Meet Our First Blythe Dolls - Clarke and Ryan

Hi Doll Friends,

Today, I'd like to introduce you to two new additions to our doll family. These two precious Blythe dolls are even more special because of the incredibly sweet lady, Jane, who sent them to my daughters. Jane has the awesome YouTube channel, maidensuit, with lots of informative videos about her wonderful collection of Blythe dolls and beautiful clothes and accessories. I messaged Jane to ask her about how the factory Blythes compare to stock Blythes. Remember, official release stock Blythes are produced by Takara, whereas factory Blythes are actually look-alikes produced by unknown sources. Jane said that she had decided to stick to the official release Blythes, and was so incredibly sweet to send her two factory Blythes to my daughters. At ages 10 and almost 13, these two junior doll collectors, were overjoyed to each receive their own Blythe, even before mom had one. :)

My almost 13 year old was over the moon for Clarke, with her long pink hair. She desperately wants to dye her own long curls blue, so she was immediately drawn to Clarke's fantasy hair color. :)

My youngest daughter fell head over heels in love with Soleil, with her short golden hair. She had some trouble remembering her name though, and kept calling her Souffle, like a dessert. :)  After a few days, she decided to rename her Ryan Souffle. 

Thank you Jane!!! These precious dolls came at a time when we needed them so much. They have been such a joy and a sweet distraction at a tragic time for us.  

Both girls wanted their dolls to have sleepy eyes, which requires adding an extra pull string that will keep their eyes closed. So I began researching to learn how to do this. I was fascinated by the customization process. We looked at lots of pictures, and the girls started asking for other things like freckles, painted eyelids, etc.

I found customizing so enjoyable. The sanding, carving, repainting, and everything was just so relaxing. Jane, I hope you don't mind that the girls look a little different now. Here are Clarke's before and after pictures.

And here are Ryan's aka Soleil's before and after pictures.

Sleepy eyes: Clarke's galaxy eyes and Ryan's bear eyes.

 

 

My girls want to thank you, Jane!!! Clarke and Ryan are having lots of fun with their new moms!

Please visit Jane's blog at http://curetouch.blogspot.com/ and her YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/maidensuit.

 Hugs ♥

An Update and Blythe Dolls

Hi Doll Friends!

I started writing this post last month, but I was never able to finish it. I'm so sad to say that I have lost my wonderful Mom. There was never a sweeter or more caring lady. She spent her whole life taking care of others. Lately, I was able to spend time taking care of her, and now I don't know what to do without her. I miss her terribly.

I love you Mom!

The words below were written last month before this happened, and I have decided to go ahead and post them.

I wanted to tell you about a new dolly who has been on my wish list!

If you've read my blog before, you know that I collect a variety of dolls. Lately, I've been obsessed with antique dolls, especially my Schoenhuts - Love, LOVE, LOVE them!

No, this is not a new doll. That's Martha peeking in to say Hello!

Martha, my first Schoenhut Doll

...But this new doll that I'm talking about is a bit different... well actually very different. This new (to me) doll on my wish list is a Blythe doll.  Here is a sneak peek...

Since these dolls are not readily available here in the US, some research is required to learn about them. I thought I'd share what I've been learning here, in case it may be of interest to anyone else.

Blythe History

The original Blythe dolls were only sold for one year in 1972 by Kenner in the USA.

In 2001, almost thirty years later, Blythe dolls began being produced by Takara in Japan. I'm not sure how many versions of Blythe Takara has released since then, but they have been producing them from 2001 to the present.

In 2007, Ashton-Drake Galleries also made a limited number of Blythe dolls that were reproductions of the original Kenner Blythe including the original outfits that she wore.

The Blythe dolls being produced today are still only made in Japan by Takara. They are not sold in any stores in America, which makes them very difficult to acquire since you have to order them from outside of the US. Takara produces Blythe dolls in 3 sizes now. The Neo Blythe, who is about 11" tall, has a slender body similar to Barbie, but her head is the size of a grapefruit. The other 2 sizes are Middie Blythe, who is almost 8" tall and Petite Blythe who is is just over 4" tall.  

Blythe Eyes

The thing that makes Blythe really different from all other dolls is her special eye mechanism that is controlled by a pull string. Pull her string to change her eyes and give her a totally different expression. She comes with 4 different eye colors, with 2 sets looking forward, one set that looks to the left, and one set that looks to the right. Well, you know I love dolls with big eyes, and Blythe must have the biggest eyes in the doll world. And just a pull of her string changes both the color and direction of her eyes. Only the full size Blythe dolls have this eye mechanism.

Similar Dolls

The 4" size Petite Blythe is similar to the LPS Blythe dolls that were produced by Hasbro from 2010 to 2012. Their eyes do not change like the Neo Blythe though. I wrote about my LPS Blythe mini dolls a long time ago. You can find my articles on my LPS Mini Blythe Dolls Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

LPS Mini Blythe Doll

Another doll with some similarity is the Pullip doll, who also has a large head, slender body, and huge eyes. Pullip dolls have a button on the back of their heads to make their eyelids open and close, but they do not change their eye color or direction like Blythe.  You can find my article on my Pullip dolls here.

Peter Pan Pullip Doll

I think Blythe dolls also bear a bit of similarity to Tonner's Wilde Imagination Patience doll. Patience has huge eyes too, but her eyes move from side to side by themselves when you move her, not with a pull string. Although the direction of her eyes move, her eye color does not change. You can find my article on Patience here.

Tonner Patience Doll

Where to Find Blythe

Since I couldn't run out to the store and buy a Blythe, I started looking on eBay. A quick search of Blythe doll on eBay brings up over 15,000 listings though. How does one even begin to choose a doll from such a massive number of listings? So, I began to research to try to narrow down exactly what I wanted.

Through this research, I found out that MOST of these listings are actually not official Blythe dolls produced by Takara, but are actually fakes. Apparently Blythe dolls are so popular and in such high demand that others have copied the dolls and try to pass the copies off as real Blythe dolls. They sellers list these knock-off dolls as "Factory dolls". Any Blythe listing that has the key words "factory" or "nude" is actually a fake... so Buyer Beware!

If you want an official Takara release, be sure that you purchase from a reputable authorized Blythe dealer like C.C. Toys or Junie Moon. There are also some reputable eBay sellers like iloveblythe who sell official stock releases. If you see a doll listed for a price that is substantially lower than retail, or if "factory" or "nude" are anywhere in the title, then be aware that the listing is not an original Takara Blythe.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with buying any doll that you like, whether it be an official release or a factory doll, as long as you are aware of what you are buying. Fake or factory dolls are also referred to as TBL's.  Other acronyms such as "RBL" and "FBL" represent the different Takara face molds, but a "TBL" is an acronym for a factory doll. This can add to the confusion for new collectors.

One thing I think factory dolls are perfect for is customization. Many collectors love to customize Blythe dolls. It is very popular to repaint the faces, even sanding and carving the face to create different looks for Blythe. Adding sleep eyes and changing the eye colors is also very popular and even rerooting the hair. I would love to customize Blythe, and I would prefer to customize a factory doll and keep my official stock release dolls original.

Coming Soon...

Next time I'll be sharing about some new dolls that have been added to our collection.

 Hugs ♥

Happy New Year!!!

Hi Doll Friends!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Things have been so busy lately that I just haven't slowed down long enough to share whats going on!

I guess you may think that I must have sold all of my dolls and gave up on collecting. :(  

But... Nope, that's not what has happened at all! :) 

I'm still here, and I still love collecting dolls!!! I only sold a few dolls. Most I couldn't bear to part with, and of course there are still LOTS more dolls on my wish list.

My daughters still love dolls too, especially their American Girls, and they wanted to show some of the goodies that they got for Christmas.

Christmas morning

The Our Generation Retro Diner was a huge hit! This set is amazing!!! It includes a jukebox that really plays music, a working neon light around the counter, and an unbelievable amount of food, dishes, and other accessories!

Here is an up close view of the Diner once it was out of the box.

Here you can see the neon light around the counter top. It lights up red when you turn it on. You can also see a couple of the dishes available at the Diner, spaghetti and meatballs and a banana split. There is just so much detail in every piece.

I love the cake stand complete with cake, all of the little cupcakes, doughnuts, and even a blueberry pie... the adorable little coffee pot... everything is just so realistic.

The Our Generation "Way to Grow" set is also adorable with lots of accessories, including a planter box, with plants, vegetables, and flowers, a wheelbarrow, a watering can, organic potting soil, seeds, gloves, shovel, rake, and even a little Gnome.

I was so surprised to find the "It Seams Perfect!" set in Target.  I had never even seen this set before, either in a store or online. It includes a sewing machine, table, stool, a large dress form, a bolt of fabric, patterns, thread, ruler, measuring tape, tiny tomato pin cushion, scissors, tiny buttons, and a sewing box.

My oldest daughter surprised me with this wonderful little hardcover Chatbook that she created for me, filled with over 60 pictures of all my dolls from my blog.

Such a special, thoughtful and precious gift.

Of course, the Schoenhut dolls had fun decorating their own tree this year! These antique wooden Schoenhut dolls have become some of my favorite dolls. There are a couple of new wooden kids that I'll introduce you to soon.

Otto, my smallest 11" Schoenhut toddler got a new Santa hat that my oldest daughter bought for him at Bath and Body Works. He decided, since he was like Santa, it was his job to show you around. He likes to visit our tiny snow village.

He even made buddies with this little antique papier-mache' Santa.

He made a stop by the Retro Diner, climbed up on a stool, and ordered a milkshake.

Otto would also like to introduce you to his new friend, a Schoenhut donkey.

I would love to have more of these wonderful Schoenhut animals from the early 1900's. The animals, like the dolls, are made of wood, are jointed and posable... and so versatile. The donkey just fits right in with our Nativity scene this year.

And Otto just loves him so much!!!

                                   

Steming from my love of antique dolls, I have rekindled my love for all things antique. It is so much fun to spend a day visiting all of the antique malls. You just never know what you will find. 

I started a new collection of antique Christmas this year. These are a few of the antique village pieces and clay face Santas that I got this year. 

One section of our tree is decorated with the old ornaments that I found at antique stores. I didn't find enough to fill the tree, but my plan is to be on the lookout for more Shiny Brite and other antique and vintage ornaments throughout the year, maybe even find some bargain ones at estate sales if I'm lucky.

Here's my little kitchen tree, decorated almost completely with vintage ornaments plus a few handmade primitive style Raggedy Ann's.

I love these vintage plastic Santa's congregated on the Christmas tree skirt cut from an old quilt.

Well, I'm sure you're thinking Christmas is over, time to take down the decorations. The Christmas season is my favorite time of the year, and I wish it didn't pass by so quickly. I just wanted to share some of this special time before it was too late.

I hope you all have a wonderfully blessed, prosperous, healthy, Doll-filled, Happy New Year!

 Hugs ♥

Dolls For Sale

Hi Doll Friends,

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! Ours has been so busy, just filled with one event after another. I just wanted to mention that I have listed a few dolls for sale on eBay.  I love my dolls and I will continue to collect, but right now I need to downsize a few to raise money to pay an urgent bill.

Here is a list of the dolls that I currently have listed on eBay.

J-Doll Robison St J-603 by Groove 
Groove is same Jun Planning company that makes Pullip Dolls
Click here to go to her eBay listing.

She is brand new and has never been removed from her box. She has the most beautiful inset blue eyes made of glass.

Liv Dolls Making Waves Set of 4 Dolls including Katie, Sophie, Hayden & Daniela

Click here to go to their eBay listing.

If you love big inset eyes and tons of posability, then the super articulated Liv dolls are for you. They are brand new in their boxes. Liv Dolls were discontinued a few years ago, so they are no longer available in stores.

Antique Schoenhut #21/316 with Original Shoes and Socks
This beautiful carved wooden doll is from 1917 or 1918. I hate to part with one of my beloved Schoenhuts, but I need to raise the money before the end of the month. I hope that she will make someone just as extremely happy as she has made me.  I just love her!

Click here to see lots more pictures of her on eBay

She is the largest size Schoenhut, measuring 22" tall. The Schoenhut metal spring joints gives her the amazing ability to be posed in and hold so many poses.

I have also listed a Cutie Pops Doll Day In The Park Hair and Eye Accessory Pack.
It is brand new in unopened package.
Click here to see this set on eBay.

I will be listing more, so please check out my eBay listings if you have a chance.  Thank you!!!

 Hugs ♥

Happy 4th of July

Hi Doll Friends!

I hope everyone is having a Happy 4th of July weekend and a wonderful summer!!!  It has been a very busy summer indeed here. So busy that I haven't had time to post lately as I would have liked. Sorry for the hiatus. I wanted to take time today to wish everyone a Happy 4th from our doll family to yours!  We will be spending the next week chaperoning at our church's Centrikid Camp.  Hopefully things will settle down after that, and I can post some updates, recent finds, and more! :)

Happy Independence Day!

 Hugs ♥