Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Madame Alexander 2012 18" My Life Dolls at Walmart (Plus Other Fun Accessories) :)

On June 25th, I posted about the clearance on the Madame Alexander "Play Wonder" dolls at Target.  One of my readers left a comment with a link to the Doll Diaries website, which explained that the Madame Alexander Doll Company had been bought out by another company.  You can check out the link HERE to get the full scoop. 

When I heard this news, I was a little sad, a bit curious, and concerned to see what would happen to the play doll lines.  I guess I shouldn't have worried. ;)  

The other day, I was browsing through Walmart with Hubby when I came across this little cutie: 


This doll is from the new line that is apparently replacing the previous "Friends Boutique" line.  They're called the "My Life As" dolls.  This particular cutie is the "My Life as a Gymnast" doll.  The Madame Alexander name is still on the dolls, which I think was a wise decision on the part of the company that bought them out.  Madame Alexander is well known as a quality doll line, so I'm sure it will serve in the new company's interest to have the name associated with the dolls.  

So let's enjoy some pics and see how this doll holds up to the previous ones. :) (By the way, I'd like to apologize in advance for the lighting in some of these pictures.  My camera often washed out her skin tone.) :(

Label details

She comes in an adorable gymnastics leotard...

...warm up pants, and socks.

It was really difficult to get a good picture of her through the glare of the plastic. :}

I love the red, white, and blue ribbons in her hair! :)

The back of the box.

Adorable stock photo. :)

This was a smart tie-in for them on a Summer Olympics year. ;)  Like many of you, I'm sure, my daughters and I watched the gymnastics segment of the Olympics with delight.  We were overjoyed when Team USA won gold, and even more ecstatic when adorable Gabby Douglas won all-around gold. :D  In fact, I instantly thought of Gabby when I saw this doll.  I'm sure many other little girls with Olympic dreams will have the same thought. ;)

Doll info and care details

The bottom of the box shows the other dolls in the line.  There are some real cuties here! :)  It appears that they will not have names this time around, just occupations or hobbies.  So far, I've seen the one I'm reviewing, the African American ballerina, and the Caucasian gymnast in person. :)

Here's a closer look...

Which one is your favorite? :)

When I saw this part of the box, I got pretty excited.  Madame Alexander has a Doll Hospital! :)  This is great news for those of us with dolls that need restringing, since the methods for restringing American Girl dolls don't work for these ones (they don't have removable heads like the AGs).  I looked up the hospital website and was then a little less excited.  The hospital is being revamped and will not open again until early 2013.  That's not such a big deal. It was the prices that were so disappointing.  The way things stand currently, it would be far less expensive to buy a brand new doll than to get an old one fixed.  My hope is that they might change the prices a bit when they redo the hospital.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see. :} 

My aunt (Mimi) fell in love with this doll when she saw me reviewing it, so it was decided that she would go live at Mimi's to be a friend for Piper. ;)  My daughters suggested that Mimi should call her Gabby after Gabby Douglas, so it's quite possible that she will end up with that name.  Mimi's really nice that way. ;)  I think Gabby was just relieved to get out of the box. :) 

[Side note here:  I wanted to mention before I forget that she had a pretty strong, unpleasant, plasticy odor when I first opened her.  However, I wasn't able to get all of her deboxed pictures done until a day later, and after a day of being in the open air, I couldn't even smell it anymore.  It was a different smell than the earlier Friends Boutique dolls, so maybe they've made a change to the material they use?  I wanted to be sure I brought this up since the odor of the last doll line was so offensive to some.]

A closer look at her leotard.

I thought I'd include a shot of the packaging.  She was fairly easy to remove from the box.  One nice thing about all of the recycling and environmental concerns is that we're seeing less and less of those rotten wire twisty ties! :D

Her warm-up pants were attached to the leotard.  I wanted to make a point of sharing this because it was a little difficult to remove the thread without cutting either the pants or the leotard.  Just a heads up. ;)

So here she is, all deboxed and ready for adventure. :)

This is one of my favorite African American doll molds (it's the same as the one on the Friends Boutique doll I reviewed in an earlier post).  She has such a sweet expression, and I love how they actually attempted to make her look ethnically unique instead of just using a Caucasian face mold and changing the skin tone.

I noticed after I opened her that she has a little spot on one cheek (you can just barely see it in this picture), so you might watch for that if you select one of these dolls for yourself.  Personally, I don't think it detracts from her cuteness. :) 

Also, her head was a little bit looser than I've seen on these dolls before.  It still held its position nicely for the most part, but would fall back on its own if I had her looking up as far as she could.  I hope that makes sense...it's a little difficult to explain. :}

One nice thing about having a gymnast doll from this line is that she has poseable limbs, so she'll be able to do a lot more "gymnastically" than a regular 18" doll with stiff limbs would.  Here are a few examples:


This one's for the Wheaties box. ;)

Or maybe this one. :)

I've shared my views on the poseable limbs in the past, so I won't go into a whole lot of detail here.  I'll just list a few quick pros and cons to help you decide whether or not this doll would be a good choice for you or your little one.

Pros:
-Extra poseability can be really fun, giving you more options for photography and play
-Um...I can't think of any other pros...that's embarrassing! :{

Cons:
-The poseable limbs are a bit hard to maneuver and may be frustrating for younger kids
-It can be difficult to make these dolls stand because of their bendy limbs
-I have a suspicion that the limbs may eventually wear out and lose their poseability
-Since the limbs are hollow, sometimes they look funny and unnatural when bent

If you want a little more detail on how the limbs work and some of the concerns I had with them, you can read my Friends Boutique doll review post HERE (it's the same one I linked above).  The Friends Boutique doll had an identical body. 

This doll's body is the same as other Madame Alexander dolls I've reviewed in the past:  vinyl head, arms, legs, and chest; cloth body.

Back view

Her head is obviously the same mold as before, since it says "2009". 

She has two body tags.  The first reminds the consumer not to get the doll's hair wet or use a hairdryer or hair iron on it.  I would make an exception with the water if I needed to do a Downy Dunk, but I definitely wouldn't get the doll's hair wet if I didn't need to. 

The second body tag has company information.

Another view of her lovely face. :)

Profile shot

The My Life dolls can share clothing with American Girl dolls.  Here is Gabby in American Girl capris and a generic white shirt handmade for standard 18" dolls.  Rachel (FKA Julie) is wearing Gabby's gymnastics outfit.  (P.S.  This photo is a great depiction of Gabby's actual skin tone!)

While Gabby is a little bit narrower in the body than an AG doll, this outfit still looks great, even though it has a slightly looser fit on her than on Rachel.

The pants have no problems staying up.

While Rachel can fit into Gabby's outfit, it is a little tight on her.  Normally this isn't an issue with the MA dolls, but the fact that it's a leotard and made to have a tight fit makes it a little more snug on AGs than other MA outfits.  

The thread was stretching just a bit, although it was doing the same on Gabby when I put her arms up.  The clothing quality is definitely not up there with AG, but on the other hand, it's a lot less expensive. :}

As you can see, Rachel had to suck it in to get this to Velcro in the back. ;)

Rachel without the warm-up pants, pretending to be Shannon Miller at the '96 Olympics. 

Gabby and Rachel:  new friends. :)

I mentioned earlier that it can be difficult to get these dolls to stand up, and it is.  But I wanted to show you that I did get Gabby to stand up on her own.  It took a bit of fiddling, and her head had to be looking down because of her heavy side ponytail, but I got it to work! :}

Something that almost excited me more than the doll was a box full of individually packaged doll shoes for the My Life dolls! :D  I'm always short on doll shoes, and always looking for a good deal.  I wasn't sure how much these were at first.  They weren't priced, and Walmart was in the middle of rearranging their toy section, so nothing was in the right place.  I took a pair over to one of those price finder machines...and was THRILLED when the price came up as $1.97!!  I promptly went back and got 4 more pairs to add to my cart. :)  

Here's how they look in the store.  They're wrapped in shrink wrap with a "My Life" sticker on them.

I'm always on the lookout for dress shoes, and these Mary Janes were adorable.  Here they are on Gabby.

And a side view on Gabby.

But the real test was...would they fit on Rachel?  I was super excited when they did.

Side view on Rachel.  They're a little bit bigger on both dolls than other 18" doll shoes I've seen, but they don't look unnaturally big, and it makes them easier to get on.  These shoes were the most difficult of the three different pairs I purchased because the little plastic peg that goes in the hole on the strap likes to bend and avoid the hole.  So if you get these for your kiddos, plan on offering assistance when they need to get them on or off. 


My very favorite shoes of all of them that I brought home were these SUPER CUTE glittery Jellies.  They smell horrendous...one of the worst plastic smells I've ever smelled...even worse than original Jellies!  I mean, none of the shoes really smelled great, but these were bad!  They are SOOO adorable, though! :)  And just to clarify, they're hard plastic, even though they have the look of soft plastic shoes.   

They go on really easily, too, both on Gabby...

...and Rachel.  

I love how they have hearts on the soles and flowers on the strap. :)

The third pair I bought (I bought two pairs each of the Mary Janes and the Jellies) was this cute pair of butterfly clogs.  Out of the three varieties I purchased, these were obviously the easiest to get on and off.

Here they are on Gabby...

...and on Rachel.

So cute! :)

Unfortunately, this particular pair had one shoe that was a bit bigger than the other.  The left shoe was almost too big and would even fall off if I shook Rachel's foot around too much.  The right shoe fit like a glove.  There were no problems like this with the other pairs.

There were four different types of shoes:  the three I purchased and a pair of bright pink cleets.  I didn't have a use for cleets and I wasn't sure how well they'd fit (they looked a little snug), so I didn't go for those.  I might try them eventually, though, just to see if they're also compatible with AG dolls.  

Oh, and as an added bonus, I happened to pop into the school section and discovered some really inexpensive doll-sized goodies. :)

This little coin purse was only 88 cents.  It makes a perfect handbag for the dolls. 

And this little notebook key chain, also for 88 cents, makes a great blank journal.

Be careful removing the key chain part, though.  Since it's only 88 cents, the quality is not the highest, and I munched mine up a bit.

It has several blank pages inside.

And as you can see, it's the perfect size for them! :)

So, my overall thoughts?  Well, if nothing else, pick up the journal and the coin purse! ;)

Seriously, though, I was super excited about the My Life shoes and would definitely recommend them.  I'm looking forward to seeing what other accessories are  released to go along with this line, especially since they're so compatible with American Girl and other 18" doll brands.

Now for the doll herself.  She's got a lovely face, a cute outfit, and is perfect for little girls with stars in their eyes after watching the Olympics. :)  And while I prefer the thick curls of some of the earlier African American dolls by Madame Alexander, her straight hair will hold up to play a lot longer.  As far as quality goes, I still prefer the Alexander Girlz or Friends 4 Life dolls.  I think that the poseability is great in theory, but presents some problems for stability, realism, and play.  However, if you're already a fan of the Friends Boutique dolls, if you're a collector, or if you are purchasing for a patient, careful child, this could be the doll for you. :)

I hope you found this review helpful.  I'll be sure to keep you posted if I see any new items for the My Life dolls.  Of course, now that I've given all of you notice, you may discover any new releases before I do! ;) 

Update:  to see my later post on more of the My Life accessories, click HERE. :)


48 comments:

All AG said...

I LOVE THEM! The horse riding girl with brown hair is beautiful! I will be purchasing about 10 pairs of shoes though! ;)

Anonymous said...

Do her eyes close? They look stationary.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

All AG, I was pretty tempted to buy that many pairs myself. ;)

Anonymous, her eyes are beddy-bye eyes that open and close, just like an AG doll.

Claire said...

Aw, I love that your daughters suggested to name her after Gabby Douglas! My sister and I would have done the same thing when were the same ages as your daughters. :)

Liddy said...

The gymnastics outfit looked good on Julie! I love the name Gabby for the doll.

*Liddy*

MulanFan_95 said...

Sorry for the off-topic comment Beast'sbelle, but you should check out this picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/disney_bratz_barbie/7646486864/in/photostream/ There's an explanation on how to do a partial re-root, which your 12'' Belle might need. And you don't have to remove her head!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks, MulanFan...I'll check it out! :)

Elliebob said...

She looks like Gabby Douglas!!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

That's what I thought, too. :)

Shari said...

I have a MA doll that I got secondhand. I think it might be one of the ones they sold at Costco in holidays past. It has that same problem of the head being pretty floppy. Not sure if there's anything that can be done for it. I think the design is intended to give them more poseability but I think they went a little too far.

Elliebob said...

I got the snow white! Thanks so much!

Elliebob said...

Oh i see now that you named her Gabby. Silly me! I didnt have time to read all of this the day I saw the pics. :]

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Shari! Nice to hear from you...it's been a while. :) I was so sorry to hear about Emily Rose at Home. :(

I do like the additional poseability of the moveable heads, and most of them I've gotten have been okay. It is frustrating when you get one with a head that doesn't like to stay put, though. I'm assuming the problem could be fixed with restringing, but I've never attempted restringing a doll of that type myself. :}

Hi Elliebob. Glad you got the Snow White. :) And don't worry about not noticing my Gabby's name...we obviously just had the same brilliant idea. ;)

Stephanie said...

What a pretty doll and a great review! I posted last month looking for reviews on 18 inch dolls. I really appreciate your blog. :)
I ended up getting Sadie from the MA FB line. My now six year old loves her! She has renamed her McKenna. This new line of MA dolls is just precious. I'm going to have to check our Walmart for them and the shoes! McKenna could use some accessories. :)
Do you happen to have any ideas for a DIY doll bed or doll wardrobe? Been looking online with no luck. I was also wondering if you knew where to buy doll clothes hangers? I only see them with certain outfits.
Thanks again for the awesome review!

Stephanie

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Stephanie, thanks for stopping by. :) Congrats on finding Sadie. I'm glad your daughter is enjoying her.

I'm not sure what to tell you on doll hangers. I try to keep my eye out for them at yard sales or on eBay. I don't really have a place to use doll-sized hangers, so I haven't spent much time looking for them.

For a DIY doll bed or wardrobe, I would suggest starting with My Froggy Stuff on YouTube. She has some seriously amazing and super simple ideas that make you start obsessing about crafting. ;) Here's a link to her channel to copy and paste: http://www.youtube.com/user/MyFroggyStuff?feature=g-all-u

I know for sure that she did a bed and a wardrobe, among countless other items. Hope this helps! :)

Unknown said...

Geting the ballet one for xmas

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Fun! :)

Anonymous said...

Do these dolls come with panties? I know it sounds stupid, but a lot of the MA dolls don't. T drives me crazy o have a doll without panties.

Fay said...

Thank you for this blog and all this excellent information. I'm researching dolls that might be good for my 6 year old granddaughter.

I have a question. I have seen the videos about doll hair on YouTube, doing the "Downy Dunk" and washing. The box for this Wal-Mart doll says not to get the hair wet. Could they be referring to maintaining the curly hairstyles? Or can you really not get this hair wet, ever?

Thank you again for all this information.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Gypsy. Unfortunately, these dolls don't include panties. They should fit into standard panties, like those made for American Girl or any other similarly sized 18" doll.

Hi Fay! I'm glad you're enjoying the blog. :)

In answer to your question, I'm sure that they're referring to keeping and maintaining the style primarily. Once you get curly doll hair wet, it can be very difficult to get it back to its original look.

Of course, if you choose to get a doll's hair wet, you do run the risk of damaging it. I would suggest holding off as long as possible on this and trying to keep the doll's hair as nice as possible without water or a Downy Dunk.

However, if the hair becomes tangled beyond repair (which is not an unrealistic scenario with the hair quality on these dolls), I wouldn't see a problem with doing a Downy Dunk. If that doesn't work, you can always try rewigging, too. I have links to posts on Downy Dunks on my "Past Doll Projects" page tab just under my blog header if you'd like to check them out. I don't have any posts on rewigging yet.

Also, one of my favorite places to go for doll "How Tos" is stephenwswodadancer's YouTube channel. She has all sorts of videos on rewigging, Downy Dunks, restringing, hair care and maintenance, and more. :)

Hope this helps! :) Feel free to comment again if you have more questions. :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the reply. My daughter missy is 7 and I'm very new to the doll world! I love your reviews! We found a my life as doll that came with a horse at our Walmart the only my life as thing we could find for $40.00... very cute!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Oh, I saw those too! They weren't with the earlier releases, but they're very cute. I'm glad you were able to snag one. :)

Swanson Family said...

Thank you for all this information! Some dolls have bald patches when you change their hairstyles - How do you think the MyLife doll's hair would hold up to restyling?

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

I would be hesitant to do much restyling on the My Life dolls, especially the ones with curly hair. I think you could get away with a little more on the straight-haired My Life dolls. It's definitely possible they would have bald patches if you did a style that was drastically different than the one they have in because of the way the hair is rooted. You'd just have to experiment a bit and see what styles worked on each individual doll.

Something to keep in mind no matter what you do is that the hair on these dolls is not the highest quality, so even if you're extremely careful with it, it will most likely need to be replaced at some point in the future.

My daughters all have Alexander Girlz dolls with straight hair. What I did in their case was let them play carefully with the hair the way they wanted, and then I would gently brush and restyle their hair each weekend. I usually put it in braids because that helped the hair stay nice longer.

Hope this helps! :)

Anonymous said...

i saw in some of your blogs that people were looking for doll clothes hangers & i was searching for doll clothes & found hangers at this site. 10 hangers for $5.95
www.doll-clothes.com/

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks for the tip, Anonymous. :)

Anonymous said...

I loved your review.
I would like to point out few things. It is relatively easy to repair a doll like that yourself. Eye change, restringing, even rerooting hair or simply putting a wig on. There are number of videos on youtube, many sellers that sell wigs, eyes and restringing kits.
What you are describing about the head snapping back in position to me sounds like over tight elastic. Flexible limbs are nice but personally I much prefer the jointed 18” dolls sculpted by Sonja Hartmann for Madame Alexander.
I think you are being a tad unfair about the clothing quality. For a play doll clothing it is very nice. It is normal when you overstretch a fabric the only give left is the seam and the first thing to give is the elasticized thread used hence the smiling seams you get. Even if it is Armani, it will be the same. I’ve got Lauren from “Play Wonder” series and her clothing is amazing – the skirt is folded so there is no bulky hem, the sleeve and neck opening on her top are neatly faced with sturdier fabric, the stretch pants are lined…
And a side note – I would refrain from buying something with that much odor as the shoes. I do not know how much these are but there are many options online, odor free.
Keep up with the detailed reviews :)

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Anonymous, thanks for commenting.
I'm glad you found the review enjoyable.

I have rewigged and restrung several dolls myself (I have posts about those projects here on the blog...you can check out the "Past Doll Projects" tab just under my header). However, the only restringing I did involved a doll with an American Girl style body. I've never tried restringing a doll like this one that has the vinyl chest plate. I know there are tutorials and restringing kits, but I've never personally used them. I found restringing to be a bit tricky myself, and I'm not sure I would want to attempt restringing a doll of this style.

I think the 18" dolls sculpted by Sonja Hartmann are very beautiful as well, but they're a bit out of my price range. ;)

As far as the clothing quality, I didn't mean to imply that it was "bad", but was suggesting that less expensive clothing tends to not be as well made. I have many readers who are familiar with the American Girl brand and purchase off-brand clothing for their American Girl dolls. I don't want them to expect the same thing from these clothes as they do from the more expensive AG clothing. However, I do think that for an off-brand play line, the clothing is very nice.

The shoes, as I mentioned in my post, were only $1.97 a pair, which is an amazing price. The smell became much less noticeable after only a few days. I don't even smell it anymore.

One of my goals for this blog is to find great, inexpensive alternatives for 18" dolls and to thoroughly point out anything that my readers might possibly consider a flaw. A lot of the things I mention don't necessarily bother me, but I know that they might bother someone out there. For example, you obviously would not be comfortable purchasing the shoes from this line because of their smell, no matter what the price. For others, like myself, I would be willing to put up with the smell because of the great price. :)

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to have a lot more to share in the future. :)

Anonymous said...

I’m a thrifter too but as you I’m a mother and the smell would bother me because I never will know what chemical is responsible for it and how it may harm my children. They are a great find at that price; still I would not be comfortable having my kids to play with it.
Kids and Catz line from 2011 is available at Amazon for under $90 and think the shipping within USA is about 8 bucks.
Probably because I sew quite a bit I’m not impressed with AG clothing. That is why I think that as far as the price goes, MA doll clothing is of fair quality. I’m afraid I’m not a fan of AG but my friend’s kids have them and I fixed quite a few things (including eye change). I can not justify the price tag this particular company attaches.

IMO is not the price that makes something beautiful and well made.
I still haven’t managed to read through all your entries, I was just trying to decide if I should swallow the shipping cost to Canada for one of these. Thanks to you I think I’ll pass. Much obliged ;)

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hello again, Anonymous. :) I completely understand your feelings on the shoes, which, again, is why I try to mention things that might be problematic for my readers.

I didn't realize the Kids n Catz line was available at Amazon. $90 is still pretty high for me right now, although I know for the quality of the dolls that's a great deal. Most of my dolls I have purchased secondhand through Craigslist or eBay. Hayden is the only one I purchased brand new, so even though I have expensive dolls, I paid about half price for most of them, if not less.

I also agree that just because doll clothing is expensive, it is not necessarily quality. I find American Girl's high prices (which are continuing to climb) frustrating. That's another reason I try to feature less expensive doll clothing and accessories, for those of us who don't want to spend $32 on a doll ensemble. I don't even spend that much on individual clothing pieces for MYSELF, much less my dolls. ;) I made mention of the difference in quality because I honestly thought that, while the MA clothing was nice, it wasn't necessarily as well put together as the AG clothing I've encountered. However, I am not a seamstress or an expert by far, so my opinions will obviously not be shared by everyone. I also hold the view that things do not have to be expensive to be beautiful and well made. I have done several reviews of handmade doll clothing and other off-brands for just this purpose.

I'm glad you found the review helpful, and I hope you have a great week. :)

Anonymous said...

I love these dolls,I bought my second one 2 days ago and i absolutly cannot stress how beautiful this doll is! She is the caucasian ballerina,i already have the nature girl,they are very very good dolls,except for this,on my first doll,i raise her left arm and there is a red spot where her armpit is,I am not so thrilled about that.My sister got the soccer captain 2 days ago also,We have both noticed,after a couple of hours,they get black marks on their face.Whats that all about? There are the occasional red marks on the face too.Very pleased with the doll but those were some things that kinda turned me off track. Have a great week!! :D

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Anonymous...thanks for commenting. :) I love these sweet-faced dolls too.

I'm not sure about the black marks on the face, but the red marks are probably from the dye used for her clothing. The black marks could be dirt or something else the dolls are somehow picking up, but without seeing it I'm only guessing.

I would suggest using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (the kind without kitchen cleaner added) to try to remove the marks. If they don't come off, you can try zit cream with benzoil peroxide in it. For more info on this removal method, you can check out this link: http://www.justmagicdolls.com/articles/vinylcleaning/VinylStains.htm

Note: this method takes time, as the article states, and you may not see immediate results, but it does work.

I hope this helps! :)

Anonymous said...

I bought the same doll and named her gabby after gabby Douglas

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

I guess we had the same idea. ;)

Collectibles NJ said...

I have recently been dealing with some vintage Madame Alexander dolls. While these dolls are very nice as toys and very cute...

I feel in general her dolls are lacking in the craftsmanship that used to set her dolls apart from competitors. Madame Alex seems to be getting closer and closer to barbie. Maybe times are changing but I like the vintage ones. Do you have any you can feature?

Anonymous said...

Hello.......I just purchased a MA Favorite Friends doll from Amazon.com.......so very disappointed!!! Not at all like the sweet picture.....hair was horrible!!! Fuzzy, cottony, no waves......not able to get the comb nor brush through it!!! Like the old Barbies....after a year of play. Maybe the Amazon store sold a USED doll as new?????!!!! My advice......don't buy the "blond with wavy hair" MA doll!!!

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Thanks for commenting, Anonymous. Yes, sadly these dolls are not known for having good hair, and the curly or wavy hair is always the hardest to keep nice. If you go for these dolls, I would definitely recommend sticking with a straight-haired doll or rewigging.

Anonymous said...

Quick question. I bought the my life as a ballerina doll. Very pretty, etc. The doll will not sit down. Legs move but not to a sitting position. Is this normal or should i contact the company. I read your whole review and didn't see anything about a sitting position. Won't stand either unless I put her against a chair. Thanks for your help.
Annie

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Annie, I'm sorry to hear that you're having problems with your doll. I know that the posable aspect of the dolls can make it difficult to get them in a sitting position and sometimes can make it hard for them to stand. However, she should be able to stand on her own and sit, so I would definitely contact the company and see what they say. The Madame Alexander Company changed ownership a little over a year ago, so I'm not familiar with their customer service policies, but I think it's worth trying. Let me know how it goes, if you have a chance! :)

EmmaASmith said...

Hi. Love your review here. Ive been looking a doll for my D. I was wondering which of these or any dolls that you know of can handle styling on there hair. Id really like my girls to be able to wash and style there hair (they love doing this on each other.... a doll to practice on would be ideal). Any dolls able to take a low heat curling iron, or hair dryer? Thanks

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi EmmaASmith, thanks for stopping by! :)

You might want to look into the "My Salon Doll" line. The company is just starting out, and their dolls are made with human hair that is supposed to hold up to washing, drying, and curling irons. You can see their website here (copy and paste): http://mysalondoll.com/

I have not had any personal experience with these dolls yet, but one of my blogging friends, Emily at The Toy Box Philospher, did an excellent, in-detail review of the pros and cons. You can read it here: http://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2013/10/my-salon-doll-sydni.html

I have a lot of respect for Emily's opinion in the doll world and would trust her analysis as much as I would trust my own.

Hope this helps or at least gives you a starting point! :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for all of this info. By far the most informative on the net. I agree, the lack of info in cyberspace about these products is shocking. .

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

You're welcome, Anonymous. :) I think it's a shame there's not more info on these dolls out there. I'm glad you found the post helpful!

GeckoLass said...

Those shoes sound fantastic. I would never worry about processing chemicals that you can smell- it could be the chemicals that are in trace amounts or without odour that could be more worrisome. I think leaving the plastic components to air for a few days outside the packaging is always good advice.

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi, Megan Rose! I agree. I've never had any issues with these shoes, thankfully, and airing them out takes care of the smell. :) They've worked really well for us and are a great inexpensive option for doll shoes. :)

Anonymous said...

I have a my life doll and I want to know if I can wash their hair because I flat ironed it already

Hannah Prewett (beastsbelle) said...

Hi Anonymous! To be honest, I don't think washing the hair would do much more damage, especially if you already flat ironed it. The hair is not great quality to begin with anyway. ;)

I would try not to get too much water on the scalp itself to keep from getting water trapped in her head. Also, you will want to cover her eyes to keep them from damage.

Hope this helps!