It’s odd to me that Mattel is pushing pink bubblegum poppy aesthetic so hard into American Girl, historical girls barely even exist at this point, and Barbie is so staunchly in the “I’m a real girl” realm. It feels backward 🫠 Why they are set on doing it that way I have no idea….
I am a long-time Barbie collector who began collecting AG a little over a year ago. From what I have seen of past collections, you are right about the changes. This is why I think it is happening: It is my understanding that AG sales have generally been declining (maybe an uptick during the pandemic, which has gone down again). There have been recent Mattel shareholder demands to sell AG and Fisher Price because they are less profitable. In addition to economic factors (both increased manufacturer production costs and a squeeze on middle class consumer discretionary income), I have heard that doll manufacturers are up against a trend of children stopping playing with dolls at a younger age. That also means there is a bit of mismatch of the teaching aspect of American Girl historical dolls with the age at which current kids are interested in dolls. I think the characters are supposed to be around 10 years-old, but I think (I don't have kids) many 10 year-olds have moved on to their smartphones, etc. and don't play with dolls. So, in an effort to increase sales, AG is probably focusing on a younger audience, which means more coloured hair and Disney Princesses. I would still rather see the brand survive overall, even if it means less selection for older kids and adult collectors.
I could be wrong but this is my hypothesis. American girl is a rich white girl's doll. It isn't for the every girl. It used to be. Back when more emphasis was put on historical accuracy and high quality clothing, parents would buy the line because it was truly quality over quantity. This is how my middle class parents justified buying me American girl dolls. (the trade off was that I didn't have many other dolls.) Now the brand focuses on modern day clothes that are extremely girly, which is what other 18 inch doll brands do, for half the price. For me its hard to justify getting any AG merch when its indistinguishable from what Our Generation puts out. AG has become a status symbol. It appeals to the sensibilities of the upper middle class. And that means paying an upcharge to buy an item that is discount store quality, but with a branded sticker plastered on it. It also means feminine girly dresses, and make up on 10 year olds. Barbie in contrast seems to prioritize accessibility. She is an icon. Everyone knows who she is and what she's about. Everyone wants her. And Mattel makes sure that Barbie is available all over the world. I think one of the reason's Barbie has such a tightly controlled budget is due to Mattel wanting to avoid cases where the dolls end up costing extraordinary amounts of money outside of the US. You don't get BS like with MGA where a Rainbow High doll will cost 75 dollars in some countries. A Barbie fashionista is going to be under 20 dollars. This is just a lot more accessible than what a lot of other doll brands can manage. Likewise when you appeal to the masses you have to appeal to what the masses want. What most parents want from Barbie is a doll that reflects what being a normal woman is like. They want a Barbie line that is diverse, wears things most women wear. They don't want high fashion. Like it or not, high fashion is alienating for a lot of people. fantastical outfits are fine here and there, but the priority will be normalcy. It might seem strange to say. But Mattel knows what it's audience wants. Even if it's disappointing for long time fans. I say this as someone who is a former American girl collector.
@@MoonlitwatersofaquaYou perfectly described why I always thought of the American Girl brand as being a bit “snobby.” I’m not sure they even had them when I was a kid, but I definitely would have ignored them if they did.
I think they have gotten better in the past few years, at least with having more videos and information about how to join. The W Club registration is still open until March 18th for this year, and there is a video explaining the process if you go to their website.
My unpopular opinion is that we need more disability representation in fashion dolls. Most toys that provide that representation aren’t really designed to be cool. Like Barbie has those fashionistas ( but they aren’t in playsets or themed lines), Frankie and Twyla ( which I love!), and Lottie(not sure if some are still sold and I feel like the main gimmick is that “they’re different! Teach your child empathy!”) I also feel like most disabled dolls are really childlike. I just want more cool, fashionable dolls that just so happen to be disabled!
I definitely wish disability was treated less like a token to say “We are inclusive!” And more as part of a doll if that makes sense? Like I love Frankie because their prosthetic is part of the fashion yk? I feel like that goes for any of the MH dolls so far with more inclusive designs, like Twyla coming with headphones or earbuds that match her whole aesthetic. Barbie has dolls in wheel chairs and prosthetic but they are usually so bland and tacky and feel kind of… infantilized… like let our girl’s wheel chair be bedazzled or if she’s a gothy gal maybe it sort of looks like a creepy carriage or idk if she’s needy maybe let her have rockets instead of wheels or something lol. I wish disabilities were given the same love and attention as a standard fashion doll. Same with other aspects of inclusivity
Lots of people view those of us with disabilities as less of a true person. If you have been disabled since childhood and/or birth it's even worse because everyone who knew since then is prone to continue you like a child even more than a non-disabled young adult has to deal with. I can't understand for the life of me why people in general seem to think those with disabilities can't be an adult mentally but I've accepted that those folks are just that dumb, ignorant, and/or ableist and done my best to move on with life. It can be fantastically frustrating though
@Aros4 totally agree! I’m autistic and Twyla is a great character but I would love headphones for her.Why can’t the wheelchair Barbie have cool rides. Like Barbie literally collaborated a few years ago with Izzywheels, a wheelchair cover company that makes them designed to be cute! Like Barbie’s a fashion girl, why would her wheelchair be plain?
absolutely! this comment reminded me of what i believe was a prototype rainbow high part that was never implemented for a doll- it was a prosthetic leg, with the doll it was photographed on being michelle, and some people believe that she mightve been initially designed with it before it was ditched before going to shelves (a theory i kinda lean towards, given the legs mold n color both fit michelles aesthetic n set color). its a small random thing, but fashion dolls actually including disability in their fashion, not just in it being an 'oh yeah heres a wheelchair btw' but it actually being designed to fit the vibe, its such an underutilized thing thats rarely seen- the only stylized wheelchairs i can even think of are finnigans and pisces from the zodiac girls dolls, otherwise theyre very by the books. give us characters with custom wheel covers on their wheelchairs, stickers and fun molds on their canes, ear protectors with cute add ons! we can make glasses fun n fashionable, why not other accessibility devices?
I just don't know who the Kylie Jenner dolls are for? I don't know if there's that much overlap between adult doll collectors and Kylie Jenner fans, and I don't think kids care about Kylie Jenner.
oh my god i WISH there were some true goth dolls. i'm goth and i'm honestly getting into doll customizing just because none of them are close to the fashion i like
This. I also wear Gothic Lolita Fashion and can find some representation in Pullip dolls or easily alter them slightly to fit the aesthetic I'm looking for. I've started getting monster high dolls to destroy for the purpose as well lol
I fully agree with the opinion that Magic Mixies Pixlings need to be made available without that huge plastic jug. I have three of them and will not buy more because the plastic waste makes me feel too bad.
I’m thinking of maybe redecorating them and pretending they each live in a cute magic bottle that reflects their own designs. Or repurposing some other way. :/
@@four_girls_in_search_of_awesom I imagine people more creative than me could make little fairy homes out of the bottles or something. I just don't get why the bottles have to be so big in the first place.
The thing of people wanting Bratz to be Y2K in 2024 drives me up a wall. The point has always been incorporating current trends. WHYYY would they be Y2K!
@@ducky19991 I'm not saying they should exclusively dress Y2K but it takes years to design dolls and actually produce them and trends are very short lived these days. Not sure how they're supposed to stay "current".
I totally agree about more fantasy/whimsical dolls and doll fashions but diversity, whether it be body or racial diversity, is totally important! Everyone deserves to see themselves or parts of themselves in their pretty dolls! But yeah it is disappointing that Barbie does a good job with this and then puts everyone in really boring clothes.
The goth dolls you showed didn't even look THAT goth to me so I can definitely understand what you're talking about people not actually wanting a real goth doll
The male doll thing I completely agree with! I wish male dolls had more interesting fashions, more brands need to experiment with their male characters and give them more outfits than like.. a gray plaid hoodie and jeans. This is the reason why Kieran Valentine from Monster High is to date one of my favorite dolls ever made. His fashion is masculine (suit with a vest and such) but the rose embroidery and heart-shaped buckles on his boots make him so interesting!
As an MLP collector that loves Equestria Girls for how truly awful they are, I think the elite doll of the whole line is definitely Rainbow Rocks Trixie. She's the most thoughtfully designed and has a bunch of cute details. Sure, I'm not crazy about the belt and hat being plastic, but other than that she is aMAzing.
I'm a weirdo who preferred the redesigned Equestria girls dolls. I know their heads were big but I feel like that if Hasbro had started with them people would have been fine with it.
@@fyloeru YAWN! Are You People Really This Triggered Over A MF Doll Line For Little Girls? I 💕 BRATZ Too,But I'm Not Like Obsessed With Them. I Had An Opinion And Shared It,WTF Is The Problem?😒 What Is The ☕ Girl?
Regarding the boy dolls getting more fun/fem clothes, i conversely wish there were more female dolls with masculine clothes (and not just hoodies). Give me a girl doll with wide leg jeans and a plaid button down and I'll give you my money (she said as a 90s kid who wore her JNCOs until they were unwearable throughout school).
I’d love that too but I’m also kind of afraid of the possibility that the conversations have been had at the creation level at Mattel but I’m also fairly confident that they’ve also weight the possibility that the vocal backlash from the conservative parents of America would loudly and explicitly accuse Mattel of grooming children. So it’s just easier and safer for them to make male dolls “boy-ish” and the female dolls “girl-ish”. Cuz at the end of the day that doll is what ever the person holding it wants it to be but I do wish we lived in a world where diversity didn’t mean “straight/white erasure”
The take about Always Bratz being bad because Bratz should only be about 2000's fashion is insane lol. Imagine if someone said "I don't like Barbie from other decades because she doesn't have that 60's charm"... If you only care about them due to 2000's nostalgia, that's fine I guess, but you shouldn't expect for anyone else to feel that way and for the line to not evolve in any way...
this is how i feel about barbie people who are like "why isn't she a y2k baddie anymore ugh" like... she can still go back to being glam without having to specifically be 2000s. it's just nostalgia talking at this point
They literally have reproductions for the people who want nostalgia. I too prefer the 2000s look, so I know that the repros will definitely be for me. Especially that meygan sweet heart repro! I also like some of the new always bratz dolls. They aren’t that far off from early 2000s fashion either so…
My collection is mostly made up of 90s and 2000s Barbies (as well as her sisters), but that's definitely not the only reason why they're in my collection.
My unpopular opinion is that Ever After High was better than Monster High. I prefer the aesthetic, world building, and storyline of EAH. Absolutely a shame that it died (sorta kinda) because of Descendants.
In the Princess and the Pauper issue: it's the voice acting and music and quote-ability that set it apart. Specially for those of us that saw it in other languages. When I tell you that the soundtrack in Spanish slaps so much harder than in English I mean it. And Erica and Preminger, Erica is THE most relatable Barbie movie character of the era for like 99.9% of people and is a brunette on top of that! And Premiger is basically carrying the movie.
30:16 THANK YOU! I saw a girl going off on tiktok about how in box collectors only care about value and don't collect for the "right reasons" with a bunch of people in her comments agreeing. And YET, I see people go coocoo bananas for NIB vintage collector items. As an in box collector, I just like knowing that I have everything that item came with, and often times the packaging is just as cute as the product! I thrift unboxed items for my collection and love them, but I view my new purchases as maintaining the history of the item for the future. It's a personal preference for me and my collection-the same as unboxed is other people's preference.
not a super dedicated doll collector but i think a great example is novi stars boxes, literally gorgeous it felt like a luxury item when i used to see them in store
I do a bit of both, depending on the doll and how much space I have. I can totally see the in-box perspective, and I never thought about the fact that we need some in-box collectors for a good secondary market supply.
I am mostly an out of box collector but I do have a few inbox and I agree that the box adds to the beauty of the doll…The artwork and the way the clothes and accessories are displayed makes a difference 😍
yea it all depends on what you want to do with them. I prefer to redress my dolls so I always unbox them. Plus the unboxing experience is so nostalgic to me.
I don't understand why people buy dolls that they don't like. There's a lot of collectors just straight up admitting that they hate dolls that are part of their collection, I guess they have the necessity to have *all* the dolls from one doll line or something, but it just seems dumb to me. I know someone that bought the Collector's Rochelle doll and they literally told me that they didn't like how she look in any of her pics (both stock photos and the ones taken by people who bought her), but he still got her anyways. I'm just ????
THIS OMG. I never understood why people spend hundreds of dollars on dolls they know they don't like, only to lose money selling them or giving them away later. Like who has that kind of money? I understand some people have OCD or problems with hoarding (which some collectors need to admit to themselves), but it feels sometimes like people get these dolls just because other people are and they want to have content on social media.
Yeah I don't really get this either, to me it seems like at a certain point if the collection outweighs the joy it brings you're just turning into an addict. Cause like why is there a compulsion to buy something you genuinely dislike at that price level????
For me if I get 6 out of 7 of a line I will feel an itch in my brain to get the last one even if I hate it. It's a curse. I'm currently experiencing this with Fantastic Fashion Amaya.
totally agree. i see this not just for dolls but for most big collector things like pops, action figures, etc. and it just makes no sense to me. i only have so much space and so much money, i want to use it wisely on things that genuinely make me happy!
On the topic of boy dolls, one of the selling points of G3 MH is body diversity so I'm extremely upset that all that g3 boys have the same body mold(with no chest articulation to top it off like the girls which I absolutely LOVE it gives them that perfect oof✨ in posing them💕). I feel like if the boys had noticeable bodytypes like with the ghouls, they'd be more daring with exploring away the from the typical masculine designs they keep going back too. I say this because Heath should not have been as tall as Abbey istg😭 Mattel are cowards for not giving us the short king that he is
literally! oh my gosh when i tell you i dont think i've ever seen a boy doll thats not the generic muscle body (thats non-customized anyways) pleaseee give us body diversity for the boys in g3
Boy dolls need more diversity, hair alone. I shouldn't be able to count the number of long hairstyles on one hand across ALL doll brands. 😂 like don't get me wrong, I love a fade, its my go to hairstyle when I'm itching for something new, but it's like every time?
Did we forget the majority if not all fashion dolls back at the 60s to 2000s didnt have much articulation 😭 wasnt that part of why monster high become a litreal beast-it made articulation basically a requirment Saying bratz r overrated bcus they dont have much articulation is to me just a lil..dumb Not all dolls need articulation to be good-look at begoths & LDD they have very little articulation yet the dolls are so insainly high quailty and beautiful even by todays standereds The only huge flaw w lack of articulation is like you said-its diffcult to dress a doll w/o ripping a hole cus u cant remove the hands
I absolutely love my Bratz Girlz Really Rock Jade but poor thing can't change tops due to having fishnet sleeves. She's one of the few Bratz that I wish had easily detachable limbs. I grew up in the 2000s so articulation wasn't really a consideration back then. I did have a ballerina Barbie with extra articulation but hated her due to the different body material and extremely loose joints
@@Jhud69I hated articulation as a kid because I thought the knee and elbow joints were ugly. I would have to dress them in long sleeves and pants. But I was a kid in the 90's so the only articulated dolls were like Gymnast Barbie. The joints don't bother me anymore though. I prefer articulation now but its not a deal breaker at all.
I found the reason why they didnt like Bratz weird too, but as a kid I really did not like them either. However it was because of their face - they looked so uncanny to me. I was really surprised as an adult to hear they were so loved! But lack of articulation was never an issue to me.
@@Jhud69 I was the opposite lol, once MH came out I started preferring them over Barbie/Bratz partially because they were always articulated (and therefore easier to pose like I wanted them to when I was playing).
I wish more doll brands could figure out they can incorporate elements of diverse body shapes/types whilst not being "realistic", or even if they're based in realism actually making their fat dolls FASHIONABLE. It's so annoying some brands (barbara.....looking at you) half the time think the height of fat fashion dolls is a sack dress.
Since I buy the dolls for the clothing, I don’t really care about body diversity. I think it’s great for other collectors, but I like to redress my dolls. And I agree. Barbie doesn’t put in the effort for chubby dolls, or any of their play line dolls to be honest. The unpainted details on shoes and printed on details on clothing such as zippers etc
@@MsLanieIf you see one that you love buy her anyway just to promote the curvy ones continuing in production as well as the facemold/faceup if they're less common. There has to be some good clothes out there, especially on Etsy I'd assume. (I'd suggest the clothes packs but I'm assuming you don't care for any of the Mattel official aesthetics since they do have a lot of clothes that would fit.) You can always leave her naked for a while lol.
@@DoveJS My issue is that I'm just finishing a PhD and can't spend a lot on the clothes or the dolls right now. I bought I haul of affordable doll clothing from Barwa (some of which is very cute) and my mom found some of the clothing from when I was a kid, but it all only fits original Barbie and dolls of that size. It doesn't even fit recent Disney dolls! If I find one I really like, I just won't unbox her until I have more clothes for her.
As a trans man I would love more boy dolls who played somewhere in between the “het boyfriend arm candy” and “full on woman” gender binary dolls are allowed to exist in. Basically I would like doll makers to care a little bit about people like me I guess.
You may not know that Mattel did the Creatable World doll line in 2019. It was playline, with child dolls. However, the quality of the outfits was great. The concept was novel for Mattel, and they seemed to put quite a lot of money into it (nice packaging, full diversity in skin tones). Maybe the biggest weakness (besides some parents' opinions) was that the wigs which went over the dolls' short hair didn't look very good. Whatever the reason, it doesn't seem like the line sold well, and it was short-lived. Again, though, not the same as a true fashion doll.
I agree doll collecting is lonely. I have no one to share it with. My daughter doesn't see the point. But since discoverimg u-tube and all the content creators i now feel part of the community as a way to interact especially when my questions or comments are answered. It is fun to share.
It brings me joy that you’ve found joy as well in this community!! As for doll collecting being lonely, I completely get what you mean, but as long as it makes you happy, and if fulfilling, that’s what matters
I think as boring as it would look and as hard as it would make having the dolls hold objects they come with that doll lines with no wrist articulation or removable hands should give their hands a flatter pose The amount of times I had to struggle for hours to put a tiny jacket on a doll because of the positioning of their pinky and thumb is staggering and it only gets worse when they’re manicured
i think the box/inbox thing is just a matter of preference. as an inbox person, i've come to prefer it as i don't have the energy to work w them all the time, i usually just pose them and display them and don't touch them again. it's also enticing bcuz it means the doll doesn't risk collecting dust for being on display for so long (again, i don't have energy to dust them all the time). also the boxes look nice too :] if i ever get a case or somewhere they wont get so dusty, i would certainly remove them from the box
As a graphic designer, I love putting my dolls in boxes and even designing boxes for them but I also love playing around with them, which sometimes means that I would have to get two or three of the same doll 😂
Unpopular opinion possibly; Life in the Dreamhouse version of Raquelle needs to come back (it was cool to have a likeable and memorable Barbie frenemy) and we need a Ryan doll!
Thank you for using my Frog Face Sailor Moon opinion! I agree that the pretty face dolls are so gorgeous, especially that last half of the dolls, but I wanted to show love to my older dolls too. ❤
16:54 anyone who wants a cursed image seared into their brain should look up the nendoroid Barbie. They gave her a Millie sculpt head and I die laughing every single time I think about it.
@@EmbalmerEmi as someone who has a small collection of Nendoroids I think it’s jarring to see the Barbie head on that tiny body. It makes me laugh every time I think of it
On the top of male dolls - I don’t like the plastic head sculpts. GIVE MEN BRUSH-ABLE HAIR TOO! There are exceptions such as Deuce for Monster High as an example. But like Ken he can have brush able hair! Or black male dolls with their different textures ! Or even having a male character with waist long hair!
When a doll doesn't have removable hands and I need to get their hands through a sleeve I take a bit of the thicker cardboard/paper from the packaging and roll it up around the hand and forearms to make it a smooth tube shape where the fingers are contained to stop them snagging fabric and bending the wrong way. The sleeves slide right on, pull out the tube, mission accomplished.
y'know what i think my ideal doll line would be? a line of male dolls with a variety of body types wearing distinctly feminine fashions, and maybe even feminine alternative fashions like egl. but like, they're just male dolls wearing dresses styled to look good on them, but not in a drag way, just in a regular man in a dress way. i could possibly see integrity toys or a company like that being down for this
Oh damn I didn’t think my opinion was gonna get shared 😂❤️ I’m glad I’m not the only one with the same sentiments on Kylie, and I distinctly remember seeing her all over the teen magazines I used to read up until her cosmetic surgeries. She just never seemed to have a definite personality without it being attached to her older sisters. To me she’s always gonna be Kim Jr, head to toe.
Yes! Equestria Minis were so cute! That being said they're a failure as toys. The accessories were so so tiny and dolls' joints were very stiff and broke after light play. Every time I get an used lot of them some will have superglued joints.
my unpopular opinion is that most monster high g1 stan’s don’t actually like the outfits better, it’s solely the art style they like, i mean let’s be real if u actually look at a lot of g1 outfits they’re lowkey ugly and not even close to as “emo” or “goth” as people claim they are, if you drew those exact outfits in the g3 style the g1 stan’s would be like “ewww i hate those outfits!!” and vice versa if you drew g3 outfits in the g1 style they’d love them, that’s not to say g1 sucks and g3 is perfect, in fact i think they’re pretty equal in overall design quality with the same amounts of hits and misses also to touch on my point about g1 not being as alternative as people remember, i think the core dolls are the most alternative they ever got 😭 but in general they’re no more emo and especially not goth than anything g3 has put out, again it’s just that art style that makes people perceive them more alternative than they are
I agree it turns me off the way Integrity does things. You have to pay a lot to be a member and then go into a lottery for a chance to buy a very expensive doll. Why can't they just do preorders and let everyone who wants to buy one, like Mattel does sometimes.
Omg the articulation point. SO AGREE. Dolls aren’t worse by their lack of articulation and articulation isn’t something to expect or think is superior because it is not. If you complaint about articulation, you are a young collector and we can tell:’D
Congrats on goin strong for 3 years! If i May throw my hat into this ring (in case of a sequel vid) we need more anthro dolls like pinkie cooper and catwalk kitties, i dont mind human dolls but the market would just have more variety if ideas like that could be real (imagine an anthro equivalent of american girl, that would be so cool) Also, does anyone remember any stuffed animals with poseable wire frames on the inside? Ive looked into it and there were quite a few in the 2000s, i know at least like five off the top of my head(barbie pose me pets, the bratz petz line, tini puppini, kitty 'tude, and glamkats). I kinda wish theyd make a comeback, or at least have more people talk about them since theyre pretty cool! Anyeay rant over thanx for readin 😅
Agreed! I love Calico Critters/Sylvanian Families for being very cute little anthros, and their outfits are lovely, but there’s only so much “fashion” you can do on such little creatures. Plus, very fashion-forward outfits would really clash with their timeless cottagecore vibe. I would love more anthro fashion dolls with more Barbie-like dimensions!
I totally agree with the Sailor Moon opinion the original 95-97 North American dolls did actually have a lot of playability to them like light up tiaras, spinning stands, and extra bonus outfits. Here's my unpopular opinion, Spectra and Aurora dolls are very underrated and I think they deserve a second chance.
Cammy, I'm about as big of a foreigner to the doll fandom as you can get, but I've fallen in love with your channel. The passion with which you talk about these dolls keeps me hooked and has sparked a fascination I never would have imagined I'd have. Your outfits are always really cute, too. Keep up the good work! As for my unpopular opinion... I think there should be a line of furry dolls. Like not just kemonomimis, full anthros with snouts. Monster High is a step in the right direction, but an actually furry fashion doll would easily get me into the hobby.
Have you heard of Catwalk Kitties or Pinkie Cooper? They're unfortunately pretty hard to find, but they're good examples of some anthro fashion dolls! Or Peteena! She's pretty vintage.
I absolutely agree that the g2 mh thing is something that you had to be there for to understand why it was so unpopular. There's a ton of context regarding how it was announced, when it was announced, the fact that it was basically caving into all the complaints about G1 being "too scary" etc. That make the whole debacle make much more sense.
I think a Paris Hilton Bratz collaboration would do really good when I think of a fashion icon I think Paris Hilton and Paris Hilton was big the same time as the Bratz so I think it would be perfect ❤❤
9:32 this is such a common thing with online communities for hobbies, I see it with video games all the time (don’t see it with online crafts communities tho so they stay winning)
I was 11 when I first saw g2 and even though I was growing out of my watching the movies and playing with the dolls phase I did not like g2 very much. I WANTED to like it because I loved monster high, but i knew something was off, it was like monster high uncanny valley 😭 I remember they did a promotion thing with subway and I was just so puzzled as to why everyone had such wavey hair all of a sudden😭
21:43 if whoever said this read my comment now, just letting you know, you're one of the reasons bratz never got a chance outside of "2000s" style. people who only see bratz as y2k icons will never be able to appreciate new concepts and ideas because they always limit the direction in which bratz should follow. literally gives the same vibe as those people who say barbie should stop dressing glamorously and always be casual and relatable.
As for the magic pixlings, I have a 3 year old sister and she loves specifically because she loves the potion making lol. I bought myself one for Christmas and she was so excited over it I’ve started buying them for her too. We use the potion bottles to make mud potions in the backyard. But we also only have 3? (Four technically but one holds some of my kandi beads and it’s terrible for it but I needed something) I’m definitely hesitant to keep buying them because I feel bad throwing the bottles away but how many does a 3 year old need?
so glad to see someone calling out the brand stanning!! i see soo many people going to bat for mga and such, acting like they can do no wrong or coming up with excuses for why there's a perfectly valid justification for a less popular choice they've made, when they're literal companies who do not care about some random doll account defending them 😭 these are always the people who encourage the 'doll war' too and want one company to buy or destroy the other and it's like... you *want* a monopoly?
happy channelversary!! i love getting to watch all of your videos, you have such a relatable vibe and i love how you present topics! i don't think i have any super unpopular opinions on dolls (i opened the form and ended up sitting there for like ten minutes trying to think of something LMAO). i think the appeal of princess and the pauper is a lot of people who grew up with it now look back at it as a sapphic fantasy tbh i've rewatched it with my friends as adults and all of us spoke about how we ship them now that we're aware of how queer we ourselves are. primenger is also a very funny character to make thirst edits for, the primenger edit set to "hair, nails, hips, heels" plays on repeat in my head in bed at night. my POPULAR opinion is that my local walmart are cowards for refusing to carry monster high dolls for being too goth or whatever. they carried them throughout g1 & g2, but upon g3's release we only got the first wave of core dolls and skulltimate secrets. then CRICKETS!!! they are fools.
Darling, will you ever show us a collection video? ❤ We see your cute little set up every video! I'm sure alot of us are curious to see more of your fav dollies!
I’m one of your loyal subscribers and I am don’t even collect dolls, I just love your style, passion and content. Keep doing what you do, we love you for it x
My controversial opinion: doll companies that make dolls with vitiligo pat themselves on the back for "representation," but they picked vitiligo because it's an aesthetically interesting skin condition. Like, if they really want to be diversity trailblazers? They'd do cystic acne or psoriasis or something that can't be made to look "artistic." They won't, because those wouldn't sell well, and that's okay. I don't blame them. But they don't deserve the "representation" points people assign them and that they try to assign themselves.
Happy 3RD Anniversary! Don't think this is a hot take, but Lolirock needed fashion dolls, such a missed opportunity. I only ever say plastic figures, so if they do exist, I never saw them. A series that needs to do better with their dolls is Miraculous Lady bug and Chat Noir.
I'm both an in box and out of box collector. It really depends on what doll and box display quality for whether or not I'll unbox. I refuse to remove SDCC Cedar from her box because the display looks so fantastic and I'd not even come close to it if she was removed from her boxed prison. I don't understand the infighting for inbox/out if box. Like you said the latter is so important for the ecosystem. The former is as well because it can inform us of longevity quality that in box might not see immediately (eg. Glue head, sdcc frankie's skin turning blue bc of the fabric dye transferring, etc.)
I can't think of any time I've had an issue with a doll's hands falling off and getting lost, but boy do I feel like I need to start lifting when I try to take doll hands on or off- whenever I'm redressing any of my RH girls I have to get my brother to help me with the hands. Those things aren't going anywhere, they could stand to make them a bit easier to remove lol
I big agree w the point about in-box collectors! While I prefer taking things out of the box for decorating & posing, I also have a disease which makes me want to remember how things looked in the packaging, & I am grateful for box collectors for preserving that!
I think gen2 mh was ok, I (and I think most people) would probably have liked them if they hadn't come right after gen1. Gen 1 was immensely superior, but if wasn't for the comparison, Gen 2 would be nice
as an avid Licca/Jenny collector I gotta clarify that, yes, Playline Licca/Jenny may have cheap printed clothes and what not but if you order from Licca Castle/Little Factory Licca or Jenny friends dolls and clothing, you get hand painted faces and hand made clothes using various quality fabrics that are geared to adult collector demo. check em out!!!😘
I felt the Pixlings take. I have four and the pile of useless plastic I end up with after just one is downright disgusting. I think the bottles are pretty(especially Wynter's) and I keep them as display items, and YET there's so much trash. But I totally get why people hate the bottles.
I stumbled onto your account sometime round the Barbie movie. I don't collect dolls, but I really love your videos and vibe, it's real comfort content when it's been a long day at work. Thrilled you're still enjoying making videos and doing well, it's deserved success!
As someone a few years older than you (and probably a lot of people here tbh lol) I stopped watching Barbie movies after they stopped doing fairy tales. Like, even the mermaid or fairytopia ones weren’t my cup of tea but after the stories started to just be about girls in the modern day I just was completely uninterested. lol and I was 14 or 15 and still keeping up with the releases so it’s not like I just then grew out of the movies. I even loved the Christmas Carol one and I was already considered “too old” for that.
I think we need a doll line centered around cute robots. The dolls that come to my mind are 2 Monster High and 3 Novi Stars which isn't a lot. As an autist with a fascination with robots I just have a unscratched itch for a series I could obssess over
I don't understand why does the internet portray Monster High as this super edgy goth doll line, when first of all, it seems to borrow more from scene or "hottopiccore" than the actual goth subculture and it's mostly the first wave that's like this. The later series were just colorful outfits with a ton of wild themed patterns. I wish there were more doll lines that portray many alternative styles accurately
I love your videos. I liked the part in this one where you talked about dolls being inbox or out of the box. I always like to unbox my dolls, because I love looking at them and seeing what they look and feel like. When I open a new doll, I enjoy feeling if there is tactile detail on them, and it is cool how there are so many dolls of my favorite characters. Besides, me being blind, I feel like there is really no point in keeping a doll in the box, when I know I really wanted it and I want to know what it looks like. I have some dolls displayed on stands and others in bins. I always enjoy collecting dolls of my favorite characters. I have a lot of Monster High, Rainbow High, Disney, and horror dolls.
I like them. It was always annoying how Barbie shoes fell off so much and got lost Except it sucks with the Bratz sandals how you need to match the skintone.
30:46 I have a distinct memory of talking to my neighborhood friend about how much I HATED the change, and we were a part of the target audience. Everyone I interacted with said G2 was not it. It would only get worse when I went to target to see those shelves overflowing with G2 dolls collecting dust. I agree with both takes on Bratz, but I feel like a huge reason why they’re even back was because of the original styling of the OGs’ and always bratz low key dashes that. Boy dolls need to be more cunty for sure.
Hi, I enjoy your "unpopular opinions " videos. Just so witty and funny 😆. I am population 10% that does like RH Amaya, Bratz dolls are cute, but not for me, Barbie's Milly face is fine, even though i dont tend to buy her 😄. Buying from an integrity toys doll dealer can be stressful, but most are very friendly. Integrity toys is not an exclusive club, it just has a limited access point to obtain dolls. Anyone can join the W club, enrollment occurs once a year. They dont mass produce dolls for multiple reasons, and most W club members voiced they prefer limited editions.
I am so genuinely thankful for all the work you do to share your hobby. It's weird to say, but the person I was before doll collecting and after starting is so different. I was struggling immensely before, I was trying to recover from a traumatic experience and the subsequent dissociation, and trying to fit in to a life that seemed more and more unfamiliar. I was really losing my sense of identity and I was depressed. I watched your videos and loved seeing the dolls and hearing you talk about them in such a fun yet analytical way. I've always been fascinated by both art and marketing and I fell in love with it all. I had denied myself anything overtly feminine even as a young child (I am transgender and it felt like being effeminate made it impossible for me to be a man). I finally worked up the courage to go buy Meena Fleur while at the mall one day. My friends thought it was odd, my parents thought it was weird, but I thought she was so beautiful and I was so proud of myself for doing something for me and accepting that it was okay to like things people called strange or childish. Doll collecting was just the start. It felt so good to just do what I wanted without caring about judgement, and I kind of turned my whole perspective around. People would ask if I collected to "heal my inner child" and I disagree, this is one of the best things I've ever done for current, young adult me. Seeing people like you helped me see myself. I started expressing my interests and experiences with hyperfixation, gender, and identity. I got diagnosed with ADHD (I may also be autistic?) and found community in people with similar interests and diagnosis and started seeing myself as acceptable and respectable. Now I can talk openly about my interests and how they've inspired me to decide to study business and marketing in college. So yeah, it's just toys, it's just UA-cam, it's just an interest, but your work has been a crucial part in me finally taking a leap of faith and finding myself underneath all the fear and expectations and critics. Thank you.
First off, congrats on the anniversary. Secondly, the pricing comment I agree on, as a primarily transformers collector. Pricing is insane, but again, most people don't care so "vote with your wallet" really doesn't work. Also the in-box vs unbox debate is another one that's kinda one I'm familiar with in other spaces. with dolls, if it's a "limited collector's edition" or something, yeah, I'd say keep in box, personally, but I wouldn't be buying those anyway. Mainline, regular releases, there's no point to keep in the box really, though I know dolls' clothes can heavily degrade if not stored properly so that is a reason. Still, so much room taken, and you can't "enjoy" the thing you paid so much money for besides staring at it.
Darling Dollz I’m so glad you mentioned Bleeding Edge Goth dolls. Do you have any and if not have you seen any up close? I am considering purchasing one but they do not come cheap! I am interested in finding out if they are worth their price in terms of quality. I already know I love their style. I collect LDDs as well as fashion dolls. I love SH and although they are by no means alternative in the traditional sense, they are edgey in my opinion. I’ve restyled some of my SH to make them a bit more alternative but not drastically. I totally agree with your sentiments on boy dolls. Imagine Rex McQueen and Ash Silverstone in something more stylish and flamboyant, yassss!
i don’t collect dolls, but i *do* collect plush (webkinz!) and i *love* watching your videos! i’ve been watching for at least a year now and i love all of the hot take and opinion videos, it’s like i’m hearing from the other side of the toy collecting aisle about what’s what. i fully 100% agree with what you said on box collectors. from my webkinz perspective-i might not “get” the people who keep the tag on their ‘kinz since i prefer to use mine, but i buy my new-with-tag ‘kinz from collectors who keep the tags on! we’re all collecting together and it’s none of my beeswax how other collectors store their stuff.
My two unpopular opinions (i think): 1- I prefer pink lagoona over the g1, as a kid i used to forget She was part of the Main cast and as an adult i just think she is kinda basic but pink lagoona stands out more to me 2- The Winx dolls (all of them) did the desings dirty, specially the transformations like Harmonix or belivix
I’m agree about the articulation, I don’t understand the current obsession with the Made to Move dolls, almost all the fashion dolls made from the 60s to the 2000s had the 5 basic points plus the bendable legs and it was fine Not all dolls need 20 points of articulation My unpopular opinion about the Barbie movies: Mermaid Tale is overrated! I seriously don’t understand why the Barbie fandom love it so much, it’s bad, the aesthetic is terrible, Merliah is a bad protagonist, her dolls weren’t that great I get that we all love mermaids but actually Merliah don’t love the be a mermaid in both movies The Pearl Princess is the BEST mermaid Barbie movie It’s the only one that truly show us the beauty of being a mermaid and life under the sea, and the Lumina doll is gorgeous
27:51 OMGGG 100% AGREE WITH YOUUUU!! can't believe someone besides me also has the same opinion about princess and the pauper, and i do consider this movie overrated because for me it really is. but lets be honest here, people are just NOT "sleeping" on barbie 12 dancing princesses. i saw a very reasonable amount of love and nostalgia for this specific barbie movie (and tons of edits on tik tok, mainly about the songs).
I love having in-box dolls when the packaging is cool or I really enjoy the doll so I have multiples, but I need to have at least some out of box to play with
Something about you and the way you present your videos has me coming back time and time again even though the only doll lines I collect actively are American Girl and barbie. I love hearing your opinions about different releases and doll history, all with your good sense of humor. Congrats on this milestone, can't wait for more great content!
My unpopular opinion is that it's high time G3 starts introducing original characters. Not saying that there aren't any original characters in G3, but none of them have a doll. It becomes really frustrating for me, because I expected G3 to create new queer, disabled, culturally diverse characters, but all they do is retcon old ones. They should be trying to do both. It's very important for them to make these diverse dolls, cause that is how most children get introduced to Monster High.
It’s odd to me that Mattel is pushing pink bubblegum poppy aesthetic so hard into American Girl, historical girls barely even exist at this point, and Barbie is so staunchly in the “I’m a real girl” realm. It feels backward 🫠 Why they are set on doing it that way I have no idea….
I’m mainly an AG collector and completely agree!!! So do most collectors!! We all want the historicals back!!
I am a long-time Barbie collector who began collecting AG a little over a year ago. From what I have seen of past collections, you are right about the changes. This is why I think it is happening:
It is my understanding that AG sales have generally been declining (maybe an uptick during the pandemic, which has gone down again). There have been recent Mattel shareholder demands to sell AG and Fisher Price because they are less profitable.
In addition to economic factors (both increased manufacturer production costs and a squeeze on middle class consumer discretionary income), I have heard that doll manufacturers are up against a trend of children stopping playing with dolls at a younger age. That also means there is a bit of mismatch of the teaching aspect of American Girl historical dolls with the age at which current kids are interested in dolls.
I think the characters are supposed to be around 10 years-old, but I think (I don't have kids) many 10 year-olds have moved on to their smartphones, etc. and don't play with dolls. So, in an effort to increase sales, AG is probably focusing on a younger audience, which means more coloured hair and Disney Princesses. I would still rather see the brand survive overall, even if it means less selection for older kids and adult collectors.
I could be wrong but this is my hypothesis.
American girl is a rich white girl's doll. It isn't for the every girl. It used to be. Back when more emphasis was put on historical accuracy and high quality clothing, parents would buy the line because it was truly quality over quantity. This is how my middle class parents justified buying me American girl dolls. (the trade off was that I didn't have many other dolls.) Now the brand focuses on modern day clothes that are extremely girly, which is what other 18 inch doll brands do, for half the price. For me its hard to justify getting any AG merch when its indistinguishable from what Our Generation puts out. AG has become a status symbol. It appeals to the sensibilities of the upper middle class. And that means paying an upcharge to buy an item that is discount store quality, but with a branded sticker plastered on it. It also means feminine girly dresses, and make up on 10 year olds.
Barbie in contrast seems to prioritize accessibility. She is an icon. Everyone knows who she is and what she's about. Everyone wants her. And Mattel makes sure that Barbie is available all over the world. I think one of the reason's Barbie has such a tightly controlled budget is due to Mattel wanting to avoid cases where the dolls end up costing extraordinary amounts of money outside of the US. You don't get BS like with MGA where a Rainbow High doll will cost 75 dollars in some countries. A Barbie fashionista is going to be under 20 dollars. This is just a lot more accessible than what a lot of other doll brands can manage.
Likewise when you appeal to the masses you have to appeal to what the masses want. What most parents want from Barbie is a doll that reflects what being a normal woman is like. They want a Barbie line that is diverse, wears things most women wear. They don't want high fashion. Like it or not, high fashion is alienating for a lot of people. fantastical outfits are fine here and there, but the priority will be normalcy.
It might seem strange to say. But Mattel knows what it's audience wants. Even if it's disappointing for long time fans. I say this as someone who is a former American girl collector.
I always assumes it was because of the “too girly” backlash bc of the huge contrast between biy and Girl toy’s.
@@MoonlitwatersofaquaYou perfectly described why I always thought of the American Girl brand as being a bit “snobby.” I’m not sure they even had them when I was a kid, but I definitely would have ignored them if they did.
"Aesthetically challenged" sent me to the moon
Gives me the same energy as “sonically rotten”
@@one-onessadhalf3393ooh was that a Katya quote?
Timestamp? Lmaoo
@@shayne369 6:12
@@shayne369 6:12
I like Integrity but they exude such a “you can’t sit with us” attitude
Haha I say this all the time, totally agree. They have resting judgey face ( I realized you mean the company, I agree with that too)
I think they have gotten better in the past few years, at least with having more videos and information about how to join. The W Club registration is still open until March 18th for this year, and there is a video explaining the process if you go to their website.
My unpopular opinion is that we need more disability representation in fashion dolls. Most toys that provide that representation aren’t really designed to be cool. Like Barbie has those fashionistas ( but they aren’t in playsets or themed lines), Frankie and Twyla ( which I love!), and Lottie(not sure if some are still sold and I feel like the main gimmick is that “they’re different! Teach your child empathy!”) I also feel like most disabled dolls are really childlike. I just want more cool, fashionable dolls that just so happen to be disabled!
YES!! A cunty Bratz doll with a blinged out wheelchair would be EVERYTHING
I definitely wish disability was treated less like a token to say “We are inclusive!” And more as part of a doll if that makes sense? Like I love Frankie because their prosthetic is part of the fashion yk? I feel like that goes for any of the MH dolls so far with more inclusive designs, like Twyla coming with headphones or earbuds that match her whole aesthetic. Barbie has dolls in wheel chairs and prosthetic but they are usually so bland and tacky and feel kind of… infantilized… like let our girl’s wheel chair be bedazzled or if she’s a gothy gal maybe it sort of looks like a creepy carriage or idk if she’s needy maybe let her have rockets instead of wheels or something lol. I wish disabilities were given the same love and attention as a standard fashion doll. Same with other aspects of inclusivity
Lots of people view those of us with disabilities as less of a true person. If you have been disabled since childhood and/or birth it's even worse because everyone who knew since then is prone to continue you like a child even more than a non-disabled young adult has to deal with. I can't understand for the life of me why people in general seem to think those with disabilities can't be an adult mentally but I've accepted that those folks are just that dumb, ignorant, and/or ableist and done my best to move on with life. It can be fantastically frustrating though
@Aros4 totally agree! I’m autistic and Twyla is a great character but I would love headphones for her.Why can’t the wheelchair Barbie have cool rides. Like Barbie literally collaborated a few years ago with Izzywheels, a wheelchair cover company that makes them designed to be cute! Like Barbie’s a fashion girl, why would her wheelchair be plain?
absolutely! this comment reminded me of what i believe was a prototype rainbow high part that was never implemented for a doll- it was a prosthetic leg, with the doll it was photographed on being michelle, and some people believe that she mightve been initially designed with it before it was ditched before going to shelves (a theory i kinda lean towards, given the legs mold n color both fit michelles aesthetic n set color). its a small random thing, but fashion dolls actually including disability in their fashion, not just in it being an 'oh yeah heres a wheelchair btw' but it actually being designed to fit the vibe, its such an underutilized thing thats rarely seen- the only stylized wheelchairs i can even think of are finnigans and pisces from the zodiac girls dolls, otherwise theyre very by the books. give us characters with custom wheel covers on their wheelchairs, stickers and fun molds on their canes, ear protectors with cute add ons! we can make glasses fun n fashionable, why not other accessibility devices?
I just don't know who the Kylie Jenner dolls are for? I don't know if there's that much overlap between adult doll collectors and Kylie Jenner fans, and I don't think kids care about Kylie Jenner.
That whole family is "famous for being famous" and I would never give them a nickel of my money.
@linphillips8331 I don't really have anything against them but I don't see the appeal.
Also, the packaging is awful tbh
Aren't they famous for the kinds of things kids shouldn't even know about?
I also never saw Bratz as Y2K. It's just a streetwear/urban fashion doll line, not specifically Y2K.
oh my god i WISH there were some true goth dolls. i'm goth and i'm honestly getting into doll customizing just because none of them are close to the fashion i like
Same
The only goth dolls i know are bleeding edge goths and some living dead dolls
This. I also wear Gothic Lolita Fashion and can find some representation in Pullip dolls or easily alter them slightly to fit the aesthetic I'm looking for. I've started getting monster high dolls to destroy for the purpose as well lol
I fully agree with the opinion that Magic Mixies Pixlings need to be made available without that huge plastic jug. I have three of them and will not buy more because the plastic waste makes me feel too bad.
I only have one and I want all of them but omg those plastic bottles take so much space and throwing them away feels so yucky 😩
I’m thinking of maybe redecorating them and pretending they each live in a cute magic bottle that reflects their own designs. Or repurposing some other way. :/
@@four_girls_in_search_of_awesom I’ve wanted to do this too but like, I don’t have the tiiiiime 😩
@@four_girls_in_search_of_awesom
I imagine people more creative than me could make little fairy homes out of the bottles or something. I just don't get why the bottles have to be so big in the first place.
I have one right now and I display her in it. The liquid potion unboxing thing is a right faff though. It took me half an hour to get my doll
Out.
The thing of people wanting Bratz to be Y2K in 2024 drives me up a wall. The point has always been incorporating current trends. WHYYY would they be Y2K!
Because Y2K IS the current trend? Has been for the last 2 years.
@@EmbalmerEmi Y2K is a micro trend that peaked on tiktok like 3+ years ago. That is not the mainstream trend right now or how most people dress
@@ducky19991 I'm not saying they should exclusively dress Y2K but it takes years to design dolls and actually produce them and trends are very short lived these days. Not sure how they're supposed to stay "current".
@@EmbalmerEmi absolutely I think we’re on the same page, I just don’t think modern bratz should be all Y2K like the person in the video said…
@equinoxflowersofcenturysen5881 yep definitely. I actually love Y2K fashion but I would hate to hold the brand back and keep them stuck in the past
I totally agree about more fantasy/whimsical dolls and doll fashions but diversity, whether it be body or racial diversity, is totally important! Everyone deserves to see themselves or parts of themselves in their pretty dolls! But yeah it is disappointing that Barbie does a good job with this and then puts everyone in really boring clothes.
The goth dolls you showed didn't even look THAT goth to me so I can definitely understand what you're talking about people not actually wanting a real goth doll
I want a real goth doll.
The male doll thing I completely agree with! I wish male dolls had more interesting fashions, more brands need to experiment with their male characters and give them more outfits than like.. a gray plaid hoodie and jeans. This is the reason why Kieran Valentine from Monster High is to date one of my favorite dolls ever made. His fashion is masculine (suit with a vest and such) but the rose embroidery and heart-shaped buckles on his boots make him so interesting!
As an MLP collector that loves Equestria Girls for how truly awful they are, I think the elite doll of the whole line is definitely Rainbow Rocks Trixie. She's the most thoughtfully designed and has a bunch of cute details. Sure, I'm not crazy about the belt and hat being plastic, but other than that she is aMAzing.
I found her at a thrift store once and I still treasure her
I'm a weirdo who preferred the redesigned Equestria girls dolls. I know their heads were big but I feel like that if Hasbro had started with them people would have been fine with it.
exactly!! bratz are not “y2k dolls” they are dolls that debuted in the 2000s! 22:09
So,Y2K Dolls?
@@ghostprince4284 You're not dense enough to not know the difference. Well, if you are, I'm sorry.
@@BillyVell Boo-Effing-Hoo! I Said What I Said Regardless,So You Can Go Bother Someone Else With Your🐊😭.
@@ghostprince4284 just loud and wrong
@@fyloeru YAWN! Are You People Really This Triggered Over A MF Doll Line For Little Girls? I 💕 BRATZ Too,But I'm Not Like Obsessed With Them. I Had An Opinion And Shared It,WTF Is The Problem?😒 What Is The ☕ Girl?
Regarding the boy dolls getting more fun/fem clothes, i conversely wish there were more female dolls with masculine clothes (and not just hoodies). Give me a girl doll with wide leg jeans and a plaid button down and I'll give you my money (she said as a 90s kid who wore her JNCOs until they were unwearable throughout school).
I never once thought of that but YES OMG the amount of doll hoodies that exist in general is just to low!
I’d love that too but I’m also kind of afraid of the possibility that the conversations have been had at the creation level at Mattel but I’m also fairly confident that they’ve also weight the possibility that the vocal backlash from the conservative parents of America would loudly and explicitly accuse Mattel of grooming children. So it’s just easier and safer for them to make male dolls “boy-ish” and the female dolls “girl-ish”. Cuz at the end of the day that doll is what ever the person holding it wants it to be but I do wish we lived in a world where diversity didn’t mean “straight/white erasure”
YES
The take about Always Bratz being bad because Bratz should only be about 2000's fashion is insane lol. Imagine if someone said "I don't like Barbie from other decades because she doesn't have that 60's charm"... If you only care about them due to 2000's nostalgia, that's fine I guess, but you shouldn't expect for anyone else to feel that way and for the line to not evolve in any way...
agreeeeeed
I agree completely.
this is how i feel about barbie people who are like "why isn't she a y2k baddie anymore ugh" like... she can still go back to being glam without having to specifically be 2000s. it's just nostalgia talking at this point
They literally have reproductions for the people who want nostalgia. I too prefer the 2000s look, so I know that the repros will definitely be for me. Especially that meygan sweet heart repro! I also like some of the new always bratz dolls. They aren’t that far off from early 2000s fashion either so…
My collection is mostly made up of 90s and 2000s Barbies (as well as her sisters), but that's definitely not the only reason why they're in my collection.
My daughter is 3 and her favorite Barbie iteration is Life in The Dreamhouse. Same girl. Same.
You are raising her good 👍💖
she's so real for this absolutely impeccable taste
stop everything my favourite microscopic single cell influencer posted a new video 🙏
My unpopular opinion is that Ever After High was better than Monster High. I prefer the aesthetic, world building, and storyline of EAH. Absolutely a shame that it died (sorta kinda) because of Descendants.
In the Princess and the Pauper issue: it's the voice acting and music and quote-ability that set it apart. Specially for those of us that saw it in other languages. When I tell you that the soundtrack in Spanish slaps so much harder than in English I mean it. And Erica and Preminger, Erica is THE most relatable Barbie movie character of the era for like 99.9% of people and is a brunette on top of that! And Premiger is basically carrying the movie.
30:16 THANK YOU! I saw a girl going off on tiktok about how in box collectors only care about value and don't collect for the "right reasons" with a bunch of people in her comments agreeing. And YET, I see people go coocoo bananas for NIB vintage collector items. As an in box collector, I just like knowing that I have everything that item came with, and often times the packaging is just as cute as the product! I thrift unboxed items for my collection and love them, but I view my new purchases as maintaining the history of the item for the future. It's a personal preference for me and my collection-the same as unboxed is other people's preference.
not a super dedicated doll collector but i think a great example is novi stars boxes, literally gorgeous it felt like a luxury item when i used to see them in store
I do a bit of both, depending on the doll and how much space I have. I can totally see the in-box perspective, and I never thought about the fact that we need some in-box collectors for a good secondary market supply.
I am mostly an out of box collector but I do have a few inbox and I agree that the box adds to the beauty of the doll…The artwork and the way the clothes and accessories are displayed makes a difference 😍
I've found keeping some of my dolls in box, at least temporarily. is just more relaxing. I don't have to worry about losing stuff or damage occurring.
yea it all depends on what you want to do with them. I prefer to redress my dolls so I always unbox them. Plus the unboxing experience is so nostalgic to me.
I don't understand why people buy dolls that they don't like. There's a lot of collectors just straight up admitting that they hate dolls that are part of their collection, I guess they have the necessity to have *all* the dolls from one doll line or something, but it just seems dumb to me.
I know someone that bought the Collector's Rochelle doll and they literally told me that they didn't like how she look in any of her pics (both stock photos and the ones taken by people who bought her), but he still got her anyways.
I'm just ????
THIS OMG. I never understood why people spend hundreds of dollars on dolls they know they don't like, only to lose money selling them or giving them away later. Like who has that kind of money? I understand some people have OCD or problems with hoarding (which some collectors need to admit to themselves), but it feels sometimes like people get these dolls just because other people are and they want to have content on social media.
Yea I don't get being a completionist.
I only buy dolls I really love
Yeah I don't really get this either, to me it seems like at a certain point if the collection outweighs the joy it brings you're just turning into an addict. Cause like why is there a compulsion to buy something you genuinely dislike at that price level????
For me if I get 6 out of 7 of a line I will feel an itch in my brain to get the last one even if I hate it. It's a curse. I'm currently experiencing this with Fantastic Fashion Amaya.
totally agree. i see this not just for dolls but for most big collector things like pops, action figures, etc. and it just makes no sense to me. i only have so much space and so much money, i want to use it wisely on things that genuinely make me happy!
On the topic of boy dolls, one of the selling points of G3 MH is body diversity so I'm extremely upset that all that g3 boys have the same body mold(with no chest articulation to top it off like the girls which I absolutely LOVE it gives them that perfect oof✨ in posing them💕). I feel like if the boys had noticeable bodytypes like with the ghouls, they'd be more daring with exploring away the from the typical masculine designs they keep going back too.
I say this because Heath should not have been as tall as Abbey istg😭 Mattel are cowards for not giving us the short king that he is
Heath definitely should've been shorter and he should not be as buff as Clawd - man is a stick
Heaths clothing also just disappointed me
literally! oh my gosh when i tell you i dont think i've ever seen a boy doll thats not the generic muscle body (thats non-customized anyways) pleaseee give us body diversity for the boys in g3
Heath is one of the only G3 dolls I don't have yet. Give us a better Heath, cowards!
The boys should have diverse bodies like the girls. I agree!
you will NEVER catch me unboxing my dead tired lagoona with the hydration station. i'm just getting a pre-owned one to set up next to her heheheh
If you're dressing a doll with non removable hands put the corner of a plastic bag on their hand and put the clothes right on
Or some washi/masking tape :)
Boy dolls need more diversity, hair alone. I shouldn't be able to count the number of long hairstyles on one hand across ALL doll brands. 😂 like don't get me wrong, I love a fade, its my go to hairstyle when I'm itching for something new, but it's like every time?
I prefer to unbox my dolls, because they don’t take up as much room as they would being kept in their boxes.
Me too!
Did we forget the majority if not all fashion dolls back at the 60s to 2000s didnt have much articulation 😭 wasnt that part of why monster high become a litreal beast-it made articulation basically a requirment
Saying bratz r overrated bcus they dont have much articulation is to me just a lil..dumb
Not all dolls need articulation to be good-look at begoths & LDD they have very little articulation yet the dolls are so insainly high quailty and beautiful even by todays standereds
The only huge flaw w lack of articulation is like you said-its diffcult to dress a doll w/o ripping a hole cus u cant remove the hands
As a kid I hated dolls with articulation because I thought they look unnatural lol, only as an adult I prefer articulation
I absolutely love my Bratz Girlz Really Rock Jade but poor thing can't change tops due to having fishnet sleeves. She's one of the few Bratz that I wish had easily detachable limbs. I grew up in the 2000s so articulation wasn't really a consideration back then. I did have a ballerina Barbie with extra articulation but hated her due to the different body material and extremely loose joints
@@Jhud69I hated articulation as a kid because I thought the knee and elbow joints were ugly. I would have to dress them in long sleeves and pants.
But I was a kid in the 90's so the only articulated dolls were like Gymnast Barbie.
The joints don't bother me anymore though. I prefer articulation now but its not a deal breaker at all.
I found the reason why they didnt like Bratz weird too, but as a kid I really did not like them either. However it was because of their face - they looked so uncanny to me. I was really surprised as an adult to hear they were so loved! But lack of articulation was never an issue to me.
@@Jhud69 I was the opposite lol, once MH came out I started preferring them over Barbie/Bratz partially because they were always articulated (and therefore easier to pose like I wanted them to when I was playing).
8:50 what did you do with those Barbillion dollars Mattel???
I wish more doll brands could figure out they can incorporate elements of diverse body shapes/types whilst not being "realistic", or even if they're based in realism actually making their fat dolls FASHIONABLE. It's so annoying some brands (barbara.....looking at you) half the time think the height of fat fashion dolls is a sack dress.
Since I buy the dolls for the clothing, I don’t really care about body diversity. I think it’s great for other collectors, but I like to redress my dolls. And I agree. Barbie doesn’t put in the effort for chubby dolls, or any of their play line dolls to be honest. The unpainted details on shoes and printed on details on clothing such as zippers etc
I really want a curvy doll, but getting clothing for her that I like would be such a pain that I haven't bought one yet 🫤
@@MsLanieIf you see one that you love buy her anyway just to promote the curvy ones continuing in production as well as the facemold/faceup if they're less common. There has to be some good clothes out there, especially on Etsy I'd assume. (I'd suggest the clothes packs but I'm assuming you don't care for any of the Mattel official aesthetics since they do have a lot of clothes that would fit.) You can always leave her naked for a while lol.
@@DoveJS My issue is that I'm just finishing a PhD and can't spend a lot on the clothes or the dolls right now. I bought I haul of affordable doll clothing from Barwa (some of which is very cute) and my mom found some of the clothing from when I was a kid, but it all only fits original Barbie and dolls of that size. It doesn't even fit recent Disney dolls! If I find one I really like, I just won't unbox her until I have more clothes for her.
As a trans man I would love more boy dolls who played somewhere in between the “het boyfriend arm candy” and “full on woman” gender binary dolls are allowed to exist in. Basically I would like doll makers to care a little bit about people like me I guess.
You may not know that Mattel did the Creatable World doll line in 2019. It was playline, with child dolls. However, the quality of the outfits was great. The concept was novel for Mattel, and they seemed to put quite a lot of money into it (nice packaging, full diversity in skin tones). Maybe the biggest weakness (besides some parents' opinions) was that the wigs which went over the dolls' short hair didn't look very good. Whatever the reason, it doesn't seem like the line sold well, and it was short-lived. Again, though, not the same as a true fashion doll.
This is so real. I feel like the trans-masc doll collecting world is so small and quiet... There's like 3 of us out here it feels like😅
I agree doll collecting is lonely. I have no one to share it with. My daughter doesn't see the point. But since discoverimg u-tube and all the content creators i now feel part of the community as a way to interact especially when my questions or comments are answered. It is fun to share.
It brings me joy that you’ve found joy as well in this community!! As for doll collecting being lonely, I completely get what you mean, but as long as it makes you happy, and if fulfilling, that’s what matters
Thanks so much for your reply. Means a lot to me.
I think as boring as it would look and as hard as it would make having the dolls hold objects they come with that doll lines with no wrist articulation or removable hands should give their hands a flatter pose
The amount of times I had to struggle for hours to put a tiny jacket on a doll because of the positioning of their pinky and thumb is staggering and it only gets worse when they’re manicured
i think the box/inbox thing is just a matter of preference. as an inbox person, i've come to prefer it as i don't have the energy to work w them all the time, i usually just pose them and display them and don't touch them again. it's also enticing bcuz it means the doll doesn't risk collecting dust for being on display for so long (again, i don't have energy to dust them all the time). also the boxes look nice too :] if i ever get a case or somewhere they wont get so dusty, i would certainly remove them from the box
I found some Diva Starz thrifting and was so excited. The look on my boyfriend's face when I showed them to him 😂
As a graphic designer, I love putting my dolls in boxes and even designing boxes for them but I also love playing around with them, which sometimes means that I would have to get two or three of the same doll 😂
Princess Charm School is my favorite Barbie Movie too! The 2010s movies are VERY hit or miss but Princess Charm School is the best one by far
Unpopular opinion possibly; Life in the Dreamhouse version of Raquelle needs to come back (it was cool to have a likeable and memorable Barbie frenemy) and we need a Ryan doll!
This should NOT be an underrated opinion but I want to everyone to know: Barbie Mariposa has the best 3D model look in all the franchise.
Thank you for using my Frog Face Sailor Moon opinion! I agree that the pretty face dolls are so gorgeous, especially that last half of the dolls, but I wanted to show love to my older dolls too. ❤
on the pixlings front, the unboxing thing also gets the little paper collector's guide thing wet
16:54 anyone who wants a cursed image seared into their brain should look up the nendoroid Barbie. They gave her a Millie sculpt head and I die laughing every single time I think about it.
I looked her up,I don't think she looks cursed but since japanese dolls tend to have closed mouths she does come off a bit awkward.
@@EmbalmerEmi as someone who has a small collection of Nendoroids I think it’s jarring to see the Barbie head on that tiny body. It makes me laugh every time I think of it
On the top of male dolls - I don’t like the plastic head sculpts. GIVE MEN BRUSH-ABLE HAIR TOO! There are exceptions such as Deuce for Monster High as an example. But like Ken he can have brush able hair! Or black male dolls with their different textures ! Or even having a male character with waist long hair!
As far as I understand, the main reason most boy dolls have sculpted hair is because rooted hair is hard to make look good when it's short
When a doll doesn't have removable hands and I need to get their hands through a sleeve I take a bit of the thicker cardboard/paper from the packaging and roll it up around the hand and forearms to make it a smooth tube shape where the fingers are contained to stop them snagging fabric and bending the wrong way.
The sleeves slide right on, pull out the tube, mission accomplished.
y'know what i think my ideal doll line would be? a line of male dolls with a variety of body types wearing distinctly feminine fashions, and maybe even feminine alternative fashions like egl. but like, they're just male dolls wearing dresses styled to look good on them, but not in a drag way, just in a regular man in a dress way. i could possibly see integrity toys or a company like that being down for this
Oh damn I didn’t think my opinion was gonna get shared 😂❤️
I’m glad I’m not the only one with the same sentiments on Kylie, and I distinctly remember seeing her all over the teen magazines I used to read up until her cosmetic surgeries. She just never seemed to have a definite personality without it being attached to her older sisters. To me she’s always gonna be Kim Jr, head to toe.
Yes! Equestria Minis were so cute! That being said they're a failure as toys. The accessories were so so tiny and dolls' joints were very stiff and broke after light play. Every time I get an used lot of them some will have superglued joints.
my unpopular opinion is that most monster high g1 stan’s don’t actually like the outfits better, it’s solely the art style they like, i mean let’s be real if u actually look at a lot of g1 outfits they’re lowkey ugly and not even close to as “emo” or “goth” as people claim they are, if you drew those exact outfits in the g3 style the g1 stan’s would be like “ewww i hate those outfits!!” and vice versa if you drew g3 outfits in the g1 style they’d love them, that’s not to say g1 sucks and g3 is perfect, in fact i think they’re pretty equal in overall design quality with the same amounts of hits and misses
also to touch on my point about g1 not being as alternative as people remember, i think the core dolls are the most alternative they ever got 😭 but in general they’re no more emo and especially not goth than anything g3 has put out, again it’s just that art style that makes people perceive them more alternative than they are
I agree it turns me off the way Integrity does things. You have to pay a lot to be a member and then go into a lottery for a chance to buy a very expensive doll.
Why can't they just do preorders and let everyone who wants to buy one, like Mattel does sometimes.
Omg the articulation point. SO AGREE. Dolls aren’t worse by their lack of articulation and articulation isn’t something to expect or think is superior because it is not. If you complaint about articulation, you are a young collector and we can tell:’D
Congrats on goin strong for 3 years!
If i May throw my hat into this ring (in case of a sequel vid) we need more anthro dolls like pinkie cooper and catwalk kitties, i dont mind human dolls but the market would just have more variety if ideas like that could be real (imagine an anthro equivalent of american girl, that would be so cool)
Also, does anyone remember any stuffed animals with poseable wire frames on the inside? Ive looked into it and there were quite a few in the 2000s, i know at least like five off the top of my head(barbie pose me pets, the bratz petz line, tini puppini, kitty 'tude, and glamkats). I kinda wish theyd make a comeback, or at least have more people talk about them since theyre pretty cool!
Anyeay rant over thanx for readin 😅
Agreed! I love Calico Critters/Sylvanian Families for being very cute little anthros, and their outfits are lovely, but there’s only so much “fashion” you can do on such little creatures. Plus, very fashion-forward outfits would really clash with their timeless cottagecore vibe. I would love more anthro fashion dolls with more Barbie-like dimensions!
I totally agree with the Sailor Moon opinion the original 95-97 North American dolls did actually have a lot of playability to them like light up tiaras, spinning stands, and extra bonus outfits. Here's my unpopular opinion, Spectra and Aurora dolls are very underrated and I think they deserve a second chance.
Cammy, I'm about as big of a foreigner to the doll fandom as you can get, but I've fallen in love with your channel. The passion with which you talk about these dolls keeps me hooked and has sparked a fascination I never would have imagined I'd have. Your outfits are always really cute, too. Keep up the good work!
As for my unpopular opinion... I think there should be a line of furry dolls. Like not just kemonomimis, full anthros with snouts. Monster High is a step in the right direction, but an actually furry fashion doll would easily get me into the hobby.
Have you heard of Catwalk Kitties or Pinkie Cooper? They're unfortunately pretty hard to find, but they're good examples of some anthro fashion dolls! Or Peteena! She's pretty vintage.
Oh dang, I haven't! I'll have to give them a gander, thank you so much for the recommendations! :D
I absolutely agree that the g2 mh thing is something that you had to be there for to understand why it was so unpopular. There's a ton of context regarding how it was announced, when it was announced, the fact that it was basically caving into all the complaints about G1 being "too scary" etc. That make the whole debacle make much more sense.
Congratulations for your 3 year anniversary!!!!! May you have many more to come!!!
I think a Paris Hilton Bratz collaboration would do really good when I think of a fashion icon I think Paris Hilton and Paris Hilton was big the same time as the Bratz so I think it would be perfect ❤❤
9:32 this is such a common thing with online communities for hobbies, I see it with video games all the time (don’t see it with online crafts communities tho so they stay winning)
I was 11 when I first saw g2 and even though I was growing out of my watching the movies and playing with the dolls phase I did not like g2 very much. I WANTED to like it because I loved monster high, but i knew something was off, it was like monster high uncanny valley 😭 I remember they did a promotion thing with subway and I was just so puzzled as to why everyone had such wavey hair all of a sudden😭
21:43 if whoever said this read my comment now, just letting you know, you're one of the reasons bratz never got a chance outside of "2000s" style. people who only see bratz as y2k icons will never be able to appreciate new concepts and ideas because they always limit the direction in which bratz should follow. literally gives the same vibe as those people who say barbie should stop dressing glamorously and always be casual and relatable.
As for the magic pixlings, I have a 3 year old sister and she loves specifically because she loves the potion making lol. I bought myself one for Christmas and she was so excited over it I’ve started buying them for her too. We use the potion bottles to make mud potions in the backyard. But we also only have 3? (Four technically but one holds some of my kandi beads and it’s terrible for it but I needed something) I’m definitely hesitant to keep buying them because I feel bad throwing the bottles away but how many does a 3 year old need?
I use my bottle to display the doll.
The one talking about goth dolls reminded me of those Living Dead dolls they used to sell in Hot Topic. And now I want one so bad haha!
so glad to see someone calling out the brand stanning!! i see soo many people going to bat for mga and such, acting like they can do no wrong or coming up with excuses for why there's a perfectly valid justification for a less popular choice they've made, when they're literal companies who do not care about some random doll account defending them 😭 these are always the people who encourage the 'doll war' too and want one company to buy or destroy the other and it's like... you *want* a monopoly?
happy channelversary!! i love getting to watch all of your videos, you have such a relatable vibe and i love how you present topics! i don't think i have any super unpopular opinions on dolls (i opened the form and ended up sitting there for like ten minutes trying to think of something LMAO). i think the appeal of princess and the pauper is a lot of people who grew up with it now look back at it as a sapphic fantasy tbh i've rewatched it with my friends as adults and all of us spoke about how we ship them now that we're aware of how queer we ourselves are. primenger is also a very funny character to make thirst edits for, the primenger edit set to "hair, nails, hips, heels" plays on repeat in my head in bed at night.
my POPULAR opinion is that my local walmart are cowards for refusing to carry monster high dolls for being too goth or whatever. they carried them throughout g1 & g2, but upon g3's release we only got the first wave of core dolls and skulltimate secrets. then CRICKETS!!! they are fools.
You like challenged all those opinions in such a mature way. Idk why it kinda blew me away ahaha 😂 good work 🎉
Darling, will you ever show us a collection video? ❤ We see your cute little set up every video! I'm sure alot of us are curious to see more of your fav dollies!
Cammy, you need to drop a ranking of the Barbie movie. I’m here for the drama.
Omg the Magic Mixies Pixlings opinion is mine!!! So glad u agree, i hate the waste of it all. Love the vid babes!!
I always say exactly this lol “the stakes could not be lower. it is not that serious” when discussing doll opinions
I’m one of your loyal subscribers and I am don’t even collect dolls, I just love your style, passion and content. Keep doing what you do, we love you for it x
My controversial opinion: doll companies that make dolls with vitiligo pat themselves on the back for "representation," but they picked vitiligo because it's an aesthetically interesting skin condition. Like, if they really want to be diversity trailblazers? They'd do cystic acne or psoriasis or something that can't be made to look "artistic." They won't, because those wouldn't sell well, and that's okay. I don't blame them. But they don't deserve the "representation" points people assign them and that they try to assign themselves.
Psoriasis having dolls would be so special
Happy 3RD Anniversary! Don't think this is a hot take, but Lolirock needed fashion dolls, such a missed opportunity. I only ever say plastic figures, so if they do exist, I never saw them. A series that needs to do better with their dolls is Miraculous Lady bug and Chat Noir.
Agreed on all fronts. Lolirock needed dolls. I would have bought a Talia doll.
I'm both an in box and out of box collector. It really depends on what doll and box display quality for whether or not I'll unbox. I refuse to remove SDCC Cedar from her box because the display looks so fantastic and I'd not even come close to it if she was removed from her boxed prison.
I don't understand the infighting for inbox/out if box. Like you said the latter is so important for the ecosystem. The former is as well because it can inform us of longevity quality that in box might not see immediately (eg. Glue head, sdcc frankie's skin turning blue bc of the fabric dye transferring, etc.)
I can't think of any time I've had an issue with a doll's hands falling off and getting lost, but boy do I feel like I need to start lifting when I try to take doll hands on or off- whenever I'm redressing any of my RH girls I have to get my brother to help me with the hands. Those things aren't going anywhere, they could stand to make them a bit easier to remove lol
I big agree w the point about in-box collectors! While I prefer taking things out of the box for decorating & posing, I also have a disease which makes me want to remember how things looked in the packaging, & I am grateful for box collectors for preserving that!
I think gen2 mh was ok, I (and I think most people) would probably have liked them if they hadn't come right after gen1. Gen 1 was immensely superior, but if wasn't for the comparison, Gen 2 would be nice
Have you done a Barbie movie rating video? I loved your little insights on all the doll movies in this video XD
as an avid Licca/Jenny collector I gotta clarify that, yes, Playline Licca/Jenny may have cheap printed clothes and what not but if you order from Licca Castle/Little Factory Licca or Jenny friends dolls and clothing, you get hand painted faces and hand made clothes using various quality fabrics that are geared to adult collector demo. check em out!!!😘
I felt the Pixlings take. I have four and the pile of useless plastic I end up with after just one is downright disgusting. I think the bottles are pretty(especially Wynter's) and I keep them as display items, and YET there's so much trash. But I totally get why people hate the bottles.
Front face Sailor Pluto is my holy grail item and I finally found her for a good price!
I stumbled onto your account sometime round the Barbie movie. I don't collect dolls, but I really love your videos and vibe, it's real comfort content when it's been a long day at work. Thrilled you're still enjoying making videos and doing well, it's deserved success!
As someone a few years older than you (and probably a lot of people here tbh lol) I stopped watching Barbie movies after they stopped doing fairy tales. Like, even the mermaid or fairytopia ones weren’t my cup of tea but after the stories started to just be about girls in the modern day I just was completely uninterested. lol and I was 14 or 15 and still keeping up with the releases so it’s not like I just then grew out of the movies. I even loved the Christmas Carol one and I was already considered “too old” for that.
I think we need a doll line centered around cute robots. The dolls that come to my mind are 2 Monster High and 3 Novi Stars which isn't a lot. As an autist with a fascination with robots I just have a unscratched itch for a series I could obssess over
I don't understand why does the internet portray Monster High as this super edgy goth doll line, when first of all, it seems to borrow more from scene or "hottopiccore" than the actual goth subculture and it's mostly the first wave that's like this. The later series were just colorful outfits with a ton of wild themed patterns. I wish there were more doll lines that portray many alternative styles accurately
I love your videos. I liked the part in this one where you talked about dolls being inbox or out of the box. I always like to unbox my dolls, because I love looking at them and seeing what they look and feel like. When I open a new doll, I enjoy feeling if there is tactile detail on them, and it is cool how there are so many dolls of my favorite characters. Besides, me being blind, I feel like there is really no point in keeping a doll in the box, when I know I really wanted it and I want to know what it looks like. I have some dolls displayed on stands and others in bins. I always enjoy collecting dolls of my favorite characters. I have a lot of Monster High, Rainbow High, Disney, and horror dolls.
The Bratz feet have always given me a weird feeling. 😂
I like them. It was always annoying how Barbie shoes fell off so much and got lost
Except it sucks with the Bratz sandals how you need to match the skintone.
30:46 I have a distinct memory of talking to my neighborhood friend about how much I HATED the change, and we were a part of the target audience. Everyone I interacted with said G2 was not it. It would only get worse when I went to target to see those shelves overflowing with G2 dolls collecting dust.
I agree with both takes on Bratz, but I feel like a huge reason why they’re even back was because of the original styling of the OGs’ and always bratz low key dashes that.
Boy dolls need to be more cunty for sure.
When I think fashion icon I’m seeing zendaya; if she had a bratz I think it would look fabulous
Lalaloopsy is my sweet spot, part cute, part creepy. Heaven.
Hi, I enjoy your "unpopular opinions " videos. Just so witty and funny 😆. I am population 10% that does like RH Amaya, Bratz dolls are cute, but not for me, Barbie's Milly face is fine, even though i dont tend to buy her 😄. Buying from an integrity toys doll dealer can be stressful, but most are very friendly. Integrity toys is not an exclusive club, it just has a limited access point to obtain dolls. Anyone can join the W club, enrollment occurs once a year. They dont mass produce dolls for multiple reasons, and most W club members voiced they prefer limited editions.
I am so genuinely thankful for all the work you do to share your hobby. It's weird to say, but the person I was before doll collecting and after starting is so different. I was struggling immensely before, I was trying to recover from a traumatic experience and the subsequent dissociation, and trying to fit in to a life that seemed more and more unfamiliar. I was really losing my sense of identity and I was depressed.
I watched your videos and loved seeing the dolls and hearing you talk about them in such a fun yet analytical way. I've always been fascinated by both art and marketing and I fell in love with it all. I had denied myself anything overtly feminine even as a young child (I am transgender and it felt like being effeminate made it impossible for me to be a man). I finally worked up the courage to go buy Meena Fleur while at the mall one day. My friends thought it was odd, my parents thought it was weird, but I thought she was so beautiful and I was so proud of myself for doing something for me and accepting that it was okay to like things people called strange or childish.
Doll collecting was just the start. It felt so good to just do what I wanted without caring about judgement, and I kind of turned my whole perspective around. People would ask if I collected to "heal my inner child" and I disagree, this is one of the best things I've ever done for current, young adult me.
Seeing people like you helped me see myself. I started expressing my interests and experiences with hyperfixation, gender, and identity. I got diagnosed with ADHD (I may also be autistic?) and found community in people with similar interests and diagnosis and started seeing myself as acceptable and respectable. Now I can talk openly about my interests and how they've inspired me to decide to study business and marketing in college.
So yeah, it's just toys, it's just UA-cam, it's just an interest, but your work has been a crucial part in me finally taking a leap of faith and finding myself underneath all the fear and expectations and critics.
Thank you.
First off, congrats on the anniversary.
Secondly, the pricing comment I agree on, as a primarily transformers collector. Pricing is insane, but again, most people don't care so "vote with your wallet" really doesn't work. Also the in-box vs unbox debate is another one that's kinda one I'm familiar with in other spaces. with dolls, if it's a "limited collector's edition" or something, yeah, I'd say keep in box, personally, but I wouldn't be buying those anyway. Mainline, regular releases, there's no point to keep in the box really, though I know dolls' clothes can heavily degrade if not stored properly so that is a reason. Still, so much room taken, and you can't "enjoy" the thing you paid so much money for besides staring at it.
Darling Dollz I’m so glad you mentioned Bleeding Edge Goth dolls. Do you have any and if not have you seen any up close? I am considering purchasing one but they do not come cheap! I am interested in finding out if they are worth their price in terms of quality. I already know I love their style. I collect LDDs as well as fashion dolls. I love SH and although they are by no means alternative in the traditional sense, they are edgey in my opinion. I’ve restyled some of my SH to make them a bit more alternative but not drastically. I totally agree with your sentiments on boy dolls. Imagine Rex McQueen and Ash Silverstone in something more stylish and flamboyant, yassss!
Thanks for another awesome video
i don’t collect dolls, but i *do* collect plush (webkinz!) and i *love* watching your videos! i’ve been watching for at least a year now and i love all of the hot take and opinion videos, it’s like i’m hearing from the other side of the toy collecting aisle about what’s what.
i fully 100% agree with what you said on box collectors. from my webkinz perspective-i might not “get” the people who keep the tag on their ‘kinz since i prefer to use mine, but i buy my new-with-tag ‘kinz from collectors who keep the tags on! we’re all collecting together and it’s none of my beeswax how other collectors store their stuff.
My two unpopular opinions (i think):
1- I prefer pink lagoona over the g1, as a kid i used to forget She was part of the Main cast and as an adult i just think she is kinda basic but pink lagoona stands out more to me
2- The Winx dolls (all of them) did the desings dirty, specially the transformations like Harmonix or belivix
I’m agree about the articulation, I don’t understand the current obsession with the Made to Move dolls, almost all the fashion dolls made from the 60s to the 2000s had the 5 basic points plus the bendable legs and it was fine
Not all dolls need 20 points of articulation
My unpopular opinion about the Barbie movies:
Mermaid Tale is overrated!
I seriously don’t understand why the Barbie fandom love it so much, it’s bad, the aesthetic is terrible, Merliah is a bad protagonist, her dolls weren’t that great
I get that we all love mermaids but actually Merliah don’t love the be a mermaid in both movies
The Pearl Princess is the BEST mermaid Barbie movie
It’s the only one that truly show us the beauty of being a mermaid and life under the sea, and the Lumina doll is gorgeous
27:51 OMGGG 100% AGREE WITH YOUUUU!! can't believe someone besides me also has the same opinion about princess and the pauper, and i do consider this movie overrated because for me it really is. but lets be honest here, people are just NOT "sleeping" on barbie 12 dancing princesses. i saw a very reasonable amount of love and nostalgia for this specific barbie movie (and tons of edits on tik tok, mainly about the songs).
I love having in-box dolls when the packaging is cool or I really enjoy the doll so I have multiples, but I need to have at least some out of box to play with
Something about you and the way you present your videos has me coming back time and time again even though the only doll lines I collect actively are American Girl and barbie. I love hearing your opinions about different releases and doll history, all with your good sense of humor. Congrats on this milestone, can't wait for more great content!
My unpopular opinion is that it's high time G3 starts introducing original characters.
Not saying that there aren't any original characters in G3, but none of them have a doll.
It becomes really frustrating for me, because I expected G3 to create new queer, disabled, culturally diverse characters, but all they do is retcon old ones. They should be trying to do both.
It's very important for them to make these diverse dolls, cause that is how most children get introduced to Monster High.
G2 did have new characters Moanica DKay and Ariana Hauntington.