How
to tell the difference between a genuine antique doll and a reproduction
When you've been collecting a while this becomes relatively easy however if you come
across a doll that you are not sure is antique or reproduction then the
following tips that I've read about or people have told me about over the years
could help:
Look at the doll's markings on the back of the head. Unless they
were deliberately made to deceive, most reproduction dolls are signed with
the maker's name and year. Not to be confused of course with the
factory markings on a genuine antique which are supposed to be there!
The factory marks (usually maker name, mould number and size number) are
part of the mold and look machine impressed whereas a signature by a
reproduction artist will be hand-done.
Run your finger over the bisque. An antique doll's bisque usually
feels slightly rough, almost like very fine sandpaper, whereas a modern reproduction usually has
smooth bisque.
Colour of bisque. If you check the colour of the bisque in an
unpainted area (eg inside the head) you'll find that the bisque on antique
dolls is white whereas bisque on reproduction dolls tends to have a creamy
colour to it. The exception to this is with Gebruder Heubach antique
dolls as the Gebruder Heubach company did tint their bisque pink.
Quality of bisque. As antique dolls were factory made there are
often small imperfections such as air bubble holes and more commonly kiln
dust, which resembles small black specks in the bisque.
Look at the painting of the face. Most reproductions aren't painted
quite the same way as the antiques were. To determine the difference
you need to have experience with antique dolls and it helps to look at as
many genuine dolls as you can. Looking through pictures in doll books
is also a great way to learn about dolls and familiarise yourself with the
characteristics of antique dolls.
