Götz

History

Gotz (actually Goetz, the original German name is spelt with an umlaut ) doll manufacture was founded in Roedental, Germany, in 1950 by Marianne and Franz Gotz. Roedental is a town in the district of Coburg, in northern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 7 km northeast of Coburg. It is also the hometown of Zapf, another well-known German doll manufacturer.

The first dolls were made of paper mache by family members and sold directly by Franz Gotz. In 1957, the first vinyl dolls were made using rotational moulding, this is still the fact today.

In 1964, Gotz was the first doll manufacturer to produce artist dolls by reproducing originals by well-known Swiss doll artist Sasha Morgenthaler (http://www.sashadolls.com/). By 1985, Gotz, once a family business staffed by half a dozen members of the family, had 150 employees, later to increase to 350 worldwide. In 1987 - one year after the introduction of Samantha - an American subsidiary of Gotz was opened in Baldwinsville, NY.

Production came state-side. This factory closed in 2004. The Baldwinsville location used to aid in the assembly of what is know as Pleasant Company American Girl dolls during the 1990’s. It included manufacturing and distribution centers, plus a Götz Doll Shop and Visitor Center.

In 1989, Gotz offered the first collections by doll artists Sylvia Natterer and Carin Lossnitzer, the first of many more artist collections to come.

In 1990, a joint venture was founded in Budapest, Hungary. In 1992, the play doll line by Gotz was awarded with a "spiel gut" (play well) sign by the German Arbeitsausschuss Kinderspiel und Spielzeug e.V. (comitee for childs´ play and toys, registered society, http://www.spielgut.de/), a society dedicated to promote "good" toys (safe, educational and with a high play value) with consumers and manufacturers alike. It was the first of many similar awards to come. Götz has won many doll industry awards, including 5 DOTY Industry’s Choice Awards in 2002.

In 1994, the Sasha Morgenthaler license was renewed until 2001, when the heirs of Sasha Morgenthaler ended the contract. A company-owned specialty dealership was initiated in Hungary.

In 1997, Gotz started a cooperation with childrens´ fashion brand, Pampolina, for the "Pampolina by Gotz collection".

In 1999, the family business was handed over to the second generation, Anke Gotz-Beyer and Uwe Beyer.

In 2000, Gotz acquired the license to produce dolls of "Sandmaennchen" (sandman), a popular childrens´ TV character which had been created in the former GDR and, since the unification of Germany, grown popular in both East and West Germany, replacing the former West German sandman character.

In 2001, Gotz acquired the license for European manufacture of handmade Harry Potter artist dolls. A Swiss Gotz subsidiary (Gotz Puppenmanufaktur Schweiz AG) was founded as a shareholding companyPr.

In 2004, "Sarahs Spielwelt" (Sarah´s play world) was created as a high quality play doll.

In 2004, Gotz Puppenmanufaktur GmbH was about to be liquidated. According to a press statement from August 2003, state-side production already had to be given up in 2002, due to the loss of a major customer and the breakdown of the British and American doll market, where Gotz had to take a 50% sales loss each (while the German market suffered a 25% loss). The production of artist dolls, which is a high wage sector, could no longer be realized; as most toy manufacturers preferred production in China or the Far East, a new investor could not be found. Although sales of play dolls and handcrafted dolls had increased between 2000 and 2003, artist dolls were losing customers. Rather than filing for bankruptcy, Gotz preferred the gradual liquidation until March 2004 as the better solution for both employees and suppliers. The Baldwinsville subsidiary was closed down in 2004 as well.

Production continued, however, and as of today, according to the official website, Götz dolls are still produced in Germany in one of the largest doll factories in the world. The factory in Roedental can be visited by arrangement.

Dolls

Today, Gotz offers handmade dolls (Manufakturpuppen) as well as mass-produced play dolls and limited edition artist dolls in a considerable variety of styles and price range. Their website (http://www.goetz-dolls.com/) has an archive of a back catalogues and older dolls, which currently only goes back until 2001.

Gotz dolls come in four categories: 1. Hand-crafted dolls. Made for loving, playing, and collecting and are of the highest quality. Created in cooperation with renowned doll artists results in dolls with lively expressions and high quality clothing individually designed to withstand intensive playing. The original Götz-bracelet, the artist's signet and the certificate guarantee the genuineness of each doll. 2. Artist dolls. Collected worldwide. Reproductions of originals created by renowned doll artist. Made with loving care for detail and with exquisite materials. Each is a real work of art in highest quality. Artist dolls are only available in limited editions or yearly productions. Artists include Sissel Skille, Joke Groben, Hildegard Gunzel, Didy Jacobsen and Els Oostema.
 * Handcrafted
 * Numbered artist design
 * Easy care

3. Steiff and Gotz are both long-established brands. Together they present an exclusive collection of hand-crafted dolls. Made by Gotz for Steiff, they are miniature works of art of the highest quality. Intended for all children, they make friends for everyday, all through life. A certificate, a Gotz-Steiff bracelet, and the gold-plated button in the ear guarantee the genuineness of each doll.

4. Children’s play dolls, such as the award-winning Pampolina doll, the Precious Day, Little Sisters and Kinderland by Hildegard Gunzel lines. Dolls are available in 8, 13, 15-16, 18, 19, 21 and 23 inches.

There are several types of 18" play dolls by Goetz. Some share the American Girl body type - some even share the American Girl classic sculpt, although these are rare older dolls - and can thus serve as affordable substitutes or even parts donors. It is important to note, though, that not all Gotz 18" dolls are similar to American Girl dolls. Some also have 3/4 vinyl legs and arms, like the Springfield dolls, thus making them NON articulated. Known as Gotz Play Dolls ~ they are described by Gotz as Soft Bodied Standing dolls. (Weichstehpuppe - sadly, the same term is also often used to describe the American Girl type Gotz dolls). These standing dolls have smaller hands and feet, their hands tilt slightly upward whereas the articulated ones have hands that are larger and ready to hold something.

FACTOIDS

Are they called Gotz or Goetz? Both are correct - Gotz is more commonly used in Germany (the official name of the company was Gotz Puppenmanufaktur GmbH) and Goetz in the USA (the official name of the US company was Goetz Dolls, Inc.).

Who Collects Gotz Dolls? The average Gotz doll collectors are women in their late 40’s or early 50’s. They have more disposable income than their mothers had. They decorate tiher homes with these dolls. They buy with an appreciation for durability. They also buy for their grandchildren or her friend's children. They were early adapters to computers and are willing to research, buy, and collect from home or office and sometimes limit their access to the dolls through by shopping in person.

Sources:

Goetz company website: http://www.goetz-dolls.com/

E-Bay Guide Goetz dolls: http://reviews.ebay.com/Gotz-Goetz-Collectible-and-Play-Dolls_W0QQugidZ10000000000898445?ssPageName=BUYGD:CAT:-1:LISTINGS:5

http://collectdolls.about.com/library/weekly/aa050702a.htm

http://209.85.135.132/search?q=cache:x_A3wg4-qaAJ:www.brandora.de/D351.brandora+g%C3%B6tz+r%C3%B6denthal+insolvenz&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk

http://www.moneyhouse.ch/shab/2001_227/publikationen_g.htm

http://reviews.ebay.com/18-Gotz-Dolls-An-American-Girl-Doll-alternative_W0QQugidZ10000000007150885?ssPageName=BUYGD:CAT:-1:SEARCH:2