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!!!
