Blythe Mini Doll Collection Part 1

I started collecting mini Blythe dolls just a few months ago, after getting my first Pullip doll.  Earlier this year, I stumbled across my first Pullip in a store at a great price, and it was love at first sight.  I'm planning to review her very soon, but here's a sneak peek of my very first Pullip doll...

My First Pullip Doll

So once I got her home, I began seriously researching Pullip dolls, and in the process, I found Blythe dolls too.   Both Pullip and Blythe dolls have these huge, adorable eyes that are just so sweet!   I don't have a full size Blythe doll YET, but I found the Blythe Loves Littlest Pet Shop line, and I started collecting those too.

The History of Blythe

The original Blythe doll was released in 1972 by Kenner Toys in the United States, but she was only sold for 1 year.  Hasbro purchased Kenner in 1991, but they did not bring back Blythe then.  In 2001, Takara, a Japanese toy company, began producing a new edition of Blythe dolls.  Takara currently still makes full size and mini Blythe dolls, but they are not easily found in the United States.  Takara's mini Blythe dolls are called Petite Blythe.  In 2010 Hasbro released the Blythe Loves Littlest Pet Shop line.  Hasbro's Blythe Loves Littlest Pet Shop dolls are similar to Takara's Petite Blythe.  They only measure about 4 1/2 inches tall.  They have big eyes, big heads and tiny bodies.

The 2013 Blythe doll change

Hasbro only produced Blythe dolls that actually look like Blythe from 2010 to 2012.  In 2013, they changed the Blythe doll completely, although they have kept her name.  They have changed her to match the Blythe design of their new Littlest Pet Shop TV cartoon.  The Blythe dolls produced from 2010-2012 had inset glass-like eyes, rooted eyelashes, rooted hair in every hairstyle and color, and very detailed clothes made of lots of different patterns and fabrics. The 2013 Blythe dolls now look a lot like a Polly Pocket doll with painted eyes, plastic hair and rubber clothes.  Here are both versions for comparison...

2010-2012 Blythe Loves Littlest Pet Shop

2013 Blythe Loves Littlest Pet Shop

There is just no comparison between these two dolls.  I don't even think the new version qualifies as a doll, more of a plastic toy, and she looks nothing like Blythe!  I will not be collecting any of the new 2013 versions, but I will collect all of the 2010-2012 dolls that I can find.  I didn't start collecting Blythe until 2013, but fortunately you can still find a lot of the old 2010-2012 versions at many places, and they usually cost less than they originally retailed for.  This is true as of now, the middle of 2013, but that may not be the case once they sell out and become harder to find.  Only the new plastic version can be found at stores like Target and Wal-Mart now.  I have found most of my dolls at stores like Tuesday Morning, Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Big Lots, and online at Amazon.com.  Most of them were priced somewhere between $5 and $12 per set.  The sets come with only one doll, but include pets and other accessories.  My daughters like the LPS pets, but I only collect and display the Blythe dolls with a few of the accessories.  They like the Blythe dolls too, and they have some of their own to play with, so we have some duplicates. 

These little Blythe dolls are fun to collect, since you never know where you might find them.  Sometimes the search is part of the fun.  They are fun to display too, since they don't take up much space.

Mini Blythe and other minis

Lately, I've been really interested in all kinds of miniatures and have started a few mini collections.  I would like to find the perfect mini dollhouse to display the mini Blythe dolls.  One of my other mini collections are the mini American Girl dolls.  I don't display them together, but here are some pictures of Blythe with American Girl Mini Saige, just for a fun size comparison... 

Mini Blythe is about half Mini Saige's height.

Their heads are closer in size though.

Blythe's hat is too small for Saige, even though Blythe's head looks bigger.

If the boot fits... buy one in every color.  :)

Blythe is a little top heavy.

Double Cuteness

Here is a closeup picture of how tiny the shoes are.  They are actually standing on a real dime.  The shoes are so small, it's really hard to get a clear picture.  Boots or shoes that come up to the ankle like in the first picture stay on the feet very well.  Tiny slip on shoes like those in the second picture tend to fall off easily if you're moving the dolls around.  They are fine for display, but can get lost easily if you're moving them around a lot or if little ones are playing with them.

Standing on a dime.

That is actually a real dime, not a quarter.

With those tiny feet and her big head, Blythe can't stand up on her own.  That's why it is so nice that each set includes a little doll stand made of plastic and metal.

If you like Blythe, I would highly recommend that you be on the lookout for the 2010-2012 Blythe Loves Littlest Pet Shop sets at closeout stores like Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Tuesday Morning, and Big Lots.  The older style Blythe dolls are not being made anymore, replaced by Hasbro's new plastic version.  So if you like the inset eyes, rooted eyelashes and hair, and real clothes... get these sets before they sell out completely. 

Next... Part 2 will include an individual description and pictures of each Blythe doll in my collection, of which the current count is a baker's dozen.

More to come in Blythe Part 2

I'd love to hear from you.  Do you collect Blythe dolls?  What do you think of the changes for 2013?  Post a comment below.