The Difference Between Soft-Bodied and Hard-Bodied Gotz Dolls

The terms "soft-bodied" and "hard-bodied" are two terms used frequently on this wiki to describe two different doll ***torso types***:

* **SOFT-BODIED DOLLS:** This term refers to dolls with a *soft, padded* doll torso (typically filled with materials such as polyester, pellet grains, foam, etc. and covered with cloth, muslin, felt, etc.). These dolls are designed and intended for cuddling and hugging. Some soft-bodied dolls are "weighted" with pellets that resemble the realistic, proportional weight of a child.
	+ Tip: The word "WEICH" in German translates into "SOFT" in English; a doll with a body type that contains the word "WEICH" will be a soft doll body (notice each doll type in the photo examples below contains the word "WEICH").

Photo Examples of Soft-Bodied Dolls:

Example of WEICHBABY with a soft, padded or "stuffed" cloth doll body.Example of WEICHBABY with cloth, semi-stuffed, pellet-filled body.Example of WEICHKÖRPERPUPPE: this doll is considered a soft-bodied doll despite having a vinyl breastplate (half hard, half soft torso) doll body.Example of a WEICHKÖRPERPUPPE; this soft-bodied doll has an internal skeleton that allows it to fully articulate.
* **HARD-BODIED DOLLS:** This term refers to dolls with a completely *rigid, semi-rigid, or hard* doll torso (typically made from vinyl [hard and soft], PVC, porcelain, bisque, etc). Many of these dolls are hollow inside, some even feature waterproof bodies!

Photo Examples of Hard-Bodied Dolls:

Example of a GELENKSTEHPUPPE doll with hard vinyl torso.Example of a hard-bodied VINYGELENKBABY baby doll.Oftentimes, you will find these terms paired with a specific **articulation type.**

## Articulation Types

1. **NON-ARTICULATED (0 JOINTS MOVE/POSE)**: **No part of a doll can move/pose independently anywhere on the doll's body**.
2. **PARTIAL ARTICULATION (1-3 JOINTS MOVE/POSE)**: **Either shoulders or hips will articulate** = if only hips articulate, doll will sit/stand without help; if only shoulders articulate, doll cannot sit/stand unaided. Head may articulate; be fixed; or rotate only. Ex. Most **breastplate dolls** will fit within this category.
3. **MULTI-ARTICULATED (4-5 JOINTS MOVE/POSE)**: Doll can sit/stand unaided; **both** shoulders and hips will move/pose; head may articulate or rotate only. Ex. Most AG-style body types will fit within this category.
4. **FULLY ARTICULATED (6+ JOINTS MOVE/POSE)**: Doll can sit/stand unaided; both shoulders and hips articulate; neck articulates. Additional body parts will articulate: waist; both elbows; both wrists; both knees; both ankles will move/pose if articulated. Dolls within this category are mostly vinyl however, a few types of cloth dolls will fully articulate. Ex. Happy Kidz and Nane Roskothen dolls (fully-articulated cloth doll) will fit within this *type*.

## Pairing Torso Type + Articulation Type

Why is it important to pair a **torso type** with a specific **articulation type**? Over time, doll body type names and their definitions have changed (example: a GELENKPUPPE and a GELENKSTEHPUPPE doll are the same)...pairing a **torso type** with an **articulation type** can therefore help one quickly visualize the *physical description* and the *physical makeup* of a doll.

* Example: Describing a doll as a "soft-bodied, non-articulated doll" helps one to quick understand that this doll features a *soft padded cloth doll torso that does not have any articulated joints.*
* Example: Describing a doll as a "hard-bodied, multi-articulated doll" lets the collector quickly understand the doll features a *hard doll body with four or five articulated joints.*

To summarize: the purpose for understanding and pairing both terms together (torso type + articulation type) can help you quickly visualize the *physical description and physical makeup* of a doll.