18" Gotz Dolls Guide

This guide is dedicated to provide information about 18 inch articulated Gotz Dolls.

I am offering this guide since I get asked quite often for information about the dolls that model my 18" American Girl knitted doll designs. I hope you'll visit my Etsy Store for completed outfits made available along with select knitting patterns especially designed to fit American Girl Dolls and these comparable Gotz Dolls that share the same articulated body type.

The models I make use of are from the well-respected German doll manufacturing company known as Götz, a German company with an American subsidiary based in Baldwinsville, United States. Marianne and Franz Gotz founded Götz Puppenfabrik in 1950. The first dolls were made of paper maché and were crafted with the help of five family members and sold directly to the public by Franz Götz.
These models were produced as a line of children’s’ play dolls, that share the same soft cloth body type as the popular American Girl Dolls ®, which is not surprising since Götz aided in the assembly of what was known as ‘Pleasant Company American Girl dolls’ during the 1990’s at their Baldwinsville location. The factory closed in 2004 and the site in Germany closed shortly thereafter.  Today these dolls can be mostly found via secondary market sites like eBay.

Little Sisters Tess shown here with Jess, an American Girl Doll

Shares the same articulated body type as American Girl Dolls ®

Read about the lines that were produced along with pictures for identifying them and learn about their differences.

Götz ‘Little Sisters Collection’ ~ 2001 – 2002

 

The ‘Little Sisters’ line were produced by Götz, but were sold under, ‘Dolls Unlimited’, a division of idols, in the years 2001 and 2002. The three dolls in this line are: Lily, a blue eyed blond with full bangs,
Tess, a brown eyed brunette also with full bangs and Katie, a blue/gray eyed strawberry blond with center part, pictured wearing their starter outfits. 
   The face mold used for this line is known as the ‘Mona Lisa’ face mold, they are fully articulated having the ability to hold their position with ball joints in their vinyl arms and legs just like the American girl dolls and were made so they have a slightly pigeon toed stance with beautiful open and close sleep eyes and soft eye lashes. This particular line only have high quality Kanekalon wigs, identifying markings stamped on the back of their neck is mold number 305/16 and their heads are attached to their bodies by string ties such as the American Girl dolls. 

'Precious Day Collection' ~ 2003

Götz used the same ‘Mona Lisa’ face mold for a new updated version,called the ’Precious Day Collection’. The ‘Precious Day’ name has been used by Götz for many years, first just for babies, then also for these 18” girl play dolls starting in 2002, this was the year after Götz stopped making the “Little Sisters Collection’. The “Precious Day Collection’ dolls have the exact same body as the “Little Sisters’, with the exception of the pigeon toed stance. Although they share the same face mold, the difference between the two lines is found in the hair. Their hair is not Kanekalon, but instead a high quality synthetic hair that is machine rooted into the vinyl head and most often have some kind of bangs to cover the seam produced from the rooted hair.

The ‘Precious Day’ line also included Asian and Latino dolls, Alicia and Kimberly in the first two years, that made use of a different face mold but was later dropped from the collection. 







 
Alicia, an Hispanic doll with a darker complexion and black eyes that came wearing a three piece casual suit and

Kimberly, an oriental doll with dark brown hair and eyes that came wearing a pink jumper paired with a white printed top

 

Meet the other dolls in the ‘Precious Day’ collection

Elisabeth, a brown eyed brunette with layered hair                      


Julia, a blue/gray eyed red head also with layered hair and

Jessica, a blue eyed layered blond

Toward the end of 2003, Götz added two more dolls to the collection.

 
Ashley, a blue eyed brunette who wore pink plaid capris and a light pink t'shirt.                 

Emily, a brown eyed blond, who came wearing jeans with a t'shirt featuring pink hearts and a hot pink nylon jacket. Emily was produced one time only in December of 2003. 

These updated versions had two or three piece outfits that were modern in design with all skirts or dresses and each year they changed their outfits with the original outfits having socks, shoes and dresses only.

I hope that this guide along with their identification photos have been helpful and knowledgeable, I will be more than happy to help with any further questions, please feel free to contact me via my email address given for pattern support. ~ Deb

Source: Internet Research

Disclaimer: Debonair Designs is not affiliated with any doll or doll clothing companies.


"Wow, this link was awesome... and you're also an author! Congrats on all of your talents and thanks for caring enough to explain this for us newbies!!"


"My, your designs are wonderful and so beautiful. I have spent lots of time looking at all of them and reading your Gotz Dolls web page.

Thank you for what you do. I am a grandma making items for my granddaughter’s AG doll.
God bless you," Terrie ~ KY