John Sheets was born in Missouri in December 1876. He lived for a time in Weir City, Kansas before becoming a farm hand for Bud Parker, Cora Hubbard's second husband. In the 1900 census, he is in the custody of the Missouri State Penitentiary and is listed as single. No additional information has been located on him.
Barbie dolls are made of polyvinyl chloride, synthetic fiber, elastomer, PBT and water-based paint. The materials used to make a Barbie has changed since the first Barbie was created in 1959. As of 2014, the soft vinyl, elastomer, and PBT provide more flexibility and realistic movement to the modern day Barbie. In the past, Mattel used porcelain to create the expensive, collectorâs edition Barbie dolls.
The Kirsten doll you bought is probably safe. American Girl dolls manufactured under the Pleasant Company (prior to the 1998 aquisition) were manufactured by Gotz Doll Company. The dolls were manufactured in West Germany and later Hungary. There was also a Gotz plant in NY in the late 80's, 90's. Gotz currently prides itself on making phthalate free vinyl dolls.