July UPDATE

Hello!~ As you can see, I changed my blog! I got this lovely background from here: http://missgirlyeverthing.blogspot.com/2013/08/kawaii-backgrounds.html

If you haven't noticed, it has some of the designs from Angelic Pretty's print Milky Planet and from another print which I don't remember the name of.

Milky Planet in black is would be my dream dress!

So anyways the best thing ever happened to me this summer. I got a boyfriend! We've been to together of almost a month and I'm so happy! And it's a good thing he likes lolita fashion, too.

Another great thing that happened was that my aunt came from California all the way to Miami. She was interested in the clothes that I like, and I told her that there was an Angelic Pretty and Baby, the Stars Shine Bright in San Francisco. She then told me to go on their website and pick out two skirts I liked and she would buy it for me! I'm so happy!

This is what I picked out:

Fantasy Theater (black), Magical Étoile (navy)

I'm super excited to get them! I feel like the happiest girl in the world!

So a question for lolitas and soon to be lolita, What's your dream dress?

June UPDATE Part 2: Personal Reconstruction

Okay, this update is going to be a very personal one, but I'd like to share it with you.

In part 1, I said I needed the money for something, and that something is to reinvented myself. I have never in my life ever had my own clothing that I personally liked or bought (except for a Hufflepuff T-shirt from Orlando). I suffer from SAD or social anxiety disorder, but haven't been officially diagnosed so I never had mediation or therapy for it. Because of that, it has gotten to the point in which I can't even go outside of my house without me having to be afraid of my neighbors secretly making fun of me. So, I have to find ways to get it under control.

That's when I looked at my interests and started searching the web to find something I can do to finally say "Hey, I look pretty today". And what I found was a street fashion in Japan called Lolita (keep in mind that it has nothing to do with the book). I fell in love with it since there are so many styles to choose from.

The main styles: Sweet, Classic, and Gothic

I personally love all of them, but if I were to wear any of them, I'd go for sweet. The only problem about getting into the fashion is that it is EXTREMELY expensive. However, with a bit of research, I found 'brands' like Bodyline, Fan+Friends, Infanta, etc. 

So, my goal is that in September (my birth month), I will get my first coord (full outfit) from Bodyline. I visit their website everyday and check on their dresses and skirt to see if they're available. I also like to check out other people's coords of my favorite dresses.

I'm thankful that my mom approved of me wanting to wear lolita (since many parents don't like it). She said she will also help out and that's the best thing ever for me. Of course, when I finally start, I'll share it on here and hopefully improve.

Also, I have a sideblog on Tumblr dedicated to Japan fashion and everything cute. If you're interested, check it out! Harajukie - Onigoto

So this my update for now. Maybe something might happen this summer that will be update worthy, but for now, goodbye!

June UPDATE Part 1: Selling my dolls! CLOSED

Hello lovelies! I'm back from my 2 month break! School is out for me and that's great. 

As stated in my last update, my doll collection is on hiatus. HOWEVER, I have been thinking about selling two of my dolls; my Bohemian Peace Blythe and Satti Dal.

I can't upload any pictures of them at the time, but message me at maggiedeville01@gmail.com for photos and any other information. Here are their prices and current condition:

Bohemian Peace Blythe

Bought Price: $134 

Selling Price: $110 (the price can be haggled down)

Condition: Because of her sitting on my shelf for almost two years, she has become a bit dusty, but not completely. Her hair could use some brushing, though. She has some stains on her legs, but are not noticeable and are easy to clean off. Her eye mechanism works perfectly without any faults and her knees also work. Hasn't been customized in any way.

Includes: The doll, box, vest, tunic, pants, underwear, sandals, and stand.

Doesn't include: The guitar and headband.

Satti Dal:

Bought Price: $60 (Note: The doll was 30 dollars off making it's real value $90)

Selling Price: $70 (can be haggled down)

Condition: She is fully functionally, but her waist/hip(?) is lose, making her bend over sometimes. Also, her feet won't go all the way into her boots (although this could just be me). Her wig still have her curls, but needs to be brushed. Her eye mechanism works perfectly. The socks have stains on them (they are yellow and red), but can be hidden with her boots. Her coat has some loose threads and has a ripped patch on the back. The doll has not been customized.

Includes: The doll, box, coat, blouse, pants, socks, boots, stand, and hat.

Doesn't include: The collector's card

Since I don't have my own Paypal, I'll be using my mom's for handling the money. Shipping can be payed by you, or if you are unable to, I can do it.

The reason why I am selling them is because I don't like them as much as the rest of my dolls and I really do need the money (which will be explained in part 2). I would really appreciate it if someone would buy one (or both) of my dolls because it would mean so much to me.

EDIT 7/27: Although I haven't sold them yet, I'll soon be posting them on eBay.

Unique Factory Blythe Dolls of 2014

Everyone reading this should be already aware of what a factory Blythe is. If not, then it's a Blythe doll that's made up of different parts which are stolen from the factory in which they were produced in and sold online. Although they are bad for Blythe sales, it's hard not to want to look at some of the factory ones. 

For now, I'll be focusing on the new factory dolls. I found them while looking through Aliexpress and eBay. For the most part, the majority of them are your average factory Blythe, neon or uncommon hair colors which are usually extremely long.

However, this year seems to have a small minority of unique dolls that have never been on an actual Blythe doll. One example...actually a few being the new rainbow haired Blythe dolls.

Normal in the front

Party in the back!

Imagine the stuff you can do with her hair!

They aren't the only ones with unique hair. They can also come with different mixes of colors (not a rainbow) or even a different hair texture.

 

Now I know what you're thinking, "The last one isn't that special at all!" That's because...her hair can glow in the dark!

Creepy...but cool!

Now I didn't include ALL the factory dolls that have unique features, but this is just a quick list of them. I hope you enjoyed!

Note: None of the images shown above belong to me.

April UPDATE

To start things off, I'm so sorry for the hiatus. I have been busy with school work, and will be even busier the next few months. My doll collecting will be on hiatus until I can earn some more money. 

Okay, from my last update, I said that I ordered two Blyh dolls. Well they arrived a week after that post, but I never had the chance to upload pictures.

They have been customized, although it's not great. Only one of them have been named, which is the brunette named Finnegan. I have yet to name the blonde one. Here are some really bad quality photos of them!:

Also, in February my family adopted a cat named Oreo. Actually, it was more like us finding a kitten in our neighborhood instead of getting one from the shelter. She was recently spayed, so she really looks like a cow!

She looks like a tipped over cow!

In other news, I have found a hidden love for 70s shoujo manga and anime. I started watching the Rose of Versailles and have yet to finish it (but I know what will happen at the end ;-;). I recognized the anime by the Pullips for Oscar and Marie Antoinette released last year.

Close enough

Yesterday, I started watching Candy Candy. It's a very cute anime so far. Maybe they'll make Candy into a Pullip, Dal, or Byul.

That's all that I have for now. I'll be doing another post today for those who have an interest in factory Blythes.

List of All Blythe Doll Bootlegs, Knockoffs, Copycats, and Competitors

A few months ago, I found a very useful forum post about classifying dolls similar to Monster High dolls. Here's a link to the article: http://www.monsterhighdolls.com/forum/topics/bootlegs-knockoffs-copycats-competitors-what-is-the-right

Ever since I first started collecting dolls, I tried every way possible to make sure I didn't end up with a fake Blythe doll. Fortunately, I didn't screw up the first time, but I ended up buying 3 for myself to customize. I searched the entire internet trying to find every single Blythe like doll I could find. If I'm missing any dolls, please feel free to comment and I'll post it here. 

NOTE: Although Blythe are very popular, buying fakes may not seem to hurt it's sales, but it can. If you are planning on buying one, try also buying a real Blythe doll to support them (this does not include competitors).

Bootlegs

These are the dolls that you definitely want to look out for. Bootlegs are dolls that are meant to be like the real doll; using the same logo, boxart, etc. Unfortunately, customers on sites such as eBay, spend the same amount of money as the real thing, only to find out it is a fake (and some may never know).

For more information on bootlegs, check out 222am's website on how to avoid them and her experience: http://www.222am.org/category/fake-blythe-investigations/

Knockoffs

Knockoffs are dolls that use the same concept of a real doll and have similar logos, boxart, and molds. They are also very cheap and can even be toxic. In Blythe's case, most have her enormous head, large eyes, and changing eyes.

The most notable Blythe knockoffs are Basaak and Blybe, commonly used for custom practice. Their names are usually mixed up, so they have no formal name. They are listed as CCE dolls on eBay.

Here is a link to a comparison of the two: http://pandorasdolls.blogspot.com/2011/11/basaak-vs-blybe-comparision.html

Another knockoff are the Little Big Eyes dolls from Street Wise Designs in 2001. They were sold in the UK. They have a unique look, but are still very cheap in quality compared to Blythe. 

They are actually rare now, and are on eBay for prices as high as $75. Swan Loves Designs seems to be the queen of the LBEs. Here is a link to her site: http://swanlovedesigns.blogspot.com/search/label/"LBE"

Now we have what appears to be a miniaturized version of a Neo-Blythe called Blyhs. They have their own face and body mold, but can break their tiny necks easily when not supporting the head when changing the eye colors.

The second clone is exactly like Blyh, except they have anime-like eyes and can only "wink", hence their name, Wink Dolls.

These dolls are extremely hard to find on eBay, only appearing once. The only other place to buy them is on Alibaba.com in a bulk (min.order of 3000).

I've found other Blythe knockoffs, but with little information. Here's a list of them.

The one on the right is called Belle Girl.

Another Belle Girl doll.

Blyth

This one oddly has the name Blyh, despite it being a Blybe/Basaak doll.

There isn't any known information about this one, as no one hasn't seen it's box or name.

Copycats

The striking difference between knockoffs and copycats are that copycats are in much better quality. They still stick to being like the real doll, but are a little more creative.

Icy Dolls by Arker make dolls based on largely popular characters, such as Hatsune Miku the VOCALOID or have their own themes such as Liberation.

JECCI FIVE, a fashion store in China, created two models of dolls to promote their brand. The first model Jecci Five dolls had their own face mold and could only open and close their eyes.

The second model is similar to Arker's Icy Dolls, but has a more neutral mouth shape. They are able to change their eyes.

Competitors

Finally, we have competitors. They have similar concepts, but have striking differences. They are meant to appeal the same market. There are lots of new big headed dolls here in the West: such as La Dee Da, Cutie Pops, and the Beatrix Girls. However, a true competitor of Blythe is aimed toward the Eastern market.

Pullip dolls are Blythe's biggest market competitor, since their current companies are located in Japan. They have a big head and large eyes, much like Blythe, but have their own story and purpose, along with other dolls.

Tangkou dolls, released in 2011 by 6th Sense, is commonly called a clone of Blythe. They actually are inspired by both the Blythe dolls and Pullip dolls. They have their own theme and back story.

Hujoo and other BJD (ball jointed dolls) with big heads and eyes can also be considered a competitor to Blythe. 

I hope my list can be useful to people. It took me about a month to find and research all of the dolls featured. Thanks for reading!