TWILIGHT TEENS
YEARS OF PRODUCTION: 2013-2014
These were an obvious Monster High ripoff, but they're interesting enuff in their own right. Purple Monkfish reviewed a few of these, and while I wasn't terribly impressed with the School line (seen above) I did like Nemonia, horrible name notwithstanding. I also like Voodoona; she's a skeleton girl like Skelita Calaveras. Monkfish also liked these dolls enuff, rating Nemonia a 7 out of 10 and the School dolls 9 out of 10. She admitted that the faces were an acquired taste, but they were affordable and articulated, and from what I could tell their clothes were okay. Monkfish reports that Twilight Teens could even share clothes with Bratzillaz, which at the time was a huge positive. They did suffer from floppy ankles though, and they weren't the most graceful sitters. I probably could've gotten over that, and kids probably would've too...if they could find 'em. I NEVER saw these in stores, not even in places where Simba Toys were sold (our local Kmart carried Simba dolls).
BEAUTY CUTIES
YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 2007
I had heard of these at one time or another, but I forgot about them. Beauty Cuties were one of Mattel's many attempts to answer to the Bratz, but the idea fell flat and even drew criticism for being too much like Blythe. These remind me a little more of Magic Eyes dolls, but that's just me. Beauty Cuties functioned in a manner similar to Blythe, in that their eyes shifted position and color with the press of a button. If I were to wager a guess about their failure, I'd say that modern-day kids were just as put off by the eyes as kids of the seventies were. I also don't find them as stylish and edgy as the Bratz; that edge was what attracted my teenage self to Bratz in the first place. But that's just me.
TATTOO DIVAS
YEARS OF PRODUCTION: 2013-2016 (not too sure of that range)
Now these, I'd never heard of. Tattoo Divas were Toys R Us exclusives, and the nearest TRU to me was eighty miles away, so of course I'd never heard of these. The big gimmick was tattoos; the dolls apparently had tats that one could color in (tattoo gun is included), and they appear to have come with their own stick-on tattoos as well. (compare to Tattoodles) Muff reported that her doll smelled really nasty, and that's too bad because she's got a pretty face. It also looked like there were some quality issues, as Muff's doll's bag was printed upside down and her feet were stained. Veni Vidi Dolli also was not terribly impressed with the dolls' quality or posing, and she repeated the staining issues. I'm willing to bet that those pens that came with the dolls also made more than one mess. The tattoo gimmick also makes me think of the tantrum adults threw over Butterfly Art Barbie, so likely parents weren't too keen on the Tattoo Divas either.
Tattoo Divas also bring to mind a doll I considered for the last list, Tattoodles. This one is the Super Hair variant, but she also could be just plain Tattoodles.
LULUPOP
YEARS OF PRODUCTION: 2023 (?)-current
I discussed these in passing last year, and Miss Emily has reviewed them. The little ones are clearly L.O.L. Surprise knockoffs, but the bigger ones don't look like anything I've seen. These dolls come from overseas, and they haven't been around long enuff to find a huge following, so maybe that's why Redditors counted these as obscure. I can take 'em or leave 'em. They're eye candy and I like eye candy, but they're not too different from a lot of dolls I own.
CHAMOY
COMPANY: Distroller
YEARS OF PRODUCTION:
Okay, these are weird. Weird and original. Distroller is a Mexican company, and Chamoy is...well, I don't speak much Spanish so it's hard for me to make heads or tails of this doll. But Chamoy is a doll with a huge noggin, huge eyes, and brightly colored hair. She is named after a condiment that goes on fruit, with meat, in cocktails, whatever you like. I wonder if that means that she's sweet and spicy like the sauce? She has two friends, and they come in both child form (seen above) and teen form.
Oh yes, and BaeBaes. This one has to tinkle!!!
That's about all I know about these...for now.
I discussed these in passing last year, and Miss Emily has reviewed them. The little ones are clearly L.O.L. Surprise knockoffs, but the bigger ones don't look like anything I've seen. These dolls come from overseas, and they haven't been around long enuff to find a huge following, so maybe that's why Redditors counted these as obscure. I can take 'em or leave 'em. They're eye candy and I like eye candy, but they're not too different from a lot of dolls I own.
CHAMOY
YEARS OF PRODUCTION:
Okay, these are weird. Weird and original. Distroller is a Mexican company, and Chamoy is...well, I don't speak much Spanish so it's hard for me to make heads or tails of this doll. But Chamoy is a doll with a huge noggin, huge eyes, and brightly colored hair. She is named after a condiment that goes on fruit, with meat, in cocktails, whatever you like. I wonder if that means that she's sweet and spicy like the sauce? She has two friends, and they come in both child form (seen above) and teen form.
HEARTS FOR HEARTS GIRLS
COMPANY: Playmates Toys
YEARS OF PRODUCTION: 2010-2015, roughly
I've actually reviewed one of these. My Mosi is a little older, wiser, and looser in the joints now than she was in 2016, but she's still alive and kickin'.
YEARS OF PRODUCTION: 2010-2015, roughly
I've actually reviewed one of these. My Mosi is a little older, wiser, and looser in the joints now than she was in 2016, but she's still alive and kickin'.
These dolls did have their fans; beastsbelle, Tam, and Miss Emily all did at least one post about the line. Dell, Tipi, and Lauryce were my favorites when the line was young, and I'm really kicking myself for not grabbing Shola when I saw her. As a whole, Hearts For Hearts Girls represent places in the world that fell on hard times, places like Appalachia (Dell), post-Katrina New Orleans (Lauryce), and Belarus (Lillian). The little girls are doing what they can to better themselves and their community...well, most of 'em do. Mosi's accompanying storybook does nothing to draw attention to the hardships experienced by Navajo who live on a reservation. Reservations tend to have a lot of problems with poverty, and Navajo Nation is apparently one of the poorest; some of those folks don't even have running water. Granted, owning the doll might inspire a child to do their own research, the way Mosi did with me, but Mosi had one of the weaker booklets. Nahji, on the other hand, taught Miss Emily (and me) some interesting things about runner ducks. So these dolls had more fans than Reddit seems to notice. An interesting thing to note about these dolls is that their eyes sometimes turn the color of grape juice. I think this was more prevalent at the beginning of the line, but I'm not sure on that. Either way beastsbelle had several Hearts For Hearts Girls whose eyes shifted, while my Mosi's eyes remain clear.
I dunno. This was a cute line, though. I'm still holding out for Dell, by the way; she resides in eastern Kentucky, and if it's one state I love it's Kentucky. My sister and brother-in-law were happiest there. Dell also bears a passing resemblance to Yours Truly, having blue eyes and wavy mouse brown hair (though I don't have freckles like she does), so I plan on adding her to my collection...someday.
YOUNG LADY SO BEAUTIFUL
COMPANY: Playmates Toys
YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 1996
I was familiar with Baby So Beautiful, but I didn't know that Young Lady So Beautiful was also a thing. Young Lady So Beautiful was basically a doll who stood there and looked beautiful. Just about all of the examples I've seen are clad in heavy capes, suggesting a winter theme. Underneath that she wore a ballgown and a pair of high-heeled shoes. The boxes suggest that she's headed off to a "social occasion," which I hope doesn't mean a boring debutante ball. Seriously, those rich girls look like they're having the time of their life at such a soiree, but it looks duller than dishwater to me. But then again you're talking to someone who eschewed prom because dressing up in a fancy dress and heels was pointless and too much effort. I regret nothing. For the record, my sister was on prom court her senior year, and she said that if she hadn't been nominated she'd have skipped her senior prom too. Anyway, I reckon that Young Lady So Beautiful was kinda like Aimee, in that dressing up a doll to go to some fancy event was kinda over their target audience's head. She is beautiful though, and if I know Playmates like I do then the eyes were probably to die for. And she'd make a great princess in a game of make-believe. AND the cape is reversible, so one can change up her look a little.
THE FAIRIES OF COTTINGLEY GLEN
COMPANY: Another Playmates doll!
YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 1997
I have to wonder if these dolls are inspired by the Cottingley fairies? From 1917 to 1920 two girls from Cottingley, England staged five photographs to look like they had met and played with fairies. The photographs look pretty fake, but Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was among the many the girls fooled and they kept their secret for many years before finally 'fessing up. Does this look like a real fairy to y'all???
Nope, me neither. Anyway, the dolls are little fairies, kinda like the Winx Club but without the Sailor Moon-style magical powers. Their wings shimmer, they carry lanterns that glow in the dark, and they have stands that make noise, but otherwise they're just cute little dolls. I can't remember ever seeing the commercials, but Kmart apparently carried 'em, which would explain why I never saw 'em. As much as I loved Kmart my family didn't go there too often, because the nearest one was forty miles away. These fairies were something like I'd have liked though, because I liked Sky Dancers and Princess of the Flowers. Any doll that let my imagination run wild would have my attention.
YOUNG LADY SO BEAUTIFUL
YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 1996
I was familiar with Baby So Beautiful, but I didn't know that Young Lady So Beautiful was also a thing. Young Lady So Beautiful was basically a doll who stood there and looked beautiful. Just about all of the examples I've seen are clad in heavy capes, suggesting a winter theme. Underneath that she wore a ballgown and a pair of high-heeled shoes. The boxes suggest that she's headed off to a "social occasion," which I hope doesn't mean a boring debutante ball. Seriously, those rich girls look like they're having the time of their life at such a soiree, but it looks duller than dishwater to me. But then again you're talking to someone who eschewed prom because dressing up in a fancy dress and heels was pointless and too much effort. I regret nothing. For the record, my sister was on prom court her senior year, and she said that if she hadn't been nominated she'd have skipped her senior prom too. Anyway, I reckon that Young Lady So Beautiful was kinda like Aimee, in that dressing up a doll to go to some fancy event was kinda over their target audience's head. She is beautiful though, and if I know Playmates like I do then the eyes were probably to die for. And she'd make a great princess in a game of make-believe. AND the cape is reversible, so one can change up her look a little.
THE FAIRIES OF COTTINGLEY GLEN
YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 1997
I have to wonder if these dolls are inspired by the Cottingley fairies? From 1917 to 1920 two girls from Cottingley, England staged five photographs to look like they had met and played with fairies. The photographs look pretty fake, but Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was among the many the girls fooled and they kept their secret for many years before finally 'fessing up. Does this look like a real fairy to y'all???
U-NOA QULUTS LIGHT
COMPANY: Sekiguchi and U-Noa
YEARS OF PRODUCTION: 2007-at least 2022
Quluts Light reminds me a lot of Momoko, though comparisons show that the two are a bit different. The two do have some shared heritage though, as Quluts was the result of a collaboration between Sekiguchi (who makes Momoko) and Araki Gentaro (U-Noa ball-jointed dolls). The result was a 1/6 scale doll with rooted hair and a vinyl body. The girl character's name was Fluorite, and the boy character was Azurite. I think Fluorite has a prettier face than Momoko, but if she's related to Momoko at all then production numbers are probably pretty small...and if this wiki is to be believed then the little goobers have to be assembled as well! If true then I'll pass. Restringing a resin BJD is almost more than I can handle!
LADY LOVELYLOCKS
COMPANY: American Greetings and Mattel
YEARS OF PRODUCTION: 1986-1989
I know for a fact that collectors, especially those who grew up in the eighties, know of Lady LovelyLocks, but I love the hell out of her so I'm putting her here anyway. Indeed, she almost made my last list. Tam and Veni Vidi Dolli have discussed these in the past (posts here and here), so I don't know that I'd call Lady LovelyLocks obscure. Lady LovelyLocks and company revolved around hair, and since this was an eighties doll line/TV show there was magic and villains and animal friends, the whole nine yards. The dolls themselves came in brightly colored dresses and had cute little "pixie tails" that clipped into the dolls' hair and had colorful hair extensions. Bet y'all can't guess who my favorite of the dolls is, LOL. If you guessed the redhead clad in yellow, you're right, though I also am fond of the villain too. The redhead's name is Maiden CurlyCrown, and the bad girl's name is Duchess RavenWaves.
She doesn't look like a villain to me, but she's the villain nonetheless. Her hair doodads are called "comb gnomes," and she only has two (Lady LovelyLocks and her friends have three). Tam notes that these dolls have the same body as Barbie's sister Stacie, and that means that they can share clothes! I like the sound of that!
SUPER MODEL
COMPANY: Simba Toys
YEARS OF PRODUCTION: in and around 2012
Simba Toys is good at producing knockoffs of popular dolls, but the thing is, the dolls they produce are usually nice products despite being knockoffs. Y'all saw the Twilight Teens above, and Miss Emily once had a gorgeous Cinderella that is the same size as Barbie but did the Cinderella thing better than Mattel did. So Simba dolls are not to be sneezed at, and if the illustrations I've seen of Super Models are any clue then they probably are fine little dolls. They obviously have joints, and their hair looks amazing, though we all know that looks can be deceiving there. I even found one Flickr user that swore the joints were better than what both Mattel and Spin Masters had at the time, though I find that hard to believe because few dolls pose better than the LIV dolls. Whatever, that's just my opinion. The Redditor that nominated the Super Models conjectures that these dolls didn't achieve a huge audience because of their generic name. A Super Model could quite literally be ANY doll.
GORGEOUS CREATURES
COMPANY: Mattel
YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 1979
I reviewed one of these very recently, so I'm only going to touch on these. These are so goofy and unique, and my little Cow Belle is a not-half-bad product. Basically, they're fashion dolls and animals, and...that's it! They stand around and look cute. Anthro dolls don't tend to sell well for this reason or that, and the Gorgeous Creatures are probably not well-known because they were here and gone quickly. But I love these, and I'm always tickled to find someone else who does too.
CYBORG ROCKS
COMPANY: IMC Toys
YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 2018
YEARS OF PRODUCTION: 2007-at least 2022
Quluts Light reminds me a lot of Momoko, though comparisons show that the two are a bit different. The two do have some shared heritage though, as Quluts was the result of a collaboration between Sekiguchi (who makes Momoko) and Araki Gentaro (U-Noa ball-jointed dolls). The result was a 1/6 scale doll with rooted hair and a vinyl body. The girl character's name was Fluorite, and the boy character was Azurite. I think Fluorite has a prettier face than Momoko, but if she's related to Momoko at all then production numbers are probably pretty small...and if this wiki is to be believed then the little goobers have to be assembled as well! If true then I'll pass. Restringing a resin BJD is almost more than I can handle!
LADY LOVELYLOCKS
YEARS OF PRODUCTION: 1986-1989
I know for a fact that collectors, especially those who grew up in the eighties, know of Lady LovelyLocks, but I love the hell out of her so I'm putting her here anyway. Indeed, she almost made my last list. Tam and Veni Vidi Dolli have discussed these in the past (posts here and here), so I don't know that I'd call Lady LovelyLocks obscure. Lady LovelyLocks and company revolved around hair, and since this was an eighties doll line/TV show there was magic and villains and animal friends, the whole nine yards. The dolls themselves came in brightly colored dresses and had cute little "pixie tails" that clipped into the dolls' hair and had colorful hair extensions. Bet y'all can't guess who my favorite of the dolls is, LOL. If you guessed the redhead clad in yellow, you're right, though I also am fond of the villain too. The redhead's name is Maiden CurlyCrown, and the bad girl's name is Duchess RavenWaves.
SUPER MODEL
YEARS OF PRODUCTION: in and around 2012
Simba Toys is good at producing knockoffs of popular dolls, but the thing is, the dolls they produce are usually nice products despite being knockoffs. Y'all saw the Twilight Teens above, and Miss Emily once had a gorgeous Cinderella that is the same size as Barbie but did the Cinderella thing better than Mattel did. So Simba dolls are not to be sneezed at, and if the illustrations I've seen of Super Models are any clue then they probably are fine little dolls. They obviously have joints, and their hair looks amazing, though we all know that looks can be deceiving there. I even found one Flickr user that swore the joints were better than what both Mattel and Spin Masters had at the time, though I find that hard to believe because few dolls pose better than the LIV dolls. Whatever, that's just my opinion. The Redditor that nominated the Super Models conjectures that these dolls didn't achieve a huge audience because of their generic name. A Super Model could quite literally be ANY doll.
GORGEOUS CREATURES
YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 1979
I reviewed one of these very recently, so I'm only going to touch on these. These are so goofy and unique, and my little Cow Belle is a not-half-bad product. Basically, they're fashion dolls and animals, and...that's it! They stand around and look cute. Anthro dolls don't tend to sell well for this reason or that, and the Gorgeous Creatures are probably not well-known because they were here and gone quickly. But I love these, and I'm always tickled to find someone else who does too.
CYBORG ROCKS
YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 2018
A doll from 2018 and I never heard of 'em! Cyborg Rocks were little cyborg girls who apparently sang in a band that had nothing but guitarists (see above). They're colorful and appear to have jointed arms, and each little figure can sing two songs, but their faces are pretty blank. The box art and other illustrations show these dolls looking cheery and charismatic, but the dolls themselves...look like fish. I used to sing, and I know it's impossible to sing properly with a big cheesy grin constantly on one's face, but I do know that one's expression does change as one sings. So the faces are kinda a swing and a miss, and I don't know how original of a concept this idea is, but they're still interesting little dolls. And late in the game I learn that these dolls look slack-jawed because their mouths move as they sing. Pretty cool! Kinda like Barbie's Chat Divas and Baby Alive's Snackin' Sara, both of whom also look goofy. Seriously, I think the Chat Divas are hilarious.
DOLLCENA
COMPANY: Tomy and Disney
YEARS OF PRODUCTION:
I've found plenty of pictures of Dollcena dolls, but very little information other than that these dolls are a collaboration between Takara Tomy and Disney. As a result, just about all of these dolls are modelled after popular Disney Characters like Alice or Stitch or Donald Duck (seen above), but have the same eye gimmick as a Petite Blythe (their eyes close on reclining). My favorite one is this one; her box says "hunny" so she's probably related to Winnie the Pooh somehow, but she reminds me of Dole Whip.
I dabble in Disney (though I'm not a hardcore fan), so these attracted my interest a bit. Their expressons and neutral lip colors remind me a bit of the Shibajuku Girls.
TROLLZ
COMPANY: Hasbro
DOLLCENA
YEARS OF PRODUCTION:
I've found plenty of pictures of Dollcena dolls, but very little information other than that these dolls are a collaboration between Takara Tomy and Disney. As a result, just about all of these dolls are modelled after popular Disney Characters like Alice or Stitch or Donald Duck (seen above), but have the same eye gimmick as a Petite Blythe (their eyes close on reclining). My favorite one is this one; her box says "hunny" so she's probably related to Winnie the Pooh somehow, but she reminds me of Dole Whip.
TROLLZ
YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 2005-2006
I was going to add Trollz myself, but at the eleventh hour someone else said it. Trollz date from 2005, so my memories of them are bittersweet. I'd stand in Kmart and admire them (I was seventeen), and I'd remember my childhood collection of Treasure Trolls and Magic Trolls and how Mama and Daddy both HATED them, and then I'd miss Daddy like crazy (he'd only been dead three months at the time). Trollz were based off of the wishniks that I did indeed collect as a child, but they were attached to an animated cartoon and were modernized. They also were high school or junior high students...way before high school dolls were trendy. Trollz were not a success as either a toy or as a TV show, and the full-sized dolls are tricky to find now. But they have their fans, and I'll admit to being one of 'em. Onyx, on the far right, was my favorite, as she was the goth/punk of the bunch. I remember being kinda bummed that none of 'em were green.
Have any of y'all heard of these? Kindly share your memories, and if you live in the Mississippi or Ohio river vallies, watch out on Friday! Another round of storms is predicted!
Love,
RagingMoon1987
I was going to add Trollz myself, but at the eleventh hour someone else said it. Trollz date from 2005, so my memories of them are bittersweet. I'd stand in Kmart and admire them (I was seventeen), and I'd remember my childhood collection of Treasure Trolls and Magic Trolls and how Mama and Daddy both HATED them, and then I'd miss Daddy like crazy (he'd only been dead three months at the time). Trollz were based off of the wishniks that I did indeed collect as a child, but they were attached to an animated cartoon and were modernized. They also were high school or junior high students...way before high school dolls were trendy. Trollz were not a success as either a toy or as a TV show, and the full-sized dolls are tricky to find now. But they have their fans, and I'll admit to being one of 'em. Onyx, on the far right, was my favorite, as she was the goth/punk of the bunch. I remember being kinda bummed that none of 'em were green.
Have any of y'all heard of these? Kindly share your memories, and if you live in the Mississippi or Ohio river vallies, watch out on Friday! Another round of storms is predicted!
Love,
RagingMoon1987
The Twilight Teens make me think of several other doll lines that were intended to cash in on the popularity of Monster High, dolls like the Midnight Magic line (which were sold at Dollar General and whose backstory involves a chemistry potion), and the Once Upon A Zombie dolls (who were sort of a mash-up of Monster High and Ever After High).
ReplyDeleteI too was a Lady Lovelylocks fan back in the day, although I was late to the fandom so what little I had toy-wise was picked up secondhand or bought on clearance, including the Castle Lovelylocks playset.
Lastly, if you'd like to see some wild Disney dolls, look up the Attractionistas line. Each doll's design and outfit were inspired by a different Disney parks ride/attraction.
Signed, Treesa
Oh, I'd forgotten about the Attractionistas! Those ARE unusual...and creative, I thought. I wouldn't have thought of designing a doll after an amusement park ride.
DeleteI'd remembered the Midnight Magic line, but I couldn't remember their specific names. Once Upon A Zombie is not familiar, though. I'm gonna have to google those.
I was pretty sure there was another line of dolls inspired by Monster High where each doll had both a normal, human face and a 'monster' face. It took some digging online, but I finally found the line: Mystixx dolls.
DeleteSigned, Treesa
OH! Peppermint Rose was one of my favorites back in the day. I always thought of them as, like, Strawberry Shortcake's big sisters!
ReplyDeleteI stumbled across a video on Youtube titled "7 Doll Lines Inspired By Monster High", and supposedly there was a wave of the Twilight Teens dolls that caused public controversy by depicting the teenage characters in bridal attire.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'd forgotten all about the Space Pop doll line, probably because the dolls went on clearance shortly after hitting the shelves at Toys R Us. If I remember correctly, this was just shortly before Toys R Us went out of business in the United States, so bad timing on their part.
Signed, Treesa