A

ABJD

ABJD is an acronym for Asian ball-jointed doll.

All Bisque

All bisque is a term used to describe a doll made entirely of bisque parts. These dolls typically date from the late 1800s to early 1900s.

All Original

All original is a term that specifies everything on the doll is original and was with that doll when made.

Antique

Any doll made prior to 1930 is largely considered an antique doll.

Applied Ears

Applied ears are those that are molded separately then fixed to a doll after the mold for the head has been poured.

Armature

Armature is the skeleton of a doll, often made of metal or wood, that supports the doll’s body.

Artist Doll

A doll that is typically one of a kind or a limited edition is an artist doll.

B

Ball Joints

Joints, which are composed of little wood “balls” at the joints, allow movements in several directions.

Basic Doll

A fashion doll sold wearing just underwear. In BJD circles, this term is also used to describe a naked doll sold with no clothes, eyes, wig, etc. and is meant to be customized.

Bébé

Dolls of French origin representing small children.

Bisque

Unglazed porcelain that is molded and baked to form doll heads and body parts. French and German dolls dating from the late 1800s to early 1900s were often had bisque parts.

BJD

An acronym for ball-jointed doll.

Book Value

The value of a doll (generally in excellent condition) listed in a price guide.

Breveté

In French, means “patented” and is often marked as such on antique dolls. Also “Bte.” or “B.T.E.”

C

Celluloid

The first plastic used for making dolls from the 1920s to 1940s.

Character Doll

A doll make made to look like a human. This style became popular in the early 1900s.

China

Glazed porcelain used for making doll heads, primarily during the mid 1800s.

Closed Mouth

A doll that is sculpted with a closed mouth and therefore showing no teeth.

Composition

A mixture of mostly sawdust and glue, which was used to make dolls, and particularly doll heads, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of more popular composition dolls include Mama dolls (toddler dolls with a mama crier) and Shirley Temple dolls.

Contemporary Dolls

Dolls currently in production.

Crazing

Fine surface cracks that form, often on composition dolls, and are largely the result of changes in moisture or temperature.

D

DEP

Often found on French and German dolls; an abbreviation for the French and German words for "patent."

Doll

A small-scale figure of a human being.

Dollhouse Doll

A doll that adheres to the 1:12 dollhouse scale—1 inch at the dollhouse size is equivalent to 12 inches at the real house size.

Dressed Doll

A fashion doll that sold dressed in a complete outfit.

E

Excellent Condition

A doll that is not mint but has no major flaws.

F

Fashion Doll

A doll dressed to reflect fashion trends. Early French fashion dolls from the mid 19th century were manufactured by companies like Jumeau, Bru, and Gaultier, and were often made with bisque heads manufactured in Germany. Contemporary fashion dolls are primarily made of vinyl. Today’s popular fashion dolls include Mattel’s Barbie and Tonner Doll Co.’s Tyler Wentworth.

Flirty Eyes

Doll eyes that can move from side to side.

G

GES

Abbreviation for “Gesch,” the German word for “patent.”

Googly Eyes

Over-sized side-glancing eyes characteristic of dolls produced in the early 1900s. Most Googly-eyed dolls were manufactured in Germany by companies like Armand Marseille, Kämmer and Reinhardt, and Kestner. More modern examples of these dolls include IKewpie dolls and the Campbell Kids.

Gusset Joint

A type of joint sewn into leather and cloth bodies that allows the joint to bend.

H

Hairline

A crack often found on antique bisque doll heads.

Hard Plastic

A durable material used to make dolls in the 1940s and 1950s. The advent of hard plastic in doll making brought an end to earlier materials used like composition.

HTF

Often used at auctions; an abbreviation that means “Hard To Find.”

I

Incised

Marks, typically used for identification purposes, scratched into the bisque on a doll’s head or shoulder plate.

Inset Eyes

Eyes set into a doll's head that do not move and are typically seen on dolls dating from the 1800s and earlier.

Intaglio Eyes

Eyes that are molded into the head and meant to be painted.

J

K

Kid

A term used for soft leather made from the skin of a goat that was used to make antique French and German fashion doll bodies.

L

Limited Edition

A term used to describe one of several identical dolls created from the same mold. Once a set number has been made, no more will be produced.

Limited Production

dolls produced during a specific period of time or of a specific quantity.

M

Markings

Letters, numbers, or symbols placed by a manufacturer on a doll's head or body and are used to identify dolls today.

Mass Produced

Dolls that are produced in large numbers with no limitations on production time or edition size.

Matryoshka Dolls

Traditional Russian dolls that consist of a set of hollow wooden figures, which open up and nest inside each other.

Modern

Dolls made within the last 25 years.

Mohair

Angora goat hair used for antique doll wigs.

Mold Number

Markings that indicate the mold used to make the doll's head.

Molded Ears

Ears that are molded directly in with the doll's head, as opposed to “applied ears.”

N

O

One of a Kind

A doll made only once. One-of-a-kind dolls are typically designed, from start to finish, by the artist.

Open Edition

A term used to describe a doll or series with no production limit.

Open Mouth

A term that describes a doll’s mouth that is molded open, usually revealing teeth. Some mouths reveal tongues.

Open/Closed Mouth

A term that describes a doll’s mouth that is molded to appear open, but does not have an opening.

P

Paper Dolls

Dolls that are cut out of paper with separate paper clothes held onto the dolls by folding tabs.

Papier-mâché

A composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp and bound with an adhesive, such as glue, starch, or wallpaper paste.

Parian

A doll made of unglazed bisque that is also finished without a wash of color; the bisque often appears pure white.

Pate

Covers the crown hole in an open-head doll; can be made of cardboard, cork, or other materials.

Poor Condition

A doll with significant flaws.

Portrait Doll

A term used for late-1800s and early-1900s bisque dolls representing a person.

Poupeé

In French, means “doll,” but is typically used for French fashion dolls.

R

Reproduction

A doll that is re-created from an existing doll or mold. Also called “repro.” It is important to note that reproduction dolls are not fakes.

S

Shoulder Head

A term that describes a doll whose head and shoulders are molded together in one piece.

Shoulder Plate

The shoulder portion of a shoulder head or the bisque shoulders used with a swivel head.

Sleep Eyes

Dolls' eyes that open when upright but close when flat.

Socket Head

A term that describes a doll whose head is molded with a neck that is placed into the doll's body with a cup and saucer-like arrangement.

Swivel Head

A socket head using separate shoulder plates.

T

U

V

Vinyl

A type of plastic developed in the late 1940s.

Voice Box

A mechanism in a doll’s body that makes a sound, such as “mama.”

W

X

Y

Z