SASHA DOLLS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
				I've compiled this section from questions I often get asked......
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	What is “falling hair” and why do some Sasha dolls have it? “Falling hair” is probably the saddest problem that plagues the production dolls.  Brunettes are most susceptible although I have heard that early redheads can also be more delicate, with blondes almost never shedding. ( I once did have a 1969 redhead who lost quite a bit if hair in a washing, but once it dried, it did not fall anymore.)  It has to do with the dark dyes used in the synthetic hair.  It reacts with the hair over time and causes it to become brittle.  THERE IS NO "CURE" FOR FALLING HAIR .   Synthetic hair cannot "repair" itself with the use of hair conditioners, etc.  (It always amuses me that sometimes people think this is somehow possible!)  The only solution is to handle the doll carefully, or strip it completely of its hair and rewig it.  Some people have rerooted Sashas successfully, but it must be done by hand, hole by hole and it is painstakingly difficult and tedious.  I have done “spot” rerooting for rare dolls with cut hair, but would not bother spot rerooting a brunette because the doll will continue to “shed” the rest of its hair. Over the years, collectors and Sasha researchers have found that the dolls with the worst falling hair are those that were stored in enclosed places, such as a tube or original box.  Therefore, when you are talking about 20 or 30 year old dolls, “mint in box” does not necessarily mean “brand new without damage”.  Also, those brunette dolls stored in damp basements or in plastic bags where moisture has built up will often have very bad falling hair.  Ironically, those brunette dolls that were played with and had their hair washed early in their lives by children tend to have the strongest and best hair. Why are some Sasha dolls 16” and others are almost 17” tall?   When any doll is produced, the molds wear out over time.  The molds were recast at the company several times it seems, since the early 1970’s dolls have very narrow faces as opposed to the 1960’s – 1971 dolls.  Also, the dolls definitely “grew” in the later 1970’s, as the molds were recast again.  Dolls from the 1980’s often will not fit into clothing belonging to earlier dolls. Are all Sasha dolls made by the Gotz company? No.  In 1965, Sasha Morgenthaler contracted with both the Gotz company in Germany and the Frido company in England to produce her dolls.  The Gotz dolls are marked with circles and “Sasha Serie” on their backs and heads; the English dolls are not.  There are many differences between them that I won’t go into here, but in 1970, the Gotz company ceased production of the dolls, and the Frido (later Trendon) continued to produce the dolls until 1986 when they closed and the Doggarts, who ran the factory, retired.  In 1995, the Gotz company signed an agreement with the Morgenthaler family to again produce Sasha dolls.  These dolls are easy to identify because not only are they marked with the three concentric circles on the back of the torso (except for the very first few that were produced) but are also marked on the head ’94.  (1994).  The Gotz company produced the dolls until 2001 when the Morenthaler family pulled the license because of disagreements about how the dolls should look and be made.  In 2004, Gotz closed its doors completely and ceased production of all dolls in response to the failing market of new European artist dolls.  It was never officially stated, but I often wonder if losing the Sasha doll line hurt them and contributed to the decision to close down.  There are no future productions of Sasha dolls planned since the license is held by the family and they have not granted it to anyone else. Why don’t all Sasha dolls have dark “skin”? Because of the way the dolls were marketed,  it is believed by many that Sasha’s  concept in a production doll was to have the vinyl color be a blending of the world’s children.  However, this was certainly not the case with her studio dolls.  There were 24 different shades of "skin" color used on the studio dolls!  There has also been some discussion that  the decision to make the Sasha production doll a "universal" skin tone was a commercial one and not solely Sasha's concept.  In 2000, when Gotz was producing the Sasha doll, they came out with a new line of Sashas called the “Modern” line.  The “Modern” dolls had very light skin, while the “Classic” line was dark.  They were also a little more reasonably priced (I believe the highest I saw retailers sell them for new were around $179 here in the US)– probably Gotz realized that they needed to produce a more affordable doll, since the price of the new dolls was exceeding even the collectible Trendon dolls from the 1980’s.   Many have become upset that the light skinned dolls go against the advertising that Sasha dolls are of a “universal” skin tone.  However, my own opinion is that it is all right, since many of Sasha’s studio dolls were very light –some of them almost translucent looking, and the Trendon line did include African American dolls such as Caleb and Cora.  If we are not going to get upset about Caleb and Cora, or Sasha's light studio dolls, we shouldn’t be too upset about the light skinned dolls.  So the “white” skin is just another variation in the delightful "rainbow" of skin tones found on Sasha dolls! What questions should I ask before buying a Sasha doll? Ebay is a great venue for Sasha dolls.  However, keep in mind that most sellers on Ebay are not Sasha collectors and many are not even doll collectors.  They happen to have lucked into buying a Sasha doll in a collection of 1960’s or 70’s toys or whatever, and know nothing about the dolls themselves.  These sellers cannot be faulted for not being knowledgeable about every single item they sell.  It’s not fair for collectors to expect them to know when the doll dates from, or what the original clothing was.  For example, if you inherit your grandfather’s Lionel trains and sell them on Ebay, does that make you a train dealer?  And if you happen to know nothing about it and overlook flaws, does that make you “dishonest”?  Of course not.   You can choose to buy from collectors such as myself, Nancy Miller or Shelly in the UK and others with websites – we are reputable and have been dealing and collecting Sasha for many years. (In fact,  I really cannot name one single person with a Sasha dolls website who is dishonest or not knowledgeable enough to sell correctly.)  Also, if you are overseas, keep in mind that many Ebay sellers will want to declare the full value of a doll for insurance purposes, which will incur import duty taxes on your purchase.    But, if you love the thrill of an auction and potentially getting a bargain, Ebay is a great place.  As a collector though, if you are going to buy on Ebay, you must know what you are doing or you could run into trouble. As for questions to keep in mind:  While Sasha is a very sturdy doll, made for years of hard play, there are a few things to keep in mind.  First, any doll that is stored in a basement or other damp, enclosed area will often be affected by a musty smell that is the result of a mold infection.  Usually it is not even visible.  Moldy dolls CAN be cleaned but it requires a complete restringing (since the stringing cord is often the most moldy part) and soaking in various solutions.  The mold infection will be eliminated, but usually not the entire moldy smell itself.  The same goes for cigarette smoke.  I have yet to find a remedy for either of these in severe cases.  The third culprit is moth balls.  For some reason, unknown to me, a few people on this planet are in love with moth balls (or moth flakes) and are under the impression that placing their Sasha doll in moth balls will prevent it from being devoured by ravenous insects.  (I have yet to hear of a bug that will eat vinyl.)  But moth balls are not only poisonous, their odor is extremely difficult if not impossible to remove!  Perfume is another problem as the vinyl absorbs the smell and it can be impossible to remove.  So one question to ask would be if the doll has any bad odors. Secondly, if it is a brunette, falling hair is always a concern.  If you are buying from someone who knows nothing about Sasha, often they will not understand what you are talking about and will state that the doll does not have falling hair.  Then the doll arrives, you wash or brush the hair, and it falls out in handfuls.   Third, any doll with snaps on the sandals can have green spots on the ankles.  Asking about discoloration and stains is also a good idea.   Stringing is also a concern.  Dolls can always be restrung, but many times even mint in box dolls can have loose or broken stringing  inside.  (Again, many assume that “mint in box” means new in box.) If the stringing is too tight, the doll will have a “caved” neck.  It can be so severe that the doll’s middle can even dent in under the pressure.  I have even had English dolls where the head broke right through the neck socket and cracked into the top of the torso.  The dolls do vary, and a flat neck is fine in my opinion, but if it’s very definitely concave and the stringing is so tight that it’s hard to move the head, it’s best to have it reshaped and restrung.  In order to be strung correctly, Sashas should be strung leg to head and back again to the leg with the arms done on a separate cord; as opposed to most dolls that are strung in a “loop".  While she should be tight enough to hold a pose, Sasha should never, ever be restrung too tightly.  I can provide restringing if your doll is in need of this.  There are also those in the UK who provide this service – email me and I can put you in touch with one of them. Are Sasha dolls good investments?  Which ones are the best investments? I get this question very often.  I will not answer it specifically except to say that prices on everything fluctuate.  Several years ago, I was selling Raggedy Ann items for crazy prices to Japan.  Now large lots of Raggedy items don’t even open on Ebay.  Dolls, like any investment (including stocks) do not necessarily go up on value.  Conversely, Sashas are special for several reasons.  First and foremost, the Trendon factory is gone.  They are a defunct company and will not be making any more Sasha dolls ever.  Same goes for Gotz – they have closed their doors in Germany, as of 2003 and are not producing any dolls except for a few bearing their name only, in China.  Third, the family has not granted the license to produce the dolls to anyone else.  While someday they may, in the future, Trendon or Gotz will not be producing them.  Sashas are difficult dolls to produce for reasons that you can read about if you can find a booklet called “Where Do Sashas Come From”.  More importantly, unlike dolls like Magic Attic or other discontinued dolls, Sashas are distinct in that they are “art” dolls, in the same way that Kathe Kruse and Dewees Cochran’s dolls are art dolls.   The internet has blown open the world of collecting.  Now often 1980’s Sashas can be found for much less than they could several years ago.  On the other hand, as the dolls have increased in popularity, the earlier dolls have increased in value.   When I’m asked this question, I often have to ask why someone is buying a Sasha in the first place.  We all want our purchases to be wise ones, but if you are simply buying mint in box Sashas to put in a closet until they become “very valuable” I would advise against that.  First and foremost, Sashas should be enjoyed!   How much is my Sasha doll worth? My advice to you would be to check either my website, other websites such as Nancy Miller’s www. letsplaydolls.com or Ebay.  Prices fluctuate all the time.   They also vary between the UK and here – dolls in the UK tend to sell for much higher prices on Ebay, as those buying them in the UK will be avoiding the high shipping costs from the US and the potential duty taxes as the item comes from overseas.   Sometimes all it takes is two new collectors to discover Ebay and prices will go through the ceiling as they bid against each other on very common dolls.  Usually once these people (or person) reaches their fill, prices settle back down again.  The same is true for any doll or collectible.  Most importantly, do not check books such as “The Blue Book of Doll Values”.  These authors know a wide variety of dolls, but very few of them know anything about the market value of Sasha dolls.  They get confused between the earlier dolls and the later ones, between English and Gotz.  They don’t understand “variations”, different hair styles or rare version of different outfits, etc.  All these things factor in when pricing a Sasha doll. Can I wash my Sasha doll?   Yes – and no.  First, Sasha dolls can be washed – they were made for play.  Our Sasha babies have even endured trips in the swimming pool.  Any blonde Sasha and most redheads from the Trendon production can benefit from a mild shampoo and a good hair conditioner.  While I realize that Sasha hair (except for the limited editions) is not real hair and is a synthetic, it DOES respond to hair conditioner in that it detangles it.  It will not restore the proteins, as a conditioner will do to real hair (like Pintucks wig for example), but it will make it shiny and easy to brush or comb without the risk of frizzing it.  I would recommend this for any Sasha whose hair is tangled or matted.  Try to avoid getting the water inside the body though, as it will often loosen the stringing if the strings get wet.  Hang the doll upside down  to dry, or dry with a very very cool hair dryer (never, ever hot!)  The body can be cleaned with a mild soap as well.   For human hair dolls (Pintucks, Kiltie and Princess) I usually give the hair a good conditioning.  Human hair is a natural fiber and it will break down when it becomes dry and loses the natural oils and proteins.   Good hair conditioners are made to restore this. You won’t need shampoo on your Kiltie or Pintucks – just conditioner.  You don’t have to work it to the scalp – just put some on and rinse it out.  Pat it dry with a towel.  Don’t comb and brush too much when it’s wet.  You WILL lose hair (since it is human hair sewn in a wig)  in a conditioning and when you brush it, but once it settles down and dries, it will be better off in the long run.  You have just “preserved” it for years to come.  (Those of us who have antique dolls with human hair wigs in our collections know how brittle these wigs can get if they are not preserved).  You will notice that it is no longer course, but it is now shiny and soft.  If you are really uncomfortable with the idea of washing it, a spray in hair conditioner may also be used effectively. I usually advise against washing the hair on a brunette doll, unless the doll is from the later 1980’s.   Adding water often begins the falling process and I’ve had dolls go almost completely bald in my hands when I wash them. (Water is such a catalyst that if I’m going to strip a falling hair doll’s hair in order to rewig it, I will usually wet the hair and hand strip it.)   My Sasha has white sand at the joints and inside the body!  What is this? At the factory, the dolls were sand blasted in order to achieve the correct finish for the vinyl parts.  The sand would often get inside the parts and remain there.  Dolls from the early to mid 1970’s seem to have gotten most of it!  I don’t usually see it on dolls from the 1980’s or earlier 60’s dolls.  But it is harmless and you don’t need to wash it out of the body.   Why are my early  Sasha’s lips white (or green?)  Can I reverse this? This is called “oxidation”.  It happens when light (or another catalyst) reacts with the paint used on the doll’ s lips and eyebrows.  Sometimes brown eyes can even turn greenish, which is really interesting looking!   This is not unique to Sasha – early Barbies often have white lips and the first Chatty Cathy’s have silver freckles and eyebrows.  It’s a “natural” occurrence, but it does bother some collectors.  I personally think they are appealing this way.  There is nothing that can be done to reverse it– white (or greenish white)   paint cannot be changed back to any other color.  The only solution is to repaint the lips (or brows) and I personally wouldn’t do that to an early doll.   How should I store or display my dolls? If you are going to store your dolls long term, for brunettes I would not store them in an enclosed box, but rather wrap them in a cloth diaper or terry cloth wash cloth (white is best to avoid staining) and store in a dry place away from heat and dampness.  The boxes can be flattened if they are the later 1980’s boxes.   I would never store a brunette Sasha or Gregor in the original tube.  For display, just keep them away from direct sunlight to avoid fading of the clothing.  Redheads, especially early ones, are very susceptible to their hair becoming faded, so out of direct sun is always best.   As for doll stands, Sasha’s torso “dimples” very easily under the pressure of a doll stand.  If the stand is tight enough, it will cave the body in an hourglass shape.  I would advise storing your Sashas on a shelf where they can lean against the wall. After all, they can stand on their own for the most part!  Metal stands will also react with the clothing over time to often leave rust or oxidized spots.  If you must store your doll in a stand, then make sure you bend it so that it’s very loose and put small pieces of tissue or paper towel between the doll and the stand. I’d love to meet some other Sasha collectors!  How can I do this? There are two Sashas Yahoo groups.  One of the groups is the  “Sasha Mart” list.  It is the largest Sasha list generating many emails a day, so be forewarned!  You can also receive all the emails once daily in a “digest” form if you so opt, or receive them one at a time so you can join the discussion.  Come on over and join us if you’re feeling chatty!  Send an email to Sasha_Mart-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and request to be subscribed.  The list was created for buying and selling, but for the most part, it’s just chat about the dolls, clothing, etc.   The other Sasha is the Sasha-L list and can be subscribed to at sasha- L@yahoogroups.com .  Many people belong to both. There is also a year Sasha festival.  I have been to two of them - they are quite an experience!  It usually lasts three days and it’s held in a different location each year.  Information can be found on the Sasha Mart list regarding the current year’s festival.