Wonderful World of PinkyMaggie: December 2013

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.