I'll admit it: I have a weakness for blind bag toys. The inexpensive price, the convenient small size of the toys, and the excitement (and addictive nature) of the "surprise" aspect all work together to make these some of our favorites to collect around the Never Grow Up house. Collecting aside, as a mom, between buying four toys at a time (one for each of the girls and one for me) and trying to find things that don't take up too much of our ever-dwindling space, blind bags are a perfect option.
I ended up trying several different blind bag items, both old and new, over the past couple of weeks. Here's a look at some of our fun finds. :) Also, throughout the post, I've included thoughts from my three girls. I asked specific questions about each item this time to make their job a bit simpler. Hope you enjoy getting their perspectives as well as mine. :)
***
Mermicornos
While visiting Hot Topic at the mall, I came across these fun "Mermicorno" blind bags from Tokidoki. What are Mermicornos, you may ask? Part unicorn, part mermaid. What's not to like? ;)
These blind bag figures were a little pricier than I normally like to spend, $9.90 each, but I thought I'd just try one.
I couldn't wait to open this, so I took photos in our mall's food court. Conveniently, the table we chose had a fun water design on the top, which fit perfectly with the theme. ;)
Other sides of the box:
The story is a little goofy, but fun. ;)
Sorry for the blurry picture of the top!
The Mermicornos come wrapped in a Tokidoki bag.
Here's the cutie I got. Side one...
...and side two.
Her name is Marina. Unfortunately, she didn't come with any sort of pamphlet or collector's guide, but I was able to look up the names of all of them online.
From my Pinterest board HERE.
Perla, the "Chase" figure, is the most rare and hardest to find.
My mom was really sweet and bought three more boxes to take home to my daughters. These are the others we ended up with.
Cora, with coral and starfish themes...
...Oceana, with octopus and seahorse themes...
...and Gelatina, with jellyfish themes.
I've never done much with Tokidoki before, partially because I don't care for all of their characters and figurines. But Oldest Gal started collecting regular Unicornos and Moofia figures after being introduced to them by a friend at school.
Here we have one of her Unicornos and one of her Moofias. They go together perfectly. :)
The Mermicornos are almost exactly like the Unicornos, except they have mermaid tails instead of hindquarters.
Aside from at Hot Topic, we've seen these in Barnes and Noble stores as well. They can also be ordered online at Tokidoki's official site. Again, I can't fully recommend everything from Tokidoki. I'm not a fan of their "'til Death do us Part" character line, for example. Even some of the Unicornos are a little odd or dark for our tastes. To be perfectly honest, I don't really care for their heart and crossbones theme on most of their toys, either. Still, the Moofias, the Mermicornos, and most of the Unicornos are pretty fun.
I wouldn't mind collecting these in small doses. If I didn't have so many collections already, I'd probably collect them in a more active manner. As you all know, though, I really don't need something else to collect obsessively. But a couple Mermicornos and a couple of Unicornos would be fun. ;)
A Few Thoughts from the Gals on Mermicornos:
Oldest Gal (age 12):
-What do you think of Mermicornos?
I think they are very adorable, like most of the Tokidoki figurines. (I don't particularly care for the 'til Death do us Part or the Punkstars. Both include skeletons and 'til Death do us Part is about a person who was too good for Hell, but too mischievous for Heaven. Punkstar includes some really weird people.) I think I prefer the Unicornos. I just feel as if they appeal more to me.
-Would you recommend them to your friends?
Yes. I already have a friend who is Tokidoki crazy, and has a ton of figurines. I think she'll really like the new Mermicornos, and to everybody else, I think they would like their adorable design. Other than the heart and crossbones as the Tokidoki symbol (which is on almost every figurine that they make), the Unicornos and Mermicornos usually are fairly clean, so to speak.
-What is your favorite thing about them?
I love the cute designs and the clever names. And they're always so fun to collect. I'm disappointed that I don't get the chance (and don't usually have enough money) to buy these.
-What is one thing you would change (if anything)?
I wouldn't change anything in the Mermicorno lines, but in the Unicorno line, which has been around for longer, I'm not exactly a fan of the zombie and skeleton Unicornos.
Middle Gal (age 10):
-What do you think of Mermicornos?
They're adorable. I like Unicornos and Mermicornos are mermaids of them, so it's awesome! I like how they made them into mermaids.
-Would you recommend them to your friends?
I would recommend the Mermicornos to all my friends, some might think they were babyish, but I like them. As for other Tokidoki things, there's always at least one in each series that is a skeleton, or a zombie, or something like that. I like all the other ones, though. So I would recommend the Mermicornos to my friends, but not everything else, but most of the other stuff.
-What is your favorite thing about them?
They're shiny and they're mermaids. Plus they're really adorable.
-What is one thing you would change (if anything)?
I would change...nothing. :)
Little Gal (age 8):
-What do you think of Mermicornos?
They're really cute, but not all of their company is very good (the things Tokidoki makes) and a few of the Tokidoki Unicornos are not as good. But the Mermicornos are all pretty good.
-Would you recommend them to your friends?
Yes. All of my friends would like them.
-What is your favorite thing about them?
They're just really cute. They did a really good job on them. It's just a really cool idea of combining Unicornos with mermaids.
-What is one thing you would change (if anything)?
It would be cool if they did one with glasses or something. It would also be really cute, because glasses look really cute on anyone.
***
Squinkies 'do Drops
On the same day I got the Mermicornos, I noticed that the new "Squinkies 'do Drops" were available at Justice. We were BIG fans of Squinkies back in 2010 when they first made their appearance. Most of you who have read the blog have seen some of my reviews of the older sets. So I was interested to see them make their big comeback.
The only Squinkies sets available in our Justice were the "Mystery Villa" blind bag sets. They retail for $4.95 each at Justice, and come with two Squinkies and one "do." The price is a little steep for what you get, but toys at Justice tend to be more expensive than other places, so I'm assuming when these are released in other stores, they'll be closer to the $3 price we're used to.
Each of these sets also comes with a sparkly plastic "villa" for the Squinkies. I saw at least three or four different colors and designs, which was cool.
Here's what the villa looks like by itself. I think I'd be more inclined to call it a circus tent than a "villa." ;)
The blind bag is one long bit of plastic with three little sections.
And here's what I ended up with: "Howdy Hooves" the horse, "May McPuff" the fish, and the "Braidy 'Do."
The new Squinkies all come with this notch in the back of their heads, and the "dos" have a corresponding plastic tab on one side that fits in the notch.
This allows the Squinkies to wear their new 'dos:
The Squinkies like hanging out in their villas. (Sorry for the odd picture...taking it on my cup was the only way I could get the villa to focus for some reason.) ;)
I thought I'd take a few pics of the "Collector's Guide" that accompanied the Squinkies. These remind me a lot of the Shopkins shopping lists, down to the "Common," "Rare," and "Ultra Rare" categories. Also like the Shopkins, the Squinkies are divided into different themed sections.
We have Squinkie Valley Acres...
...Arctic Island...
...Squinkie Sea...
...Gardenia...
...Faraway Forest...
...Jungle Oasis...
...Playset Exclusives and Ultra Rares...
...and finally, all of the 'Do's. (I feel like there shouldn't be an apostrophe there. Is there something that belongs to the dos?) ;)
I was extremely curious to see how the new Squinkies compared with the old, so I pulled out my trusty Bullseye Squinkie from the Toy Story 2 set. You can see there is a bit of a size difference. The newer Squinkies are larger and wider. The newer Squinkies are also made of a harder plastic. They don't squish like the old ones. Both lines still have holes at the bottom.
"Quit following me!" ;)
I loved the teeny-tiny aspect of the older Squinkies, and their squishiness, so I wasn't sure what I thought about the newer Squinkies line at first. On the other hand, a lot of my older Squinkies have developed cracks because of the material used, even though most of mine were for display only. Perhaps the change was to make them more durable.
Not only that, but the older Squinkies were always picking up hair and lint from the floor because they were kind of sticky, and they bounced all over the place whenever they dropped, leading to many lost Squinkies in the Never Grow Up house. (This is obviously well-remembered by my daughters, as you'll see from their reviews.) ;) So maybe these changes will be for the better after all.
I will say that while the idea of the "dos" is clever, I personally like the Squinkies themselves better and don't have much of an interest in the option of swapping hats and hairstyles. The Braidy 'Do I have looks a little silly on the horse, and rather ridiculous on the fish. Of course, I'm not the intended target audience. ;)
One of my favorite things about the earlier Squinkies was the many Disney sets they released. I would love to see them renew their contract with Disney and release more characters from my favorite movies. :)
A Few Thoughts from the Gals on Squinkies 'do Drops:
Oldest Gal (age 12):
-What do you think about the new Squinkies?
I think they are adorable, and, in some ways, even cuter than the previous series. Some of them I don't care for as much as some of the others, but some of them are to die for. One thing that concerns me a little is that the new Squinkies are so similar to Shopkins. The different "ranks" a.k.a. the ratings of rare, ultra rare, etc., are very similar to Shopkins, and the fact that they have two of each Squinkie is exactly like Shopkins.
-What do you think of their "do" accessories?
This is one of the things that Squinkies have that was not first thought up by Shopkins. Some of them are very adorable, and some of the Squinkies would go well with them. On the other hand, some of the Squinkies would not look quite as adorable. Particularly the Squinkies that already have hair. However, some of the "dos" are hats, so they would be for the prehaired Squinkies.
-How do these Squinkies compare with the older ones you used to collect? Do you like them the same? More? Less?
The old Squinkies definitely had a higher "bounce quality." The old Squinkies would bounce about 90% of the time. The new Squinkies, in comparison, would be about a 10% to 20%. I think the new Squinkies look slightly cuter than the old Squinkies. However, some of the old Squinkies were very adorable. I think there are some qualities that I like more in the new ones and old ones, both. If you were to compare them, I think the new Squinkies would come out slightly on top.
-What is your favorite thing about the new Squinkies?
I think the fact that they don't bounce is particularly comforting, knowing that you have a better chance of not losing them. That would probably be my favorite thing, but there are some other things, too. The new blue horse, in comparison to the old Bullseye, is a great deal cuter. It almost looks like one of those adorable baby toys that you want just for the look, but know that you are quite a few years too old for such things.
-What is one thing you would change (if anything)?
I probably would change that there are two different colorings of each Squinkie. That's one of the things that really bugs me with Shopkins, when I get a Shopkin that I already have, but in a different color. It makes things awkward when we play with them. You have to come up with different names, and even though it offers some variety, so that if you don't like one, you can get the other, it's kind of one of my pet peeves, though not a large one. ;)
-Would you recommend them to your friends?
To my friends, not exactly. I think one of my close friends would think it was way too babyish, and the other would just think they were weird.
Middle Gal (age 10):
-What do you think about the new Squinkies?
They're adorable, but they aren't really what they used to be. I like how they don't bounce anymore, because I used to lose ALL my Squinkies because they were bouncy. I do think, though, that they were just trying to make a comeback because of all the blind bag rage.
-What do you think of their "do" accessories?
I don't care for them as much. I mean, most of them are cute, but some of them are kind of not really me. I definitely like the actual Squinkies more.
-How do these Squinkies compare with the older ones you used to collect? Do you like them the same? More? Less?
I like the new ones, but I will always have a special connection with the older ones. Even though they're a lot like Shopkins, they're adorable.
-What is your favorite thing about the new Squinkies?
They don't bounce and they're really cute.
-What is one thing you would change (if anything)?
I would probably make them smaller like they used to be, because I just like them smaller.
-Would you recommend them to your friends?
Yes.
Little Gal (age 8):
-What do you think about the new Squinkies?
They're really cute, not that they're just like the older Squinkies, but it was a really good idea to make them less bouncy, because especially little kids would probably, like, lose them under the couch if they were bouncy like they used to be.
-What do you think of their "do" accessories?
Some of them are really cute, and some of them are really funny, but I like them. I just like the idea.
-How do these Squinkies compare with the older ones you used to collect? Do you like them the same? More? Less?
I like them the same, and I like their big huge eyes that they made them have this time, the humans. I figured out a Squinkie human for each of my siblings and for Mommy and Daddy and for a few of our friends.
-What is your favorite thing about the new Squinkies?
I think it's a cross between the new "dos" and the less bounciness.
-What is one thing you would change (if anything)?
Nothing.
-Would you recommend them to your friends?
Yes.
***
Doctor Who
We had one more fun foray into the blind bag world while at the mall. Mimi bought several of the "Character Building" Doctor Who mini figure blind bags from Hot Topic. The series they had was the one that was all of the Doctors from one through twelve, and they were on sale for $3 each with a "buy one, get one for $1" promotion. (If you look closely at some of the Squinkies pictures from the food court, you'll see some of her Doctor Who figures in the background.) ;)
There were only eleven blind bags left at Hot Topic after she bought her first batch, so after lunch, we went back in and bought the rest of them. :} I bough four, and she bought the other seven.
We found a table outside the mall and had a grand blind bag opening. ;)
And here are the figures we ended up with. :)
The First Doctor (two copies), the Second Doctor (one copy), the Third Doctor (three copies), the Fourth Doctor (one copy)...
...No Fifth Doctor, ;) the Sixth Doctor (one copy), the Seventh Doctor (two copies), the Eighth Doctor (two copies)...
...the Ninth Doctor (two copies), the Tenth Doctor (two copies), and the Eleventh Doctor (one copy).
It was really fun getting duplicates of most of them so we could each have one. ;) I have to say, we were both most excited about the Tenth Doctor. :D And very thankful we got two of him. ;)
(I'm not going to have the girls share their thoughts on these since they didn't play with them.) ;)
***
Animal Jam
So after our crazy mall blind bag frenzy, I figured I'd be done for a while. But then Mom and Mimi visited our house yesterday and shared two new blind bag series they'd discovered while at Walmart.
First up was a series called "Animal Jam Adopt a Pet." These were $2.88 at Walmart. Interestingly enough, this series is released "in association with National Geographic." I find this a bit ironic, given the neon hues of most of the animals. I would have pictured National Geographic sponsoring more realistic versions of animals. But I digress. ;)
Each pet comes in a cute little house and includes a pet, two accessories, and a checklist. You'll also notice that they're marked for ages five and up. Given the tiny nature of the accessories, I think this is a fair assessment.
The other sides of the package:
And here's the cute little pet they got: Kitty 1-30. Her accessories are the food dish and the butterfly for her head.
Since we had to run to Walmart that day, I decided to snag one as well. I offered my girls either an Animal Jam blind bag or one of the other blind bags (more on that in a bit), and they chose the latter. Just so you know I'm not a totally selfish mom. ;)
Here's my prize...
...cute little Panda 1-48!
And here are the two together. I love that my Panda's accessory makes her look like she has wings. :)
They look super cute in their little houses. :)
Their houses work pretty well for the new Squinkies, too.
In fact, I think these two lines could be very compatible, don't you?
On the packaging, it mentioned something about "stacking" the houses. I was able to get the houses to balance after some effort, but I don't see this as the best way to display your collection. There's no sort of groove or tabs to hold the houses in place, so they're just balanced on the ridge of the bottom house. I wonder if I'm missing something?
Here's a look at the "Adoption Checklist" that comes with each Animal Jam pet. I apologize in advance for the glare on some of these photos. It was really tricky to get a picture without the shine of the overhead light.
This checklist also has similar categories to Shopkins. My mom and I found it humorous, though, that some poor animals just have a blank bubble instead of one with a special category (as shown in the top row of this picture). I feel kind of bad for those poor pets. ;)
Here are my best attempts at getting each of the pets in the photos. Feel free to click on the pictures and make them larger:
Each of the pets also comes with a special code, hidden beneath the grey strip at the bottom, to use for their online game on their website.
The Animal Jam pets are super cute, come in fun colors, and have all sorts of variations of pets to collect. I think these will be a hit. Honestly, I see these appealing more to children than adult collectors such as myself. My panda is cute, but I don't feel an urge to rush out and buy any more of these. That's my opinion, though. Other adult collectors may feel differently, depending on their interests. ;)
A Few Thoughts from the Gals on Animal Jams:
Oldest Gal (age 12):
-What do you think of the Animal Jam pets?
I don't really know yet. I think that the one that my mom got is absolutely adorable and heartwarming. Some of the others aren't as cute.
-Would you recommend them to your friends?
I think the one friend that would think that Squinkies were weird might find the panda really cute. I'm not sure what the other friend would think about them.
-What is your favorite thing about Animal Jams?
At least on the panda, I love the sweet, sleepy eyes.
-What is one thing you would change (if anything)?
I don't think there's much I would change. Some of the animals don't have such heart-melting, innocent faces. I definitely don't care for the gecko as much, and the butterfly is just kind of "meh."
Middle Gal (age 10):
-What do you think of the Animal Jam pets?
They're so cute. They are colorful and creative and they aren't just like everything else. They're super cute. My mom bought a panda and it looks like he just woke up and he's still tired. He's ADORABLE!
-Would you recommend them to your friends?
Yes. The only thing that I'm worried about is the accessories. They just seem so fragile. I feel like they're going to break whenever I take them off.
-What is your favorite thing about Animal Jams?
They're cute and adorable.
-What is one thing you would change (if anything)?
I don't know if I would do the bowls, like the dog bowls. They just seem kind of dull when you see the animal, and you're like, "Oh my goodness, it's so cute!!" and then you see the bowl, and it's like, "Oh, cute. It's a bowl."
Little Gal (age 8):
-What do you think of the Animal Jam pets?
They're really cute. I like the idea of how they come in log cabins. It's really cute. And you can use the next blind bags (the next ones we're going to review in the post) in those log cabins.
-Would you recommend them to your friends?
Yes. They would like them a lot. They're really cute, like really, really, really cute!
-What is your favorite thing about Animal Jams?
All of them.
-What is one thing you would change (if anything)?
Nothing.
***
My Mini MixieQ's
And now we come to probably my favorite find of this whole post: the "My Mini MixieQ's" from Mattel. These were also $2.88 at Walmart.
Some of you might recognize them from some of the New York Toy Fair footage from earlier this year.
Here's the packaging. Each package comes with two figures.
Other sides of the box:
These are the two figures Mom and Mimi ended up with: "Florist" from the "Bubbly" category, and "Boho" from the "Friendly" category. (Like the Shopkins and Squinkies, these figures come in different themed categories.)
So, of course, we picked up some of these at Walmart, too. Like I mentioned earlier, the girls decided they wanted a Mini MixieQ rather than an Animal Jam pet, especially since the Mini MixieQ's came with two figures instead of just one.
Here's my box.
And here it is opened. (Bonus photobomb by my glow-in-the-dark Shopkins Lizzy Laptop.) ;)
And here are my two figures. I ended up with "Roller Derby" from the "Zany" category and "Gamer Girl" from the "Smart" category.
Here are all of the ones the girls and I got at Walmart. From left to right: "Roller Skates" (Bubbly), "Cowboy" (Brave), "Crochet Cutie" (Friendly), "Cheerleader" (Friendly), Panda (Animal Jam), "Hot Dog" (Zany), "Roller Derby" (Zany), "Gamer Girl" (Smart), and "Bee" (Sassy).
Here's a look at the My Mini MixieQ's collector's guide. Again, I had a few problems with glare, so I apologize for that.
Here's the "Bubbly" category. You'll notice that some of the figures have asterisks beside them. Those figures will not be released until Series 2, with a planned release of September 2016.
The "Wild" category.
"Sassy"
"Zany"
"Brave"
"Sweet"~ LOVE the donut! :D
"Friendly"~ Rainbow Unicorn WILL BE MINE!!! ;)
"Smart"
Here's the guide to the color codes.
And product information.
Here's a closer look at four of our figures. One of the things that makes them so fun is...
...their hats/hair and outfits are completely removable. (I love how they all have differently painted underwear underneath. Gotta love Cowboy's cow-spotted undies.) ;)
Their hats, hair, and clothing.
So the fun thing is, they can swap outfits and hair/hats...
...or even mix and match. (I'm assuming this is the idea behind the "MixieQ's" name.)
Their outfits are cleverly designed for easy removal. Each outfit has a notch on either side...
...which fits just under the MixieQ's arms.
Push them all the way into their outfits, and they're ready to go!
Ready to play in the snow. ;)
The MixieQ's also work well with the new Squinkies.
And the Animal Jams, for that matter.
The Animal Jam houses would even fit them. ;)
Here's Crochet Cutie with a Laloopsy Tinies and a Shopkin, just for size reference.
I think that all of these new blind bag toys have the potential of being big hits with kids and collectors, but personally, I think the Mini MixieQ's are my own personal favorite. Their cute faces, adorable outfits, and small size make them a great collectible. The mix 'n' match aspect is great, too. The clothing and hats are easy enough for my daughters to remove without trouble, but not so easy to remove that they'll go flying and get lost.
I will probably be picking up a few more of the Mini MixieQ's...or at least one more box. Being the good mom that I am, I ended up trading with my daughters and now have both of the boy figures. ;) And while Cowboy and Hot Dog are cute, I'd love a few girls, too. ;)
A Few Thoughts from the Gals on My Mini MixieQ's:
Oldest Gal (age 12):
-What do you think of My Mini MixieQ's?
I think the My Mini MixieQ's are awesome. They have so many fun people, and you can mix and match to create amazing things. Some of them I'm going crazy for, and others I'm just sort of okay about. The three that our family probably wouldn't keep are the Zombie, the Vampire, and the Sugar Skull girl. Some of them, I was doing flips over, then I realized that they wouldn't be available until September. Are you kidding me?!? :( The "Pretty in Python" Fashionista Barbie will be out by then, and I thought that was a long ways away.
-Would you recommend them to your friends?
Totally, even if they thought they were weird. I'm so excited to collect more of these. My aunt was really excited when she got "London." I must say, she's really lovable, and my aunt really wanted her, because she loves all things British.
-What is your favorite thing about them?
I like the faces and the outfits. They're the most adorable things you've ever seen. And I also love that they have little swimsuits underneath their outfits. It's the cutest thing ever! Especially the Cowboy's cow print swimming trunks.
-What would you change (if anything)?
The thing that I would change is very difficult to explain. The outfits are my favorite thing, and also the thing that I would change, so it's kind of backwards. The outfits aren't quite as cute in person, because they stick out a bit in the front. If the material that made it was a bit thinner, it might look a bit more appealing, but especially the outfits that have a low front, and show the character's neck, look a little strange, because the neck seems to go straight down off the chin.
Middle Gal (age 10):
-What do you think of My Mini MixieQ's?
They're pretty cute. Some of them are a bit odd, like the Zombie and the Vampire and the Sugar Brain girl. The Sugar Brain girl kind of gives me the shivers.
-Would you recommend them to your friends?
One of my friends would probably like the three that I didn't like. She's kind of the opposite of me. Another one of my friends would probably like all of them except for the three that I mentioned. Other than those three, I would recommend them to everyone.
-What is your favorite thing about them?
It's cool how you can mix and match their hair and their dresses and clothes and stuff. And I like how everything is square like a video game. Not that I do much video games.
-What would you change (if anything)?
I might make them a little bit bigger. They're just so tiny, especially their outfits. I'm afraid that I'm probably going to lose a piece. And I probably wouldn't do Zombies or Vampires or that other girl.
Little Gal (age 8):
-What do you think of My Mini MixieQ's?
They're really cute, and I like how you can mix and match them, but I think it's a bit of copying of Lego Friends, except they're not Lego, because you can do the same with the Lego Friends.
-Would you recommend them to your friends?
Yes.
-What is your favorite thing about them?
They're cute.
-What is one thing you would you change (if anything)?
I'd probably not do the Vampire, Zombie, and Skeleton ones.
***
Want more info on any of the toys featured in this post? Here are some links that will help:
Tokidoki Mermicornos, Unicornos, and Moofia:
Squinkies 'do Drops:
Character Building Doctor Who Figures:
I couldn't find an official site for these, but I did find:
Animal Jam:
My Mini MixieQ's:
They do not appear to have a Facebook page or Twitter account yet, but I'm sure those will come eventually. You can bookmark their site in case of more updates.
I hope you guys enjoyed this look at some of the fun blind bag series available now. :) Will any of these be added to your current collections?
Note: I am not affiliated with Mattel, Blip Toys, or any of the companies represented in this post. I did not receive payment or reimbursement for anything in this post. I'm just a fan of toys, hoping to get the word out to moms, kids, and collectors. :) All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Except for my girls' thoughts and opinions. Those were typed verbatim, as the girls dictated. :)
15 comments:
My oldest daughter loves jellyfish, and I will now have to try to find Gelatina for her. Since I like horses as well, this could be bad. :-)
Re: The little animal houses...I wonder if they'd work better stacking like a pyramid? Are there little grooves or anything on the bottom side edges? it looks like off center on the roofs that there are little snap-spots.
Hey Beastsbelle! I have heard on the official Hearts For Hearts Girls Facebook page that the Hearts For Hearts Girls Dolls will be rereleased by another company later this year!
The first dolls that will be reintroduced will be Nahji, Rahel, Dell, and Consuelo. I've been waiting for them to release a Lithuanian Girl named Ruta.
The release date will be probably in October. This is exciting! Feeling excited, Beastsbelle?
~Joanne~
There are so many blind box/bag mini figures out there that even though I thought I knew what was available, this whole post was full of figures I hadn't realized existed!
Those mermicoros are adorable though, and I'm going to have to force myself not to hunt down those Doctor Who minis, because they look fantastic as well!
Lol, sorry to start you down a slipper slope, dannyscotland. ;) I hope you're able to find Gelatina! :)
Janeen, that's a good idea. If we get another one, I'll have to try it out. There's one very slight groove that I found underneath, but it doesn't appear to coordinate with the roofs. (That was my thought originally, that there must be grooves and slots for them to fit together.
Hi Joanne! Thanks so much for letting me know. That's so exciting! I'm hoping they have a better run this time, and that they release even more dolls, like your Ruta character. Personally, I'd love to see a girl from Japan. :)
Hi jSarie! I know what you mean...most of these were unknown to me two weeks ago. ;)
The Doctor Who minis are pretty cute. I've bought them sparingly in the past because they're usually around $6 or $7 each. For $2 each, though, I thought it was worth it. ;)
Oh JOY! - something new to collect! We love to collect Squinkies! Small enough for the dog to steal, chew, and spit out! - Leigh & Kathleen http://www.girldollbeds.com
Lol, exactly. ;) I suppose I should remind the girls that living in a dog-free, cat-free house (by necessity) has its benefits: fewer chewed toys. ;) (Thankfully, the goldfish leave our toys alone.) ;)
The Mermicornos are an interesting spin on the hippocampus (sea horse) motif and super cute. Cora is my favorite design out of the quartet that your family acquired, and I also like Gelatina's jellyfish mane accessory. The heart and crossbones symbol strikes me as very Monster High-esque, maybe Tokidoki is just trying to appeal to that audience? $10 is pretty pricey for a blind-boxed toy--getting a duplicate is a hard pill to swallow when you're ponying up (pun intended) a portrait of Alexander Hamilton.
That Squinkies "villa" is most definitely a tent! Squinkies are cute, and I've got a few of those scattered about (there's a Tangled Rapunzel one perched on my PC tower right now), but I never got too into them. I like the addition of the swappable hair/hats on these newer ones. Personally, I'd prefer that they ditched the tent altogether, and cut the price, or, alternatively, kept the price point, but gave you more Squinkies and head gear instead of the tent.
I like science fiction, but I never got into Dr. Who, so, while they're nice enough LEGO-ish figures, subject matter-wise, those don't interest me much.
You got an Animal Jam pega-panda (panda-sus?), Fluttershy & Rainbow Dash would approve! The critters themselves are cute and the houses are also great, and much better than that Squinkies tent IMO--they remind me of Hasbro's Littlest Pet Shop Teensies keychain houses.
I am in agreement that the MixieQs are the most appealing out of the products that you reviewed. The mix-and-match customization of those tiny dolls has a ton of play and display potential. Out of the ones you got, I like the goof in the hot dog costume the best.
All that said, I'm not the biggest fan of the blind bagged/boxed approach to selling toys (although I do dabble every now and then), as I'm the type of person that prefers to know exactly what I'm buying, but I understand the appeal. I do wonder if the toy market may be getting too oversaturated with them though, as every license seems to have something in that vein these days, but, only time will tell.
Anyhoo, fun and informative article, and it's nice to hear the perspectives of your daughters as well, as youths often look at things much differently than adults do.
Hi Mark! Cora is super cute. I really like Pearla, but seeing as she's a chase figure, I doubt she'll be added to our collection. ;)
A lot of the Tokidoki stuff leans toward a comically darker edge, so I think it's just the style. It does definitely bring to mind lines like Monster High, although according to my research, Tokidoki started up in 2005, and Monster High wasn't around until 2010. I may be mistaken on that, but I can see how both lines would appeal to a similar audience.
Some of the Squinkies Villas did look a little more house-like. ;) We really got into the earlier Squinkies lines because my youngest was still potty training at the time, and they made great rewards. (The older two girls liked collecting them, too.)
It will be interesting to see how these are priced when they reach other retail stores. Like I said, Justice tends to price their toys higher than other places, so I'd guess the blind bag sets will be closer to three dollars elsewhere, much like the two pack Shopkins. It will also be interesting to see how much the larger sets are, and what they offer.
It took me a long time to get into Doctor Who. It's not a show I watch over and over, but I do enjoy the characters, especially the Tenth Doctor. :)
Oh, I love "Hot Dog" from the My Mini MixieQ's, too. He's so adorable. ;) Our collection is slowly growing, although a couple upcoming weeks of tighter finances have helped me not go too incredibly crazy. My mom and aunt have purchased quite a few more, so it's been fun to get to see their collections. :)
I don't know why, but the blind bag idea has always interested me. It's easy to overspend, though, especially when you're looking for a specific item. Your approach is understandable and probably much better budget-wise. ;)
Like you, I do wonder how long the blind bag craze will last. On one hand, as a mom I see the potential of these things lasting for a while. Small, inexpensive toys are a great option for parents. But inevitably will come the day when our kids have way too many little toys. And with so many different options to choose from, I do wonder if some of the lines won't be as successful as the others. Like you said, I guess time will tell.
I'm glad you enjoyed the post. I liked hearing my girls' thoughts, too. It's always interesting to me what stands out to them. :)
Have a great day!
After reading your review of the mini mixie q's I decided to get a few boxes. I was surprised to get 8 different characters. Although I didn't get any rare characters, I kind of want to keep collecting them. I think that they are the most fun blind bag I've gotten. It's fun to mix the different outfits with the different characters, and to create my own character.
Hi Priscilla! Thanks for stopping by. :) I'm so glad you're enjoying the My Mini MixieQ's as much as we are. My mom and aunt have been buying lots of them, so it's been fun to get their duplicates. ;D I'm looking forward to adding more to my collection at some point as well. I think you're right, the mix and match aspect makes them super fun. :)
Have a great day!
Hi! I just found your blog and I really like it! Everything that you got is adorable, my favorites are the Mermicornos. I'm not sure if I like the new Squinky design, just because I always liked them
because they were so squishy and tiny. I also think that the hair is kind of weird. I've never heard of the Animal Jams or My Mini Mixie Q's, but they are just adorable! I espically love the florist.
Hi Janie! Thanks for stopping by. Sorry it took me a while to respond...I got a bit behind on blog comments this week. ;)
The Mermicornos are super cute. I've seen them a couple times again after this post but so far have been able to resist them. ;)
I was a big fan of the original Squinkies myself, so it took me a bit to get used to these ones. But they are pretty cute and are starting to grow on me. ;)
The florist is super cute, as are many of the others. I think my favorites so far are DJ and Crochet Cutie. :)
Hey, I love all the blind bags, like miniquesQ. I'm not a fan of zombie or sugar skull girl like you and your daughters. I don't want to get....
BOTH IN THE SAME PACKAGE! :( any help with that maybe?!?
Hi Anonymous! As far as I know, they don't come in the same package. Our Sugar Skull Girl came with Rainbow Unicorn, which is a SUPER rare figure. I'm pretty sure Zombie comes with Purple Butterfly. Like Rainbow Unicorn, Zombie is super rare, so the chances of getting her should be slim.
Hope this helps! :)
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