DECIDELY DOLLY 4

Hello Everyone,

In my last Blog I mentioned the soaring prices of certain dolls, such as Teeny Weeny Tiny Tears, and so this time I thought I’d talk about the Blythe phenomenon.

As many of you will know, Blythe was a small, 12", teen doll with an enormous head, issued in 1972. Way in advance of her time, her scary, big-eyed looks terrified children and had no appeal for adults, so she was soon discontinued by Kenner. In fact, she was only made for one year which explains why she is so difficult to find today. The most scary thing about Blythe’s eyes was the way that they could change colour – from blue to amber to green and to a very hung-over pink! At the time, people were still quite conventional and liked their dolls to look like little girls, not monsters; unlike today when anything goes, and the more outlandish the doll, the quicker it sells. Blythe could be bought in a choice of four hair colours – blonde, brunette, redhead and dark brown – while twelve outfits were available. It was also possible to buy crazy afro-type wigs in pink, blue, lemon or lime to alter her appearance.

Blythe was doomed to rest in peace, to be remembered fondly only by a few die-hard fans – but then something happened. An Italian lady called Gina Garan used Blythe dolls as models in a fashion book, ‘This Is Blythe’ – and suddenly Blythe was hot. Japan especially went crazy for her, and before long were making their own versions of big-headed large eyed dolls, such as the Pullip series and the Takara Blythe dolls.

Of course, prices for original Blythe dolls soared, in some cases reaching four-figure sums on the internet, and collectors in the UK scrabbled for the few Takara and Pullip dolls which reached our shores. Pullip dolls are slightly different to the Blythe dolls, with more delicate faces, and the eyes don’t change colour, but the design concept is similar. Things are settling down a bit now, though original Blythes in good condition are still selling for around £800, while the sky’s the limit for a mint in box doll. So, when you are ambling around a boot fair or flea market, keep a look out – there just could be an original Blythe lurking around. You never know!

Not so long ago, Ashton-Drake produced a series of Blythe dolls, completely faithful to the originals, even down to the costumes, and they are excellent. These dolls are very much for the collector’s market, and are expensive, and quite hard to obtain in the UK. All the Blythe look-alikes seem difficult to buy here; you need to order from the internet or bid on internet auctions. However, there are some enchanting dolls around, though whether they will ever be as sought after as the originals is anybody’s guess.

Takara also make a range of mini Blythes, which are much cheaper than the larger dolls but which make a cute collectable. These ‘Petite Blythes’ stand 4" tall and are dressed in the same hot, often quirky, fashions of the larger dolls. Pullip too has a mini, 4.5" range of dolls. These smaller versions of Blythe are well-worth considering if the look appeals but the cost doesn’t!
Personally, I am very fond of Blythe; her quirky hippy-style looks appeal, and I find it fascinating to root out the different types, from the 1972 original, through Takara, Pullip, Ashton-Drake and to the range of cheap Blythe look-a-likes produced a few years ago by Designer Girl which featured a push button, rather than a ring pull, mechanism.

SueX