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.
Face Sculpts
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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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"
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).
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"
The Many Faces of Gotz
Submitted by Little Raven on Tue, 2015-08-04 22:45
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]