#barbie.. lol omg and now bratz

[sunshineandviolets]

my ocs x bratz aka my ocs as dolls pt 3 using this dollmaker !!! Safiya / Nicola / Raini Shivani / Reiko / Crystal

[flandrepudding]

The history of dolls and the rivalry between MGA and Mattel fascinates me so deeply!! The way they steal from each other. The way if one rises, the other falls. The way it’s been like this for decades now when Mattel used to be untouchable. So cool!!

Did you know that…It wasn’t MGA that did this but if I remember correctly, in the 80s, there was a toy company (probably Hasbro) planning to make Jem and the Hologram dolls. Mattel caught wind of it and in a very short amount of time pushed out Barbie and the Rockers, clearly ripping off Jem.

But because of how fast Mattel worked on this, Barbie and the Rockers made it to the shelves first. This completely sabotaged Jem and the Holograms. Mattel remained all powerful, not until decades later in the 2000s were they truly threatened again. This time, it was Bratz!!!!

I wish both MGA and Mattel could succeed at the same time. Before Monster High came back and before the Barbie movie, Mattel was not selling as many dolls. The designs were bland, and the clothes cheaply made. Rainbow High and OMG LOL (two MGA properties) had pretty much completely taken over the doll section.

But now that Mattel has revived Monster High and because of the Barbie movie, Mattel is thriving as Rainbow High and OMG LOL are now very obviously suffering budget cuts. Rainbow High might even die soon tbh with the way things are going, which is sad as they used to be so intricately designed and beautiful! I don’t collect them but I have appreciation for them.

Do any of you guys care about this stuff? If so, what’s a moment in doll history you find interesting?? I love this stuff!!!! :3

[lov3-from-loserlane]

very important question that the world needs the answer to!!!!!!

monster high vs ever after high? (and why)

This is such a loaded question you have no idea…

I was super into both of them growing up. For monster high I watched all the movies and I watched every episode of the ever after high show. Both multiple times LOL! I even read some of the books for both omg.

But I think I’ve always liked Monster High more. The characters were more relatable to me I think and I loved their bright, unusual colors. I liked the premise of there being a large friend group the movies centered around, too. But I do like the focus on the rivalry between the royals and rebels in EAH, that’s definitely unique. But more “serious” if anything.

In terms of my taste now, I’d still have to go with MH haha. I love that it was more centered around contemporary fashion at the time compared to EAH. EAH had a very specific fantasy theme, which it executed really well and I love every design for what it is. But it’s not exactly my style. And the heads of the EAH dolls are super round and bulbous, it’s the same reason why I can’t get into rainbow high or LOL even though I LOVE their outfits. I wish I could get the outfits separately.

These are the dolls I remember having between my sister and I, we shared everything. We fr played with dolls up until my mom had us get rid of them when I was 12 and she was 10 LOL. I probably would’ve been into them as a teen too if not for that, but the past 3 years my love has returned 😌

My real favorite dolls are Bratz and 2000’s-Fashionistas era Barbie. Barbie’s been breaking my heart the past 10 years though 😢 sigh.

[falsepriestess]

look back month challenge day 5: any buying regrets?

(yes I am super behind in this challenge... don't mind me...)

this one was hard for me because, for the most part, I re-sell or donate things pretty quickly if I regret buying them. I don't like holding onto things that I'm not really into anymore. but I realized I have a couple of dolls that I sometimes flip-flop about keeping or selling.

I don't really collect fashion dolls in general anymore, besides Takara Jenny. I went through phases with Barbie, LOL OMG, and Rainbow High before realizing I don't get much enjoyment out of them. the low quality of current playline dolls really irks me, especially when the quality control is all over the place (looking at you MGA). overall, toy quality has taken such a nose dive since I was a kid (as has the quality of most goods... ah capitalism). I remember some really nice Barbies and Bratz I had back then and the current ones generally don't hold a candle to them, sadly. basically, these dolls ended up sitting on shelves and I wasn't inspired to play with them or take pictures of them, so ultimately I sold/donated them all. the only fashion dolls I still have are my Jenny dolls, one Barbie, and my Billie Eilish "Bad Guy" doll.

the Barbie is a Barbie Extra released a few years ago, and was an impulse buy on Amazon. I really wanted to check out the Barbie curvy body, and indeed, I really like it. I also like her face and her vibes overall. but she has tinsel hair and generally isn't a doll I photograph or do anything with. I'm leaning toward donating her, though I'm considering using her body for another head (maybe a Jenny head?)

and then we have Ms. Eilish. I am a huge Billie fan, so I was super excited when the doll came out. her quality is actually great, since she is more of a collectible than a playline doll, and she came in a cool, environmentally-conscious package (all cardboard). now I think they did a decent job with her face, but it could be better, and her hair gets on my nerves. it was full of glue when I got her, so I washed + brushed it out, but now it's overly fluffy and doesn't look like her hair IRL at all. it's also kind of streaked with black, I guess to try and mimic the dark blue color she had at the time of the Bad Guy video, but it looks unrealistic. so I keep her hood up since it covers her kinda sad hair. again, not sure if I will keep her. I wish they released these dolls with wigs, considering how often Billie changes her hair, I think it would have been so cool to get different wigs based on her hairstyles, and different outfits from her music videos/concerts/awards shows, etc. but only two dolls were released (this one and one with green-and-black hair, based on a concert appearance, IIRC). no further outfits.... I will always wish these had been more, I think the potential was there.....

@look-back-month-challenge

[joshybearhuggies]

I am probably quite late to this news, especially to an avid Bratz collector…. But the latest Sasha absolutely fuckin SLAHPS!

Sooooo…. When Bratz came back to shelves I 1000% got my life collecting the girlies from my childhood that I couldn’t have. In this fun process I reacquainted myself with these fashionable icons, I also remembered my odd connection to their bodies.

I love their hight being a little shorter than our standard Barbie. I adore the big heads and sultry screenings. AND THE FASHIONS!…… but………. Them “feet shoes” ugh …. It bugged me then and it kinda still erks me today. This bugged me so much that for a moment there I wouldn’t pick a Bratz doll up. When I did I would always find another body for the head. Which also wasn’t really a fix because I wanted them to still remain short. Frustrating for sure. Until I happened upon the LOL OMG hybrids on IG. I made one myself and before I knew it I had a lil army of these hybrids. The color match was spot on and I adored the articulation in the arms/wrist. The dainty lil manicured hands also made my already beloved girlies SING!

With Falicia I’ve already made two in this form lol 😂 I mean I absolutely LIVE for this form factor. It solves all my problems, I get a doll in the same scale, the option for standard shoes, a doll that keeps her feets 🥰 and I could still use many of the fashions for the Bratz dolls.

So because of this level of play I admit I hadn’t given the latest Bratz dolls a fair look. I saw them in passing for sure but until literally tonight… I didn’t think to purchase. Seeing Sasha with floor length hair and upon closer inspection ✨articulated arms/wrists✨😳😳 I had to! She was even on sale to boot.

Immediately I thought…. Maybe I could give the stock Bratz body a go with this articulation. I definitely missed out on the previous Bratz with the articulated arms/wrist aaannd I also missed out on the Bratz dolls that had the full body articulation treatment some time ago. So here we are, I find myself opening this adorable Sasha and hoping I like this doll on her stock body.

I’m so so so happy to say that I am in bed writing this silly little blog entry because I ADORE this body. Now I can finally make useful all the Bratz shoes I’ve hoarded over the years! Telling myself “ONE DAY”! And today is that day! Ugh! I’m floored! I WILL BRING HOME MORE! Mark my words🥰👌🏿

Also we will not unpack the logic of my not liking the “feet shoes” but still keeping said “feet shoes” because they’re too ✨CUTE✨ to toss or sale… we just won’t, there’s no time 😂

I think the new girls still feel like Bratz dolls as well. They’re everything I already love with a more contemporary spice. I think my next girly might be Jade…. Or Yasmin hmmmm

To think…. I only went in Walmart for milk lol 😂 gosh I’m a mess

[rightventricle]

what kinds of dolls do you like? do you collect them?

i love several kinds omg. okay so my gf and i collect american girl dolls and we have like. 50 of them bc mainly i find cheap tlc dolls to restore and customize. and i sew clothes for them :•) they’re our main collection and we have lore for all of them, and they’re a huge source of comfort for me

i also started collecting monster high; i always wanted them when i was little but i wasn’t allowed to have them so now i do :,) i started with the new generation3 dolls but i also managed to find some old g1 dolls for a decent price (the resale on those is crazy, people price them like they’re made of gold 😭). i have some cool Rainbow High and LOL OMG dolls too, but i’m not necessarily collecting either of them as much.

aand i’ve always loved barbies and have started collecting some vintage ones again (my old collection was donated by my mom -_-) and my gf has a lot of her old Bratz dolls which is awesome bc i also didn’t get to keep mine

OH plus i discovered ball jointed dolls a few years ago, LOVE them, and finally own 2 that i do my own customizing and sewing for !

{ kinda adjacent to the dolls, we also collect some different kinds of plushies, and i collect fnaf plushies and figures :3 }

thank you SO much for asking, i got that doll hobby autism and i loveee talking about them !! <3

[reni-reads]

Reni's Read Along: Pretty Little Liars 3 - Vollkommen (Perfect)

only click "read more" if you don't care about spoilers please!

Okay so we're already in book three of the seried and things are starting to increase in drama, stakes, and tbh general weirdness. Let's dive in shall we?

Reni's Read Along: Pretty Little Liars 3 - Vollkommen (Perfect)

Pages 9-99

• So the next flashback is one of my favorites as it shows Spencer and Ali's feelings towards Ian and hints at him being relevant later on. I also like the general vibe of the girls being just dumb kids, but Alison being the center of attention, and, frankly, a huge b. She just has to show the girls how much "better" she is. Ugh.

• Now back in the present:

Spencer being against therapy is very Spencer. But the line "Going to your worst enemy's (Melissa) therapist is getting the psychological equivalent of a bad boob job" will never not be funny to me

Also yeah the Golden Orchid thing is bad. Spencer should have come clean. Like girl you can't steal your sister's boyfriends, her essays, and win a prize for it lmao???

• ARIA IS SO FUCKING ANNOYING OMG

How did I ever like her???? She talks so badly about Hanna all the time! It's so gross! And now shee complains about Emily being traumatized and guilt-ridden because someone Emily was close chose to end their life. Of course she's gonna wanna talk about it, come on now Aria. What a shit friend she is, I hate her.

• Hanna and Mona are so cute somehow (despite their toxicity, yes). I love how Mona sticks up for Hanna. "Every diva has rough patches" like yes queen!

Also yes Stick it to Naomi and Riley, what a bunch of losers they are. Mocking an ED? Eeeew. Mona was good for having Hanna's back here.

• No Emily you're not a coward for not wanting to out yourself yet!!! Maya shouldn't pressure you like that. Idk how Maya can have so little empathy for the girl she supposedly loves. Emily really has a thing for selfish girls fr.

• Ah yes conventionally attractive Aria feels like a bad Bratz doll between Barbies because she has *checks notes* dark hair and boots. Jeez

Ngl Aria being sooo condescending about being more intellectual than "normal Rosewood eggs" (including Sean, her boyfriend???) and then COMPLETELY missing the point of The Scarlet Letter will never not be funny to me

• Spence don't flirt with Ian he's a creep ok, please stick to stealing essays lol.

• Mona being pissed about Hanna missing their anniversary (something Hanna had NO control over!) triggers me lol. I used to have a friend who iced me out for every single "misstep" I had, too. I was the Hanna in our friendship - that friend was also highley toxic ngl.

• Aaaand we end it for today with Spencer being a finalist for the Golden Orchid Award, because of course. I do feel bad for her somehow, but also, JUST COME CLEAN girl.

[1d1195]

✨part two✨

Tbh I’m pretty sure all those traditions are just culturally based lol and yours are cute too! Love the ornament tradition and it’s so sentimental which makes it even more special! And honestly I never saw it as a flex! If anything I was just always confused! I did sometimes question when I was really young but in the end it was very normal for me due to the majority of people around me did the same thing lol

I get the vibe of going to Barnes and Noble! And not the Old Navy being so close lol I get not being able to resist! For me it’s the same vibe with target lol The Fourth Wing really must be good then since it’s typically not your vibe! I trust your reviews bestie! And I’m sort of the same way! I don’t have the capacity anymore to commit to a series(kid me is mourning the energy I no longer have😔) but I do enjoy the suspense of it all! Idk I think it truly depends on the story and overall vibe!

Thats so cute you were obsessed with Barbie! It’s so adorable to think of childhood Sam just being surrounded by of bunch of Barbie merch!truly seems like you were living your best life! I wasn’t into the dolls as much in general(though i heavily fucked with monster high dolls lol) but I was definitely obsessed with the movies they produced! I would also constantly watch The Island princess and The magic Pegasus!

You definitely should be proud of the work you’ve accomplished! Like this was all in one year?! CRAZY and each one of them was so fucking good!

Oh Sam I really do think sometimes your students are fucking with you because they really can’t mean those questions?!😭 but idk I’m not an educator😭 plus I know you and others have expressed great concern for our future generations soooo idk 😭 though I can tell by the last few words you’re over it lol AND THATS FINE! I don’t think I would have the patience for it lol besides that I hope it gets better and not as busy!

I’ve started school already and I’m suffering lol I know I picked out these classes so it’s kinda my fault but I didn’t think I would be so DRAINED after the first week😭 plus no cute TAs or guys so I can’t romanticize anything for motivation 😔

Anyways lol I hope your week was good and that you have a lovely weekend! Hopefully some self care can happen! Missing you and sending you loads of love 💕-💜

I kind of figured a lot of people may have done the same thing around you so it might not have mattered in the grand scheme of things. I love that regardless.

I just hate WAITING . So I don't think I would mind that it's a series if I could get the whole thing NOW. I love Target too hehehe

Omg it was borderline bad. I think Barbie and Ken played out my original fanfic stories in my six year old brain. I never did the Monster High dolls but I did Bratz dolls when I was in elementary school and my friends were like "barbie is for babies." LOOK AT THE WORLD NOW. Anyway. I think I might just love dolls tbh.

I'm def proud but i lowkey regret making the post because I feel like I'm not going to have the same #s for this year. But who knows. I won't stress about it now!

I literally went through and saved a whole bunch of literacy stats and I'm going to try and explain to them being able to read doesn't make you a proficient adult you have to learn to think. You seriously would think I never told them what a triangle is. They're insane. They make me insane. But alas

Last semester!? I can't remember. NO HOT TA's that's tragic!!! I hope they get a little better. Maybe it was just overwhelming from coming back from break?

Also, you have to forgive me I know you live in CA but I can't remember what part. I hope you and your family are safe from the wildfires 💕 it's so devastating and I can't even begin to imagine how to cope.

Week was pretty good, busy weekend planned. I am getting my nails done so 💕 a tiny bit of self-care. I love YOU! miss you too!!!

xoxo

[domjaehyun]

not you responding to my ask and mentioning the ghostface!jaemin Scream ask bc both of those were me LMAO also now that you've mentioned the playgirl and stranger in my house fics THOSE ARE MY ABSOLUTE FAVES and I loooove the people you picked for them it was great visual aid and exactly how I'd want to picture those characters looking if that makes sense? I'm also the anon that mentioned that I love how you carry yourself so to add to that I think its kinda iconic to have this very whimsical bratz aesthetic blog and have both fluffy and dark content. Like it feels like it's for the girls and the gays and those who GET IT!! I was reading a while back the psychology of women enjoying reading/watching dubcon/noncon content and how it's not at all the same as if it was men who were watching it. Something about how women can enjoy a sexual fantasy that is dark because the purpose of it is it's a fantasy and that gives them control over it and that in turn can help heal some trauma. Idk about everyone else but I get deeply affected by any sort of news coverage or real stories that touch on that but I enjoy knowing in the female safe fantasy world we can have a safe space where were allowed to heal in our own way? Hopefully that made ANY sense lol And to answer you writing the characters another one of the things I love about this blog is were literally attracted to the same type of people so I never have to switch out a member in my head when im reading bc I love all your picks🫡🎀 IM SO SORRY THIS WAS LONG OMFG

hi hi hiiii welcome back to my inbox teehee 😁

TBH I KINDA THINK I KNEW IT WAS YOU I RECOGNIZED YOUR VIBES i added the parenthetical abt scream in the last message bc i wasn’t 100% sure it was you LMAO

pl4yg1rl was written at such an interesting time in my life whenever i think abt it i think abt how i used to go to the library like EEEEVERY day (a diff one. not the one i go to now) and i remember soooo vividly that while i was working on the fic i tried to update my ipad and the whole doggone thing shut tf down like an unresponsive, repeatedly rebooting block of metal. and i had to take this bus to best buy which was Fairly Far From Me and then they couldn’t fix it they were like “ur motherboard is fried” and i was like “ive had this thing for like a year and change. it hasn’t been that long” then they sent me to apple so i had to take a diff bus on a diff day to an apple store near me (read: it was not, in fact, near me at all) and the girl fixed it like immediately . (it had run out of storage and didn’t have room for the update but instead of Saying That, it just shut down. poor thing) she restored it to factory settings or whatever like she wiped it and made it brand new and i’ve been w my lovely baby going strong ever since 💖 but yeah that fic will always remind me of the time bc i was sooooo stressed and i was using my mom’s ipad in the meantime which just Felt Wrong :/ and unfamiliar :(

ANYWAY OMG THANK YOU i take finding my inspo photos veeeeeery seriously 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ i be hunting fr just. SCOURING google images, pinterest, instagram, u name it. the things i go through…..reDONKulous. smh my head

omg heehee thank you fr OMG BRATZ…… i never had a bratz doll actually my mom didn’t like the way they were designed she said they were too fresh :P but bratz are such a vibe i should actually lean more into bratz than barbie they’re like . serving cunt yknow? and tbh EYE would like to serve cunt as well 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

and as for the psychology of it omg you just triggered something in me (i love psychology) (i’m literally going back to school for it hehe) i def get that !! like that makes a lot of sense 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ if i may be a bit tmi for a second i feel like for me….. i am into a very specific type of dubcon/noncon where . essentially … the victim is just like . worshipped and the aggressor gets so much satisfaction out of making the victim feel good and cum and whatnot 🙂‍↕️ like … think jav porn but like the . noncon ones . but just the foreplay mhm mhm. good stuff . i almost always exit whatever i’m watching as soon as a dick comes out i’m ngl 😭😭 and if i MAY psychoanalyze myself for a moment (ofc i can it’s my blog lol duh) i think it has a lot to do w like . the like . trauma from my childhood that like . has very much carried into my adult life to this day unforch :/ dark content can definitely be a source of comfort for people, myself included, and i just wish ppl were free to be more open about it without worrying about being judged :/ sigh

tbh i do not watch the news i do not keep up with the news at all actually …. i have a habit of despairing over things i can’t control and so i stopped looking at the news bc it’s almost always. Bad News 😭😭😭 and if i can’t do anything about it…. why do i need to hear about it…..you feel me? but you’re very valid your sensitivity to topics like that in the news like In Real Life is very understandable and honestly i would even say expected….

but yes yes i agree entirely 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ my personal way of healing via dark content is reading about and also writing very twisted takes on being loved/desired unconditionally 💖 (i wish i hadn’t ranted already bc i lowkey wanted to rant abt the specific genre of dubcon/noncon i’m into bc . well. *marge simpson voice* i just think it’s neat. but i also don’t want to reveal too much abt myself yknow? oh well soo la voo ig) it just hits different when the person doing the noncon-ning, like, Cares? about the person being noncon-ned like it’s SOOOO SICK N TWISTED BC SIR YOU DO NOT LOVE HER!!! UNHAND HER AT ONCE!! but they’re like dead set on making the person being noncon-ned enjoy it like they want them to feel GOOD ugh like they’re selfish…. but for your benefit….. but not…. are you following me??

OH PERIOD WE HAVE SIMILAR TASTE 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ LOVE THIS FOR US HEHE and DON’T APOLOGIZE IT’S OKAY I LOVED READING YOUR MESSAGE AND REPLYING TO IT 😁😁

OKAY IM GONNA ATTEMPT TO LOCK IN SIIIIIGH WISH ME LUCK 💖💖💖💖

[psychoticwillgraham]

also, more doll opinions based on how many of each brand i own:

Mattel (specifically Barbie bc that’s what i have): fucking awful quality, the hair is utterly disgusting and greasy, very cheap in every way. some of the outfits aren’t too terrible tho like the 80s repro girl and pink vinyl one.

MGA (bratz, lol surprise omg, rainbow high, na na na surprise): the two bratz girls i have, the alwayz line, are pretty good clothing and hair wise, nothing special but nothing godawful either. the upper arm joint tho…. the right arm one on my alwayz jade immediately broke as i tried to get her shirt back on so now it’s loose and I’ll probably have to glue it in and lose some pose ability. lol girls we’re mostly good except for the hair being a mixed bag. lady diva’s hair was particularly godawful. RH/SH were amazing quality (i have only pre reboot ones and don’t plan on buying any reboot girls), so that’s that. the one na na na girl i have is unfortunately one of the plastic non fabric ones and it’s. Fine i guess. nothing to really judge there.

[kiddiekat-toybox]

Oh no I’m starting to get a bit into LOL OMG too I DO NOT NEED ANOTHER DOLL LINE TO COLLECT

[ohfugecannada]

So I’ve been on a bit of an My Little Pony kick since I’ve been watching a few of youtuber Shunks’s MLP iceberg videos (which I highly recommend you check out if your an MLP fan btw) and somthing that struck me today is how there really aren’t any other examples of dedicated toy lines that fit into the “horse doll” niche My Little Pony fills.

I know that feels like a weird to say, but... i dont know. When I started researching it I assumed MLP had to have some competition in this market. Like, just look at the fashion doll world, for instance; Barbie came onto the scene in the 50s, essentially creating the fashion doll toy nice as we it today and now there are many individual brands like Bratz, Monster High, LOL OMG, Disney Princesses etc etc that have taken inspiration form Barbie yet still have their own identity, providing competition and maintains the fashion doll su genre of toys.

Meanwhile MLP just... doesn’t have that.

I mean sure there were a few toy lines that tried to replicate their style and success, like those “fakies” like the Lanard ponies, those Cabbage Patch Kids ponies, and those Bratz Ponyz etc. Plus you do see those funny dollar store knock offs from time to time. But for the most part, especially in the modern day, My Little Pony doesn’t have any other competition in the Horse Doll niche like you see Barbie has in the fashion doll niche.

Granted, there are a few good reasons for this; conceptually, I guess designers find it easier to think of possible themes for a n 11” female figure to explore, eith a horse, even a cute stylised one, I feel like they’d have more limited options when crafting a theme, backstory characters etc. (Though, i dont know if that’s entirely true. I’d say that the horse dolls we know, I.e. mlp, have only really fallen into the thematic category of “pet toy”, fantasy or slice of life play sets, but that’s for another post...)

the second bigger reason I think is that the competitors in the past I mentioned earlier borrowed to much from MLP and its style. The candy coloured coats and manes of the horses, the rump symbols, the posed bodies etc, they were basically identical to MLP without doing much to innovate or actually carve out an identity of their own. There was also the fact that these Pony or horse centric toys were spin offs or side lines to other more popular non-horse centric dolls (Ponyz and the Cabbage Patch Ponies being good examples) which meant they were often just used as accessories to capitalise off MLP’s success.

So yeah, long story short, I’m surprised to learn how few actual examples there are in the “horse doll” sub-genre of toys...

[cuppykin]

For the assumption game: You prefer Bratz dolls over Barbie

THAT WAS how it was for me and actually still is, I like a lotta Barbie specials, but overally Bratz is the cooler doll in my eyes, and nowadays I try to seek out dolls that have a same vibe now that Bratz did back then (Like Rainbow High and LOL OMG)

[coreysdolladventures]

Time to do a new intro post as the other one is kinda bothering me so!!

I go by Lorelei, Korie, or Corey so any nickname of those I'm fine with. I use he/him they/them pronouns and am an aroflux pansexual. I'm 29 and have been into AG since I was about 10, Barbie since I was like 3, and I just like aesthetics of other dolls and other toys.

I use to work for AG at the temporary Las Vegas locations from Oct 2015 to Mar 2016. I do love to talk about it so please send me any questions if you have any.

My AG collection currently includes American Girl of Today #4 named Dani, PC Felicity, Kirsten, Samantha, and Nellie. Non PCs I have are Rebecca, Lea (who is now an OC named Hope), Luciana, Nanea, and JLY # 56 named Ali (like alley). I also have Wellie Wisher Willa who is going to be an OC.

My other 18 inchers are the Cinderella inspired Disney ily4ever doll named Orchid and the Tinkerbell inspired Disney ily4ever doll named Tori. I also have the Our Generation Theodore doll (who is mini me) and a Paloma Our Generation from Goodwill.

Barbie collection wise, I have too many fashionistas out of the box, but in boxes, I have the Wedding Party Midge Gift Set (1990), Toy Story 2 Tour Guide Barbie, Teen Talk Barbie (1991), Winter's Eve Barbie (1994), and Happy Family Pregnant Midge and Baby (2002).

I also collect Rainbow High, Bratz, LOL OMG dolls, Disney Creator dolls, and anything that I can get my hands on.

I have a collection of lots of Snow White stuff as well which includes dolls.

[resinboy]

I’m going to rant about Creatable World dolls because I have so many thoughts now that it’s been a couple years since the line ended.

I adore Creatable World so much. I’m so sad the line tanked when it did, but at the same time, I get it. Firstly, doll lines come and go like crazy. Hot topic one year, losing to whatever Barbie’s doing & the next trendy toy the year after. It’s fine. It’s rare for anything to take off like Monster High and Bratz did, and I wasn’t expecting Creatable World to catch that lightning in a bottle.

Secondly, everything about Creatable World that set it apart and made it cool and unique was a double edged sword.

The base conceit about creating your own characters is amazing, and I’m sure imaginative kids would just run away with that. But at the same time, I feel like a lot of kids need more of a jumping off point for who the dolls are and how they’ll interact with each other. You can only go so far with a mini-me doll.

On top of that, marketing. I feel like a neutral, well-articulated regular person doll like CW is going to get a LOT more playtime mileage out of a kid’s toybox than a super beautiful gimmicky Barbie doll that talks and is covered in glitter, but a little kid is probably going to be way more inclined to grab a super sparkly pink mermaid with battery powered movement or something like that off the store shelves. The creativity aspect and being like a regular kid are more conceptually interesting than visually, and that’s just not going to grab a little kid’s attention. I don’t think a kid’s going to understand how much more love they’re going to get out of a doll like Creatable World than a more eye-catching novelty doll.

Then, there’s the nonbinary/genderfluid/lgbt+ angle they were using to market them. It’s a great attention grabber that’s going to get news sites talking, and wealthy neoliberal parents shelling out for these so they can show off how open-minded they are on Instagram. However, it’s also going to get homophobic weirdos to boycott them, and I think alienate the average parent that isn’t super invested in “politics” and LGBT+ civil rights issues. Part of what makes Barbie so eternal, I think, is that she was shocking at first, but now, even when the brand is getting tired and stale, Barbie is just THE fashion doll that almost every little girl had across classes and political affiliations of parents. There was a Barbie to pander to every kind of parents’ values, and market to every little girl’s lifestyle. Parents knew Barbie from their own childhood, so she has security. CW banked too hard on one demographic of buyer, and once they had all the ones that were easy to get, they were done.

A ton of people have already said this, but the ability to swap between long and short hairstyles to shake up the gender presentation was a great idea, but the wigs just ended up looking awkward and wonky and not staying on right.

The fashions of these dolls are really incredible for a kids’ toy. Beautiful, detailed, well put together, practical fashions that are trendy and cool, stuff that a real kid could wear and play in. I love it. But then we come back to the problem of not being able to catch a kid’s attention in comparison to more outlandish cartoon fantasy aesthetics like the LOL OMG dolls and Rainbow High (which are gorgeous imo). Creatable World dolls are relatable, which is probably going to be super fun to play with, while Barbie and other teen/adult aged fashion dolls are aspirational, which is going to draw a kid in and be more interesting on the store shelves.

But this brings me into the next thing - quality. These dolls are sturdy, beautiful, well articulated, with super detailed well-designed clothes and despite the bad design choices of the wigs, the hair itself was really pretty and soft. Kids don’t care about that quality stuff until way down the line when their cheap toys fall apart and their really good toys give them years more of play. And the more complex the toy, the more you’re going to lose with quality control, the more you’re going to have to hike up the price to turn a profit. So Mattel ended up trying to sell these 30 dollar gender diversity dolls with a very subtle, understated aesthetic to a rapidly vanishing middle class right when Covid was committing economic murder. So like, a minuscule fraction of parents actually got this doll for their kids, and an even more minuscule fraction of adult doll collectors and customizers bought these to give their little Skipper dolls better articulation and clothes. But kids weren’t begging for these (I was but that’s besides the point).

It’s crazy because Creatable World is the only playline doll I’ve ever loved enough to collect as an adult, and as a lefty genderfuck myself, I wanted these to succeed so bad. I’m sure this is cliché to say, but I wish I’d had dolls like this as a little kid. They bring me so much joy, and I found myself inventing all kinds of characters and storylines for mine just dressing them up and posing them to display in my little glass doll case. I can’t even begin to picture how many hours of fun I would have had with these dolls as a kid. I probably would have brought them absolutely everywhere with me.

Mattel probably won’t see this and probably doesn’t plan on releasing these dolls ever again, but IF THEY DID, I’d say a few things that could make this line sell better would be:

1. Fixing how the hair works.

2. More sparkles or something to better catch kids’ attention on shelves.

3. More purchase options than just the $30 kit with the doll and a ton of clothes in a big set. Selling the dolls and clothes separately, more attention-grabbing THEMED outfit packs. I feel like wave 2 was going in that direction and if it weren’t for Covid it’s might have worked. A sleepover set with pajamas, a sleeping bag and a teddy bear! A picnic set with a little basket and a blanket and a cute gingham dress or button-up shirt and shorts! A party outfit with lots of glitter! You have to make up for the lack of guidance with the character with adorable themed outfits.

4. More accessories and playsets. Again, I feel like they were GOING to do that before the line failed, but I think little toys and foods and like a closet or bed, and if you want to go REALLY crazy, a dollhouse or mini playground. The dolls and their clothes were amazing, but just not enough to really get the average kid’s imagination running.

What I feel like Creatable World was and didn’t take full advantage of was being a middle ground between Barbie and American Girl Dolls, but for all kids instead of just girls. More real and relatable and action-friendly than Barbie, more affordable and accessible than American Girl (and less babydoll-looking). There’s so much about both of those brands that kids go nuts for that Creatable World could have done that would have been amazing, and I don’t have my hopes up for it, but I’d be thrilled to see Mattel try it again someday at a better moment for it.

[maretriarch]

barbie drastically needs a revamp if she wants to survive in another 20 years or so. she's been having her ass pounded by other more creative doll brands for 20 some years now (bratz monster high lol/omg dolls etc). they need to return to the fashionista series imho or some sort of fantasy theming and stop (smack) screen (smack) printing (smack) clothes (smack) no kid wants these cheapy looking dolls, it's only parents buying it for them bcs they remember playing with Barbie in their youth