When You Least Expect It

No I'm not talking about my very belated post. I'm talking about a doll I purchased ten years ago, then sold because I received an offer I could not refuse, and regretted it there after.

Do you remember my Götz Happy Kidz Katie? The one with the beautiful red hair?

Well I found another quite by accident yesterday on eBay, all thanks to my dear friend Diane who had sent me there to look at a doll she had in her own collection. This is the replacement Katie (below) who comes complete except for her eyewear.

She was quite a find because this particular mold is difficult to come by, and to find her here in Australia was a real bonus (no expensive shipping to contend with).

There is quite a back story with this doll and how she came to be.

First there was Emily and Katie:

Emily and Katie (above) had the all vinyl toddler bodies of the Kinderland and then Precious Day dolls, with only the articulated arms and swivel legs. Emily and Katie who were released in 2011 were very successful, which no doubt is the reason why Götz included them in later ranges.

Then came Luisa:

Classic Kidz Luisa released in 2015 (above) with a multi jointed body, had blonde rooted hair and brown fixed eyes with delicate eyelashes on the top eyelid. She was a more grown up edition of Emily and Katie.

The Götz Classic Kidz line of dolls was discontinued the same year, with Götz choosing to produce that particular face mold only with red hair. While the specific line was retired, the body used for the Classic Kidz dolls was carried over to the current Götz Happy Kidz line.

Then there was Katie:

Katie, designed by world renowned doll artist Hildegard Gunzel, was the only Happy Kidz doll with this face mold produced by Götz after they discontinued the Classic Kidz range.

However Götz followed up with the 36cm Little Kidz Elli in 2020 and Lotta. The likeness between Katie, Elli & Lotta is hard to deny, it's as if Götz revived Emily and Katie but with a new body and more mobility.

Elli

Lotta

What has happened to that face since then I'm not sure. However, no matter what your thoughts are (and I'd love to hear them), I find Götz very confusing when it comes to names verses molds and am just happy I found my replacement Katie.

Till next time, stay safe and happy, big hugs,

X

Intermission

As many of you are already aware, I have an obsession with dolls that have a cute toothy smile. It has never mattered whether the smile included just one tiny tooth peeping through or several and my Wichtels smile the best of all my dolls.

For the longest time, I've had a desire to own a "Samy" Wichtel, who has the cutest smile of all the Wichtels, you could say she was my grail doll. Over the years I have searched different doll shops and she has constantly evaded me. I cannot truthfully say this was because she was a mold that was not made available to Schildkrot, but I have a suspicion this is probably so.

This meant if I was to have a "Samy" Wichtel, I would probably have to order one from Rosemarie Muller directly . . . which inevitably would cost a lot more then the ones from Schildkrot. 

Then last week, in the midst of selling two more of my unwanted dolls, I spotted Merle on eBay UK. Needless to say, and regardless of price, she hopped straight into my cart and was on her way to me in no time!

She came in a box different to the Schildkrot boxes and when I examined her, I found she had been signed by Rosemarie and had a lovely soft Kanekalon wig which is tied up in a pony tail, instead of the regular human hair wigs.

Merle's garments also had a different tag . . . a gold embroidered Muller Wichtel, where my other Wichtels bear the Schildkrot turtle logo.

Here they all are, left to right: Frieda, Heidi, Renata, Liesel, Merle and Gretel (my names)

RM1.1 ANIKA,  RM6.0 KRUMEL,  RM7.0 BUBI,  RM8.2 FLO,  RM8.3 SAMY,  RM15.0 MIO.

Now you may think I am breaking my own rules here, knowing I like to have uneven numbers of dolls, but I look at it this way, I have FIVE Schildkrot Wichtels and ONE very precious Rosemarie Muller Wichtel.

I shall take a couple of days enjoying them all, then it's back to work on my project dolls. Keep safe, happy and enjoy your dolls.

Big hugs,

X