Frequently Asked Questions!
A Sasha repaint is quite simply a factory produced Sasha doll that has been given an entirely new look and
identity. Often a doll will come to me with problems - falling hair, eye scratches, haircuts, etc. As for the Sasha
production itself, by the 1970's and early 1980's Trendon dolls, the eyes were no longer handpainted as they
had been early on when Sasha herself had been living. These dolls have stamped or printed on eyes that were
done by machine. They lend themselves very nicely to becoming Sasha repaints because they can be given
handpainted features in the way Sasha wished her factory dolls to have, and did have in the 1960's and early
1970's. While I don't believe anyone can really copy Sasha Morgenthaler's unique style, I always take my
inspiration from the very first handpainted factory dolls (some of which Sasha painted, or trained painters in her
particular style) as well as the studio dolls painted by Sasha herself. After all, Sasha dolls are just that -- Sasha
dolls - they are not Barbie dolls, nor Kish dolls, but Sasha dolls. There fore, as a means of respect to the artist, I
do use her own eyepainting style as my inspiration using photographs of original studio dolls and my own
collection. I also try to vary the eyepainting as much as possible in order to individualize each doll.
As for the term OOAK - it took me a little while to figure that one out too. It means "One Of A Kind"! And my dolls
are one of a kind and can never be exactly duplicated by myself or anyone else.
What types of paints are used for a repaint?
When I repaint a doll, I use acrylics as they seem to adhere well to the vinyl itself. I also use a clear acrylic
sealer. We're very health conscious here and I do not use any materials with offensive or poisonous fumes or
odors (such as varnish or shellac). Wigs are adhered using a non offensive plastic glue.
Can I send you a Sasha doll to repaint? How much do you charge?
That's probably the number one FAQ that I get an almost weekly basis in some form or another. I'm afraid that I
cannot take custom orders simply because of number of orders I would be taking but also because I learned
early on that when someone asks me to do a repaint, they have something in their mind that they want. They
may not even be conscious of the fact. Thus, when I tried to do this once, my customer and I found ourselves on
different pages, finding a hard time meeting in the middle. I had the feeling that I'd done what she wanted, but
not "quite" what she wanted in her mind. It ended amicably, but it clued me in to the fact that the best way to do
repaints is to work on dolls I have acquired and customize them, and see if the doll "grabs" someone into wanting
that doll to be part of their Sasha family. That way there is no disappointment and everyone is happy. The
second reason is the time factor. Unlike a restringing, or other repair, a custom doll takes a very long time to do.
How did you get started repainting Sasha dolls?
I've always had a love of art and had some art training in my background. However, back in 1996, I attended a
doll show and acquired an adorable 1970's brunette Sasha girl. She only cost $40 because she had a broken
arm joint and a shaggy haircut. I thought she was adorable. I brought her home, evened her hair into a choppy
bob and fixed her arm. I dressed her in a raggy dress and sweater with holes and gave her freckles. I named
her Jackie and tucked her into my backpack for the Sasha festival. My husband and I were opening night
speakers for the 1996 Festival and I used Jackie as part of my talk about Sashas. I was absolutely blown away
by the response to her. She was only an afterthought and certainly not rare or value as some of the other dolls
we included in our lecture. Later, I walked around with her peeking out of my backpack and many people came
up to me, wanting to talk about her and some asking "Can I just hold her... please??" they handled her every bit
as gently as they might a studio doll. I was astounded how just changing a doll and giving her a real and living
personality made such a difference. I realized that Sashas are meant to be special and different from one
another, just as people are. I never did repaint Jackie's eyes- they were much too beautiful with their lovely
handpainting, but the addition of freckles was the beginning of the repaint idea for me.
Do you repaint early dolls?
Very very rarely. I have a very deep admiration for the painting on the early Sasha dolls. The best early doll
candidates for repaints are brunette Gregors who have lost their hair because they are common and often
times, less expensive. However, I have been asked to repaint lips on dolls from the 1960's and I have not done it
because I think restoration is quite different than customization, in fact, it is the exact opposite. In my opinion,
restoration on any doll, Sasha or otherwise, should only be done when necessary. However, I completely respect
a person's decision to restore their doll in any way they like, after all, it's their doll! While I do Sasha restoration
in the form of cleaning, restringing, fixing caving, buffing out scratches, etc., I have just chosen to stay away from
adding paint as "restoration".
I keep missing your dolls! How can I know when a new doll is added?
My solution to this - and I think it's working out pretty well -- has been to begin a mailing list. I send out a group
email to anyone who requests to be added to the list. This email notifies the recipients that a new doll is being
added to the website. I try to give a heads up of a couple of hours. This email goes out before any notice to
any Sasha Yahoo group.
Can repaints be played with?
Absolutely! I find the paints pretty sturdy. However, I wouldn't advise a repaint for a child unless the child is
older. Dropping or scratching can affect eye or lip paint in a way that might not bother factory stamped on eyes.
Water can also affect it, of course. My dolls are sealed, but the freckles, when added, are not, as they are so
tiny. I always use new wigs on the dolls that have wigs and even the human hair ones are quite sturdy. My
human hair wigs are always conditioned with a protein conditioner before they leave here, so that they can hold
up for many years longer. It took me a long time to find a good acrylic wig but I have finally found one that I am
comfortable using with my repaints because of their ability to withstand styling without frizzing and they are not
tacky feeling like many other acrylic wigs.
There are other people repainting Sasha dolls on Ebay and other sites. How can I tell who the artist
is? Several of us discussed this and now we all sign our dolls on the foot to help them keep their identity! My
dolls are always signed on the right foot with my signature, date and the doll's name. Sasha used to sign the left
foot of her dolls, so I leave that blank, as an invisible reminder that Sasha was the real artist. My dolls also come
with a plastic encased hangtag with the doll's history and concept behind that individual doll.
The signing of the foot is a fairly new thing for me, so if you have a repaint from the secondary and are unsure if
it is one of mine, I would be glad to identify it for you.