I completely agree! People use 'Blythe' as a catch-all term for this type of doll, when it's not. It's a brand name, and an exclusive brand name at that. That makes this deceptive and false advertising, plain and simple.
I am a doll customizer. I always mention what my base doll is. I found it more fun to use a Fake base. It is more affordable and less scary. And I can sell them for less money, around 90 euro. I want everybody to enjoy these special dolls, also people with a smaller budget. I put a lot of work, time and fantasy in my customs. I don't want to make money, I just want to make people happy with my dolls and enjoy my hobby. I don't want to upset the Blythe collectors, I own several Takara's. But for customizing I really love to use affordable base dolls.
I think you are right, it’s better to use fake base for customisation, because it preserves the stock. Stock Blythe are numbered so it keeps the stock. When you customise a stock Blythe, she’s not stock anymore
200USD isn't a lot for a fake >customized< doll though. Many sellers on instagram mostly or only work with fake dolls and charge much more than this, but they clearly let their customers know it's not an original - which UO failed to do. I've been 20years in the hobby and see that second hand Takaras can now be found for good prices, as people seem to have fallen out of love with stocks and only use them as base customs. I do not mind the fakes, as their quality is good and they offered a vast range of skin colours way before Takara bothered to even come close to a black doll. Also if I was practising carving or faceups I wouldn't use an authentic Blythe. But a fake is a fake, and we need to know this and make our choices accordingly.
Well said and I totally agree. When I bought my first doll it was so confusing. I did as much research as possible, but there wasn't much out there back then. Luckily I found legit dolls for my first purchase. Many years later, I have purchased some fake dolls, but I knew they were fake. What UO did was sketchy and weird.
Agree, best case scenario (for UO) it was an honest mistake... but even then, they're a massive org with a purchasing team whose job it is to research the products they sell.
It's nice to see someone who collects stock Blythe who doesn't criticise people who do buy the fakes. Some who collect stock/legit dolls are very judgemental of anyone who has a fake. I'm not sure how the name blythe can come away from the fakes because they're a specific style of doll. But it should always be stated that it's a fake/factory doll when being sold. Sadly some people get bullied out of even collecting because of the more opinionated legit Blythe collectors.
Many people won't tell it to your face, but they ARE judgemental. I've been collecting dolls since 2004 and this one (Blythe) particularly seems to attract a lot of snotty people - especially now when a simple dress will cost you 50 quid and a custom doll can go for more than a 2nd hand car. Lots of people don't feel comfortable to participate because they get mocked for having fake dolls and "cheap aliexpress clothes" (I've actually saw a well known member of the community saying this on Facebook). You're only truly accepted if you're able to splash hundreds or thousands each month buying stuff from "artists" - if not, you're a nobody. I still love my dolls but I removed myself from the "community".
@@mutyabuena5044 There’s one guy I know online who is into tarot but also collects Blythe and he has some fakes and some stock dolls. He likes both and has said that although the AliExpress dolls are cheap they sometimes have better quality hair than the real dolls. I can’t say myself I haven’t bought a real doll yet. I do remember some snotty behaviour in the G1 My Little Pony community but that mainly related to taking things out of the box. I considered branching out into sharing dolls I get but with such judgemental people it kinda seems pointless. Well 🤔 for sharing Blythe it does. I saw someone else comment that Neo Blythe is a copy basically anything that isn’t made by Kenner is technically a copy. But I’ve not seen anyone from the doll collecting community agree with that 😅 I think I’ll still in my own lane buying the dolls I want (which aren’t just Blythe) and get round to buying a legit doll when I can.
Thank you for the shout out and thank you for just bringing peeps up to speed on what is going on out there in the Blythe world..........all.we want is collectors to be informed and aware of who is real and who is fake!! xx
I bought a fake bythe. Called "blyss dolls" She's cute and a cheaper alternative to the more expensive in all honesty. Just think it's shady how similar the name is.
Because this fake is associated with a brand and sold out quickly, I wonder how many people bought it to scalp/resell at a later date for a big profit. Also many customizers buy fakes so not to destroy a legit doll which makes sense to me, but upon selling, it should be disclosed as a fake.
Yes but a ‘real Blythe’ is a 1972 Kenner doll. Anything made afterwards is either a reproduction or just copycat dolls. Ashton Drake produced a true reproduction Blythe , and Takara made a whole slew of Blythe dolls., and I would not consider either of those ‘fakes’, but rather reproductions and ‘neoBlythe’ dolls. So I think we need to clarify what we mean when we say ‘real’ and ‘fake’. ‘Real’ may only apply to an original 1972 doll. Thanks for the video!
I've just got back into collecting after being very into the hobby back in the early 2000's-2012 - I have to say I'm super shocked by the acceptance and the amount of fake dolls in the hobby now. How is this allowed?!
Really enjoyed this video 😀 I wanted to start collecting authentic Blythe dolls but could not tell the difference between a real or fake Blythe. The issue is when I went looking it was often not clear in the description if the base is authentic. This also includes dolls advertised second hand by collectors. I gave up, it was just too difficult.
Completely agree with you - I much much much prefer the real Blythe dolls - prefer the bodies, prefer the clothing, packaging and eye mechanisms. I bought two fakes - on purpose - when I first started collecting - I got them from AE and knew without a doubt that they were fakes. They were/are cute but once I got my first real Blythe I was smitten and absolutely love them. The some customized dolls are lovely and some of the artists do AMAZING work - for sure. Urban Outfitters is ridiculous for claiming that they sold real Blythes.
Me too! I have a few custom girls I adore, but I love a stock outfit and speculating over details, getting excited about new releases with the rest of the community.
Not everyone is looking for an original , custom Blythe. Many just want a beautiful custom doll and don’t care if it’s a Blythe original. They are paying for the custom work, not a vintage doll.
As a new person to the hobby, I can say that I was confused about all the different names. I had to watch a few videos to understand. I bought a second hand doll on EBay, and then 2 authentic dolls.
This is such a useful video as a new collector! I would absolutely love a video on how to tell a fake Blythe, I love customs and struggle to know what's stock Blythe ❤
You’ve summed up the situation perfectly! Urban Outfitters is THE WORST! They’ve been manufacturing fake everything including small designers and craftspeoples items for many years. Avoid at all costs!
@@AngelaHugginsmakesdolls my mom basically indoctrinated me into liking blythe, we both have our histories with the doll🤷 its simply disheartening seeing a lot of ppl my age learning about blythe but considering how quickly trends come and go in this age of social media it wont last long. Id love people to learn about blythe! But not by buying an aliexpress one for 5$ then leaving it in the closet in the next 2 months. I mean, their money, they can do what they want but finding people the same age has always been a struggle for me. Thats just a more personal reason why i find it frustrating
This is not a "Barbie" for kids. It's hard to make a mistake. Original dolls cost $200-300 or more, have two boxes (outer and inner), special clothing designs, and are sold in specialty stores. You have to be very naive to believe that such a doll could cost $30. And you should also distinguish originals from custom.
I think most of these ppl think of dolls as children’s toys. A lot of them also collect dolls like Monster High and Bratz. The concept of a collectors doll is foreign to them which is why they are easily fooled
I feel these are high demands for people unaware of dolls in the adult collector space, as most think a doll worth 200$ would be an antique porcelain doll, vintage or high fashion collaboration barbies, or a well made reborn doll. Not a plastic doll. Like the other person said, the majority of people see modern dolls as children's toys or do not have experience with blythes specifically. And it is the people who scam others by selling the fake dolls you should be blaming in the first place, not the victims they've mislead. You do not know everything no matter how stupidly easy or obvious it is.
im new to the blythe world, but from what i''ve been reading, there's a lot of collectors who get upset when legit dolls are customized. UO was def wrong for this, an sounds like the artist had an in and no questions were asked.
Yep! Official distributor is: shop.juniemoon.jp/ There's also: cc-toys.com.hk/ And if you're on a budget, Mandarake gets some second-hand bargains: order.mandarake.co.jp/
What a wonderfully empathetic and informing video! I have a random question, I accidentally bought a dress intended for Blythe dolls but it was actually a pattern with the materials included. Is there a service out there that would be willing to sew the outfit if I sent and paid for the service?
3 months late but for the record, Edelweiss Day doesn't have a consistent style because they are reselling dolls (or at least stealing their listing photos) from Xianyu and Taobao for 2x the cost without credit.
I agree with you Cherish, people should know what they are spending their money on. I have a good selection of legitimate Blythe dolls now, and have a good number of fakes that I started out on. So I usually know the difference, however I have transformed some fakes to look more like legitimate dolls because I like that style, but I don’t pretend they are legitimate and I don’t plan to sell them. I over paid for my first doll which turned out to be fake, but in all fairness to the UK seller, the doll arrived quickly, she was in a lovely outfit and shoes, and placed in a pink basket, so the extra paid compared to Ali E, was justified and I got the hair colour I wanted. I agree that finding the right information at the start of the hobby is useful. Very soon into my new hobby I got a video out, to compare the real and fake, but back then I didn’t own a legitimate new in box doll. I really need to do an updated video. Thank goodness there are people like us on TH-cam to spread the word of information.
I agree! If the dolls are not official Blythe dolls then they shouldn't be labeled misleadingly. There needs to be better terminology for the fake Blythes and maybe an umbrella term for both the real and fake dolls so the fakes arent referred to as Blythes. Kind of like how with American Girl Dolls the catch all term is 18 inch doll which encompasses both the official AG dolls, competitors, bootlegs etc, and then their equivalent of "factory blythe" is called frankendolls (if its a doll made of official parts). AG's equivalent of Icy is Our Generation but there's tons of knockoff/copycat/competitors of lesser quality and price. There aren't a ton of exact copy types of fakes of AG in the vein of TBL for Blythe, but if brand is unknown or not being discussed the doll can just be called an 18 inch doll which means unofficial or other brand dolls don't get called the name of the main official brand, so fakes don't usually get called American Girl Dolls. TL/DR - another high end doll brand with lots of copycats has a fandom with a really good terminology system that could be studied to help make Blythe dolls and their off brand copycats easier to talk about and more friendly to new buyers.
Thanks for sharing this. I am happy with the stock girls I have . I’ll stick with them as is as I’m not a fan of them being so altered they’re not recognizable. But Blythe scandal or not, Urban Outfitters has been problematic on MANY levels. They’ve ripped off designs from indie sellers on the streets of NY or Etsy, they’ve sold questionable clothing resembling concentration camp outfits and that’s just a couple issues at hand. To repeat myself: UO is problematic on many levels.
I don't know how I got here because I am certainly a collector of things and a hobbyist but have never actually bought a Blythe. I only admire them. I saw my first Blythes in person at Kiddyland in Tokyo in 2018, they had on display some Sanrio themed Blythe dolls and some Sailor Moon themed ones and they're so beautiful! It seems like a lovely hobby. I don't know how I got here but I'm glad I did! Subscribed!
Hey! Welcome and thanks for watching! My usual videos are less controversial and more just blathering about Blythe haha! I am jealous you got to go to Kiddy Land! I am desperate to go to Japan some day.
I recently discovered TikTok accounts with about 25000 followers and more who praised the fakes with the horrible pre-carved faces. Each was looking the same with this tiny noses. I was so shocked that so many folks there celebrated this cheap made dolls and not a single mention about the origin of the factory doll! And I see it the same, as long they mention it, it is fine! But they didn’t and masses of people now think those are as nice dolls. 🥴
I recently bought 3 "blythe" dolls. It's my first time buying any. I didn't realize that "factory or "TBL" meant fake. 😳 I love them but im not sure I would of purchased if I knew. I guess I should do some more research. I was really excited about getting my very first blythe 😢 Thanks for sharing this info
I first learned about Bylthe Dolls from Strawberry Sprite today and I love them so much.🥺 I'm currently trying to reclaim my childhood due to abuse and I think they are so much prettier than the toys of my childhood. Would you recommend a fake one or an actual Blythe Doll that I would need to save up for?>~< I'm very new to collecting but excited to learn and collect a few but meaningfull things.(*´ω｀*)
I think they sold pretty quick cause there was only one. Which makes sense cause it’s a one of a kind custom doll. It’s difficult for an artist to make exact duplicates, pretty much impossible. Totally agree though, they should have said fake and no problems here with fakes as long as they’re honest about it.
I think we shouldn’t even call fakes “fake Blythe” because it ISNT a Blythe and they don’t look like one we should pick out another name maybe just call them Icy dolls . Went to a con last year and 95% of ppl had fakes and customs. The hobby is dead
It’s the attendees and not the vendors with the fakes. The vendors were not allowed to sell fakes. For the US conventions it’s up the organizers whether they will allow fakes to be sold or not but the attendees will bring whatever they choose.
@@erinw.myviewingchannel I meant the attendees! Though thinking back I think there was only 1 vendor with a few Neo Blythe the others had customs and the majority of raffle prizes were custom dolls and I would need to go back and look at all of them but I clocked fakes
@@explorilori yes most for sale were customs and the vendors were required to list the base doll for all customs that were for sale. I was a vendor (not for dolls) and that was listed in our contract. But I did notice also and agree with you that many attendees bring fakes.
The hype about the so-called “fakes” boiled up that much because people realised the fakes nowadays look cuter than the Blythes. The hair is always better. All the wonderful talented artists who are able to customise the dolls to a standard better than the Blythes. I buy the artwork. 😊
@@mariewegner6927 you can buy what you want, love. As I said *several times* in this video, I don’t care what dolls you or anyone else buys. I care about people being taken advantage of because others don’t describe their products honestly. You can collect fakes - I don’t. But I do hope you enjoy them.
@@Tute_Sweet Although I have 3 customised dolls, I wouldn’t say I am a collector. I am a seamstress and have always plenty of fabric leftovers. Mostly some Barbie dolls get an outfit and a little girl from my neighbourhood is happy about it. Now the “Blythe alikes” are equipped as well and I find them extremely cute. I think, the whole lot is called Blythe only because of their features. In particular an oversized head and changing eye colours. Like we call the little building bricks “Lego”, even when they’re not from the original factory in Denmark. I am not really interested in their worth, I have seen a Kenner Blythe, and I wouldn’t want it. I also had a look at the “Juliets choice” which in this case was around 400 dollars. I think, that company would do well with one of the amazing customisation artists out there to justify that price for a product in 2024.
❤ i buy dolls and customize them. I will charge what i want and name them what i want. You pay for customizing, the clothes, the theme. They are real dolls. They are just not a name brand doll. Just like barbie. Urban outfitters might have gotten permission
I've never seen your work, but I'm sorry it isn't good enough to give you the confidence in it to be clear and honest with your customers about your materials. But do keep your chin up! I was at a doll show just yesterday and there was a vendor selling some absolutely beautiful custom dolls (for hundreds!) which were clearly labelled "fake Blythes" on the tag. They were making sales without misleading anyone because their work was plenty good enough to justify the price. Such cool concepts and beautiful craftsmanship! Maybe some day with some practice you will be able to achieve the same. Best of luck to you! Practice makes perfect! 💗💗
Urban outfitters is hardly a business that would know anything about Blythe history nor would they care. I am even surprised they changed the title description after the fact. It would be like IKEA creating their own “Blythe”. The Blythe name is unfortunately not trademarked like Barbie so this will continue to happen. Perhaps someone should trademark the Blythe name so at least someone gets the licensing rights.
Nope. Blythe is trademarked. It's owned by Hasbro: www.blythedoll.com/copyright/index_e.html#:~:text=BLYTHE%20is%20a%20trademark%20of,All%20Rights%20Reserved. Hasbro don't generally pay a huge amount of attention to Blythe the way Mattel are protective of Barbie, but that doesn't make it any more legal or moral to pretend you're stocking a designer doll when you're not. The UO purchasing team *should* do their due diligence and research every product they stock on their website.
I feel like this take is overly gatekeep-y of who gets to be a Blythe fan. Some people like customized doll in this style. Most people know that they aren't on actual Blythe doll bodies. They sell for that much because making a custom is actually a lot of work. Getting a "real Blythe" is actually a lot of money as the only "real" dolls are the Kenner ones. The Takara dolls are "Neo-Blythe" and are incredibly different. Personally I like all styles, TBL, Kenner, and Takara dolls are all beautiful imo. TLDR: it's not that deep
No. If a doll is fake you should say it is, or else you're just misleading people to make a sale. If your work is any good you shouldn't have to lie about materials.
reproduction would be a fine term, so would blythe inspired or blythe style, imitation blythe. On the antique market products made in imitation of the real old expensive treasures are generally called reproductions not "fakes". Using a term with less of a negative connotation does not have to be deceptive.
And they *ARE* fake. Looking at their faces, I can tell the face is from a fake base. They’re not stock. They’re not “factory”. They’re fake. Sorry you don’t like the term. It’s not like we’ve gone to your page and trashed your creations.
I completely agree! People use 'Blythe' as a catch-all term for this type of doll, when it's not. It's a brand name, and an exclusive brand name at that. That makes this deceptive and false advertising, plain and simple.
Agree, and I think most of the time it's deliberate.
I am a doll customizer. I always mention what my base doll is. I found it more fun to use a Fake base. It is more affordable and less scary. And I can sell them for less money, around 90 euro. I want everybody to enjoy these special dolls, also people with a smaller budget. I put a lot of work, time and fantasy in my customs. I don't want to make money, I just want to make people happy with my dolls and enjoy my hobby.
I don't want to upset the Blythe collectors, I own several Takara's. But for customizing I really love to use affordable base dolls.
I think you are right, it’s better to use fake base for customisation, because it preserves the stock. Stock Blythe are numbered so it keeps the stock. When you customise a stock Blythe, she’s not stock anymore
I get that, and thats why you let people know when you sell it and then it's no big deal! It's really when people dont disclose it's a fake.
200USD isn't a lot for a fake >customized< doll though. Many sellers on instagram mostly or only work with fake dolls and charge much more than this, but they clearly let their customers know it's not an original - which UO failed to do. I've been 20years in the hobby and see that second hand Takaras can now be found for good prices, as people seem to have fallen out of love with stocks and only use them as base customs. I do not mind the fakes, as their quality is good and they offered a vast range of skin colours way before Takara bothered to even come close to a black doll. Also if I was practising carving or faceups I wouldn't use an authentic Blythe. But a fake is a fake, and we need to know this and make our choices accordingly.
This is so random and tacky, it's as if an employee used the official website as a personal garage sale, on top of scamming the buyers.
Well said and I totally agree. When I bought my first doll it was so confusing. I did as much research as possible, but there wasn't much out there back then. Luckily I found legit dolls for my first purchase. Many years later, I have purchased some fake dolls, but I knew they were fake. What UO did was sketchy and weird.
Agree, best case scenario (for UO) it was an honest mistake... but even then, they're a massive org with a purchasing team whose job it is to research the products they sell.
It's nice to see someone who collects stock Blythe who doesn't criticise people who do buy the fakes. Some who collect stock/legit dolls are very judgemental of anyone who has a fake. I'm not sure how the name blythe can come away from the fakes because they're a specific style of doll. But it should always be stated that it's a fake/factory doll when being sold. Sadly some people get bullied out of even collecting because of the more opinionated legit Blythe collectors.
Many people won't tell it to your face, but they ARE judgemental. I've been collecting dolls since 2004 and this one (Blythe) particularly seems to attract a lot of snotty people - especially now when a simple dress will cost you 50 quid and a custom doll can go for more than a 2nd hand car. Lots of people don't feel comfortable to participate because they get mocked for having fake dolls and "cheap aliexpress clothes" (I've actually saw a well known member of the community saying this on Facebook). You're only truly accepted if you're able to splash hundreds or thousands each month buying stuff from "artists" - if not, you're a nobody. I still love my dolls but I removed myself from the "community".
@@mutyabuena5044 There’s one guy I know online who is into tarot but also collects Blythe and he has some fakes and some stock dolls. He likes both and has said that although the AliExpress dolls are cheap they sometimes have better quality hair than the real dolls. I can’t say myself I haven’t bought a real doll yet. I do remember some snotty behaviour in the G1 My Little Pony community but that mainly related to taking things out of the box. I considered branching out into sharing dolls I get but with such judgemental people it kinda seems pointless. Well 🤔 for sharing Blythe it does. I saw someone else comment that Neo Blythe is a copy basically anything that isn’t made by Kenner is technically a copy. But I’ve not seen anyone from the doll collecting community agree with that 😅
I think I’ll still in my own lane buying the dolls I want (which aren’t just Blythe) and get round to buying a legit doll when I can.
Thank you for the shout out and thank you for just bringing peeps up to speed on what is going on out there in the Blythe world..........all.we want is collectors to be informed and aware of who is real and who is fake!! xx
I bought a fake bythe. Called "blyss dolls"
She's cute and a cheaper alternative to the more expensive in all honesty. Just think it's shady how similar the name is.
Because this fake is associated with a brand and sold out quickly, I wonder how many people bought it to scalp/resell at a later date for a big profit. Also many customizers buy fakes so not to destroy a legit doll which makes sense to me, but upon selling, it should be disclosed as a fake.
Yes but a ‘real Blythe’ is a 1972 Kenner doll. Anything made afterwards is either a reproduction or just copycat dolls. Ashton Drake produced a true reproduction Blythe , and Takara made a whole slew of Blythe dolls., and I would not consider either of those ‘fakes’, but rather reproductions and ‘neoBlythe’ dolls. So I think we need to clarify what we mean when we say ‘real’ and ‘fake’. ‘Real’ may only apply to an original 1972 doll. Thanks for the video!
I've just got back into collecting after being very into the hobby back in the early 2000's-2012 - I have to say I'm super shocked by the acceptance and the amount of fake dolls in the hobby now. How is this allowed?!
all I want to know is where the fakes wig comes from and why is it 1000 x better than the real Blythe doll hair?
Really enjoyed this video 😀 I wanted to start collecting authentic Blythe dolls but could not tell the difference between a real or fake Blythe. The issue is when I went looking it was often not clear in the description if the base is authentic. This also includes dolls advertised second hand by collectors. I gave up, it was just too difficult.
Completely agree with you - I much much much prefer the real Blythe dolls - prefer the bodies, prefer the clothing, packaging and eye mechanisms. I bought two fakes - on purpose - when I first started collecting - I got them from AE and knew without a doubt that they were fakes. They were/are cute but once I got my first real Blythe I was smitten and absolutely love them. The some customized dolls are lovely and some of the artists do AMAZING work - for sure. Urban Outfitters is ridiculous for claiming that they sold real Blythes.
Me too! I have a few custom girls I adore, but I love a stock outfit and speculating over details, getting excited about new releases with the rest of the community.
Not everyone is looking for an original , custom Blythe. Many just want a beautiful custom doll and don’t care if it’s a Blythe original. They are paying for the custom work, not a vintage doll.
Congrats for not being capable of paying attention through a 14 minute video, I guess.
As a new person to the hobby, I can say that I was confused about all the different names. I had to watch a few videos to understand. I bought a second hand doll on EBay, and then 2 authentic dolls.
This is such a useful video as a new collector! I would absolutely love a video on how to tell a fake Blythe, I love customs and struggle to know what's stock Blythe ❤
You’ve summed up the situation perfectly! Urban Outfitters is THE WORST! They’ve been manufacturing fake everything including small designers and craftspeoples items for many years. Avoid at all costs!
its a bit frustrating when something youve been into for years gets popular than big companies do things like this lol
😮 sweetie calm down i had the original blythe when they were first made. People kill me being self righteous
@@AngelaHugginsmakesdolls my mom basically indoctrinated me into liking blythe, we both have our histories with the doll🤷 its simply disheartening seeing a lot of ppl my age learning about blythe but considering how quickly trends come and go in this age of social media it wont last long. Id love people to learn about blythe! But not by buying an aliexpress one for 5$ then leaving it in the closet in the next 2 months.
I mean, their money, they can do what they want but finding people the same age has always been a struggle for me. Thats just a more personal reason why i find it frustrating
Very well articulated! I’m definitely gonna check out the podcast- thank you for sharing!
It's a fun one! They have interviews with Blythe creators too, which I always enjoy :)
This is not a "Barbie" for kids. It's hard to make a mistake. Original dolls cost $200-300 or more, have two boxes (outer and inner), special clothing designs, and are sold in specialty stores. You have to be very naive to believe that such a doll could cost $30. And you should also distinguish originals from custom.
I think most of these ppl think of dolls as children’s toys. A lot of them also collect dolls like Monster High and Bratz. The concept of a collectors doll is foreign to them which is why they are easily fooled
I feel these are high demands for people unaware of dolls in the adult collector space, as most think a doll worth 200$ would be an antique porcelain doll, vintage or high fashion collaboration barbies, or a well made reborn doll. Not a plastic doll. Like the other person said, the majority of people see modern dolls as children's toys or do not have experience with blythes specifically. And it is the people who scam others by selling the fake dolls you should be blaming in the first place, not the victims they've mislead. You do not know everything no matter how stupidly easy or obvious it is.
how do you know which one is factory blythe doll? different faceup and wig???
im new to the blythe world, but from what i''ve been reading, there's a lot of collectors who get upset when legit dolls are customized. UO was def wrong for this, an sounds like the artist had an in and no questions were asked.
Is there an official website where we can buy stock Blythe dolls???
Yep! Official distributor is: shop.juniemoon.jp/
There's also: cc-toys.com.hk/
And if you're on a budget, Mandarake gets some second-hand bargains: order.mandarake.co.jp/
What a wonderfully empathetic and informing video!
I have a random question, I accidentally bought a dress intended for Blythe dolls but it was actually a pattern with the materials included. Is there a service out there that would be willing to sew the outfit if I sent and paid for the service?
3 months late but for the record, Edelweiss Day doesn't have a consistent style because they are reselling dolls (or at least stealing their listing photos) from Xianyu and Taobao for 2x the cost without credit.
I agree with you Cherish, people should know what they are spending their money on. I have a good selection of legitimate Blythe dolls now, and have a good number of fakes that I started out on. So I usually know the difference, however I have transformed some fakes to look more like legitimate dolls because I like that style, but I don’t pretend they are legitimate and I don’t plan to sell them. I over paid for my first doll which turned out to be fake, but in all fairness to the UK seller, the doll arrived quickly, she was in a lovely outfit and shoes, and placed in a pink basket, so the extra paid compared to Ali E, was justified and I got the hair colour I wanted. I agree that finding the right information at the start of the hobby is useful. Very soon into my new hobby I got a video out, to compare the real and fake, but back then I didn’t own a legitimate new in box doll. I really need to do an updated video. Thank goodness there are people like us on TH-cam to spread the word of information.
I agree! If the dolls are not official Blythe dolls then they shouldn't be labeled misleadingly.
There needs to be better terminology for the fake Blythes and maybe an umbrella term for both the real and fake dolls so the fakes arent referred to as Blythes. Kind of like how with American Girl Dolls the catch all term is 18 inch doll which encompasses both the official AG dolls, competitors, bootlegs etc, and then their equivalent of "factory blythe" is called frankendolls (if its a doll made of official parts). AG's equivalent of Icy is Our Generation but there's tons of knockoff/copycat/competitors of lesser quality and price. There aren't a ton of exact copy types of fakes of AG in the vein of TBL for Blythe, but if brand is unknown or not being discussed the doll can just be called an 18 inch doll which means unofficial or other brand dolls don't get called the name of the main official brand, so fakes don't usually get called American Girl Dolls.
TL/DR - another high end doll brand with lots of copycats has a fandom with a really good terminology system that could be studied to help make Blythe dolls and their off brand copycats easier to talk about and more friendly to new buyers.
Thanks for sharing this. I am happy with the stock girls I have . I’ll stick with them as is as I’m not a fan of them being so altered they’re not recognizable.
But Blythe scandal or not, Urban Outfitters has been problematic on MANY levels. They’ve ripped off designs from indie sellers on the streets of NY or Etsy, they’ve sold questionable clothing resembling concentration camp outfits and that’s just a couple issues at hand. To repeat myself: UO is problematic on many levels.
Fabulous and informative. Thanks for mentioning La Dolly Dispatch podcast. ❤🎧❤️ Cheers 🥂
Cheers to you too! And thanks for the podcast!
I don't know how I got here because I am certainly a collector of things and a hobbyist but have never actually bought a Blythe. I only admire them. I saw my first Blythes in person at Kiddyland in Tokyo in 2018, they had on display some Sanrio themed Blythe dolls and some Sailor Moon themed ones and they're so beautiful! It seems like a lovely hobby.
I don't know how I got here but I'm glad I did! Subscribed!
Hey! Welcome and thanks for watching! My usual videos are less controversial and more just blathering about Blythe haha! I am jealous you got to go to Kiddy Land! I am desperate to go to Japan some day.
I recently discovered TikTok accounts with about 25000 followers and more who praised the fakes with the horrible pre-carved faces. Each was looking the same with this tiny noses. I was so shocked that so many folks there celebrated this cheap made dolls and not a single mention about the origin of the factory doll! And I see it the same, as long they mention it, it is fine! But they didn’t and masses of people now think those are as nice dolls. 🥴
I would love a video on the different face molds and get to see a comparison!
Since when can you get a custom Original for $200 ?
independant artists charge $1000 +
UO will NEVER sell CUSTOM originals for that amount..
I recently bought 3 "blythe" dolls. It's my first time buying any. I didn't realize that "factory or "TBL" meant fake. 😳 I love them but im not sure I would of purchased if I knew. I guess I should do some more research. I was really excited about getting my very first blythe 😢 Thanks for sharing this info
It's honestly not your fault at all with all the misinformation out there, and I genuinely hope you enjoy them anyway! Welcome to the hobby!
I first learned about Bylthe Dolls from Strawberry Sprite today and I love them so much.🥺 I'm currently trying to reclaim my childhood due to abuse and I think they are so much prettier than the toys of my childhood. Would you recommend a fake one or an actual Blythe Doll that I would need to save up for?>~< I'm very new to collecting but excited to learn and collect a few but meaningfull things.(*´ω｀*)
I spilled my coffee ☕️ in first 40 seconds 🤣
This calls for.... the big glass. 😠 🍷
I think they sold pretty quick cause there was only one. Which makes sense cause it’s a one of a kind custom doll. It’s difficult for an artist to make exact duplicates, pretty much impossible.
Totally agree though, they should have said fake and no problems here with fakes as long as they’re honest about it.
UO used to sell Blythe teeshirts with the real Blythe brand on them (maybe 10 years ago or so?) They were cool, but this isnt!
They also have a history of stolen art and design on clothing as well
I low key hope that Hasbro will sue UO because UO is big American company
I think we shouldn’t even call fakes “fake Blythe” because it ISNT a Blythe and they don’t look like one we should pick out another name maybe just call them Icy dolls . Went to a con last year and 95% of ppl had fakes and customs. The hobby is dead
Could you share which convention was this?
@@Kusibonsuess US Blythecon Jersey City
It’s the attendees and not the vendors with the fakes. The vendors were not allowed to sell fakes. For the US conventions it’s up the organizers whether they will allow fakes to be sold or not but the attendees will bring whatever they choose.
@@erinw.myviewingchannel I meant the attendees! Though thinking back I think there was only 1 vendor with a few Neo Blythe the others had customs and the majority of raffle prizes were custom dolls and I would need to go back and look at all of them but I clocked fakes
@@explorilori yes most for sale were customs and the vendors were required to list the base doll for all customs that were for sale.
I was a vendor (not for dolls) and that was listed in our contract.
But I did notice also and agree with you that many attendees bring fakes.
All Blythe dolls except the Kenner are fake!!
$200 would not get you a legit Blythe doll. Of course the buyer should be aware of this? If not, that's on the buyer.
The hype about the so-called “fakes” boiled up that much because people realised the fakes nowadays look cuter than the Blythes. The hair is always better. All the wonderful talented artists who are able to customise the dolls to a standard better than the Blythes. I buy the artwork. 😊
@@mariewegner6927 you can buy what you want, love. As I said *several times* in this video, I don’t care what dolls you or anyone else buys. I care about people being taken advantage of because others don’t describe their products honestly. You can collect fakes - I don’t. But I do hope you enjoy them.
@@Tute_Sweet Although I have 3 customised dolls, I wouldn’t say I am a collector. I am a seamstress and have always plenty of fabric leftovers. Mostly some Barbie dolls get an outfit and a little girl from my neighbourhood is happy about it. Now the “Blythe alikes” are equipped as well and I find them extremely cute.
I think, the whole lot is called Blythe only because of their features. In particular an oversized head and changing eye colours. Like we call the little building bricks “Lego”, even when they’re not from the original factory in Denmark.
I am not really interested in their worth, I have seen a Kenner Blythe, and I wouldn’t want it. I also had a look at the “Juliets choice” which in this case was around 400 dollars. I think, that company would do well with one of the amazing customisation artists out there to justify that price for a product in 2024.
❤ i buy dolls and customize them. I will charge what i want and name them what i want. You pay for customizing, the clothes, the theme. They are real dolls. They are just not a name brand doll. Just like barbie. Urban outfitters might have gotten permission
I've never seen your work, but I'm sorry it isn't good enough to give you the confidence in it to be clear and honest with your customers about your materials.
But do keep your chin up!
I was at a doll show just yesterday and there was a vendor selling some absolutely beautiful custom dolls (for hundreds!) which were clearly labelled "fake Blythes" on the tag. They were making sales without misleading anyone because their work was plenty good enough to justify the price. Such cool concepts and beautiful craftsmanship! Maybe some day with some practice you will be able to achieve the same. Best of luck to you! Practice makes perfect! 💗💗
Urban outfitters is hardly a business that would know anything about Blythe history nor would they care. I am even surprised they changed the title description after the fact. It would be like IKEA creating their own “Blythe”. The Blythe name is unfortunately not trademarked like Barbie so this will continue to happen. Perhaps someone should trademark the Blythe name so at least someone gets the licensing rights.
Nope. Blythe is trademarked. It's owned by Hasbro:
www.blythedoll.com/copyright/index_e.html#:~:text=BLYTHE%20is%20a%20trademark%20of,All%20Rights%20Reserved.
Hasbro don't generally pay a huge amount of attention to Blythe the way Mattel are protective of Barbie, but that doesn't make it any more legal or moral to pretend you're stocking a designer doll when you're not. The UO purchasing team *should* do their due diligence and research every product they stock on their website.
It is trademarked. And it’s illegal to use the word Blythe without license. I think hasbro should sue UO for that
Urban outfitters sold actual Takara Blythe Dolls about 15 years ago (Madamoiselle Rosebud ). They know Blythe is a trademarked IP
I feel like this take is overly gatekeep-y of who gets to be a Blythe fan. Some people like customized doll in this style. Most people know that they aren't on actual Blythe doll bodies. They sell for that much because making a custom is actually a lot of work. Getting a "real Blythe" is actually a lot of money as the only "real" dolls are the Kenner ones. The Takara dolls are "Neo-Blythe" and are incredibly different. Personally I like all styles, TBL, Kenner, and Takara dolls are all beautiful imo.
TLDR: it's not that deep
TLDR: if your work is good enough to charge $200, you don't need to lie and pretend you used a $100 canvas.
Customized dolls look better than plain blythe
Most of them are scary and ugly. Not everyone who thinks they are an artist is an artist. ))
@@nataliadamin527 I agree. I think customs are hideous frankly.
So you don’t actually like Blythe then. You like dolls with bjd/bratz aesthetic but with big eyes.
Hard agree
They do lol
The dolls are usually customized. Let's find another term besides fake. Are you ok?
they're customized using fake bases. Why are you pretending to be ignorant? If urban outfitters used legitimate dolls, why the change of wording?
@@jade5202😅
No. If a doll is fake you should say it is, or else you're just misleading people to make a sale. If your work is any good you shouldn't have to lie about materials.
reproduction would be a fine term, so would blythe inspired or blythe style, imitation blythe. On the antique market products made in imitation of the real old expensive treasures are generally called reproductions not "fakes". Using a term with less of a negative connotation does not have to be deceptive.
And they *ARE* fake. Looking at their faces, I can tell the face is from a fake base. They’re not stock. They’re not “factory”. They’re fake. Sorry you don’t like the term. It’s not like we’ve gone to your page and trashed your creations.