Doll vs Action Figure vs Plush - The Differences?

[WordFuzion]

Okay, so I've had this thought going through my mind as I've been looking at sites like Ghost of the Doll and other toy sites, plus my own collections. So I thought I would ask this here...

How do you serperate dolls from action figures? Does molded hair make a difference? Articulation? Because Ken has molded hair, but he's a doll and G I Joe is an action figure. I think She-Ra has regular hair, and she's an action figure but Barbie also has hair and is a doll. And I know of dolls that more articulated then action figures.

And what about plushies? Are Pretty Piggies dolls because they're figures with hair or are they plushies? If it's in the same of a human does that automatically make it a doll? What about anthromorphic animals? Obviously Care Bears are not dolls. But if they had hair, would they be?

I'm sitting here bored on a Saturday night and thought I'd toss a discussion question out there for my first post.

<3 Mare

((Bonus!Intro: Hi everyone! I've been lurking for a bit and enjoying everyone's beautiful collections and enjoying just overall getting my 80's/90's toy fix! I'm mostly a doll collector, but there are 80's/90's toys I have that are much beloved from my childhood, and I hope to slowly collect the lines I want, one at a time. ))

[mouse]

If something is stuffed then I would always classify it as a soft toy (I don't called them plush or plushies). A stuffed doll would be a doll (like those baby first dolls).

As for dolls vs. actions figures - I dunno. I've not really thought about it. I think doll is more synonymous with girls toysande action figures with boys toys. I suppose technically speaking action figures should only be reffered to as such if they actually do an action (such as chopping arms or shooting something or the like).  She-Ra looks more like she's ready for action than Barbie!

Nope care bears wouldn't be dolls if they had hair. Not the stuffed ones, not the figures. They'd still be stuffed toys and figures.

Anthropormorphic animals - Peteena the poodle is a doll, those barbie type bodies with cat heads are dolls (I don't know what they're called). The animal BJD's are dolls.

I think it relates mostly to personal preference and gender the toy is aimed at.

[EricaVee]

As far as action figures vs. dolls, I usually consider figures with molded-on clothes/hair to be action figures and ones with removeable clothes and brushable hair to be dolls.

I call plush animals plushes or just stuffed animals, and stuffed human figures plush dolls or stuffed dolls.

Also, welcome! 

[Rider of the storm]

I have to say that any toy that is stuffed with anything from cotton of modern times to antique toys filled with saw dust are all classified  under plush toys. Most action figures do not have removable clothes ,and are made out of plastic of some sorts. If it is made of plastic , or porcelain  ect ,  and have removable clothes that in my opinion is a doll.