The following is a list of commonly used terms & abbreviations used to describe dolls that may be of use to the beginner as well as the seasoned doll collector.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

AC

American Character

antique doll

 

generally refers to bisque &  china porcelain head dolls made before all composition dolls became common.  "Golden Era" dolls of composition, plastic & vinyl are commonly referred to as modern dolls.

AO

all original 

applied ears

ears that are molded separately & later attached to the head.  Early Effanbee Dydee dolls have applied ears.

"as is"

means an item is sold in the exact condition it is in - no guarantee is made or implied as to the actual condition of the item.  This is fine if a seller has disclosed all flaws but can be a catastrophe if they haven't. 

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B

bent limb

baby doll arms and legs molded in a relaxed, curved position just like those of a newborn baby.

BC

Bubble cut (Barbie)

Bisque

unglazed porcelain ceramic

BKW

 

bend knee walker.  A walking doll that has a knee joint - commonly used when describing Madame Alexander Alexander-kins & Vogue Ginny dolls.

blush

color applied (usually by airbrush) to the cheeks on a dolls face.  Was also applied to knees & back of hands on some dolls.  These areas should always be checked for scratches or "rubs" in the color.

bottle mouth

 

also called a nurser mouth.  Has an opening to insert a baby bottle.

Bye-Lo

 

baby doll created & copyrighted by Grace Storey Putnam.  Distinctive features of a 3 day old baby.  Copies by other manufacturers are referred to as "bye-lo type"

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C

chatty ring

small plastic ring at the end of the pull string on Mattel talking dolls.  Chatty Cathy being their first talking doll, the ring has become known as a "Chatty ring" also called a Magic ring by Mattel.

china

glazed porcelain ceramic

closed mouth

mouth has lips closed - no teeth or tongue showing and no opening for a nursing bottle

color rub

scratches or areas of play wear to the  face paint of the doll.  Can be in the blush, the eyebrows, on eyelashes of dolls with molded lashes or the eyes of a doll with painted on eyes.

crazing

pattern of very fine cracks found in the surface paint of composition dolls.

crier

a small "voice box" usually round in shape and usually inserted in to the body of "Mama" dolls.  Produces a crying or "Mama" sound when they doll is tilted forward & back (or when you lay her down & picked her up).  Ideal also made a Mama/Dada version.

companion doll

life size dolls like the Ideal Playpal line.

composition

medium used to make doll.  Made from natural materials - usually saw dust or paper pulp & glue although just about anything could have been & was thrown in to the mix by various companies.  

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D

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E

eye mold

moldy film (usually white) that forms over the eyes of doll that have been improperly stored or exposed to moisture.  Can be removed but be aware that the rest of the doll may be affected by rusted interior parts, mildew odor or fabric damage that you may not be able to repair.

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F

fashion doll

a doll with a more mature body than a baby or toddler doll - has narrow wait & bust line and usually has "high heel feet".  The dolls quite often had many different outfits to choose from - sold separately, of course.  The most famous fashion doll is Mattel's Barbie.

flange

a "lip" or edge at the connecting edge of a dolls arm, leg or head which allows it to be joined to the dolls body.  Much the same way a baby bottle nipple is connected to a baby bottle. In the case of cloth body dolls, the flange forms a place for either stitching or twisted wire to attach the limbs or head.

flirty eyes

eyes that roll from side to side.

floss hair

common embroidery floss used for doll hair.  This was common in the 40s due to war shortages.

Frozen Charlotte

an unjointed bisque or china doll. Boy dolls are called Frozen Charlie.  "Frozen" because they do NOT move.  They key here is UNJOINTED.  Inexpensive Made in Japan bisque dolls with separate, wired on arms are not Frozen Charlottes.

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G

googly eyes

large eyes with pupils looking off to the side. Usually refers to set eyes rather than painted eyes.   

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H

Hairbow doll

These molded hair dolls have a loop molded in to their hair which you would tie a ribbon through.

half doll

Dolls molded only from the waist up.  Commonly used as toppers for pin cushions and handles for things such as hair brushes & letter openers. Also called pin-cushion dolls.

high heeled feet

feet on fashion dolls are molded with an arch so they can wear shoes with heels rather than a flat soled shoe. 

HTF

hard to find

HP

hard plastic

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I

incised

indented into - some dolls marking are incised rather than raised or elevated.

intaglio

refers to a type of eye that is indented or carved in to the doll- as in Schoenhut's wooden dolls.

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J

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K

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L

LMR

Little Miss Revlon

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M

Mark

refers to numbers, letters, logos, etc. either molded or stamped on the doll by a maker or manufacture. Usually on the back of head at the hairline and/or in the center of the dolls back but can be located most anywhere on her body. Use to help identify who made the doll & when.

matryoshka

Russian nesting doll that open in the center to reveal a smaller doll.  Can have as little as 2 or as many as 19 (who knows - maybe more).  Traditionally & usually made of wood & painted.  May also be painted as animals or building (typically churches)

MIB

Mint in box.  May also be MIOB for Mint in original box.  This SHOULD mean an unplayed with doll in the same condition that it left the factory in (all tags & cardboard inserts still intact).  It DOES NOT mean a doll that has been played with & just happened to have the box still stuffed away in the attic a few years later when it's mommy no longer played with her.  Those should be noted as W/OB or with original box

MINT

as stated above this is for unplayed with dolls.  There is no such thing as "mint except for........".  It's mint or it's not.

MIP

mint in package - for items originally sold in packages other than boxes.

MOC

mint on card - for those items that were originally sold on a blister packed card or with only a cardboard header.

molded clothing

clothing is molded as part of the doll & is not removable.  An example would be the vinyl Mickey Mouse club dolls or Sun Rubber's Ruth E. Newman dolls.

molded hair

hair is molded as part of the doll - not a wig & not rooted in to the scalp.

mohair

natural fiber from the angora goat used to make doll wigs.

multi face

Many dolls - both antique & modern  - had more than one face.  Typically they would be sleeping, laughing & crying.  Each face would take up about 1/3 of the head.  The head would be covered by a bonnet or hat.  You would change faces by spinning a knob hidden inside the bonnet.  Some dolls simply have a cloth body with flanged wired on neck & you simply spin the head around. 
Some antique dolls even had multiple heads which you could remove & replace.  The heads could even be for different sexes or different races.

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N

nose dots

many old composition dolls had tiny dots painted in their nostrils to make them look more realistic.  Early Barbie dolls also had "nose dots" and a truly mint one will still have them.  Nose dots are usually red.

NRFB

Never Removed from Box - should be exactly what it states.  Most commonly used with limited edition or "collectible dolls" (those that were sold as collectibles & not as play things.

nurser mouth

the mouth on a baby doll  - particularly drink & wet dolls - that has an opening to insert a baby bottle.  Also called a bottle mouth.

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O

OB

original box

O/C

refers to eyes that open & close OR an open/closed mouth.  O/C eyes are also called sleep eyes.

OF

outfit

OOAK

One of A Kind - usually refers to new artist made dolls.  Some vintage dolls are also "recreated" by fun loving collectors who save dolls that would otherwise be tossed out.  By rerooting & repainting, they create a complete "fantasy" version of their old favorites.  

open/closed mouth

a moth that is molded to appear open - may show molded & painted teeth and/or tongue but has no actual hole through it.

open mouth

mouth actually has an opening which usually will have separate teeth & a felt tongue inside.

original

means the doll has had no repairs or restoration work done to it.  Can also refer to something that was originally sold with the doll (not the same as made specifically for & sold separately from) - such as her original outfit or original accessories that were in the package with the doll when it shipped from the factory..
For example - Barbie had many outfits made specifically for her but was normally sold in her a swimsuit (she was also sold dressed in a FEW outfits, but lets pretend here).
Dressed in her swimsuit outfit she should be marked as "all original".  Dressed in one the outfits made specifically for her but normally sold separately she should be "with original outfit"

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P

PHP

painted hard plastic.  The early hard plastics of the late 1940s were unpredictable.  One batch may have a gray cast & another batch might look greenish.  In order for the dolls to have a uniform flesh tone the doll's head, body & limbs were painted at the factory by literally dipping them in to vats of paint.  
To an untrained eye it can be difficult to tell if a doll is painted unless there are scratches in the paint which allow the plastic underneath to show through.
Many later dolls also have painted limbs but they are not common.  Mattel's Barbie, Midge & Chatty Cathy all have variations with painted limbs.  

printed dolls

dolls printed on fabric.  They were to be cut, sewn & stuffed.  Many "advertising" dolls that were given away as premiums were this type of doll.

PT

ponytail (Barbie)

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Q

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R

repaint

some doll collectors like to have rubbed, scratched or worn paint touched up to make their doll look better for display.  Some dealers will do the same in order to increase profits. 
This is a matter of personal preference.  Their is one "camp" of collector who will say this increases the dolls value since it adds to her display quality.  There is another "camp" of collectors who will say this decreases the dolls value as she is no longer in original condition.
Additionally, quality of the restoration must be considered.  There are many people providing these services who can be considered nothing short of a true artist.  Unfortunately, there are also many people who, well - let's just say quality isn't their #1 concern.
Some people will mention any repainting when they sell the doll.  Some will not.  If in doubt -Ask.
May also be referred to as a retouch.

reroot

some collectors will have missing hair replaced with new hair resewn through the scalp.  Dealers will also have this done. You can easily tell this has been done by removing the dolls head & seeing the telltale long strands hanging inside the head (factory machine rooting stitches will interlock). The entire head can also be rerooted to give the doll a "rare" hair color.  
Again - the same two camps of doll collectors have the same two different opinions on this matter. One thing is for sure - any restoration service costs money therefore increasing the amount of money you have invested in a doll. Take this in to consideration when deciding what you are willing to pay for a doll in less than perfect condition. You may be better off to buy a doll in better condition.  Again, if in doubt - ask.

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S

seam separation

Hard plastic & composition doll bodies, heads & limbs were each molded in two parts - a front & a back.  The pieces were then joined.  Check these seams to make sure they are still tightly joined & that there are no signs of having been recently reglued.
Seam separations can also be in the stitching of doll clothing.

SL

straight leg

sleep eyes

eyes that close when you lay the doll down & open when you pick her up.  Also called open/close eyes.

SLW

straight leg walker.  A walker without a knee joint. usually refers to Madame Alexander Alexander-kins or Vogue Ginny dolls.

stringing

a way of joining or connecting doll limbs and/or heads to the dolls body.  Can use elastic cording or elastic bands.

synthetic

man made materials such as the nylon used in wigs.

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T

tagged

many manufacturers labeled their doll clothing creations the same way our clothes are tagged.  Only a good eye & experience will teach you how to tell original clothing that has had the tag removed or reproduction clothing that has had a tag added.  Sadly, there are examples of both situations out there.

talker

a doll that talks.

tnt

twist n' turn.  Refers to Barbie's waist.  Patented in 1966.  Barbie dolls made last week & sitting on the toy store shelves right at this very minute can be marked 1966 due to this patent.

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U

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V

VHTF

very hard to find

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W

walker

a doll that walks.  Can be a "head turning walker" with a head that rotates from side to side as her legs move. Some dolls are "pin jointed walkers" - there legs are attached by pins (or rods) at the hips.

wig

doll hair - can be human hair, mohair or synthetic.  Usually glue to the head but, in the case of composition can also be stapled to the head.  There was even one composition doll that had rooted hair (How's that for a trick?)

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X

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Y

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Z

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