Learn More About Götz WEICHSTEHPUPPE Dolls

This is a Gotz WEICHSTEHPUPPE Doll. It has a soft, padded cloth torso with non-articulated shoulders and hips. It also has one of the most popular facial molds amongst Collectors; it shares a Starshine facial mold.

A **WEICHSTEHPUPPE** is one popular type of Gotz doll. Translated into English, the word "**Weichstehpuppe**" means ***"Soft Doll" or "Soft Standing Doll."*** A WEICHSTEHPUPPE is a soft-bodied doll; it has a soft, padded cloth torso with 3/4 vinyl limbs. For this reason, WEICHSTEHPUPPE are non-articulated dolls and tend to primarily be Play Dolls; however, Götz also makes Handcrafted WEICHSTEHPUPPE Play Dolls as well. WEICHSTEHPUPPE are recommended for children aged three years and older.

## Doll Sizes and Ages

WEICHSTEHPUPPE dolls come in a variety of sizes from 16" to 25" and include a variety of "ages" from late toddlers to teens to adults. For example, some of the redhead dolls, with *rooted* red hair, and two bottom teeth are specifically designed to resemble older toddlers (they all have a "toddler knee cap" which essentially means they have very definitive knee caps). Regardless of doll size and age, *all Gotz Dolls are designed to resemble natural human proportions.*

YOUNGER TODDLERTODDLER/OLDER CHILDTEENAGERADULT
All WEICHSTEHPUPPE, regardless of age, will also have "open" vs. "closed" hands (i.e. "fisted" hands are a characteristic of a baby doll); there may be a variety of different finger positions. *This is important to note as one can learn to tell the type of Gotz doll in some cases, just by looking at its finger positioning*.

## Facial Molds & Physical Appearances

**Facial Molds: *Many dolls produced within the same year will share the same facial mold; however, dolls are distinguished and identifiable by their different physical features*** (for example, two dolls from the same year may have blue eyes and short blonde hair, but one doll will have a DECAL eye design while the other will have a PINWHEEL eye design).

1990 MARCELLA shares the same facial mold as 1990 MABEL1990 MABEL shares the same facial mold as 1990 MARCELLA
### **Doll Hair:**

*WEICHSTEHPUPPE dolls will either have "rooted" or "wigged" hair made from kanekalon fiber*, which Götz believes is the most durable yet luxurious form of doll hair material available. ROOTED HAIR are strands of doll hair that are grouped together, in small groupings, that are then machine-inserted or "machine punched" directly into the doll's scalp; hair is essentially sewn from the inside out. WIGGED HAIR is hair that is sewn direftly to a wig cap which is then glued or affixed to the exterior scalp of the doll; the wig cap is secured with a wig ribbon. ROOTED HAIR is typically found on dolls intended for *younger* children while WIGGED HAIR is typically found on dolls intended for *older* children (as it can be gently washed; brushed (with a wire brush), and fashionably styled.

Example of WIGGED hair: hair is sewn to a skull cap, glued to the scalp, and then secured with a wig ribbon.Example of ROOTED HAIR. Small groupings of hair are machine-inserted directly in the doll skull.
### **Doll Eyes:**

*WEICHSTEHPUPPE doll eyes are made from high-quality plastics and primarily tend to be "sleepy" doll eyes*; this means a doll's eyes will open and close when the doll's *horizontal* and *veritical* positions are changed. Doll eyes can come in various shades of color from light to dark brown; light to dark blue; to gray and black (which only appear with a PINWHEEL eye design). Sleepy-eye eye designs will either be DECAL or PINWHEEL. To learn more about the different types of Gotz doll eyes, please click here.

Example of a DECAL eye design.Example of a PINWHEEL eye design.
## Doll Bodies

*As mentioned, all WEICHSTEHPUPPE dolls have soft, padded cloth torsos with 3/4 vinyl limbs*. Collectors sometimes will refer to these dolls as having "T-shirt" doll bodies. Most doll body colors, especially older Gotz doll bodies, tend to have a white or cream-colored cloth doll torso; doll body color is also intended to match the doll's skin color. Doll bodies produced after 1990 may be tan in color.

Doll heads/necks are primarily secured within the doll torso with what is called a "neckstring" (note: in some years, dolls were also produced with a "zip tie" neck closure). A neckstring (or zip tie) secures the doll head to the doll torso; the neck is inserted into the cloth torso and the neckstring is then pulled tight and tied, typically with three knots, thereby securing the head. *Neckstring types* have varied over the years and due to the extremely limited "known" year of production information available, Götz Doll Wiki is working on a neckstring timeline, which will ultimately help Collectors narrow down the timeframe of when a specific doll may have been produced strictly by comparing its neckstring to all **known neckstring/year produced**. To check out this article (currrently a work in process), please click here.

## Articulation

WEICHSTEHPUPPE dolls cannot sit unaided; they also cannot stand without help. For these reasons, these dolls are considered non-articulated dolls.

Note: Some Gotz doll lovers have found their dolls *can* stand; this *is* possible *if* the doll has more-than-adequate torso hip stuffing *and* it is positioned in a "just-right" manner. However, the general rule for these types of dolls is to assume that despite their flat to semi-flat feet, these dolls cannot sit/stand on their own. WEICHSTEHPUPPE dolls typically require the help of a doll stand or a prop to lean against.

WEICHSTEHPUPPE dolls have "fixed" heads that do not move; they do not have an articulated neck. This essentially means that the doll's head can only **manually rotate** *within its cloth doll torso*.

## Doll Outfits

As Play Dolls, WEICHSTEHPUPPE dolls have well-made, high-quality doll outfits made from fabrics and materials such as velvet, cotton, polyester, even silk. WEICHSTEHPUPPE doll outfits are designed and crafted from materials selected more for their durability and care than for their physical appearance. Some dolls will even come with different accessories, such as teddy bears; glasses; hats; flowers; baskets, even jewelry. As Götz produces beautiful dolls with beautiful doll outfits, many are surprised to learn these are the least expensive Götz doll outfits produced.
HANDCRAFTED WEICHSTEHPUPPE Play Dolls will have slightly elevated outfit designs that typically include multiple layers; use very high-quality fabrics and materials, with some dolls having one or more accessories (such as a gold bracelet or necklace).

HIGH QUALITY FABRICS: Black and yellow silk komono shirt; pink satin sash belt with large posterior bow; black satin pants; black leather shoes; large yellow satin hair bow.BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED: Black leather lederhosen with pink accents; collared, long-sleeved, cotton shirt with pink tie; white knit socks with black leather shoes.TYPICAL PLAY DOLL DRESS: White cotton with white ribbon overlay trimmed with lace; blue gingham collar and short, balloon sleeves.HANDCRAFTED DOLL: green velvet, long-sleeved, white eyelet cotton yoke dress trimmed with burgundy velvet; white cotton bloomers; white ribbed tights; black leather shoes.HANDCRAFTED DOLL: Blue, multi-layered, satin dress with matching belt and white lace yoke; blue satin hairbow; white lace tights with black leather shoes; 20k heart necklace with black leather clutch.
## How to Identify a Weichstehpuppe Doll:

* **All WEICHSTEHPUPPE dolls have a *cloth doll torso* with *cloth shoulders and cloth hips and 3/4 vinyl limbs***
* Doll necks and doll heads will be made of vinyl and secured to the doll torso with a form of neckstring (or "zip" tie).
* Hands will be open vs. "closed" ("fisted" hands are a characteristics of a baby doll); finger positioning may vary.
* WEICHSTEHPUPPE dolls primarily have straight legs, although some may have slightly bent knees. Some of the rooted, red-haired dolls with two bottom teeth will have "toddler" knees (i.e. knees with very visible knee caps).
* Doll feet may be flat or semi-flat.
* Dolls will range in age from older toddlers to teens, even adults.

## ADVICE ON DETERMINING SECONDARY MARKET PRICING

In addition to other factors, such as condition, etc. it may be helpful to keep in mind the following when determining a price for secondary market resale:

**1. Determine, if possible, the IDENTITY and TYPE of doll. Collectors prefer KNOWN dolls to UNKNOWN dolls.**

* ***Determine if the WEICHSTEHPUPPE is a Regular Play Doll or a Handcrafted Play Doll***. If the doll torso is **signed *and* numbered**, it is a *Handcrafted Play Doll* and will be worth more (again, depending on its facial mold) than regular *Play Dolls*.

This doll is a Limited Edition, Handcrafted Doll: the torso contains BOTH a signature AND it is numbered.This is NOT a Limited Edition, Handcrafted Gotz Doll: the torso is signed BUT IT IS NOT NUMBERED.
* *Play Dolls* in general, are the least expensive Götz Doll produced.

**2. Does this doll in its current state match its *original* CATALOG photo?**

* Obviously, dolls mint with original tags in their original box - matching their original catalog photo exactly - tend to sell for more money than KNOWN dolls that do not.
* Determine if the doll's ORIGINAL HAIR is ROOTED or WIGGED. (It has become quite popular for some Gotz Doll Collectors to "cut off" a rooted haired doll's hair and replace their hair with a wig, sometimes of a different color than it originally had. If this is found to be the case: MAKE SURE TO DISCLOSE IT IN THE LISTING).

**3. Is the FACIAL MOLD of this doll one of the more desireable?**

* Some WEICHSTEHPUPPE doll facial molds, such as the vintage Götz Dolls that share a Starshine facial mold or the ROMINA facial molds, are more desirable amongst Götz Doll Collectors than dolls with other, less popular facial molds.

Popular Facial Mold: Doll that Shares a Starshine Facial MoldPopular Facial Mold: ROMINA
**4. What is the AGE of the doll? When was it PRODUCED?**

* WEICHSTEHPUPPE dolls produced prior to the late 1990s are more desirable than dolls produced later due to the impression that later dolls lack the quality of older dolls. For example, dolls that share a Starshine facial mold that were produced prior to the 2000s tend to command a higher price than a dolls such as a *Precious Day* or *Pottery Barn* dolls that also shares a starshine facial mold.

I hope you have found this article helpful! Please make sure to check out other articles that explain different body types, etc.