Recast DC Alberta Identifiers

Here is a comparison post between recast and legit DC Albertas. I hope this comparison is useful and helps ease some worries.

Recast Albertas have a different stringing system. S/L drilled these two big holes here so they didn't have to go through the pain in the ass process of using the tiny holes in the legit body. These two big holes are clear indicators of recast status.

Recast Albertas have the exact same mold markings as legits (I couldn't get a good picture of this, but if you compare the insides of the legit and recast dolls, they have the same weird spots inside, presumably from the mold).

Recast Albertas often have unevenly drilled string channels.

Recast Albertas are often a more yellow or creamy white than the stark DC white. Since recasters can get very close on color matching, do not rely on color as a sole indicator of recast status.

Recast Albertas come with gold o-rings in the feet, where my legit had silver. Since these can be replaced, do not rely on the metal as indicator of recast status.

Recast Albertas have a solid bump over the back of the head- S/L did not remove the little head plate thingy when they cast the doll. This is an excellent indicator of recast status. Here is a picture of the legit headback:

Hard to see in this pic, but the feet are the same size.

Until they see the effects of shrinkage (not likely as they are not very popular), recast Albertas can use the legitimate belly piece. S/L do have the belly piece available in recast, but you must specifically ask for it.

The recast Alberta has much smoother resin than the legit. It has little tooth, and gets dirty easier, in my experience.

Seam lines are not a good indicator of recast status. My recast Alberta was nearly flawless, with only a few major seamlines on her head and lower legs. These were easily sanded away. The legit has no major seamlines.

The recast Alberta had little shrinkage. It was nearly identical to the legit on the surface.

The recast absolutely cannot pose as well as the legitimate doll, and I believe this is due to the way the dolls are strung. The tiny holes in the legit body give it more support and tension, allowing for better posing. Hot glue sueding helps the recast pose better. 

I can say that I will only order legit DC dolls in the future. They included the belly piece for free, everything was well packed, and the quality of the doll is great, especially for the low prices.