba brought them back to the US, so you should be able to get them there.
http://www.habausa.com/products/gotz.html?cat=110
(You can also order them online via the goetz website, but I don't know if they do international shipping).
My kids and I have all three kinds of dolls (happy kidz, precios day, AG) and we like them all.
I hope this was usefull information for you!
greetings from europe
birti
Birti, thank you so much for all of the wonderful information! I was not aware that Gotz dolls were still available in the US, so having a website I can direct my readers to is wonderful. :)
I find it very interesting that the dolls on the site have one of the older Precious Day molds instead of the ones I'd seen last (the mold used after the 2010 versions).
The prices are very comparable to the Madame Alexander play line, and these dolls have much better hair, so I'm excited to have another option to offer to my readers when they need a recommendation.
Lol, I actually found out about the correct pronunciation of "Gotz" when I spoke at our local doll club. One of the gals who really knows her stuff corrected me. :}
Have a wonderful week, and thank you again for stopping by! :)
Whoops! I was looking at the wrong prices...they're closer in price range to the American Girl dolls, but not quite as much. :) Still nice to know I can offer this as a recommendation for my readers with larger budgets. :)
I have really enjoyed all the information/tutorials you share on your blog! I found your blog while searching the internet for repairing cloudy doll eyes. I have some of the Gotz Little Sister and Precious Day dolls that have the "cloudy pupil" you mention. Do you know if there is any way to fix this or do the eyes need to be replaced?
I'm so glad you're enjoying the blog, Laura! :) I did get your email but haven't had the chance to respond yet.
I know there are ways to fix this, but I've never tried them. To be honest, after my one eye swap, I decided I didn't need to go that route again. ;)
I would highly suggest checking out agplaythings.proboards.com. It's an excellent forum about American Girl dolls, but the Gotz dolls are very similar and many of the same principles apply. The forum has a whole section called "Nurse's Office" that give tips for fixing and customizing dolls. You do have to sign up for membership, but joining is free. I haven't had the chance to spend time there like I used to, but I greatly value the wealth of information there. :)
Hope this helps!
Thank you for this great post! I saw one of the Karito Kids dolls , Piper, at a thrift store yesterday. She was gorgeous, even will a HORRIBLE shaggy boy-like haircut. I wanted to find out what re-wigging her would involve, and this post and it's comments have been so helpful. I think I will go back today and see if she's still there. She was $6, and in some ways, looks like one of my daughters, so she could be great to add to our eclectic collection of 18" dolls. (We just about have one from each major manufacturer, except AG). Anyway, thank you for all the helpful info! My daughters haven't been as interested in their 18 dolls lately (they're 9 and 6),but I love picking them up at thrift stores and cleaning them up, so I'll have to take the time to play with my girls and their dolls more this summer. :)
You're welcome, Becky! I'm so glad you found it helpful. :)
The Karito Kids dolls are really pretty. I hope that your Piper is still there! Even with the hair issues, $6 is a great price! It's getting very hard to find Karito Kids dolls anymore since they were only available for such a short time, and they're going for a pretty penny on eBay! I would love to find another Karito Kids dolls sometime so that Pita/Elena had a friend her own size. :)
I hope you and your girls have a wonderful, doll-filled summer! My girls and I love picking up dolls at thrift stores and fixing them up, too! :)
What wonderfully detailed work you've done. Thank you so much! And yes, I, for one, would like to see the Battat (Target's Our Generation) doll comparison. Some of us who are sewing for grandkids' dolls haven't had a choice in which doll they got, so it would be helpful. I've been researching and researching dolls lately, mostly because I'm trying to find patterns that fit (or can be easily scaled proportionately to fit) the Melissa & Doug Mine to Love dolls (such as Victoria). Their body shape certainly isn't the same as the AG dolls' shape, so I've been doing a lot of looking. And this is the first time I've come across your site. Since I also have AG-type dolls to sew for, it will be most useful. Thanks again.
Betty, so glad you found the post helpful.
I've been planning on doing another doll comparison post with some of the dolls I didn't include in this post, such as Battat and My Twinn. Hopefully I can get that up sometime this next month. :}
Great--I'll watch for it. Thanks again.
Very good blog ! i enjoyed it very much. I have only one little wish - you could use different background , the disney cartoons on it are very distracting.
Thanks, Zo. I'm a little confused...do you mean the pictures on my sidebar? Because I have purposely chosen a non-active background (white with a very slight pattern) to keep the focus on the post.
If you're referring to the pictures on my sidebar, I will think about changing things up, but at this time I can't make any promises. Most blogs have something of some kind on their sidebar. Even if I removed the Disney pictures, I'd still want to keep the links, blog buttons, and other things I have there.
Glad you enjoyed the posts, though. :)
If I make clothes for an 18" doll how worried should I be that they will fit most dolls? I don't own a doll, (yet) so will be a mystery if they are the correct size. This is wonderful information and you did a great job.
p.s. the patterns I am using come from the book "Love to Dress Up" for 18" dolls.
Hi kittyj! So glad you enjoyed the post.
Most 18" doll patterns fit most standard 18" dolls, so you should be okay. Of course, having a doll on hand in the future would definitely be a good idea. American Girl dolls are usually the common standard for sizing, and as you saw in the post, there's a bit of variety between the different lines. While new AG dolls can be pretty spendy, you can usually get one in nice condition secondhand on eBay, Craigslist, or even at a yard sale or thrift store, for a lot less.
If you go for a different kind of doll, I would suggest avoiding the dolls with narrower bodies, especially the Journey Girls dolls, which are much thinner. Fitting your dress to a thinner doll might make the dresses too small for other standard 18" dolls.
Hope this helps! :)
I love your post beast Belle thank you for introducing me to the gotz dolls your opinions about dolls are really good
You're welcome, Anonymous. Glad I could help! :)
I love the doll comparisons and your comments on the dolls. Wonderful information.
Betty
doll-college.blogspot.com
Hi! I realize this is an old post, but I appreciated the comparison. I have 4 original American Girl Dolls (Pleasant Company) & my daughter is now old enough to be into them, so I have let her "have" one of them. The problem is, the Our Generation clothes we have purchased so far do not fit! Do you know if the newer AG girl dolls are smaller than the originals? I was considering purchasing a real AG outfit, but I hate to spend the money if it doesn't fit.
Thanks!
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