Well Hello to you all! My name is Angela Karinne, and Sasha has given me a turn at the computer to tell my own story, but first I should tell you how MamaT came to discover me. She'd probably hate to admit it, but I think she pretty much forgot all about Sasha's for a few years there. But in 1999 after she'd be working at her career for several years, it dawned on her one day that she could finally afford a companion doll for Sasha. She was disappointed to learn that the Trendon dolls had gone out of production way back in 1986. She searched on-line and found very little information on Sasha's, but came across a contact for Gotz and ordered a catalog. She then called a couple numbers in the back of the catalog and got referred to Dorisanne Osborn's Crow's Nest store, which is where I was living at the time. MamaT was delighted to find such a knowledgable Sasha lover out there in the world. She told Dorisanne that she had most hoped to find the redhead white dress doll from the 1980's, so Dorisanne recommended me. Of course, Sasha dolls were no longer selling in the $50-$100 range that they had sold for in the 80s. Retail costs were closer to $300 for non-limited edition dolls, and I cost $270 which was a good deal. So MamaT splurged a little and bought me as a birthday present to herself for her 34th birthday. She also bought a replacement "Kilt" outfit for Sasha who had still been dressed in her purple wrap-around sleeveless dress until then.But we're not discussing Sasha here. I'm introducing myself. I am known as a modern Gotz Sasha doll. I was one of the first dolls produced when the Gotz company began producing Sasha dolls in 1995, the first since Trendon stopped production in 1986. I have red hair, gray-blue eyes, and a lovely white dress, a little like the doll on page 46 in the book on Sasha studio dolls. Sasha Morgenthaler dressed many of her dolls in lacy white dresses. MamaT pulled a little of the hair away from my face into a ponytail in back when I was first arrived, and we both think it looks much better that way. More recently, she trimmed my bangs just the tiniest smidge because they always cast a shadow over my eyes. I was named Angela at the factory, and Karinne by MamaT. I answer to both names, since I am called one just about as often as the other.
All of my stringing is white, although that's not really an issue with modern dolls. Stringing color is used to help date the older dolls. However, I am strung a bit tight (physically—I hope that's not my personality), and I've got some slight caving of my chest just around the neckline. This is said to be common among Angela dolls. I don't know if it happens with many of the other modern dolls. I've heard that if the caving gets severe, the sides could eventually split, which sounds a little scary if you ask me. But mine is just slight, so we are just watching it for now. Apparently, modern dolls are more complicated to restring than the older dolls, so MamaT doesn't dare mess with my stringing herself. Kelly Wenarsky can restring modern dolls, and maybe she'll send me there if my caving gets worse. I will post a link to her site. It is a great site with lots of great photos of Sasha dolls from all eras, including studio dolls and Kelly's custom repaints. If anyone else out there knows how to restring modern Gotz dolls, feel free to post a comment on this note.
I was produced in 1995, but dolls like me were produced in both 1995 and 1996. A limited edition line of Angela dolls was also produced, which as far as I know only seem to differ in that limited edition dolls are numbered. It's the only case I've seen where a limited edition doll looks almost identical to a non-limited edition. Modern Gotz Sasha dolls were produced between 1995-2001. A wide variety of different dolls were produced, including babies, and the only toddler dolls that were factory produced. Both pale and dark skin tones were produced, and different nationalities and socio-economic classes were represented. Many of the dolls are similar to one or more of Sasha M's studio dolls. In 2001, the Morgenthaler family pulled the manufacturing license from Gotz, and Sasha dolls have not been produced since. I don't know the details of why they pulled the license, but there was something in the quality they disapproved of. MamaT's favorite modern doll (besides me!) is Yamka, an American Indian doll, patterned after the studio doll on page 100 of the Sasha-Puppen book on studio dolls. She was a limited edition from 2001 and not in our household budget. It would also be kind of cool to have a toddler in the family.
Goodness, I've sure rattled on here, but you never know when Sasha will let me have another turn on the computer. So I wanted to tell you all about the modern Gotz Sasha's while I had the chance. I'll post another link to Susanna Lewis' page that shows photos of the modern Gotz dolls. Dorisanne Osborn also still has catalog sets for sale. MamaT just got a set from her. Seems like there was one other thing I wanted to share, but it's slipped my mind, so I will stop here and post the link's to Kelly's and Susanna's pages.
--Angela Karinne
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