1996 Gotz Pampolina Doll with Dog *NIB

___________________ Gotz. Spielpuppen PLay Dolls. 1996.

Wilfred Gehrlicher.Gotz Spielpuppen, Puppenfabrik. GmbH. Neustadt b. Coburg.

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53-Year Old Doll Company Announces End To Production Gotz dolls, considered by some doll collectors to be the first company to produce a manufactured Artist Doll when they manufactured the dolls of famous doll artist Sasha Morgenthaler starting in 1965, announced this week that they are going out of business. Difficult Economy and Dropping Collector Demand

They are ceasing operations in the face of the difficult economy and a continuing drop, worldwide, in demand for high-end collectible dolls. According to a recorded message at the New York facility in Baldwinsville, New York, the decision to shut down was based upon "ongoing consumer caution both in Europe and in the United States, as well as the doll market's falling product turnover for the last three years." The recording also said that the remaining dolls will be sold through a special sales program with Gotz current retailers.

Final Date For Closure: March 31, 2004

Götz Puppenfabrik plans to close no later March 31, 2004.

How long has Götz been producing dolls?

Since 1950, when Marianne and Franz Götz founded Götz Puppenfabrik in Rodental. The first dolls were made of paper mache and were crafted with the help of five family members and sold directly to the public by Franz Götz.

What types of dolls does Götz produce today?

Götz is a German company with an American subsidiary based in the United States. The company today is run by the second-generation of the Götz family. 1950, when Marianne and Franz Götz founded Götz Puppenfabrik in Rodental. The first dolls were made of paper mache and were crafted with the help of five family members and sold directly to the public by Franz Götz. Götz dolls are still produced in Germany in one of the largest doll factories in the world. They produce several lines of dolls there--the hand-crafted dolls are made for play but are of high quality. They are created in association with doll artists. Each doll comes with a Götz bracelet, artist's signet and a certificate. The Artist Edition dolls are produced in limited or one-year productions. There are play dolls which are not limited and priced for wide distribution in specialty stores (dolls such as the inventively named Mini-Muffins, Muffins and Maxi-Muffins). Finally Götz also produces licensed dolls such as Harry Potter dolls in Europe (see below) and their Beatrix Potter collection introduced in 2001; these dolls have clothing embroidered with Beatrix Potter themes. Dolls that have been produced by Götz range in size from miniatures by German artist Ulrike Hutt up to nearly 40-inch dolls by Indonesian artist Dwi.

Is the company called Götz or Goetz?

Both are correct; Götz is more commonly used in Germany (the official name of the company there is Götz Puppenmanufaktur GmbH) and Goetz in the USA (the official name of the US company is Goetz Dolls, Inc.).

Why Is Götz Often Credited With Creating the First Modern Artist Doll?

In 1965, the first original dolls of famous doll artist Sasha Morgenthaler were reproduced and distributed by Götz. This is considered by many to be the first manufactured "Artist Doll."

Item ID: 6322