A World Of Dolls: 2011

Saturday, November 26, 2011

The Dolls Of Eugenia Doll Company

There has not been much information about the exact dates when Eugenia Doll Company was established but based on the earliest doll known to be produced by the company, it could have been established around the 1930’s and ceased operations around the 1950’s. Doll experts believe that the company may have just purchased dolls and doll parts from other doll makers and were later on redressed and repackaged by Eugenia Doll. The first few batches from the company were made of composition while the later batches were already made of plastic. Most of the dolls though were unmarked although the doll’s clothing had a tag printed with Eugenia. A well-known doll designer, Irene Szor, started her career with Eugenia Doll in 1947 before she joined Sayco Doll Company after Eugenia Doll went bankrupt. Here are some of the Eugenia dolls that had been introduced to the market from the 1930’s to 1950’s: 1) Johnnie (1938) – This 10-inch tall child doll was made of all composition with jointed body, molded painted hair, and sleep eyes. Johnnie’s twin was named Janie and they were sold as a set. Their sizes come in 10, 12, and 14 inches. 2) Juliette Bride Doll (1946-1949) – The all composition 18-inch tall doll had jointed body, mohair wig, blue sleep eyes, real upper lashes and painted lower lashes, and was dressed in a wedding gown. Experts believe that the doll body came from the Arranbee Dolls. 3) New Baby Beloved (1948) – This all composition doll stands 7 inches tall and had painted side glancing eyes with painted upper lashes. It had painted molded hair and it’s jointed at the shoulders and neck. The doll also had a pair of molded blue shoes and wore a molded Union suit. The doll was marked with Eugenia/Doll and was akin to the Hebee and Shebee dolls of Horsman. 4) Personality Pla-Mate Dolls (1948) – The doll measured 15 to 16 inches and had an all composition jointed body. It also had an auburn mohair wig, sleep eyes, closed painted mouth, and a pug-like nose. The character of this doll series which were made of composition were Kathy or Kathryn, Sandy or Sandra, Bobbie or Roberta. The characters which were made with plastic were Carol or Carolyn (18 inches) and Babs or Barbara (20 inches). 5) Pam the Perm-O-Wave Doll (1948) – This 14-inch doll was made of hard plastic with a human hair wig and the doll was accessorized with Perm-O-Wave curlers. 6) Juliette (1950’s) – The doll was made of hard plastic and stood 17 to 21 inches tall with sleep eyes and rooted blonde curly hair. The doll was also dressed in a bridal gown.

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The Godey Lady Dolls Of The Past

Commonly, dolls with China head were referred to as “Godey” dolls. However, the most famous Godey dolls were made by Charlotte Eldridge and Ruth Gibbs. The term “Godey” was taken from the American ladies book for proper etiquette on how to become a real lady entitled “Godey’s Lady’s Book – The Victorian Bible of the Parlor”. As stated in the guide, “The aim of a real lady is to be natural and to wear her talents, her accomplishments, and her learning as well as her newest and finest dresses, as if she did not know she had them about her.” Thus for collectors of Godey dolls, they would normally expect elegantly dressed dolls with elaborate designs and accessories. Some of these dolls also had separate pieces of dresses or costumes so that one can easily redress their wardrobe. Godey dolls made by Ruth Gibbs that are in good condition and are still in their original garments can cost $175 to $1,000. On the other hand, dolls made by Charlotte Eldridge especially the Godey and the Diorama can cost $2,100 to $5,400 today. Most of these dolls come in sizes of 7 inches, 10 inches, and 12 inches tall. Here are some typical descriptions of Eldridge and Gibbs’ lovely Godey dolls: 1) Charlotte Eldridge’s Lady Godey Dolls (1940’s) – These very rare dolls were made of papier mache doll heads, individually crafted with exquisite hand painted facial features, wire armature body layered with cloth, floss embroidered wigs, tightly wound hair curls, ceramic made sculptured hands, elaborately tailored costumes. Most of the tailored costumes were made by Eldridge's mother, Susan Blakely, who patterned them to the letter after the sketches found on the Godey’s Lady Book. These dolls were also typically unmarked but came with a hang tag signed by Eldridge’s pen name: “Frances Jennings”. 2) Ruth Gibbs’ Little Lady Godey Dolls (1940’s) – These dolls were typically made of either white or pink China shoulder head, cloth body, painted molded hair or wigged, crudely crafted China limbs, less details on its painted facial features, simple wardrobe or costume. The typical markings on the dolls was “R.G.” and its hang tag had the print “Godey’s Little Lady Dolls”. Collectors of Godey dolls can also add the doll dress pattern book to their collection where they can check the costumes of that era. Also included in these are patterns for doll furniture and a good condition unused book can just cost around $5.00 to $10.00.

The Italian Vintage Dolls Of Luigi Furga

The doll factory of Luigi Furga was established in Canneto, Italy in 1872 and originally manufactured waxed papier mache masks. The company then followed the steps of other doll manufacturers and imported bisque doll heads from Germany. However, World War I disrupted their importation of bisque heads from Germany that they decided to build their own porcelain factory for their doll manufacturing ventures. Furga’s dolls rivaled the ones made in Germany and they soon included pressed-felt dolls. The company also ventured into manufacturing vinyl and hard plastic dolls. The pressed-felt and the bisque dolls were initially exported to Brazil, South America, and England. Eventually, it exported their dolls to the United States. Furga had been doing well with its doll manufacturing business that it produced over 25,000 dolls each day. Here are some common features of Furga dolls: Hard Plastic And Vinyl 1) Babies – Vinyl head and limbs or all-vinyl, doll body made of cloth; jointed at the hip and shoulder; sleeps eyes; rooted hair; closed or open mouth; and generally marked with “Furga/Italy” or “Furga”. 2) Lady – combination of vinyl and hard plastic or all-hard plastic; wig or rooted hair; open, slightly open or closed mouth; typical markings: “Made in Italy/ Furga” or “Furga”. 3) Child – vinyl head and limbs or all-vinyl; cloth body; jointed at hip, neck, and shoulder; closed mouth; rooted hair; typically marked with “Furga/Italy” or “Furga”. Bisque And Composition 1) Dolly Face or Character Baby – Jointed composition body; wig, sleep eyes; slightly open mouth with teeth showing; bisque socket head; typical markings were a stick figure inside a box, “Furga, Canneto”, “Furga, Italy”, or “J. Oglio B28”. 2) Character Doll – composition head or pressed-felt mask with mohair wig on, painted facial features, cloth body, typical markings were: “Furga Italy” or with hangtag printed with “Luigi Furga & C., Made in Italy”. The following are some popular dolls made by Furga: 1) Cappuccetto Rosso (Red Riding Hood) – A 17-inch walker doll that had a removable 4 feet walking mechanism and can walk when pushed. 2) Tonia (1964) – It measured 15 inches tall and had rooted hair on its vinyl head. Its eyelashes were also made of rooted hair and it had sleep eyes, slightly opened mouth with teeth showing, and its jointed body was made of hard plastic. Markings: “L Furga Made in Italy” 3) Elisabetta (1960’s) - This 15-inch doll was made of all vinyl and had rooted hair and open mouth with teeth showing. It also had real lashes with big sleep blue eyes. Markings: “Furga, Made in Italy”

The Appeal Of The Bitty Baby Dolls

The cute and cuddly Bitty Baby dolls have an appeal to younger children that fosters them to care and nurture for these infant dolls. Its purpose is to encourage and treasure good family relationship at a young age. The line was launched by the company American Girl and the dolls measure 15 inches with five different skin tones to choose from. The Bitty Baby dolls have soft bodies and come with difference eye and hair colors. The dolls were primarily designed for children aged 3 years and above. For new collectors, they can purchase an individual doll set which also comes with a book. Alternately, there is also a doll and starter collection kit which includes 13 pieces of accessories such as shoes, a knapsack, overalls, dress, bib, towel, pajamas, a book, and a bonnet. A collector can also acquire additional set of clothes which comes with accessories and an interactive book. The Bitty Baby dolls are good starter dolls for younger children in which they can then move on to the advance doll lines like the American Girl dolls or Our Generation dolls. Fun is always the target for the Bitty Baby dolls as they also come with their own Bitty Bears. These 5-inch tall plush bears are great addition to the Bitty Baby dolls which also come with their own family albums. Initially these bears came with their own outfits but these were discontinued. There were also other Bitty Animals that were added to the dolls accessories like the Bitty Bunny, Bitty Kitty, Bitty Ducky, Bitty Lambie, Bitty Piggy, Bitty Froggy, and the Bitty Doggie. However, the Bitty Bunch was retired in 2009 and only the Bitty Bear was left in this series. Bitty Bear even had a tea party set which was released in 2000 but was then retired in 2002. Nevertheless, the Bitty Baby dolls have furniture sets with price that ranges from $20 to $80. Some play furniture include baby’s crib and bedding, Bitty mealtime chair, changing table set, and Bitty Baby’s swing. And if that is not enough, the line came up with the Bitty Twins. The Bitty Twins series provides the option to choose the gender of the pair along with the option to select the hair color and skin tone. One can take home a set of twins with a book for $100 and still there is the Bitty Twins Starter Collection with 18 pieces of accessories for $180. The pair also comes with their own furniture sets and even a twin striped stroller. As their slogan says, Bitty Twins is “fun times two”.

The Revalo Dolls Of Sonneberg Germany

The trademark “Revalo” came from the surname of one of the owners. The doll company was established in either 1897 or 1912 on some doll reference materials. It was founded by the brothers Hinrick and Jonny Paulas Gerhard Ohlhaver. The company’s name was the phonetically reversed spelling of their surname. Around 1913, the company started selling jointed dolls and they sourced their doll heads from porcelain factories like Gebruder Heubach, Ernst Heubach, and Porzellanfabrik Mengersgereuth. Pozellanfabrik was also known for its dolls marked with an X inside a circle. Some Revalo dolls also have a mark “Igodi” which signified the patent for Johann Gottlieb Dierich’s swivel head dolls. The known mold numbers used on these dolls were: 150, 151, 10727, and 11010. Here are some of Revalo dolls’ markings: 1) Revalo (size number) (DEP) 2) Revalo (DEP) 3) Mold Number (Germany) 4) Germany (Revalo) 5) Revalo (Germany) 6) A pyramid with an eye icon at the base (Germany) (Mold Number) The company sold several doll types like the Bebe Princess, Dolly Face, Character Babies, and Character Child dolls. These measured from 8 to 28 inches tall with jointed composition bodies. Although the Ohlhaver brothers were late entrants to the doll manufacturing business, the Revalo company was reported to have the largest factory in Sonneberg in 1925. Revalo had been manufacturing 6,000 dolls per week with most of its production focused on crafting doll bodies, clothes, and wigs. The bisque heads were still ordered from major porcelain factories. They marketed the distinguishable thinner and longer faced girl dolls and they advertised these as the “Queen of Dolls”. Collectors of Revalo dolls would usually go for these types as these are structured differently than the other dolly face dolls of other doll companies. The dolls usually had open or closed mouth, some with teeth showing from its slightly smiling mouth, human or mohair wig, some may have painted molded hair, glass sleep eyes with hair upper lashes and painted lower ones. Owning a Revalo doll could really be a good addition to your collection or perhaps an heirloom to the next generation. There is always a piece of history kept intact through these highly collectible elegant dolls. Collecting vintage dolls is not purely for investment but also a way of keeping a part of history alive through these dolls design and elegant period clothing. Anyone who might be interested in starting a collection of Revalo dolls, online auctions are a good way to easily start acquiring rare and great pieces. However before you purchase one, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the prices and the markings to verify the doll’s authenticity.

Meygan – The Adventurous Funky Fashionista

Another doll character that was introduced by MGA Entertainment is Meygan. She is the type of gal who is in search for new adventures. She also loves to discover new things at home or even during her travels. Her passion for fashion has earned her the nickname “Funky Fashion Monkey”. Her character is distinguished by her hair which is in varying shades of red. But her character was seen in brown hair for the Sportz Teamz Tennis Meygan and then the earlier versions of Meygan came with a blonde hair due to a manufacturing error. But the doll is constantly in light skin tone. Interestingly, Meygan was the first additional character to the four original Bratz dolls that was composed of the characters Jade, Cloe, Yasmin, and Sasha. She was supposed to be discontinued until she was manufactured again due to the demand of her fan base. The doll was also supposedly named Kayla but was changed due to a trademark that was owned by Mattel. In the television series, the character’s voice was by Jianna Ballard. Her character was also included in the video games entitled Rock Angelz and Starrin’ and Stylin’. In the television episodes, she is seen as a kid in the Sleepover Adventure. Meygan’s favorite color is cinnamon and for movies she loves animated films and then spy novels for her reading. Her favorite beverage is peach smoothie and for food, she likes almost anything right off the grill. Nevertheless, she likes to burn calories doing yoga after school. You can also see her listening to classical music. Her outfit s is creative yet stylish as she likes to include touches of animal prints and exotic designs on a simple outfit. During her travels, she likes to shop for new styles from different countries. Anyone who would like to start a Meygan doll collection, you can search for these lines: 1) Bratz X-Press It! (2002) 2) Bratz Funk N’ Glow (2002) 3) Funky Fashion Makeover Second edition - Styling Heads (2003) 4) Bratz Slumber Party First Edition Release (2003) 5) Bratz Wild Life Safari (2004) – This is her comeback collection after she was retired for a short period. 6) Bratz World Destination 2: London (2005) 7) Pretty 'N' Punk - Styling Heads (2005) 8) Bratz Head Gamez (2005) 9) Bratz Rock Angelz Fan Club Prez Meygan (K-Mart exclusive 2005) 10) Bratz Midnight Dance (2005) 11) Bratz Wild Wild West (2005) – This is an exclusive gift set with a toy white horse included. 12) Genie Magic (2006) – It comes in a bottle set. 13) Hollywood Style (2006) 14) Birthday (2007) 15) Girls Ice Hockey (2007)

The Triplets – Valentina, Siernna, and Oriana

The doll company that introduced the Bratz dolls always like to innovate and introduce more doll characters to let kids enjoy their play time. MGA Entertainment introduced the first set of triplets in the collection which are Siernna (nicknamed as Kickin’ Kool-ala), Valentina (nicknamed as Pretty Pup), and Oriana (Nicknamed as Punk Skunk). The triplets’ appearance is basically the same wherein the dolls have light skin tone, straight long blonde hair with light brown highlights, and blue eyes.

Each of them has a different personality and Siernna is the sports minded one who is a member of almost every sports team in school. This is why she got the nickname Kickin’ Kool-ala. Her lucky number is 44 and she loves the color blue. And if you guess it, her favorite movies are all about sports even the books she reads are all about biographies of athletes. Her favorite food is pasta and she loves to cool down with a tropical and sweet coconut smoothie.

Her favorite class is the gym class and she likes listening to rock n’ roll music. Siernna is really an active and health conscious kid which keeps her busy all the time. Despite this, she still carries a great fashion taste for sports wear with vibrant hues. The second member of the trio is Valentina who is the most feminine character among the three. She has a pet puppy and interestingly she is also nicknamed as Pretty Pup. There is not much about her favorite things but she likes the color red and prefers punk style yet feminine outfits.

The third character to complete the trio is Oriana. She is called the Punk Skunk and she loves playing the guitar. She even comes with a play set that includes a guitar. Originally, the characters Oriana and Valentina were introduced as the third set of twins in the Bratz Twiins Edition. However later on, Siernna was added to create the Bratz Triiiplets Edition. The other twin characters in the collection were the twins Roxxi and Phoebe and the twins Tess and Nona. While the other set of triplets are Brigitte, Adrienne, and Janelle.

Here are some other collections where the characters appeared:

1) Sweet Dreamz Pajama Party - Styling Heads (2006) – with Siernna

2) Sweet Dreamz Pajama Party (2006) – with Siernna

The triplets can also be found as Bratz Babyz in which the three tiny toddler dolls look exactly the same except for their hairstyle and outfits.

Katia – The Russian Doll

In 2005, MGA Entertainment, the manufacturer of Bratz dolls, introduced the Katia doll character. She is given the nickname Flirty Turtle and her back story is that she is of Russian heritage. The doll’s appearance come with a long and straight dark brown hair with black highlights, light skin tone, and green eyes. She was first introduced as a Holiday doll in 2005 and then she was also included in the Genie Magic Doll Collection. Katia was called Flirty Turtle after she learned to express herself after being with the other Bratz girls. She is a character who loves to gain more knowledge that is why she always read the newspaper and documentaries to keep her updated about the happenings around. In school, it seems Iike her passion for learning is unlimited. She likes to attend classes and absorb more information. At home, Katia owns a turtle and a cat. She also likes the number 5 and considers it as her lucky number. For her favorite color, she likes the color of plum. But her most favorite food and beverage are olives and passion fruit smoothie. She also has an exquisite fashion taste since she likes anything that is luxurious and rich in colors such as the Bohemian style and exotic clothing. This is also one reason why she can easily go along with the other Bratz characters who love shopping. Her character also appeared in the Bratz video games and she was voiced by Tara Strong in the television series. Anyone who is interested in collecting the Katia doll and accessories can check for these doll series: 1) Genie Magic Bottle with Katia (2006) 2) Bratz Holiday Doll Katia – Special Collector’s Edition (2005) 3) Genie Magic Fortune Teller - Styling Torso (2006) 4) Play Sportz Teamz (2006) 5) Bratz Class (2006) – exclusively available in Europe & Australia only 6) Forever Diamondz Design (2006) 7) Hollywood Style (2006) 8) Play Sportz 4 (2006) 9) Magic Make-Up (2007) 10) Bratz Magic Make-Up Salon with Katia (2007) 11) Play Sportz (2008) For the other Katia doll series, you may also check the Katia Bratz baby and Katia as a kid. She also appeared in the video game entitled Forever Diamondz. In the movies, Tara Strong lent her voice for the doll character on both Genie Magic and Desert Jewelz. Anyone who is interested in collecting her play sets can still check online auctions and toy shops where her doll and accessories are still readily available.

May Lin – A Rare Find

The doll which closely resembles the Jade doll is May Lin. This is one of the most sought after doll among the Bratz doll collection because it was only produced once and then discontinued thereafter. It was part of the Toys R Us exclusive set in 2004 called the Bratz World Tokyo A Go-Go Kimono Dolls which was supposed to be a Japan collector set. The collection came with Kumi which was also a Toys R’ Us exclusive while the third character was Tiana which was exclusive to Target. However, this is the first and last appearance of May Lin due to some issues regarding her name. Apparently, the marketed name May Lin originates from a commonly used Chinese name Meilin. The problem is that the doll was launched in a Japanese collection. It was then discontinued due the cultural clash between the Chinese name and the Japanese character it was trying to portray. Some believe that it was offensive due to the cultural inaccuracy. Yet the character still appeared on the Bratz website around late 2006 in which it was among the characters in the selection for holiday e-cards. It then appeared again in the 2007 Bratz annual up until the Bratz Ice-Champions series but it was never again produced as a doll. May Lin was characterized as a Japanese girl with long black hair, brown eyes, and pale skin tone. There is really not much information about May Lin’s character as there was not a back story to support her type of personality. But due to the discontinuance of the doll, it is currently sold in the internet for an average price of $90 and can fetch as much as $245. Collectors are after this doll because there is no chance that this doll character will ever be reintroduced. There had already been other Asian characters that were introduced by MGA Entertainment with a more accurate cultural background. Although collectors of the May Lin doll may have to just guess the story behind May Lin as there are no information as to her fashion style, favorite color, books, music, and movies. Due to the lack of information and the limited numbers of this doll character, there are more serious Bratz doll collectors who are after a mint condition May Lin Bratz doll. However, just careful in scrutinizing dolls without its original boxes as some Asian dolls could be mistaken for May Lin since these just closely resembles each other. Perhaps the mold is just the same and it may vary only a teensy bit with their make-up and costume.

Sasha – The Sporty Cheerleader

One of the original four Bratz dolls that MGA Entertainment introduced in May 2001 during its launch is Sasha. The design followed by this character is still a teenage fashion doll that has been marketed with fashionable clothing and accessory sets. Sasha is also known by her nickname, Bunny Boo. Her hair was designed to be dark brown but she changes her hair color every now and then that is why may see her in the TV series sporting orange, black, silver, or blonde hair. It also goes the same way with her eye colors although it is often seen in green or brown but her dark skin tone remains constant as she is an African-American character. Sasha is quite a feisty character because she easily loses her temper and overreacts when things don’t work out for her. Nevertheless, she knows when to apologize especially when she is not afraid to face confrontations. But Sasha is good to her friends and she remains to be a nice character despite her strong attitude. Her friends also call her by the nickname Bunny Boo. For her fashion taste, she likes street, old school, funk, and urban styles. Moreover, she loves dancing especially to the beat of R & B, hip-hop, and to the music of J. Lo and Beyonce. Truly, she is a strong-willed, confident, and determined gal. Teaching dance lessons has also been part of her passion. It has been also implied that she is a natural leader and likes to help people who have special interest in dancing. For the most part, Sasha is fond of her pet bunny and she also loves the colors violet and red. For movies, she likes to watch edgy comedies and yet she likes to read books about biographies of successful people. For her favorite food and beverage, Sasha likes power bars and blueberry smoothie. In the film, Sasha was being played by Logan Browning and in the television series, her character was voiced by Ashleigh Ball, Dorla Bell, and Tia Mowry. Of all the characters, Sasha is one who really knows what she wants and how to get it. It also tells us that there is really a big chance that she will become a record producer or perhaps have her own fashion line in the future. When the Bratz dolls were launched in 2001, she remains one of the main characters of the doll line that is still being manufactured until today unlike other doll companies that retire or archive their old doll collections.

The History Of MGA’s Fashion Dolls

One of the popular dolls today is the Bratz dolls that were created by MGA Entertainment. The line of fashion dolls are characterized by its large heads and slim bodies. The first dolls that were released in May 2001 were Jade, Cloe, Yasmin, and Sasha. They are characterized as teenagers who have their own fashion taste. The dolls were also crafted with almond-shaped eyes and were designed to have plump glossy lips and softly applied make up. Today’s Bratz dolls franchise now comes with different lines such as the Bratz Babyz and Bratz Kids. Although the sales in 2001 did not immediately pick up, the year after that was a different story and the sales went up. The doll franchise was even recorded to have reached huge sales in 2005 when the global revenue came up to 2 billion dollars. However, the success was marred by some challenges and controversies. The dolls have been regarded by the American Psychological Association to be inappropriate to young kids as its skimpy and fashionable clothing connotes sexualization. The company had also been under a lot of criticisms wherein apparently some people claim that the dolls were manufactured in China with poor labor policies and working conditions. But the most controversial news regarding the Bratz dolls was the long legal battle with Mattel over the design. Mattel claimed that former Mattel employee, Carter Bryant, had designed the concept for the Bratz dolls when he was still employed by the company. It was a long battle with both companies which tackled on stealing trade secrets and copying designs. But the recent decision made by the federal jury awarded MGA entertainment a verdict that orders Mattel to pay 310 million dollars to MGA. Yet during the years involved in the long dispute, MGA has continued to create different Bratz doll characters and new lines such as the Bratz Babyz, Bratz Kids, Bratz Lil’ Angelz, Itsy Bitsy Bratz, Bratz Boyz, Bratz Petz, Lil’ Bratz, and Be-Bratz. Aside from the doll lines, the company also came up with music albums and films for the doll characters. More new characters were introduced in the TV series and movies although some of the characters introduced in it do not have its doll version. But kids will find more fun with the dolls and their playsets and accessories. The Bratz has really reached a huge success that it also came out with its kids clothing line in 2007 which was called the Lil’ Bratz Couture.

Phoebe – The Sweet Twin

The other twin that was introduced by MGA Entertainment in 2004 is Phoebe. She and Roxxi were the first pair of twins that was launched by the company and they are identical. Although their facial features are identical, they differ in so many ways. Phoebe’s facial beauty mark is found above the right side of her lips while Roxxi’s is on the lower left of her kips. Apparently, she is called the good twin and she is also nicknamed as Sugar because of her sweet and calm personality. Her hair is just like Roxxi’s which is auburn with black streaks although sometimes, Roxie’s hair is microbeaded. Her skin tone is also light while her eyes are typically blue although these were also seen in violet and green. She is quite the opposite of her twin sister as she is sensitive about other people’s feelings. And because of her thoughtful nature, Roxxi and her friends would ask for Phoebe’s advice. Perhaps another reason why she gets to give good advices to her friends is that she likes reading self-help books. Phoebe’s favorite color is pink and she never gets left behind in terms of fashion taste. She loves searching for fab fashion finds in some quaint boutiques. Her fashion taste falls right into the fluffy and heavenly soft looks. For movies, she likes the romance genre and she goes for love songs when it comes to her type of music. And just fitting for her nickname “Sugar”, she loves indulging on chocolates and sipping her favorite orange smoothie. Her pet is also a duck but hers is a pink one that is accessorized with a halo which is definitely the opposite of her twin sister Roxie’s duck. Collectors can find some play sets and Bratz doll series in which Phoebe appears. Here are some of the series where you can find Phoebe a.k.a Sugar: 1) Bratz Twins First Edition (2004) 2) Bratz I-Candy (2005) 3) Bratz Hollywood Style (2005) 4) Bratz Camp Fire (2005) 5) Bratz Birthday Bash (2005) 6) Play Sportz 3 (2006) – Softball Phoebe 7) Back to School (2006) 8) Hollywood Style (2006) 9) Winter Girlz (2006) 10) Sweet Heart (2007) 11) Girlfriendz Nite Out (2007) There are also Phoebe play sets such as the Bratz Kidz Sleep-Over Super Secret Lotion-Making Bathroom with Phoebe Doll. Collectors can only find the twins together in the first set that was launched in 2004 which is the Bratz Twins First Edition. They usually do not come together in the other series that were launched after the 2004 twin set.

Yasmin – The Aspiring Pop Star

Yasmin is the one of the fashion dolls created by MGA Entertainment which was introduced upon its release in 2001. Yasmin is one for the four pioneers in the Bratz doll collection. The three members that were launched at the same time for the franchise were Sasha, Cloe, and Jade. She and the rest of the characters were an instant hit with young girls that it outsold the sales of Mattel’s Barbie. Yasmin is a teenager doll character who loves to explore the trends and hot styles in fashion. Aside from her passion for fabulous fashion trends, she loves to do creative writing and even sing although she tends to feel a bit uneasy when on stage because of her shyness. Her friends also fondly call her Pretty Princess, and because she loves fashion, she likes to go out for bargain shopping and wear up-to-date styles and fads. Yasmin’s favorite colors are earth tones especially the shades of autumn. Just like any teenager, she likes to watch romantic comedies and books with colorful themes and happy endings. Interestingly, the doll character was named after the daughter of MGA Entertainment’s president, Isaac Larian. The doll comes with varying eye colors but these are usually in brown hues. In some episodes in the TV series, Yasmin’s eyes vary from colors blue, green, and orange but it typically appeared in dark brown. Her brown hair is long and curly with stylish bangs. Yasmin is also one of the teenagers who is health conscious and into fitness. Her favorite flavor for smoothie is apple. For music, she loves the Black-Eyed Peas especially the group members’ fashion taste. Nevertheless being the fashionista, her hair has already been seen to be in colors of black, blue, pink, and blonde. Her skin tone is in tan shade but the most distinguishable facial characteristic she has is the tiny beauty mark just right below her left eye. Because Yasmin is also known for her shyness, she comes out to be secretive and quiet most of the time. Despite this, her talent shows on stage and in her little nook for creative writing. Even with her shyness, she has a caring, considerate, and resourceful. But for a trendy chick like her, she still loves to take care of nature and she advocates for the protection of the environment. Since reading books with happy endings occupies her free time, Yasmin believes that if girls kiss a frog, it will turn into a charming prince. Perhaps it may also be the reason why her pet is a frog which is sporting a crown for its fashion statement.

Roxxi – The Spice Twin

There had been a lot of doll characters that were introduced by MGA Entertainment for the Bratz doll line. Since the company wants to make their doll characters varied as with regard to their personalities and fashion styles, MGA introduced the twins Phoebe and Roxxi. Despite their identical appearance Roxxi is the opposite of Phoebe in terms of personality and character. Phoebe calls her twin “Spice” as she always adds some spice to any scenario. She is also even regarded as the bad twin. Nevertheless, Roxxi is still a friendly character who loves fashion and is always ready to try new things. She remarkably resembles her twin Phoebe except that her beauty mark is on her lower lip while Phoebe has one on her upper lip. The twins are of Italian and Mexican lineage and Roxxi’s hair is auburn with black streaks and her eyes are seen to be with either green or violet at times. Her skin tone is also light. Because Roxxi loves adventure, her kinds of movies are also the action and adventure genre. For her books, she likes to thrillers which add some suspense to her reading. Being tagged as the “Spice”, her favorite color is fire-engine red. Another interesting fact about her is that she has a pet duck which is colored red yet accessorized with a pair of pointy horns. Aside from this, her type of music is punk rock and she may really have a special liking to music since it is also her favorite subject in school. But when she her stomach grumbles after a great deal of activities and adventure, she likes to munch on big and delectable hamburgers paired with raspberry smoothie. For her fashion styles, this punk rock loving gal likes to wear red hot outfits of leather and denim. So anything that is associated to punk rock and thrill makes her day right. Despite her strong attitude and a bit naughty type of character, Roxxi is a go-getter and will find new and fun ways to spend her adventures with her friends. The twin’s first appearance was in 2004 and for those who would like to collect the twins play sets and accessories, check this list of products manufactured for Roxxi: 1) Bratz Twins 1st Edition (2004) 2) Bratz Treasures (2005) 3) Bratz Play Sportz (2005) 4) Bratz Rock Angelz Concert Stage with Roxxi (2005) – This is a playset. 5) Princess (2006) 6) Play Sportz Teamz (2006) 7) Winter Girlz (2006 & 2007) 8) Midnight Dance Leah and Roxxi (2006) – cancelled dolls 9) First Edition Rock Angelz Styling Torsos

Friday, November 25, 2011

The Girl Of The Year Doll For 2009

The American Girl Doll Company released the seventh addition to the “Girl of The Year” doll collection in 2009. She was named Chrissa Marie Maxwell whose nickname is Chrissy. She lives with her family and after her grandfather passed away, they have moved from Iowa to Edgewater, Minnesota where her grandmother Nana lives. She has an older brother named Tyler who is just eleven months older than her and a science enthusiast. Chrissy’s mother Meg is a doctor while his father Paul is the business owner of Maxwell Pottery. Her grandmother is into raising mini llamas which she uses its fur for yarn. They even named their pet mini llamas as Checkers, Cosmos, and Starburst. The paperback books that were both written by Mary Casanova depicted Chrissy as an athletic young girl who loves diving, swimming, and knitting. Her books were entitled “Chrissa” and “Chrissa Stands Strong”. Chrissy was also the first doll to have a movie made for her which has the same title as her second book. Furthermore, she is the first Girl of the Year doll to have companion dolls. The two dolls were Chrissa’s friends and they were Gwen Thompson and Sonali Matthews wherein each of the dolls had a book entitled “Friends”. The Chrissy doll’s face mold took the pattern of the Josefina mold which is also the mold that was used by her predecessor Marisol Luna. The Chrissy doll skin was light and she has a straight brown shoulder length hair. Her pair of light blue eyes softens her look. She is also usually seen in her typical pink dress with purple flats outfit. For the Chrissa collection, the doll’s outfit and accessories include: 1) Party Treats 2) Party Table 3) Pet Llama 4) Snow Gear 5) Craft Studio 6) Warm-Up Set 7) Swim Team Gear 8) Pajamas 9) Snow Outfit 10) Sundress Her starter collection came with a doll stand, the Chrissa doll, two paperback books, swim team gear, sundress, play and display stand, and a pet llama which can be purchases for $178 during its launch. However, Chrissa did not have an entire collection set created for her just like her predecessors’ Whole World Collection. Despite this, Chrissa’s friend collection and movie made a big difference in the Girl of the Year series since doll collectors have more doll characters to link to her. People were also fascinated by the story line in the books and how its plot differs from the movie that was made.

The Bitty Baby Dolls And Its Charm

The Bitty Baby series of the American Girl Doll Company has been launched in 1995 as an all baby girl edition unlike its predecessor which was the “Our New Baby”. The Bitty Baby dolls came with their own Bitty Bears who are also the stars of their own books. The dolls were also marketed according to their skin tones and not by racial description. The baby doll characters are made with a molded painted hair. The Bitty Baby has been marketed as a one-year old child that young girls will care for. The dolls were also launched without specific names given to them which are similar to the “Just Like You” dolls. Kids can also choose the hair, skin, and eye color combinations among the seven colors available for each feature. A doll and book set is available at a price of $48 while the Doll and Starter Collection set costs $118 which already includes 13 pieces of doll accessories and clothing. The Doll and Starter Collection comes with a pink paisley sleeper, hat with knitted lace accents, soft cloth diaper, knit shoes with ruffles, sleeveless dress, polka dot-shirt, toy milk bottle, knee-length bloomers, soft knit blanket, plaid backpack, a plush Bitty Bear, Bitty Baby memory book, polka-dot bib. With the starter collection, children will have more items to play with for their Bitty Baby and Bitty Bear. But those who are also looking for more of the baby doll’s accessories and clothing, there is a wide selection of clothing and outfit sets with prices ranging from $20 to $70. You may choose some accessory sets for more fun during playtime: 1) Bitty’s Travel Set – This is a baby carriage for the Bitty Baby. 2) Bitty’s Diaper Bag Set – The set comes with a fully lined diaper bag, changing pad, toy baby wipes box, three flannel diapers, and a toy baby bottle. 3) Bitty Mealtime Chair – This is a plastic high chair with removable snap-on tray and a lap belt to keep Bitty Baby safely in place. 4) Baby’s Bath Set – This colorful bath set keeps Bitty Baby clean which comes with a lion design bath mitt and some bath toys. 5) Bitty Better Kit – For taking care of your Bitty Baby, this kit comes with a toy stethoscope with realistic heartbeat sounds, toy scope, toy syringe, faux thermometer, two bandages, and a carry-on embroidered bag. 6) Baby’s Crib and Bedding – This soft cushion crib comes with soft bedding and mattress and a pull-out drawer.

The Mystery Books For The Adventurous Young Girls

The American Girl Doll Company has been known not only for their dolls but also for the books that accompany their character dolls. Most of the books depict the back story of the character so that children will know their dolls better as well as learning the values that are embedded in the stories. For the historical doll characters, their books introduce children to the rich American History and the different adventures and tribulations each character has to go through during those times. On the other hand, the Girl of the Year doll characters’ stories are set in modern day America. The modern girl dolls’ fictional stories are creatively done by different authors. Each story carefully touches on modern day issues concerning children and their families as well as the many problems in our modern society. However, the American Girl bookstore also has a collection of mystery books which is a great alternative to the classic Nancy Drew books. Here are some of the mystery books from the American Girl dolls: 1) The Silver Guitar: A Julie Mystery – This follows the story of Julie and her friend TJ. Julie is set to discover TJ’s secret while in the midst of lending a hand for the sea birds of San Francisco during an oil spill that affected their habitat. 2) The Light in the Cellar: A molly Mystery – This book is written by Sarah Masters Buckey who is a two-time Agatha Award nominee. The story leads to the discovery of something mysterious that is happening in Oak Knoll Hospital which is the establishment that Molly and Emily is volunteering as magazine delivery girls during World War II. 3) A Spy on the Home Front – The story follows Molly’s search for clues about the trouble her aunt unknowingly brought to their home front in the time of war. There is also a “Looking Back” section at the end of the story that has some interesting historical facts during the era. 4) A Thief in the Theater: A Kit Mystery – This book is also written by Sarah Masters Buckey and it uncovers the mystery about the behind the scenes drama of some famous stars while Kit and Stirling are doing volunteer work at a local theater company. 5) Secrets of Camp Nokomis: A Rebecca Mystery – The story follows Rebecca’s discovery of a mystery at a summer camp. Rebecca soon finds out what her bunkmate is hiding as a girl goes missing in the camp.

Mia St. Clair Of The Girl Of The Year Dolls

A lot of young girls and doll fanatics found Mia St. Clair as a great addition to the “Girl of the Year” series of the American Girl Doll Company. Mia was the sixth GOTY doll which was released in 2008. Just like Nicki, the doll character that preceded her, Mia also has two books created for her which were authored by Laurence Yep. The first book was entitled “Mia” while the second book was named “Bravo, Mia!” The Mia doll’s face mold took the classic mold of the American Girl dolls. The doll skin is light and she has some freckles across her nose. Mia’s long light red hair is a layered with a French braid on the right side. Her hazel eyes add warmth to her overall look which is just a great contrast to her hobby which is ice skating. In the paperback books, Mia is the only girl among four siblings and she is also the youngest in the family. The St. Clair family lives in upstate New York. Her brothers (Perry, Skip, and Rick) share the same passion with her on the ice skating rink except that they love hockey and Mia focuses on being a good figure skater. The books narrated her struggles on becoming a great figure skater with the help of her talented friend Anya. Mia’s typical outfit is a magenta long-sleeved sweater with a big snowflake print on the side, a sequined and embroidered grey skirt, pink tights, and a pair of high-cut blue sneakers. Her outfit and accessories are extensive and varied that collectors and children have been so fascinated by its designs. Here is a list of outfits and accessories included in the Mia collection: 1) Mia’s Purple Ice Skates 2) Bedroom Furniture 3) Bedroom Accessories 4) Hair Clips and Case 5) Ice Rink 6) Mia’s Practice Outfit 7) Two-in-One Skate Outfit 8) Pajama Set 9) Silver Skate Dress 10) Performance Outfit The Mia starter collection which costs $168 when it was launched included Mia’s accessories, purple ice skates, 2-in-1 skate outfit, practice outfit, and 2 paperback books. When the hair clips and case and silver dress came out, the whole Mia collection sets were available for price of $459. The colorful and fabulous items in the collection made the character more interesting to collect and more fun to play with. However, the Mia collection was only available for purchase until December 2008 and currently it has been retired.

The DVD Collection For The AG Dolls

The back stories of some of the American Girl dolls not just shared in their paperback books. There adventures and colorful life stories come into action with their special edition DVD kits. Even though not all doll characters have their own movies, some archived doll characters’ life stories are still available on paperback books. Nevertheless, the movies are inspired by the stories in the books although there may be some slight differences that the movies did not adapt. Some minor changes have been done to aptly fit the younger audience. Here are the movies created for the doll characters: 1) Kit Kittredge – The lead character was played by Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin. The story takes you to her family’s challenges when they went from rich to poor after her father’s business went bankrupt. To avoid losing the family’s house, they had to accept boarders and have some money for their daily expenses. However, her dilemma started when someone stole their money and his friend, Will, is the primary suspect of the crime. This led to Kit’s own investigation on who really stole the money. 2) Molly (An American Girl on the Home Front) – The story depicts Molly McIntire’s challenges during the World War II wherein her father cares for fallen soldiers overseas while her mother works at a local an assembly factory for an aircraft company. It also introduces the character named Emily who came from London to live with Molly’s family in order to escape the bombing that happened in their hometown. 3) Samantha (An American Girl Holiday) – The movie is about Samantha Parkington’s meeting with Nellie O’Malley whom she will become best friends with. The story has been set during the holiday season in 1904. 4) Felicity (An American Girl Adventure) – The story in the movie is about the characters Felicity Merriman and Elizabeth Cole’s adventure in Virginia during the American Revolution. Take the journey on how the friends stay intact while their families belong to the opposite sides of the revolution. 5) An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong – This is the first movie made for a “Girl of the Year” doll character which is set in modern day. It explores Chrissa’s school life of being bullied by the “Mean Bees” and how she handles the situation. 6) Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – This audio cd contains twelve tracks from New Line Records with songs from the 1930s.

Girl Of The Year Doll’s Nicki Fleming

The fifth addition to the American Girl‘s the “Girl of the Year” dolls was named Nicki Fleming and she was launched in 2007. Just like any other doll character in the series, Nicki is a ten-year old modern day young girl who shares her adventures on a paperback book. She lives with her parents in their hometown just outside Denver, Colorado. The Fleming family lives in a piece of land where they have a ranch. The family earns a living raising pigs for slaughter and they also raise horses as their ranch buddies. Nicki has a younger brother named Adam and her mother is also expecting twins. Since they are living a long distance away from school, she and Adam are the first ones the bus driver has to pick up in the morning and the last ones to drop after school. Nicki has a pet dog named Sprocket and she has taken over his training when her mother knew of her pregnancy. According to the two paperback books authored by Ann Howard Creel, Nicki is a compassionate and artistic kid who loves her family and takes good care of her pets. Nicki was in fact the first Girl of the Year doll to have two books made to tell her stories. She is also known to be a good skier and a physically active gal. After her mother gave birth to the twins, she was asked by her mother to name them. And so she gave the twins the name Kristine and Rebecca. For the Nicki doll’s features, the doll was patterned after the classic mold of the American Girl dolls. Her skin is Caucasian and some freckles can be seen across her nose and a bit above the cheeks. Nicki has a pair of blue eyes and she has a long and curly light brown hair. Nicki’s usual outfit is a blue wrap skirt and a white long sleeves blouse with eyelet design. She also wears a brown belt around her waist which is matched with her pair of brown cowgirl boots. Since Nicki is a bit more adventurous and sporty than the others, she has a good collection of outfits and accessories. Some of these are: 1) Ranch Outfit 2) Gala Outfit 3) Ski Wear 4) Tie Top and Shorts 5) Straw Hat 6) Dog-in-Training for Sprocket 7) Jackson’s Tack Box 8) Nicki’s Ski Gear 9) Jackson the Horse Nicki’s entire collection can be bought as a set for a price of $325. However, this doll set has already been archived and is only available in the second market.

The American Girl Book Collection

Children may have a fun with their favorite American Girl doll but they will learn more about their favorite doll characters through their back story books. Young girls will discover more about American history and modern day real life issues that children are facing. Each book tells a story about the doll characters while teaching them life lessons which will help mold their values and principles as they grow old. Aside from storybooks, the American Girl book collection also has activity sets, contemporary fiction, advice books, and historical fiction. Since the company has just introduced the Innerstar University, the virtual university also has its own book series which is part of the contemporary fiction collection that dwells more on modern general concepts. Here are some of the books from the American Girl collections: A. Historical Fiction: 1. Meet Cecile 2. Troubles for Cecile 3. Marie-Grace Makes a Difference 4. Happy New Year, Julie 5. Julie’s Journey 6. The Puzzle of the Paper Daughter: A Julie Mystery 7. Molly’s Surprise 8. Brave Emily 9. The Light in the Cellar: A Molly Mystery 10. Missing Grace: A Kit Mystery 11. Secrets at Camp Nokomis: A Rebecca Mystery 12. Shadows on Society Hill: An Addy Mystery 13. The Runaway Friend: A Kirsten Mystery 14. Kaya and Lone Dog 15. Lady Margaret’s Ghost: A Felicity Mystery B. Contemporary Fiction 1. Good Job, Kanani 2. A Surprise Find 3. Dive Right In 4. A Winning Goal 5. Into the Spotlight 6. A Girl’s Best Friend 7. Braving the Lake 8. Fork in the Trail 9. Taking the Reins 10. Bravo, Mia! 11. Thanks to Nicki 12. Lanie’s Real Adventures 13. Innerstar University 4-Story Set # 1 14. Innerstar University 4-Story Set # 2 15. Chrissa Stands Strong C. Advice 1. Lists! A Year of Stuff About Me 2. Stand Up for Yourself Journal 3. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Knowing What to Say 4. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Boys 5. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Friendship Troubles 6. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Her Parents’ Divorce 7. A Smart Girl’s Guide to the Internet 8. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Manners 9. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Money 10. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Starting Middle School 11. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Parties 12. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Staying Home Alone 13. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Sticky Situations 14. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Style 15. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Understanding Her Family 16. All About You Quiz Book 17. Babysitter’s Business Kit 18. The Book Club Kit 19. Clutter Control 20. Girls and Their Dogs

Jess McConnell – The Fourth Girl Of The Year Doll

Launched in 2006, the fourth doll character in the “Girl of the Year” series of the American Girl Doll Company was named Jess Akiko McConnell. She was the 10-year old daughter of both archaeologist parents who travel a lot for their profession. Her mother is of Japanese lineage while her father is of Irish and Scottish descent. She is considered as the first biracial doll character in the series. Jess also has an older sister named Heather and an older brother named Jason. She is considered as the baby of the family and her best friend is a Mayan girl named Sarita Bol whom she befriended on their trip to Belize. In the book, Jess is a homeschooled young girl who goes with her parents to an archaeological site in Belize. She is in fourth grade but she typically submits her assignments online. She seems to be disinterested about archaeology but ironically she loves to know more about the lives of the Mayan people. Jess is also described as an athletic and outgoing person who loves adventure. She also likes to play the guitar and play soccer for sports. Together with Sarita, they have a pet baby parrot that they called Pippi. Through the course of the story during their tour in Belize, Sarita and Jess discovered a hidden treasure underground. Her book dwelt on this adventure which takes the two young girls to a great discovery about history. The Jess doll has her own face mold and her skin is light. Her hair is dark brown with subtle red highlights. She also has a pair of dark brown eyes and feathered eyebrows. Jess’ usual outfit is an orange top, tie-dye pink and orange skirt, and a pair of sandals. She also has a collection of other accessories and cute outfits: 1) Jess’ Pajamas 2) Two In One Kayaking Outfit 3) Travel Accessories 4) Kayak and Gear 5) Tree Swing 6) Motor Scooter and Helmet Jess also has a starter collection that comes with the doll, a paperback book, travel accessories, two in one kayaking outfit, and the kayak and gear which costs $150 for the whole collection. The Jess motor scooter and helmet set was also released which prompted the company to offer the Jess’ entire collection for only $ 265. The Jess collection set consisted of a whole lot of accessories and clothing for children to play. Collectors also find the entire collection set as interesting as the storyline in the book.

The Third Girl Of The Year Doll – Marisol Luna

The American Girl Doll Company came up with their third Girl of the Year doll in 2005. Her name was Marisol Luna who is of Latin lineage. Her story started in Pilsen, Illinois where she lived with her parents in a Latin neighborhood until they moved out to Des Plaines. The story book for Marisol was authored by Gary Soto. Marisol was described as enthusiastic dancer who is just learning jazz, tap dancing, and ballet. Most of all she loves to dance the Mexican dance called the ballet folklorico. However, Marisol is just like any modern day kid who loves to experiment and infuse a mix of dance moves. The Marisol doll’s face was patterned after the Josefina mold. The doll skin is tan while her hair long and wavy brown. She also has a pair of light brown eyes and still with the signature smiling lips of the American Girl dolls. Her usual outfit is a purple top, pink tank top shirt, green cargo pants, Mary Jane shoes, a necklace with floral design, knitted cap and scarf. Unlike her predecessors, she has a number of collection sets which paved way for a separate starter collection. The Marisol doll was the first Girl of the Year doll to have a starter collection because of the number of clothing and accessories dedicated for the doll. But the story line in Marisol’s books was a bit controversial because it explained that her parents’ reason for moving from Pilsen to Des Plaines was because they find the old neighborhood dangerous. The residents in the area protested against the book’s content as it connotes a negative image for their community. This led the public relations team for the company to express their opinion that the context was misunderstood and that there were many reasons why Marisol’s parents decided to move out. Among their many reasons, they just want a yard and bigger place for Marisol to play. Nevertheless, the Marisol doll came with a lot of accessories and clothing to choose from. Her collection sets include the Marisol’s Jazz Outfit, Spotlight Stage and Tiara, Dance Duffle and Cat, and Performance Trunk. The Marisol starter collection was priced at $150 which came with the doll, paperback book, doll stand, dance duffle and cat, and the performance trunk. There is also an entire collection set that came after the release of the spotlight outfit and the spotlight stage and tiara which can be purchased at a price of $249.

The Bitty Twins Collection

The American Girl doll company launched the Bitty Twins in 2003 and initially came in as a boy and girl twins. It is designed to be older than the Bitty Baby although most of its doll structure is the same with the Bitty Babies. The original Bitty Twins that was marketed at that time was a blond girl and a blond boy wearing their respective pink and blue moon and stars sleepers. The twin boy had a close mouth while the twin girl had an open mouth. In 2004, the Bitty Twins were still marketed as a boy and girl set but this time the twins were brunette. The only difference was that the boy had an open mouth while the twin girl had a closed mouth. Yet in 2006, the doll set was relaunched with a different overall look. Instead of diapers, the twins now had training pants under a new set of clothing. The twin girl now had a longer hairstyle with bangs while the boy still retained its usual cut. At this time, buyers can now choose the pairs they want with more ease and customization. Buyers are able to purchase all girl twins or all boys twins with denim type of clothing. The twins’ clothing was no longer sold in sets and so collectors can buy any piece of clothing for one doll instead of having it in pairs like before. Another change was the creation of a starter collection kit for the Bitty twins that include accessories such as a twin stroller and an extra pair of clothing. There are now more choices of mixing and matching twins and they do not have to be of the same skin or hair color. This freedom of choosing the twins made it more interesting to collect as girls can opt to play with their favorite characters without purchasing then in a set of same skin and hair colors or a set of opposite genders. Today, the Bitty Twins plus book set includes two dolls and two outfits with a book which costs $ 100. Those who want a Bitty Twins Starter Collection can purchase it for $ 180 which already comes with 16 pieces that include a choice of two Bitty Twin dolls, a book, twin rolling carrier, argyle outfit for each, two training diapers, zip-front vest, hoodie sweatshirt, striped tee, snack container, toy cellphone, and a key toy.

The Second Girl Of The Year Doll

The Girl of the Year series may have a rough start with the Lindsey Bergman doll. Nevertheless, the release of the second Girl of the Year doll in 2003 led to better sales. Kailey Hopkins was only introduced two years after the Lindsey doll was launched. Kailey’s character is a beach loving who does body surfing in her spare time. Her hometown is in California where she and her father frequent a local restaurant by the beach. She wears a braided long blonde hair with brown highlights. The story line in her book was focused on saving the local community’s tide pools when a new development was rumored to be built. On her books, Kailey is described as an athletic girl who wears an aqua colored sundress and a pair of beach sandals. The Kailey Hopkins doll’s face mold is a classic mold and its skin color is Caucasian. She also has a pair of brown eyes and comes with her own accessory set which include necklace, bracelet, anklet, faux seashells and starfish, Frisbee, paperback book, and a bag. The Kailey accessory and outfit collection was available for purchase at that time. These items were also separately sold: 1) Kailey’s Snorkel Set – The set comes with an underwater camera with sticker film, mask, fins, and a snorkel. 2) Boogie Board – It comes with a purple board sleeves, boogie board with wrist leash, and a lip balm contained in a board wax jar. 3) Paperback story book – This was written by Amy Goldman Koss. 4) Kailey’s Beach Towel 5) Sandy the Dog 6) Wet Suit and Bikini Kailey and her collections were only available for a year from summer of 2003 until July 2004. Today, her collection has been archived. All of her accessories, clothing, and doll sets are no longer available except for her story books although there is still the secondary market for those who want to add Kailey’s items in their collections. The Kailey doll collection does not contain a lot of items compared to the more recent Girl of The Year dolls. However, American Girl doll collectors are searching for these hard to find retired items. There are around a third of a quarter retired items of the American Girl doll products which include the dolls, the outfits, furniture pieces, and doll accessories. The only venues where doll collectors and enthusiasts would find the archived items are in eBay and other gift shops online.

The New Online Destination For Young Girls

There is a new place online where young girls will surely find fun and entertainment along with their favorite American Girl dolls. The Innerstar University is where you can enroll your kids and explore this virtual world which is accessible upon purchasing a new “My American Girl” doll. Young girls can create their own dolls and enroll in the university to learn new things and discover fun activities at the comfort of their homes. The Innerstar University is a virtual campus where children can join games and rewarding activities which will teach them several useful values in life such as self confidence and proper ethics.
The company promises parents that their kids’ registration in the university does not collect and share important information about its young members. Communication is also done through pre-scripted email correspondence. The registration for the virtual university is open for girls 8 years of age and above. Parents and children who are interested about joining the online community of playful kids can check the “Frequently Asked Questions” section of the website to fully get a grasp of how this facility works.
Each child that is enrolled in the university has her own student number. All you need to do to sign up is get hold of your doll’s star code which allows you full access to the site. There is also a preview access where you can initially tour the place and check for its features. Some of the university’s activities are games, projects, awards and recognition, making friends, room decoration, and many others. Children can participate in projects and check out its activities and schedule to complete a certain assignment.
For those who also want to expand their doll collection, there are sections in the virtual community where kids can purchase their favorite dolls and accessories with parents’ guidance. Remember to check the rules and the FAQ section before establishing an account. One reminder is that you cannot delete and start over your doll account once you have completed the enrollment. Should you wish not to play with it anymore, you can just simply not login into the account and go back to it whenever you choose.
Once you are enrolled with a start code, the member will have full access to the facilities. There are other access rights such as the preview access and the visitor access. The visitor access is done with a code distributed through marketing campaigns for young girls to play in the online doll university but only for a limited time.

You can read more about this and all types dolls at our website We Luv Dolls. If you are interested in a specifc type of dpoll like American Girl Dolls or even doll related fun like Monster High Dress Up Games you will find it on our website as well. - Elizabeth Ann Washington

Girl Of The Year Companion Doll Gwen Thompson

Another companion doll for “Girl of the Year” Chrissa Maxwell is Gwen Thompson. She is the quiet and shy blonde girl whom Chrissa befriended. Gwen does not have her own story book but she is a major character in Chrissa’s books entitled “Chrissa” and “Chrissa Stands Strong”. Gwen was defined as a strong character despite her shy nature. She and her mother had gone through a lot of trials from the start of the story.
Her father lost his job which forced them to live the hard life. They lost their home after they were not able to pay mortgage and soon after her father left them. They even tried living in their car until they found a homeless center which helped them get back on their feet. The Sunrise House helped them through tough times until they were able to get their own apartment. However, Gwen was not far away from other challenges in life when she met the “Queen Bees” in school. She was the subject of ridicule and bullying by the group of girls led composed of Tara, Jadyn, and Sonali.
But her fate changed when she was befriended by Chrissa. Sonali, on the other hand, felt bad about what Tara did to Gwen when she cut her hair to ridicule her even more. This even made Sonali rethink her association with the Queen Bees which eventually gotten her to leave them and make friends with Chrissa and Gwen. There are really great stories and lessons from these doll story books that children relate to. The great thing about companion dolls is that it forms an instant bond with children because of its association with the primary character which is the Girl of the Year doll.
The Gwen doll’s face mold is a classic mold and her skin tone is light. She comes with a long straight blonde hair with bangs and a pair of brown eyes. Her usual outfit is a sundress with white laces and floral design, white ponytail scrunchee, pink sandals, and a pink headband. Since this is the first time that a Girl of the Year doll came with companions, Chrissa did not have a Whole World collection set.
But the most interesting part about Gwen’s character was that her family background was the subject of scrutiny in 2009 by a New York Post columnist saying that her homelessness was an inappropriate political indoctrination. Although it has sparked several controversies as her story came out at the time of recession, the company stands on its ground of having the doll’s story to teach about the unhealthy effects of bullying.

You can read more about this and all types dolls at our website We Luv Dolls. If you are interested in a specifc type of dpoll like American Girl Dolls or even doll related fun like Monster High Dress Up Games you will find it on our website as well. - Elizabeth Ann Washington

Archived Collectible – Lindsey Bergman Of American Girl

Mattel came up with their first “Girl of Year” doll in 2001. The dolls in the series were only to be available for a year from the day it was released. The first doll was named Lindsey Bergman and she was retired in 2002. The doll also came with her book which narrates her adventure and fun personality. The book was authored by Chryssa Atkinson who grew up in California but currently lives in Chicago with her two children, husband, and a dog. Just like the author, Lindsey comes from the Chicago area where she lives with her family. She has an older brother named Ethan who owns a bar called Mitzvah and she also owns a brown dog that she named Mr. Tiny because of his short legs.
Lindsey is a good-natured young girl who goes around the neighborhood with her scooter. Her character seems to be always in trouble and she is not much liked by her classmates in school. Perhaps it may be due to her adventurous and curious personality. Nevertheless, she is friends with April even though she thinks of Lindsey as a bit odd. The Lindsey doll has the classic face mold and her skin color is light. She has blue eyes and a curly short auburn-brown hair. Lindsey’s usual outfit is a blue hoodie jacket, green t-shirt with a print “dogs”, striped tights, khaki mini skirt, a pair of red boots, and a hair clip.
The market was not initially receptive of the launch of the first Girl of the Year doll partly because most collectors were used to the historical theme of the American Girl dolls. This series was introduced with characters that live in modern day America. The sales for the Lindsey dolls did not pick up so much that it caused the delay of the launching for the next Girl of the Year doll for a year. However because of this, the Lindsey doll is hard to find in the secondary market.
Most collectors would also be after for this doll because of its rarity and because it is the first doll introduced for the Girl of the Year series. The next doll in the series only came out in 2003 with the character named Kailey Hopkins. Lindsey was also the first Jewish doll character until the launch of the tenth historical doll character Rebecca Rubin in 2009. Collectors of the American Girl dolls will surely be on the hunt for a Lindsey doll since this has already been retired about a decade ago.

You can read more about this and all types dolls at our website We Luv Dolls. If you are interested in a specifc type of dpoll like American Girl Dolls or even doll related fun like Monster High Dress Up Games you will find it on our website as well. - Elizabeth Ann Washington