Of the many mysteries in the universe, the one that often confounds doll collectors is whether their old doll is made of composition or hard plastic.  And let’s face it: even those of us who know dolls (or who dress and re-dress dolls, sleep with dolls, talk to dolls, etc.) can be fooled. 

Whether you are listing your doll on eBay or looking to buy a doll, you certainly don’t want to find out the hard way (via negative feedback, a disputed claim, or a difficult return) that the doll you thought you had – or bought – was not as described.

Here are the basics for distinguishing HP from compo (scroll down for photo examples):

1.  Plastics (excluding celluloid) were not used in doll making until after World War II, i.e., 1945.  So you wouldn’t describe your vintage hard plastic (“HP”) doll as being from the 1920s or 1930s any more than you would date your vintage Barbie doll to the early 1900s.

2.  Composition is a substance made of glue mixed with sawdust or wood pulp.  It was first used to make doll bodies in the late 1800s, but not until the early 1900s was it used for making doll heads.  Most composition dolls were made between the 1920s and the late 1940s.

3.  Composition is sometimes referred to as compo.  Try not to call it “composite”, as that is not the correct term and may cause confusion.

4.  Avoid mixed metaphors: your dolls are probably HP or compo.  Do not refer to hard plastic dolls the way I sometimes see them described on eBay: “…she is made of a hard plastic composition,” or, “…her composition is hard plastic.”  Huh?  She is either made of hard plastic or composition or, perhaps – although it's not very common – she has some parts made of hard plastic and others made of composition.

5.  Composition and hard plastic age differently.  Over time, composition dolls are prone to developing fine cracks.  This is called “crazing" (not "grazing," which is done by cattle or hungry party-goers at a buffet, and not "glazing," which is what ceramics artists do with their pottery).  In cases where the dolls have been exposed to moisture or extremes in temperature, composition can develop deeper cracks, splits or lifts (where segments of the composition are raised above the doll’s surface).  The painted surface may also be subject to flaking or peeling.  Hard plastic, while mainly unbreakable, can be prone to scratches, pet (or kid) chew marks, stains, seam splits, blotchiness on the painted surface, and that dreaded, foul-smelling odor that is caused by the plastic decomposing.  HP dolls do not “craze,” so avoid saying that your hard plastic doll has no crazing.  That’s like saying your pet canary has no opposable thumbs (but if it did, think how much it would be worth on eBay).

6.  Composition doll parts are, generally speaking, thicker than comparable hard plastic parts.  On a "strung" doll (where the parts are strung together by elastic or rubber bands), pull the arm or leg gently away from the body about 1/4 to 1/2 inch and look closely: the edge is much thicker on compo, and much thinner and more distinct on hard plastic.

7.  Let the flaws help you ID the material.   If you see chips on fingers or toes and what's underneath looks like particle board or wood fibers, then you are most likely looking at a composition doll.  Now I'm not recommending that you intentionally chip fingers or – horrors! – break a doll's foot in half to determine whether she's made of composition.  If a finger is broken in half and what's inside looks and feels like plastic, then it probably is.  On strung, jointed vintage dolls, you will often see what is called "joint wear."  This is the area where the arms, legs, or head meet the torso.  On compo dolls, you might see that some paint has faded or flaked off due to the rubbing; on hard plastic dolls, you may see discoloration of the plastic – sometimes even gray scuff marks.

8.  Details on fingers, toes, and manufacturer’s marks are more distinct on hard plastic dolls than on those made of composition.  The kind of detail on the feet of this 1950s Madame Alexander doll is quite different from the detail on the hands or feet of an early compo doll.  As above, even the lettering on manufacturer’s markings is thicker on composition dolls than on hard plastic (note the contrast in the Mary Hoyer markings – thick, block lettering on compo THE / MARY HOYER / DOLL); thin, fine lettering, including script, on hard plastic (ORIGINAL Mary Hoyer DOLL in circle).

9.  All other things being equal (height, clothes, wig, etc.), a composition doll generally weighs more than her counterpart in hard plastic.  It’s simple physics, having nothing to do with Oprah’s latest fad diet.

10.  Both composition and hard plastic dolls may be wigged, although there are some differences. The vast majority of composition dolls either have “molded” hair – meaning the curves of a hairstyle are actually molded into the design of the composition and usually painted to resemble hair – or they wear wigs typically made of either human hair or mohair.  Hard plastic dolls may also be wigged, although many of the later ones have synthetic wigs (Saran, Dynel, etc.).  For the most part, hard plastic dolls do not have rooted hair, and only one composition doll that I know of has rooted hair: Monica from the 1940s.

So what happened to dolls after hard plastic?  By around 1960, vinyl (hard or soft) was the material of choice by many of the major doll manufacturers.  It became popular due to its durability and because hair could be rooted through the doll's scalp. 

I hope this guide will help many of you solve the mystery behind the age-old question, “Is it compo or hard plastic?”  And now I can get back to listing my dolls on eBay and solving the rest of the mysteries of the universe, such as why canaries don’t have opposable thumbs.

Cheers!

copyright 7/07 by Marilyndd3