That is an awesome collection! Where have you found the newer version, the Precious Playmates one?
Do you ever have a problem with the plastic parts getting sticky? I'm trying to figure out the best way to clean them, and I've wondered if the newer ones have the same tendency to get sticky.
Also, thank you for explaining some of the cosmetic differences b/w the different versions. I'm really glad I didn't buy a Baby Darling version of mine, since I would have been disappointed if her face had looked even a little different than my childhood one.
Sorry for the late response.
I have been collecting mine over the years, so some I bought from online auctions sites like Yahoo which now is gone but also ebay and uBid and sites like that.
If the doll has been in the box a while, they are usually sticky. I take all mine out and wash the plastic parts with a face cloth with just the tiniest bit of water on it. Sometimes the dresses have little spots from the sticky plastic parts, and they come out with a tiny bit of gentle detergent and then I rinse it and it's fine. Even the Precious Playmates ones have been sticky. If I leave them out of the box, they are fine after I wash them. If I put them back in the box after, they will get sticky again after a year or two and then I just repeat the process.