Götz

Stolle

The mold below is actually very similar to #120/15, and may be an updated version of it. It is mold #120/16, known as the Stolle mold because it was designed by artist Kirsten Stolle.
#120/16 | "STOLLE"
The two molds vary only slightly, mainly in the size and shape of the eyes. Additionally, I have also heard 120/15 referred to as "Stolle," which makes me believe #120/15 and #120/16 are different versions of the same sculpt. The two sculpts may also occasionally interchange mold numbers, as in the doll below.


#120/16

120/15

Close on the heels of the Starshine face in terms of recognizeability is mold number is 120/15.
#120/15
Like the Starshine mold, it seems to be a vintage Gotz face that was again utilized in 2000 for Martha Pullen's Dress Me doll line.

Starshine

Another very visible Gotz face sculpt is known as the Starshine sculpt, though this is probably not its original name.
#12/16? | "STARSHINE"
It was given that title due to the Native American Starshine dolls who used the mold in the early 1990s.


STARSHINE DOLLS 1992

The "Starshine" mold is actually a much older vintage sculpt originally used on some of the early Gotz play dolls from the 1980s. It was also selected to be the face of "Rebecca," friend of the American Girl precursor "Romina" in 1985, before Romina had been bought by the Pleasant Company.


VINTAGE "STARSHINE" GOTZ DOLLS 1980s


Martha Pullen's Friends also made use of this face mold during the early 2000s, followed by the Gotz Precious Day doll line in 2004, though there may have been a slight adjustment in the eye shape of the later molds.


STARSHINE BOYS: POTTERY BARN KIDS HENRY AND VINTAGE GOTZ BOY


From about the mid 2000s to the present day, Pottery Barn Kids has used the face mold for their own popular line of play dolls including some of their limited editions. It is probably the most currently recognizable Gotz doll face next to the original "American Girl" which is fitting, as these two sculpts began their journey together many years as "Romina and Rebecca." The neck on this sculpt usually just reads "Gotz Puppe," although some early Starshine dolls may carry the number "12/16."
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"Romina"

No doubt this girl looks familiar to just about anyone who has any experience with 18" dolls. . . But she's not who you think she is!
#Unknown | Romina
She is the Gotz forerunner for American Girl dolls--possibly the sculpt that Pleasant Rowland discovered in a storeroom at Marshall Field's in 1985 and decided she was going to talk business with the manufacturer.  A closer look shows you she is 100% made of vinyl, and therefore not Pleasant Company or American Girl.

These early, vinyl Samantha Parkington look-alikes can sometimes be found on eBay, though almost always they need to be restrung and a number of them seem to have a pinched torso from extended time on a doll stand.

If the face has a mold number, I'm not aware what it is; the neck only reads "Gotz Puppe." But back in the 1980s, Gotz's name for one of the associated dolls was "Romina" before the sculpt was purchased by Pleasant Rowland for her fledgling business The Pleasant Company (later American Girl).  I've heard this face referred to as the American Girl prototype, so that's what I call it (though it's not actually, if you want to get technical).



These dolls commonly come in both girl and boy varieties. I've seen about an equal number of each make the rounds on eBay. I've also seen one or two blonds or gingers, but most of them are brown-eyed brunettes, just like American Girl Samantha, whose was based on the vintage Gotz dolls.

There are minor differences between this sculpt and the Pleasant Company/ American Girl sculpts. For example, Pleasant Company dolls have larger teeth, but they are overall nearly identical. However, the smaller, thinner vinyl torso of the Gotz dolls is what mainly differentiates most of them from their Pleasant Company successors.


PLEASANT COMPANY SAMANTHA AND GOTZ "ROMINA" 

Anna

Anna came to Ravenhome from Germany to learn English and meet other girls her age with whom she could attend school (which she loves!). Anna is twelve years old, very smart, and has already struck up close friendships with Dee Dee and Nina, her "besties" and partners in crime. Her English is actually quite excellent now; even her American friends will sometimes ask her for the meaning or spelling of an English word they aren't too sure of!
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The Many Faces of Gotz

Gotz Girl

This list will try to cover the basics of some of the most common Gotz doll face sculpts. This isn't a scientific study and I'm not a doctor of dollology (nor do I play one on TV). I'm just going by my own observations and ace research skills. (I didn't spend ten years in college without some take away!)

However, let me say that Gotz dolls are numberless; I might have better luck counting the stars. It will be a task to round up even the more popular ones used by Gotz during. . . [node:read-more:link]

Hannah and her Dog!

I can't believe Hannah of Hannah's World | Hannah and her Dog fame popped in on eBay and I can't believe no one nabbed her the first time around. I didn't have the funds so I watched her go by-by with a sigh and a tear. But sure enough, she came back around at a lower price, and up to the last minute no one bid on her again, so I was able to get her! I'm so happy!

She's the 2014 version (there's a new Hannah and her Dog every year) called "Gold Dust Hannah." This doll, no matter the version. . . [node:read-more:link]

I Just Got a Hannah! (sort of)

So I splurged (a little) and just got myself a Gotz Hannah at long last! Well, she's really more of a "Anna" (according to the eBay seller) than a Hannah, but it all works out to about the same in the end since they are essentially the same model.

Hannahs are a bit pricey for me, but Anna the Hannah twin popped up on eBay for significantly less than Hannah tends to go for, and I. . . [node:read-more:link]

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