Review on Liese Doll HABA 302110 by Carol Fowler

First let me say that we love all of our Haba dolls. Over the past few years, we have collected 6 of them, and my daughter enjoys each and every one. She received this doll for Christmas. Since we already had a handful of other Haba dolls in this line, I feel pretty confident stating that this particular doll is of lesser quality when compared to the others.The Head - Haba dolls have adorable, expressive stitched faces, which are a hallmark of this product line, as well as the main part of their charm. (If you get a doll with a painted face, I would contact the company immediately, as it may be a knock-off.) This is, happily, the only part of the Liese doll that isn't different from the others.The hair, on the other hand, is neither as soft nor as "twirly" as the other dolls, and had more of a faded appearance straight out of the box. Lise's hair is also stitched into pigtails, while the other dolls have loose hair that can be "styled" by little hands. Definitely a step down, and just not as much fun.The Body - Other Haba dolls have flesh-colored bodies made from a sturdy and surprisingly dirt-resistant, twill-like fabric. While this doll has this fabric on the face and hands, the rest of her is made from a plain, lesser-quality cotton in other colors (you can see this clearly in the picture above). While we've only had it a few weeks, this fabric is already pilling. The other dolls - which we have had for *much* longer, are not. Definitely an indication that this one will not hold up as well.I will also add that, while the other dolls each have two layers of clothing (like Lilli's tunic & skirt, or Elise's dress and apron), as well as an accessory (Mali's fancy hairband, Elise's hat and satchel), Liese does not.The Stitching - The legs and arms on the other dolls are stitched quite thoroughly *around* the edge of the body. The stitching on this doll is straight across, rather than following the doll's contours. The seams aren't as pretty, and this also means that one of the legs twists in a bit, and all of the limbs feel a little less secure than the other dolls. There is no stitched belly button, which all of the other dolls have. Contrary to the description above (as of 1/17/17) Liese's shoes are stitched directly to the feet, so they DO NOT come off and CANNOT be interchanged with other dolls or outfits.While may daughter loves this doll, it is clearly not made with the same quality as the other dolls in the line. Her love of this one actually makes me a bit concerned, as I know it will not last as long as the others. I *might* not be so concerned, if the Liese doll were not priced in the same range as the other, better-quality dolls in the line. If the company wants to save on materials, at least *some* of that savings needs to be passed on to the consumer, rather than passing off a lower-quality product at the same price point. Hopefully, this doll is an isolated anomaly, and not an indication of any broad changes that Haba may be considering for this line of products. (Ahem.) Downgrading the quality of these dolls would be a highly regrettable change.Bottom line: Sub-par for the price, and hopefully not an indication of lowered quality in the future.If you're looking for a red-headed doll, I recommend Lilli or Elise (provided they continue to be crafted with the original, high-quality stitching and materials).* Also note: We have acquired many Haba products over the past 9 years, and generally love them. This is my first negative review of any Haba product.