doll research lab

dollfie 22 || down the rabbit hole

[okdollface]

what defines a doll?

for me i would say that it would need to contain:

anthropomorphic (resembling a human body)

fashion or hair that is not molded on

having articulation or an adjustable body

my name is dollfie but you can call me doll obsessed. i like every style of doll from barbie to blythe to lalaloopsy girls to novi stars to ...you get the point 🤍

im 22. use pronouns it/its. i like dolls. i also have a wife and am forcing her to like dolls too.

you can see the dolls i like/want to collect here!

i've fallen down the rabbit hole of dolls that have fallen into the forgotten pipeline of obscurity and i will share all of the precious knowledge with you all.

im definitely normal about dolls. you know the type of normal that if i find a doll ive seen before i will go searching endlessly until i find every doll that was produced in that brand. naturally.

who do i primarily go for my doll knowledge?

xCanadensis: yt, twitter + instagram

dollect (it's interactive!)

ghostofthedoll (80s + 90s dolls)

youloveit (all the doll news!)

toyboxphilospher (best doll reviews)

[okdollface]

Monster High Fear File #1: Gooliope Jellington

Introduced in Volume 6 of the Monster High Webisodes, Gooliope Jellington the 15'2" tall blob monster is the star of Freak Du Chic and a new student to Monster High. She's incredibly passionate about the circus life and the arts and to her, every day is a performance regardless if she's in her Scarnival environment or not. Gooliope is very nervous and shy and often feels out of place and considers herself an oddity with the other monsters.

Gooliope has pink gooey skin and pink lemonade coloured shoulder length curly hair. She was originally created as experiment #816 in batch #8708 by a scientist by the initial R.S. The scientist, worrying that the lab wouldn't be the proper place for a baby and Gooliope would be at risk for being tested on, shipped her out in a small jar to a travelling circus. She eventually grew out of her jar and then the circus tent too.

Her only special abilities are that she creates small earthquakes when nervous, scared or angry and she is extremely flexible and moves by cartwheels and contortionisms.

Gooliope Jellington Freak Du Chic Doll Review

The doll itself was trademarked in May of 2014 and first teased at the New York Toy Fair in 2015 and released in summer of 2015. Gooliope is 17 inches tall with molded goo drops and new double joints. In addition to her accessories she includes a larger black stand that both accommodates her size and is made to look like a stage.

[okdollface]

The G.U.R.L.Z. Irwin Toys Ltd

The 2000s was an exciting new era for doll manufacturers and consumers alike! It was the start of the digital age where fashion dolls now had interactive & technological components. You may know of Mattel's DivaStarz or you possibly have even heard of Playhut's MystiKats.. but have you heard of The G.U.R.L.Z. Robot Interactive Dolls produced by Irwin Toys Ltd in 2002?

Fun Fact! Irwin Toys Ltd had their foot in the doll industry by being the primary American toy distributor in Canada!

There were four different robot dolls produced and each came with a robot pet, "Franiko + Tiko" "Zazi + Yazoo" "Daloola + Mizoo" "Shishi + Kwak Up". The main gimmick (besides the fact that they were robots) was that they could talk. Their pets came with leashes that once plugged into the doll, allowed them to talk too! The talking mechanism was based upon movement and positioning meaning that they were able to tell when they were being posed.

From the research I've done, the dolls seemed to have sold moderately well. They aren't super rare and can even be found online NIB on sites like eBay for under $50.00 USD. The doll's long term failure was most likely a result of the financial issues in the company Irwin Toys.

In 2001 the company had been sold to a private investment group and just a mere eighteen months later declared bankruptcy and went into liquidation. Though in 2003 the old employees (George and Peter Irwin) purchased the company back, they did not attempt to manufacture any new products into the market.

So that's The G.U.R.L.Z. interactive robot dolls! I definitely wish I had one of these when I was younger and will add one to my collection one day! The technology in the dolls was pretty impressive considering both the time period and the small size of the dolls!! Maybe they would have become a much bigger name if they had been released at a better time for the company!! Who knows!!!

[okdollface]

we all know the story, you adore a doll line and you can't WAIT for new releases... only to find out that it's been discontinued.

today i want to introduce two doll lines that seem SO damn promising only to be discontinued before they were even able to release a second wave.

Meet Zeenie. Produced in 2013 by independent designers Hansini and Laxmi Wadhwani, they were a group of 6 highly articulated (24 points of articulation) 12 inch tall dolls. The girls were fashionable eco-warriors who each fought for their own environmental cause AND each doll (and their packaging!) are made from eco-friendly and recyclable materials!!

Oh and if you're wondering how it came to be?

(via their original Kickstarter) - “The concept and mission behind Zeenie Dollz started with a sketch by Hansini Wadhwani, the creator, designer and inventor of the series. Hansini showed her mother, Laxmi Wadhwani, the first sketch of a girl with flowing blue hair and explained that her persona was that of Mother Earth. With overwhelming support and belief in the concept, Laxmi leveraged her years of experience in the textile industry to bring Zennia, the first doll in the series, to life. From there, the mother-daughter duo have worked together through every step of the creative process to take a beautiful sketch, a meaningful cause and a passion for the environment, and merge it into the Zeenie Dollz series.” Please I am not crying you're crying...

They only ever released the original 6 dolls but they were available to purchase online up until 2019.

Now let's look at B-Kind! B-Kind was produced by Jada Toys (creator of Cutie Pops) in 2021 along with the non-profit company Kindess.org.

Similar to Zeenie, the dolls were 12.5 inches tall with 11 points of articulation and made from eco-friendly recyclable materials. They released 5 dolls initially (Brianna, Koral, Ivy, Nora & Daisy) and added a 6th doll (Hope) to the lineup. Each doll fought from a particular cause ranging from ending bullying, to saving the oceans, and came with a DIY kit that reflected the doll's unique passions. Brianna even comes with a DIY for an additional outfit!

Daisy, Brianna and Nora all got a second release with a refreshed face-up and a new outfit but unlike the first release these dolls did not come with DIY kits. There were also little dolls produced that were 6 inches tall with 5 points of articulation that looked similar to Brianna, Koral, and Ivy.

The dolls were speculated to be discontinued as the B-Kind website was taken down and the Facebook page stopped posting in 2023.

So what the hell? They were promising doll lines with unique concepts, good articulation and adorable dolls - why would they be discontinued? The sad truth is that the doll industry is a RUTHLESS one! and as sweet as a doll line created by a mother & daughter duo is, they don't stand a chance when their opponents are Mattel and MGA Entertainment. A doll being successful and obtaining multiple years of fresh releases doesn't really rely on quality and instead on how much shelf space they can get in stores. When you think about the sheer amount of space Mattel and MGA Entertainment take up alone, you can see how the system is rigged against them.

I hope that one day we can have better avenues to purchase dolls that don't rely on trying to compete with an industry giant who has been unbeatable for over a century. It's genuinely a travesty that dolls with as much heart as these dolls do fail because success is simply an impossible feat.

[okdollface]

When Barbie first debuted, although a success, she was criticized for being "too mature" for little girls. So in order to offset that, Barbie's modest best friend Midge was released in 1963. Although they had the same body mold Midge had a fuller face with gentle features brushed with freckles.

Then in 1964 Midge's then-boyfriend Allan was first introduced and Barbie, Midge & Allan were all released together as a set titled "On Parade". Midge would then have one more major worldwide release (rare variations and international versions were also produced) where she now had bendable legs before she would disappear for 20 years.

Why? Because of P.J! who was considered Midge's "trendy" replacement and lasted from 1969 until she was discontinued in 1984.

The return of Midge happened in 1988. Midge was going strong with many releases in the 80s and 90s, using the "Steffie" mold for the first couple of dolls and then continuing with the "Diva" molds. And in 1991 Midge got married!!! Midge and Allan who had been dating since the 60s finally tied the knot.

Dolls continued to be released until 2003 when the Happy Family collection debuted. That's right, Midge is pregnant! Midge and (now) Alan were a family of 5 with a young son called Ryan, a toddler named Nikki and an unnamed baby. One of the sets contained Midge and Nikki, with Midge being visibly pregnant and baby Nikki actually being inside of the Midge doll with a neat mechanism. The unnamed baby came along when Nikki was around a year old and was later named Cassandra.

And this is when the story of Midge becomes... well, interesting. The pregnant Midge doll made a lot of parents unjustifiably angry and she was accused of promoting "teen pregnancy" (ignoring the fact Midge had been happily married for over 10 years) and many just outright found the doll disgusting. I find that many of the arguments against the doll were simply just sexist, as the doll was intended for children especially those who were welcoming a new sibling into the world, "the dolls were aimed at girls aged 5 to 8, and could be a wonderful prop for parents to use with their children to role-play family situations — especially in families anticipating the arrival of a new sibling." - barbie.com and there was nothing "dirty" about a doll being pregnant. Although the Happy Family collection continued after the controversy of Pregnant Midge, the damage had been done and (outside of collector dolls) Midge wouldn't appear again until 2013.

but Midge was released again in 2013, so it's all fine now - right? No, unfortunately not. Midge WAS released but the Happy Family line along with her wedding to Alan was wiped from her history. She was re-introduced in Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse as Barbie's best friend as a teenager with a love of retro and completely single and childless. Doll releases of Midge were still very infrequent and after Barbie Style in 2014 it was an entire decade before Midge received another play line doll.

In the 2023 Barbie movie Midge was featured in her 2003 Pregnant Midge attire and Alan also was featured - so perhaps there is hope for Midge to get the revival she deserves? Barbie's best friend deserves a second chance and I want more than anything for her to be with her happy family again.

And side note I have yet to hear ONE argument against the pregnant Midge doll that isn't misogynistic!

[okdollface]

When Barbie debuted in 1959 of course, it shocked the world and was a massive success. So it's only natural that other toy companies would feel inspired by the first fashion doll and follow the path of success Mattel was paving.

Now let's meet Sindy! First released in September of 1963 in the UK by Pedigree she was immediately a huge success. Mattel's Barbie was relatively unknown in Britain at the time (due to low amounts of American toys being imported during the time) and there really wasn't anything else quite like Sindy in the UK toy market - Sindy was even the first UK toy to ever be advertised on British Television!

Her tagline was "The doll you love to dress!" and she was a massive success, in fact, Sindy was SO successful that in 1987 Hasbro acquired the license in order to make the doll more appealing to American consumers. Hasbro then returned the license to Pedigree in 1997 and the Sindy doll was relaunched by Vivid Imaginations in 1999 lasting until 2002. There were several attempts to relaunch afterwards by different brands but unfortunately nothing that really stuck.

If you're interested in Sindy, there's actually a museum in Sweden called The Little Sindy Museum! Here's their page on Facebook and here's a website where I got all my Sindy information!

Have you heard of Tanya? Tanya is an italian doll originally produced by Ceppi Ratti in 1971. She was made to rival Barbie at a more affordable price point - which is what most likely led to her initial success.

Tanya became a product of Giochi Preziosi in 1993 where it continued being successful in Italy and in 2000 in a press release they announced they had distributed Tanya to the United States & Japan and achieved great success. Giochi Preziosi often will change the face art and logo of Tanya in order to stay current with the trends and current popularity.

Tanya is still being produced today with the most recent version of her sporting manga-style eyes!

And finally, Dawn. Dawn was a very short lived doll line from 1970-1973 manufactured by Deluxe Reading and produced by Tonner Toys. They were unique in the fact that they were very small in size (6.5 inches) and had both rooted hair and eyelashes. Though they were quite successful they were only on the market for a short time as they were discontinued after the company went out of business in 1973. Mattel even made a rival to attempt Dawn by releasing a similar concept "Rockflower" dolls in 1971.

Dawn's catchphrase is "It's groovy to be a girl!" which I love I think that is so iconic. Over the years there have been several attempts at a revival, once in 2000 by Checkerboard for Dawn's 30th anniversary and then again in 2004 by Toy Mania but neither company was able to sustain reissues and quickly shut down productions.

[okdollface]

In 1966 Mattel introduced a little sister to Barbie and Skipper named Tutti with a twin brother named Todd. She had only a short reign in the Barbie franchise, lasting until 1971 in the States, and 1977 in Europe before being discontinued. She was 6 ¼ inches tall and made from a soft bendable rubber material with a wire inside to make her easy to pose.

She originally released in 1966 with a base doll, four playsets (Walkin' My Dolly • Night Night, Sleep Tight • Me and My Dog • Melody in Pink) and a playset with her and Todd (Sundae Treat). There also was a dollhouse called Tutti and Todd's Playhouse which was exclusive to sears.

Then in 1967 another base doll of Tutti along with two new playsets (Cookin Cookies • Swing-A-Ling) were released. From my research, this seems to be the last US release of Tutti and there were only fashion packs that came after that. However in Europe there was a new Tutti doll that came out in 1976.

So why on earth was such a charming doll discounted so quickly? Tutti, as adorable as she was, was doomed from the very start as the way she was designed had a lot of flaws. The wires inside her body would sometimes break, causing her to lose her ability to pose or even pierce through her soft skin where the wires would then stick out. She was an unfortunate victim of the 1970s oil crisis which resulted in Mattel pulling back on product and having to cut costs.

So that's pretty much all there is to know about Barbie's forgotten little sister with a devilish grin, Tutti. She can be pretty difficult to obtain these days, as the way she was manufacturing is not too kind to aging, and expensive due to her limited releases.

But I love her! I love her a lot! And I'm glad that there seems to be a lot of appreciation for her in the Barbie community - she may have a face full of mischief but she deserves love!

[okdollface]

is there a lesbian barbie? this looks like lesbian barbie. "i message girls" mfer. i want her.

[okdollface]

today's forgotten doll line!!!

i-girl by lanard!!! - review i found online

i did some digging and it seems like there were two lines released of these 6 girls.

sydney, sahara, paris, aspen, asia and rio. i kind of get a "around the world" theme for these dolls and tbh i like it!! i think it's cool!!

i was able to find all of the 6 girls from the first line (though Sahara looks quite different from her promo photo) the white washing in the second line is... interesting to say the least.

id assume the second line of dolls didn't produce as much dolls as the first because i could NOT find images of them anywhere. except rio. so at least there's proof it did exist?

anyways i think they are super fucking cool!!! i personally would love to add asia, aspen, sydney and paris to my collection!!!