A periodisation that rests only on documented sources
Four periods can be defended from documented evidence alone: 1945 to 1956, the Laurent years; 1956 to the early 1980s, Keene manufacturing under Smith and Clarke ownership; the early 1980s to around 2000, the transition to Asian production; and around 2000 to the present, design in Keene with manufacture in Asia. [1]
The first period is anchored by the 1968 Keene history: shearling lambskin and fabric stuffed animals, built to take rough handling. [1]
The shift to Asian production during the 1980s is documented by both the Keene Sentinel and New Hampshire Public Radio. [2]
The present arrangement — designed in New Hampshire, manufactured in Asia — is stated by the company itself. [3]
The collector era scheme
This is what you will meet in forums and listings. Reproduced as a collector report, not as history.
Around 1956 to 1980, “Vintage Douglas”: all United States made, with shredded polyurethane foam fill, later phased out for polyester. [4]
1980 to about 1999, a two-track era: United States made “Cuddle Toy Classics” alongside Asian-made “Little Cuddlers”. The branding names are collector reports; the underlying manufacturing shift is documented. [4]
1990 to 2008, the “Golden Age” — an asserted rise in material quality, more lifelike poses and better airbrushing. This is one collector's aesthetic judgement, repeated by others, with no independent basis. It should never be treated as a manufacturing fact, and it is the belief most often used to justify high prices. [4]
From around 2008, “Recent Douglas”: fully offshore, and said to be individually datable from the purchase order label. [4]
Is there a company-recognised design periodisation?
What would settle this: Douglas directly. A 2014 company profile written by Scott Clarke for a regional business publication is cited in the Keene Sentinel but was not locatable online; it may contain one.