More on the New Dolls at Target

Okay, it was killing me to talk about the new dolls Target just got in without having any pics to go along with them! :}  (If you don't know what I'm talking about, please view my earlier post about them HERE).  As I mentioned before, I checked with Target and they wouldn't allow me to take pictures in the store.

So, after discussing it with hubby, I decided to purchase some things for the sole purpose of taking pics and then returning them to the store.  The downside to this is that I can't give you as complete of a review as I would like to, as I can't remove them from their packaging.  The upside is, I can show you some pics without permanently spending the $80.99 it cost me for this grand scheme! :{

The first doll I purchased was the African American (or perhaps Hispanic?) Play Wonder doll that I mentioned in my earlier post.  Her name is Isabella.  By the way, I'd like to apologize in advance for the quality of these photos.  I had a really hard time getting decent pics, because the plastic was extremely reflective! 

Isabella is an 18" play doll with vinyl arms, legs, and chest, a posable vinyl head, and a cloth body.  She has beddy bye eyes and rooted hair.

From the front of the box:

From the back of the box:

This photo shows her vinyl shoulders.

Head Shots:

 The Fashion:  Hello 80s!! ;)

Here are those separated toes I told you about. :)  I noticed that her feet have a bit of an arch.  I'm wondering if these dolls can stand on their own when they're barefooted, or if they can only stand when they're wearing shoes.  If I could open the box and investigate further, I could let you know. :} 

  

Here are some comparisons between Isabella and some of my other 18" dolls.

Play Wonder and American Girl:

Isabella looks a bit taller than Piper (my AG doll), which she may be, but keep in mind that a lot of it is because Isabella is in a box.  I think these dolls are pretty compatible, which doesn't surprise me since Isabella is essentially the same as my Maggie doll, aside from a different face mold.  In person, Isabella's head looks a lot bigger than Piper's, but I wasn't really able to capture that on film.  I don't think it's enough of a difference to cause a problem, though.  Some of her styles may be a bit snug on AG dolls simply because they're made to be form-fitting fashions, and the Madame Alexander dolls have a slimmer body than American Girl.  Personally, I'd play it safe and go for a Battat outfit for your AG doll instead.

Head comparison of Isabella and Piper.

Play Wonder and Alexander Girlz: 

As I mentioned earlier, these dolls are essentially the same aside from their heads.   Well, their heads and their toes. :)  Any of the Play Wonder clothes should fit Maggie since their body styles are nearly identical.  Of course, I can't really see Maggie wanting to dress like a pop princess...it's not exactly her style. ;)

It was interesting comparing their faces.  Once again, the camera didn't capture how much bigger Isabella's head is than Maggie's.  But the thing that really struck me was how Maggie has much more of a "baby face", while with the Play Wonder dolls they're obviously going for a more mature, teenager look. 

Play Wonder and Karito Kids: 

Elena (my Karito Kid) is a totally different scale than Isabella, so I know this is a bit of a different comparison.  I was curious to see how they looked together, though.  Once again, Isabella's head is much bigger than Elena's, but it doesn't show, especially since Elena is in front of the box.  I tried to put their heads in the same pose (I wish Isabella was looking up a little more!).  It would be interesting to see how the Play Wonder clothes would fit on a Karito Kid doll.  They would still be short, but I'd imagine they'd be a slightly better fit than AG clothes on a KK.  Overall, even with they're differences, I think these dolls would still be compatible in a collection together.

Those are all the pics I have of Isabella.  I think she has a nice face.  The eyebrows are still a bit overdone in my opinion, but hers were the best out of all of the other dolls.  I can't say anything about the quality of her hair or clothing, since I can't open the box and examine her further.  This at least gives you a better idea of what the Play Wonder dolls look like, though.  If you have a daughter who wants a starter doll, especially if she is into these types of fashions, I think a Play Wonder doll could be a good choice.  The dolls cost $34.99, and there are also separate shoes and outfits you can purchase.  It's $16.99 for an extra outfit (and each outfit can be worn in at least 2 different ways, giving you more for your money).  I can't remember the cost of the shoes, but I think it's around $17 for a set of three. 

The other dolls at Target were the Hearts 4 Hearts Girls.  I included a link to their website in my last post, but I really wanted to show you pics of a doll in person, since they look slightly different from the images on their box.  Since I enjoy Bollywood movies so much, I thought that Nahji from India would be an appropriate doll to review. ;)

Nahji is a 14", all-vinyl play doll.  She has stationary eyes and rooted hair.  



Here's the front of her box...

...and here's the inside.

Here's a close-up of the overlay on the front of her box:

Here are the sides and the back:

Head shots of pretty Nahji:

Nahji's Accessories: 

Beaded headband

Nose ring

Necklace

Henna hand tattoo

Arm bangles

Sandals (notice the pretty gold design on her pants?)

Overall, I think Nahji is absolutely adorable.  I was a little disappointed the first time I opened the box, just because the picture on the front was so flawless.  She's still really cute as a doll, but it just wasn't quite the same "wow factor" that I got from the picture.  I guess the best way I can explain it is the difference between seeing an airbrushed photo of a person, and then seeing the person face to face. :}  I think it would help if her hair wasn't pulled back so that she looked more like her cover photo.  Anyway, I'm probably just being my normal, picky, artistic self with that. :}  

I was only going to pick up the two dolls for my review, but I thought before I left I'd take another look at the Hearts 4 Hearts Girls outfit and accessory sets.  When I saw Nahji's, I just had to bring it home and take photos.  It's so adorable!

One of the things that's funny about this is that my aunt, who has also really gotten into Bollywood movies as well, was talking to me about the Hearts 4 Hearts girls and how much she loved Nahji.  We talked about how we wished she was wearing a traditional Indian sari, or at least had one offered as an extra outfit.

Well, lo and behold, a traditional sari was part of the outfit and accessory set I found! :D  Check out the pics below: 

Isn't it ADORABLE?

Nahji's tea set and tea tray.

I just had to include this pic because she looks so cute! :)

Nahji's sari (or "dance costume", as the package puts it).

Here's the back of the package:

Ready for a Bollywood dance! :)

Above is a little snippet of Nahji's story from the back of the package.

I just wanted to insert here that I'm with the small minority of people in America who do not agree with the whole "Believe in yourself" message being taught to our young people.  Of course, I'm not advocating verbal abuse or anything, and we do need to value our own self worth, because we are beings created by God for His glory.  But honestly, the philosophy that "if you just believe in yourself, you can do anything" is ridiculous.  I understand the motive behind it, but it can lead to a lot of disappointment.  Yes, there is a place for hard work, perseverance, and trying our best.  However, there are some things that will never happen, no matter how hard I "believe in myself".  I may believe that I can be a ballerina and work really hard to try to achieve my goal, but I can tell you right here and now that my ankles were not made to withstand the rigors of ballet...and not just because I'm almost 30! 

Instead of believing in ourselves, I believe true success comes from trusting in the Lord and believing what He can do through us.  Of course, I could hardly expect this philosophy to come from a non-Christian doll company. 

Please don't misunderstand me.  I do appreciate what the company is trying to bring about through these dolls.  I think it's important for us to see the needs around us, as well as in other countries, and desire to bring about change.  And I absolutely believe that one person can make a difference.  We just need to make sure we're putting our belief in the right source.  :)

Okay, getting back down from my soapbox now. :}  On to the rest of the review!!

 H4H and American Girl:

As you can see, these dolls are a completely different scale.  I probably wouldn't put them together, because the differences would bother me.  I know, I'm weird...but it would drive me crazy every time I saw them together!  For others, this might not be a problem.    

H4H and Karito Kids:  

On the other hand, the H4H proportions work much better with Karito Kids.  Granted, Nahji would have to be about 3 or 4 years old...maybe 5...but it would work.  At Target, they had a few of the BFC Ink dolls right next to the Hearts 4 Hearts girls.  I think the Hearts 4 Hearts girls would work even better as little sisters for the BFC Ink dolls.

     

I hope you all enjoyed this review.  If any of you are inspired to stop by your local Target and add one of these girls or their friends to your doll family, I'd love to hear from you! :) 

By the way, I'll only have these dolls for a couple of days at the most (unless I suddenly strike it rich and get to keep Nahji and her outfit!), so if you have any questions or would like to see any additional pics, please let me know in the comment section ASAP! :)