Throwback Thursday: Lissi Batz - Part 2

As a followup to my previous post on October 17, 2013, on Lissi Batz Dolls made in Germany, this post focuses on Lissi Batz dolls made in China.  Same company, but to defray costs, as has been the practice of many companies, doll production (some if not all) left Germany for China during the mid 1990s.  As with other companies who outsource production, the quality of the dolls, their clothing, and packaging declined.

These China-made Lissi Batz dolls have unsigned, cloth bodies (all bodies are white with the exception of the Christmas doll).  They were purchased through HSN or QVC shopping channels, locally from Toys R Us, or through the J. C. Penney Catalog.

Lissi Doll (no name)

Height:  19 inches with straight legs

Hair:  Black rooted hair styled in two side ponytails with bangs accented with red and white striped ribbons

Facial Characteristics:  Brown sleep eyes, closed mouth

Clothing:  Red and white striped dress with white eyelet collar, red and white striped pantaloons, white socks, black vinyl Mary Jane shoes (HSN purchase)

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Lissi Doll (no name)

Height:  21 inches with bent baby legs

Hair:  Black rooted hair styled in two side ponytails with bangs, accented with red and green satin ribbons

Facial Characteristics:  Brown sleep eyes, open mouth with two molded teeth

Clothing:  Multicolor, geometric-patterned dress, white socks, black vinyl Mary Jane shoes.  

Sold during the mid to late 1990s through HSN - photo captured from the Internet as I either sold my doll or she is here somewhere missing in action. 

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Two Hearts Collection boy and girl twins

Height:  15 inches with bent baby legs

Hair:  Molded

Facial Characteristics:  brown sleep eyes, closed mouths; similar facial mold as the no-name doll in the red and white striped dress.

Clothing:  Girl wears pink heart-print dress; boy wears blue heart-print romper; ribbons tied at ankles

Made in China for Lissi during the 1990s; sold on HSN (no longer part of my collection; photo scanned from Black Dolls an Identification and Value Guide Book II by Myla Perkins.)

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Christmas Doll

This doll does not bear the LB within a triangle mark that all other Lissi dolls bear.  It was sold through the J. C. Penney catalog as a Lissi doll, I believe.  Dolls using the same head sculpt were sold as Lissi dolls through QVC.   This doll is marked with three stacked M’s and the number 126 above the M’s. 

Height:  19 inches

Hair:  Black rooted hair styled in two side ponytails with bangs

Facial Characteristics:  Brown sleep eyes, closed slightly pouting mouth

Clothing:  White dress has smocked bodice and machine-embroidered Christmas tree, presents, and holly; trimmed in red embroidery at the hem with red ribbon bows on sleeves; has white, heart-shaped crocheted purse with white plush bear tucked inside.  She also wears white pantaloons, white socks, black vinyl Mary Jane shoes.   

This doll has a brown, unsigned cloth body.

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Throwback Thursday: Lissi Batz Dolls - Part 1

During the 1990s as an unfocused doll collector, baby dolls and toddlers were included in my multitude of doll purchases.  If their medium was vinyl, that was a plus; and of course, if their complexions were deep and their aesthetics pleasing, they interested me enough to purchase. 

German-made Lissi Batz dolls usually fell into this category.  Several Lissi Batz dolls were sold through the Home Shopping Network (HSN) during the 1990s with Tina Berry most frequently hosting the shows.  As an avid HSN doll show viewer, Tina did not have to convince me to dial their 800 number to order Lissi dolls.  All I needed was the item number. 

After discovering that none of my books or other published works thoroughly document Lissi Batz dolls, I decided to create a two-part blog post series about them.  This post, the first of the two, will focus on the Lissi Batz dolls that use molds made in West Germany and Germany (after West and East became one country in 1990).

About the Lissi Batz dolls in my collection:

With the exception of the all-vinyl “unknown toddler,” all West Germany and German-made dolls have vinyl heads, ¾ vinyl arms and legs; brown cloth bodies that are signed “Lissi Batz” by Anneliese “Lissi” Schirdewahn-Batz.  Each doll has a hang tag which bears its name and a group image of Lissi dolls.  The West Germany and German-made dolls also have a certificate of authenticity (COA), the back of which illustrates four generations of doll makers from an 1851 fixed-limb doll through a 1958 plastic doll.  A full-length picture of each doll is also included with the historical development of dolls on the back.  On the nape of the neck of Lissi dolls are her initials "LB" enclosed within a triangle. 

The West Germany-made dolls’ Certificate of Authenticity (front) and back of COA (click to enlarge any photo)

Close-up of Unknown Toddler, described above.

Unknown Toddler

Height:  26 inches with bent baby legs

Hair:  Short, black rooted

Facial Characteristics:  Brown sleep eyes with closed, smiling mouth

Head and body:  Head and arms are soft vinyl, body and extremities are rigid plastic.

Clothing:  Redressed in infant’s size 3-6 months mint green and light blue check romper and white high-top baby shoes

Other:  This doll was purchased from another collector during the mid-1990s and probably dates back to the 1980s.  She bears the LB initials within a triangle on the nape of her neck below which are the numbers 70/20

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Scan from BD Book II

Rhea (whose location cannot be determined, which is the reason I used a scan from Black Dolls an Identification and Value Guide, Book II by Myla Perkins):

Height:   19-3/4 inches with straight legs

Hair:  Black rooted hair styled in two side ponytails with bangs; ribbons that match dress accent hair.

Facial Characteristics:  Brown sleep eyes, closed mouth. 

Clothing:   Pink polka dot dress with lavender polka dot overdress, white pantaloons, white socks, black vinyl Mary-Jane style shoes. 

Marked:  Made in West Germany (prior to the reunification of Germany), released in April 1992 sold through the HSN 

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Sheerah

Sheerah

Height:  21 inches with bent baby legs

Hair:  Black rooted hair styled in two side ponytails with bangs; has pink and lavender ponytail holders

Facial Characteristics:  Brown sleep eyes; open mouth with two upper molded/painted teeth.  

Clothing:  Lavender dress with blue floral-print mock overdress, white pantaloons, white socks, black vinyl shoes

Extra:  Has white wooden doll

Sheerah came with a doll stand and was made in Germany in the Lissi Doll Factory in April 1992.  Purchased through HSN’s outlet after having sold out through the HSN shopping channel, I went through great lengths with multiple phone calls to have the outlet locate and sell this doll to me. 

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Lanie

Lanie

Height:  21-1/2 inches with straight legs

Hair:  Light auburn hair styled in one top ponytail with the rest hanging loose

Facial Characteristics:  brown sleep eyes, closed mouth

Clothing:  Peach floral-print dress trimmed in white ruffled fabric, white pantaloons, white socks, black Mary Jane shoes

Extra:  Has white wooden doll and doll stand

Made in Germany in June 1992 in a limited edition of 1000 pieces; this is doll #48; sold through HSN.

  

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Aletha

Aletha

Height:  22 inches with bent baby legs

Hair:  Black rooted hair styled in two side ponytails and one top ponytail with bangs; white satin ribbons accent ponytails.

Facial Characteristics:  Brown sleep eyes; pouty mouth

Clothing:  White lace dress, gold hoop earrings, white socks with ribbons tied at ankles (no shoes)

Extra:  Came with a blue ribbon that bears a headshot of Lissi Batz and a doll stand.

Made in November 1994 as a limited edition of 500 pieces in Germany; sold through HSN, the last HSN Lissi doll made in Germany that I purchased. 

Part 2 will be published, Thursday, October 24, 2013.
 
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Who Are We: Dolls from England and Germany?

The doll on the left, Jetta, is the "Who Am I Doll?"; the Asian doll is by artist, Dwi Saptono.

Jetta, named by her new proud owner, is a black doll from England whose artist is unknown. 

26-inch doll by Lissi Batz has soft vinyl head and arms; rigid plastic body and bent-baby legs, circa 1980s-1990s*

When I saw Jetta's photo, she immediately reminded me of a doll in my collection manufactured in Germany by the Lissi Batz Company, circa 1980s-1990s. 

To aid in Jetta's identification, I asked the owner to share the doll's markings with me, if any.  I also wanted to know Jetta's height and whether or not she is all vinyl.   Betty wrote:

Jetta is 20" tall, has a soft vinyl head and arms and her body and legs are hard plastic.

Jetta is marked on the nape of her neck and under her hairline:

B50/287  or  850/287 

Since I know that dolls by Lissi Batz are marked with the letters LB within a triangle, Betty's doll was probably made by another European manufacturer.

If you are familiar with these markings, with Jetta's mold, or can otherwise help identify the maker of this doll, please share your knowledge in a comment to this post.

Thanks in advance.

*While I know my doll is by Lissi Batz, I do not know her name.  She was purchased on the secondary market during the 1990s.  I dressed her in the infant’s size 3/6 months mint green and light blue checkered romper and white high-top baby shoes that she wears.  If you know her Lissi Batz-given name, I would appreciate the knowledge. 

dbg