Identifying pre-mattel Felicity?

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I have a Felicity doll (actually Josefina too)...they are older but I am not sure how to tell if they are pre-Mattel or not. They have tan bodies and no date tag on the body. It seems like there are a lot of experts on this board so I hope someone has some way to tell.

Thanks,
April

[GreyMyst]

Originally posted by Dollsfor Sophie:
I have a Felicity doll (actually Josefina too)...they are older but I am not sure how to tell if they are pre-Mattel or not. They have tan bodies and no date tag on the body. It seems like there are a lot of experts on this board so I hope someone has some way to tell.

Thanks,
April

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">On Felicity, if her eyelashes aren't dark black and stiff, she's certainly pre-mattel.

On Josefina, the lack of a body tag(as long as it doesn't look like it's been removed.) is a good indicator it's pre-mattel. PM Josefina's also have softer eyelashes.

[[email protected]]

Super! Thanks so much. I can't wait to get home and check.

Any tips on reconditioning their hair?

April

[Ashley1972]

You can do a search on old topics and there are links for doll hair restoration. The downey dunk and steam really works. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[tatabatata]

Regarding the hair reconditioning, my hairdresser suggested good old fashioned hair conditioner, and it worked on DD's Sam.
Get the hair a bit damp and get condioner on it being a bit generous on the amount. Cover with plastic wrap (or, I like using the saran wrp covers that look like hair caps) and leave for a couple hours. Rinse and towel dry. Comb and let air dry.
Good luck!
Ana [img]graemlins/wilted.gif[/img]

[robin0850]

Check behind her right ear for the "artist's mark"-- there are several different ones; one looks kind of like "#e", and another looks like two y's and a little squiggle. They're not so deeply incised as the Pleasant Company mark, and once in a while the hair can cover part of it.
Also, the older Felicity has fuller cheeks, redder hair, peachier skintone, and a slightly thicker body. Try checking her against the pictures of the newer Felicity on the americangirl.com site.
Hope this helps!

[rothsix]

Which of these artist's marks indicate an older doll? I have one here too. Her hair appears to be the same color as our new doll. However, she does have one of the marks which you describe and does NOT have black eyelashes. They are more reddish brown. She also has no body tag. Any ideas?

Gret

[QNPoohBear]

Originally posted by gret:
Which of these artist's marks indicate an older doll? I have one here too. Her hair appears to be the same color as our new doll. However, she does have one of the marks which you describe and does NOT have black eyelashes. They are more reddish brown. She also has no body tag. Any ideas?

Gret

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Probably PM made in China. The German Felicity has lighter hair. (see my albums)

[rothsix]

<<Probably PM made in China. The German Felicity has lighter hair.

Thanks a lot! I checked your albums, but it is so hard for me to compare to a photo. Do you have a PM made in China doll that you could photograph, sitting next to a PM German doll, as well as a new doll? If I could compare the three of them with no hats, sitting side by side, that would be very helpful.

This one's hair has been reconditioned and while it is very soft, it is no longer "shiny" like they look brand new. Therefore, it is hard for me to tell if her hair is the same color as our new one or not. Thanks!

Gret

[Sakurako]

A little clarification on PM (Pre-Mattel) might help. Josefina, Kit and Kaya (and of course Nellie) were all made in China and were never made in Germany. Josefina was released in Sept. 1997. Mattel bought Pleasant Company before that.

When I talk about pre-Mattel dolls, I mean AGs that were made in West Germany. I therefore consider Josefina as not pre-Mattel because the quality of the vinyl and the wig changed radically, as well as the face mold. Dolls made in China have harder vinyl than the German ones. The body shape also changed considerably -- from chubby to slim. However, the Josefina dolls released in 1997, even though they were made in China, are not as anorexic as the entire AG line is now. And the amount of face coloring (blush in the cheeks and lip color) became much more pronounced by 1998 and 1999.

So if you have a chunky Felicity with pale lips and not much color in her face and without a body tag, she was probably made in Germany. If you have a really chunky Felicity with bright auburn red hair and a nice glow in her cheeks, she was probably made in Germany around or before 1993.