It’s always entertaining when dolly fans pay tribute to their heroes by dressing their dolls in celebrity-inspired outfits.

Check out this dolly styling. I’m particularly taken with the miniature version of Gaga’s Kermit the frog dress.

The original:

Which celebrities influence your dolly fashion choices, WPWD?

Is it just me, or do iconic deaths happen in threes?

Just as pop culture mavens recover from the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, news hits that the world’s most beloved big-headed doll is facing an untimely demise as well. It all started when the proprietor of an online store dealing in Blythes announced that her Japanese supplier would be cutting the amount of dolls it dispensed to her. She then relayed a rumour that Takara-Tomy is planning on reducing the number of Blythes it produces, partly in response to the (yawn) Global Financial Crisis.

The Blythe community has responded by freaking out a bit. Understandable, really. Who wouldn’t want this golden era of dolly production to continue indefinitely?

This is just a rumour, though. Blythe is a sought-after commodity, and it the companies associated with her production and trade are struggling, then there is a strong likelihood that there will be others waiting to pick up the slack.

In related news, Jun Planning, the Japanese company that markets Pullips and Dals, has announced its bankrupcy. Again, given the popularity of some of JP’s dolls, there is a chance that some of its interests will be handed over to another company. The future of Pullips and Dals remains unknown at this stage.

Still, even if the worst happens and Japan becomes a dolly wasteland, at least we got a lot of great years out of this Neo Blythe thing. And hey, the dolls we already have can only increase in value … right?

If the number of new Blythe releases we’ve seen lately is anything to go by, the good people at CWC have been working like navvies to get Blythes on shelves. They’re not short on ideas, either, because it’s quite a bumper crop.

Friendly Freckles

A few people already have this girly. She is one for fans of the more “natural” style of Blythe. If I were to get one, I think I’d give her an Irish name. It’s something about the flaming ginger locks and freckly skin, just like Nicole Kidman used to have.

Priced at 11,340 yen and she was released February 6.

My Little Candy

Official My Little Candy animation on YouTube

I may be alone in finding these animated clips embarrassingly naff, but the girl herself seems like a cutie. The two-tone hair is an interesting step, even if the hair quality itself looks a little … dubious at this early stage. Whatever, her hair bobble looks like a lolly. What’s not to like?

Price is 13,440 yen from February 20.

Doronjo x Blythe

She’s the product of a collaboration between the Blythe mavens and the people behind an upcoming Japanese film called Yatterman. Good for those seeking a Blythe/superhero fix. She has a heart hologram in one eyechip, but I’m mostly interested in her glasses. Please observe their coolness:

Price is 16,590 yen and she’s available at Junie Moon from February 24. If you’re in Japan, of course.

Bloomy Bloomsbury

BloBlo - I made up that abbreviation, but I’m enjoying it - is a collaboration between CWC and the Japanese style house Jane Marple (don’t try to Wikipedia it like I did, or you’ll just get a whole lot of stuff about Agatha Christie’s [Miss] Jane Marple). At the moment, CWC are only doing the “sneak peak” thing and releasing bitsy little photos of her stock, so stay tuned for more info down the line. These are her shoes, which look really detailed and fab:

She’s released in March at 24,990 yen. Start saving.

Info from http://www.blythedoll.com

Vintage Barbie clones, despite their undeniable fug, are a nifty alternative to “real” vintage Barbies.

At first glance, they look like the real thing. The Dusty Springfield-esque eye make-up, the snooty expression, and the insane bodily proportions are all present. But cheaply produced Hong Kong clones from the ’60s are made out of feather-light hollow plastic and have all sorts of quality control problems. One of mine has one leg that’s a good half-centimetre longer than the other, suggesting a stacked heel might be in order. The other has ragged plastic around her hands, and both are partially bald, making hairstyling a tricky prospect.

All that aside, they’re a heck of a lot cheaper than vintage Barbies and are not without their own idiosyncratic charms. When I went to pay for one at the vintage collectibles market where I found her, the man behind the counter exclaimed, “Oh, I love the fake Barbies! They look so mean, like they beat the other Barbies up!” I can’t disagree. There’s something amusingly off-kilter and cockeyed about them, and they have a cranky quality that Barbies lack. They might be from the wrong side of the tracks, but their underdog charms just might win you over.

Okay, maybe “wars” is over the top. But nothing whips the Blythe community into a frenzy as much as facemould talk.

Blythe has had four incarnations since Takara started reproducing her in 2001: BL, EBL (AKA Excellent), SBL (AKA Superior), and RBL (AKA Radiant). Although they are all based on the original look of 1972 Kenner Blythes, each Takara mould gives Blythe a slightly different look. Indeed, people new to Blythe have trouble telling one facemould from another. More militant Blythe fans, however, reject certain moulds completely and embrace others, which can result in the occasional personality clash when someone feels as though their favourite mould has been slighted.

The BL and EBL looks are based on the same mould, but the finished dolls are distinct from one another due to the different thickness od their eyelashes, and the boggled (lifted) eyelids, fuller lips, and matte faces on some of the BLs.

With their extra-wide eyes and round cheeks, BLs are sometimes described as childlike or quirky. Being the earliest Takara Blythes, they’ve become harder to attain, and therefore have become widely coveted for their rareness and distinctiveness. EBLs have a more serious look, and their mouth shape is the least “smiley” of all Blythes, making them popular with collectors who prefer more melancholy girls.

Below: a Kenner Blythe (left) and a BL Blythe (right). This particular BL (Aztec Arrival) doesn’t have the matte complexion, pouty lips and boggled eyes of found on some BLs, so the differences between her and the EBL pictured lowered down are less pronounced.

Below: a Kenner Blythe (left) and an EBL Blythe (right).

SBL (or “Superior”) Blythes began production in late 2003. The SBL mould, is, anecdotally, the least popular of the Takara moulds. SBL Blythes are sometimes described as having a more sophisticated look than BLs and EBLs and have less rounded eyes, a more noticeable smile, and a different eyechip style. They also have thicker eyelashes and a more extreme side-glance than EBLs. More recent SBLs have a new style of lip that is even more smiley than the earlier SBLs.

Below: a Kenner Blythe (left) and an SBL Blythe (right).

SBLs are still being produced, but in 2006 added another facemould, RBL (or “Radiant”). Presently, Takara and CWC alternate production between the two moulds. The aim with the RBL mould was engineer a Takara Blythe that looked as much like a Kenner Blythe as possible. RBLs have especially large eyes which are slightly uneven, which is apparently a deliberate quirk meant to echo the imperfections of Kenners. They have a soft smile and a fuller face than SBLs. RBLs are sought after because of their resemblance to Kenners and relative scarcity compared to SBLs.

Below: a Kenner Blythe (left) and an RBL Blythe (right).

I’m sure I’ve left a lot out, but this is my impression of the various moulds! It would be great if you could add any extra info in the comments.

All photos by Sue.

Planning for next February’s major Blythe meet in Melbourne has been bubbling away behind the scenes since June. Since email deliberations can only achieve so much, today some of the organisers decided to get hands-on and take a look around the venue for inspiration.

Our mission is to transform a school hall into a setting fit for a Blythe tea party, and to make the day as memorable as we possibly can. It’s a daunting prospect, but an exciting one, too.
The hall itself is big and bright, and the adjoining playground is dolly photo-shoot waiting to happen. We’ve compiled a list of decorating and catering ideas and are in the process of pricing and hunting down items.
The day won’t be overloaded with games and planned activities, because we firmly believe that catching up with online friends and oohing and ahhing over other’s dolls will be everyone’s top priority. However, we are hoping to include the We Play With Dolls members who can’t attend via video chat. More about that down the track.
We’ve got lots to do before February, but it’s most definitely a worthwhile endeavour!

We’re a diverse bunch, we doll people. We collectors of Asian and retro dolls, in particular: Blythe, Pullip, Dal, Asian ball-jointed dolls, Peteena, Wonder Frog … the list is goes on.

Sure, we’re diverse in the sense that we span multiple continents, but we also vary in our points of view, talents, lifestyles, senses of style, and senses of humour. So that’s what WePlayWithDolls.net is all about. It’s a place where the doll-centric among us can connect with people who share a common love of dolls, despite all our other differences. And WPWD’s blog feature gives us an opportunity to share our knowledge, our perspectives, and our voices. We are a multi-author blog and everyone with something to say is welcome to contribute! (Contact us via the forum for more info.)

Hopefully this will become a place to laugh, learn, and think.
Roll on WePlayWithDolls.net/Blogs!