Vintage Antique Collectible » industry awards

Bratz Dolls

The Collector — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:35:08 +0000

Collectibles -> Animation Art, Characters -> Bratz

Bratz Dolls, produced by MGA Entertainment, are similar to Barbie Dolls in that kids (and adults) love them and love to collect them. But there’s no mistaking a Bratz Doll for a Barbie Doll, not even at a glance. Bratz Dolls are shorter at only 10 inches compared to Barbie’s height of 11.5 inches. Though they’re shorter, they’re chunkier dolls than Barbies, because the dolls features and proportions are slightly larger. They’re further distinguishable from Barbies because they’ve actually replaced her as the top seller in some parts of the world.

Bratz Dolls are relatively new. Cloe, Yasmin, Sasha and Jade, the original dolls, appeared in 2001 and quickly took the doll world by storm. They’re now available in almost 70 countries. And the Bratz line has grown to include new dolls that are friends of the original spunky four, mini-dolls, games, video games, movies, spin-off doll lines, music, a television series, and dozens of other kids’ products from bikes to bedding.

Bratz Dolls are unique, not just because of their sassy appearance, but because the heads are made from hard vinyl, and the feet come off completely. These dolls have predominant feet to show off the stylin’ shoes the girls wear. When it’s time to change to a new, cool pair of shoes, there’s no need to wrestle small shoes onto their feet, the entire foot/shoe combo comes off at the doll’s ankle allowing for quick accessory changes.

Something else that sets Bratz Dolls apart is the makeup the dolls wear, and the focus on appearance and fashion. Some say they flaunt the bad qualities of materialism and narcissism. Some of the clothes have caused a stir, too. Skimpy outfits and outfits that look straight from the pages of Vogue have bothered some parents who feel that they don’t represent good values and that they put even more pressure on girls to look and act a certain way.

But Bratz Dolls have won several industry awards like Toy of the Year and Character Brand License of the Year, in addition to awards given by other organizations like Disney’s Family Fun and the Toy Industry Association. They also represent different ethnicities, instead of just offering blonde, blue-eyed dolls, which is one major point of appeal for kids and adults alike. They come with cool accessories that kids love, and girls tend to collect and play with the dolls longer than they do Barbies, so they have pre-teen and early teen appeal. Long after many girls stop playing with dolls, they still love these fashionable dolls.

When collecting Bratz Dolls, online auctions are probably the best place to find them. Because they’ve only been manufactured since 2001 you’ll want to purchase dolls that are in the original condition, with no wear, repairs or restoration. At the very least, any changes need to be detailed by the seller, as they drop the value. It’s also important to make sure the original packaging is intact and the doll is in the original outfit.

Originally posted 2008-10-07 14:00:26. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

Faberge Egg Collectables -> Collectibles -> Decorative Collectibles Almost everyone has heard some reference to a Faberge egg, though many people simply think it's some sort of fancy, jeweled egg, without realizing the history behind it or its true value. Carl Faberge designed the first of these eggs in 1885, for......
Silver Tea Sets Collectibles -> Housewares-and-Kitchenware -> Tableware The first silver tea set was created in 1790, almost 100 years after the first known silver tea pot was created. That first silver tea pot is now in a London museum and is much smaller than what we think of as a tea pot......
1920 Flapper Dress Collectables -> Textiles, Linens The 1920 flapper dress is commonly referred to as just a flapper, but the word flapper actually refers to much more than the garment itself, it refers to the entire sensibility of the era in the 1920s. Flapper actually referred to the women themselves, with their......
Boyds Bears Dolls-and-Bears -> Bears -> Boyds Boyds Bears are the creation of Gary Lowenthal and his wife, Justina Unger. Before they were married, they owned an antique shop together in 1979, and found that they couldn’t afford the types of antiques they wanted to carry. So in 1982 they started making......
Coca Cola Collectibles Collectibles -> Advertising -> Soda-> Coca-Cola By far, one of the most endearing collectibles that has become popular over the past few decades are Coca Cola collectibles. This company has done a great job of coming up with many ways to create valuable and memorable products that are highly sought......

Related Websites

Win a $100 Home Depot Gift Card for Father's Day! Looking for that perfect gift for your hard-working Dad? If you're like most people, you can never think of something to give Dad for Father's Day. I will admit, Dads are not as easy to shop for as Moms. You can't go out and buy perfume, makeup, or jewelry for......
Kona Kampachi -- Sustainably Farmed Yellow Tail from Kona Blue [pics] Have you ever hear of the Kona Kampachi? Well I think you will be hearing a lot more about it soon... The Kona Kampachi is a sashimi grade Hawaiian species of yellowtail (amberjack family and related to hamachi) with no detectable mercury or PCBs... AND IT IS SUSTAINABLE FARMED by Kona Blue.......
When to Walk Away from Coin Collecting Coin collecting is an incredible hobby that gives millions of people around the world enjoyment year after year. There are people who jump into coin collecting in their adult life, and others who have been collecting for as long as they can remember. While some are going to continue to......
Good Advice on Running for Beginners Running is a sport which is easy to get in to. You do not need a lot of specialized equipment to get started. Running for beginners only requires a good pair of shoes and some good advice. This way you can get started off the right way. The most important......
Eau de Cologne by Yuri Gutsatz Review Continuing to sample Le Jardin Retrouvé’s scents passed on to me from cpf via LJR. The flower scents: Citron Poivré (Spicy Lemon), Eau de Tubéreuse (Tuberose), Jasmin (Jasmine), Verveine (Verbena), The Lys (Lily), and Chèvrefeuille (Honeysuckle). I reviewed the roses in a separate category. And the last: Eau de Cologne......

Online Stores Online Stores

Boyds Bears

The Collector — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:26:34 +0000

Dolls-and-Bears -> Bears -> Boyds

Boyds Bears are the creation of Gary Lowenthal and his wife, Justina Unger. Before they were married, they owned an antique shop together in 1979, and found that they couldn’t afford the types of antiques they wanted to carry. So in 1982 they started making and selling antique reproductions, beginning with their line of duck decoys. They began making miniature reproduction houses out of resin which they called Gnomes Homes. Business was good—they even sold wholesale to other retailers.

Then in 1984, they designed a 12” jointed bear, inspired by a line of Merino wool bears from China, and named it Matthew after their infant son. Boyds Bears were born. In 1993, they began making resign bear statues, as well as other items. Their catalogue of products is large with a variety of different things to choose from. But the soft bears are still one of their most popular items, with collectors clamoring to get them all.

Many of their products, including Boyds Bears, have won doll and toy industry awards, and their line is highly popular with teddy bear collectors. The bears can be found in chain and independent stores like Hallmark and other shops, and through many online stores, as well as eBay. They have a party plan that allows a party hostess to earn free merchandise by hosting a bear party to sell the plush bears, as well as a collector and fan club called the Loyal Order of Friends of Boyds, whose fee entitles you to special members-only versions of some items, as well as other perks.

As with most collector lines like Boyds Bears, the older and retired bears are more valuable and more difficult to find. When a bear is retired that means it’s no longer being manufactured, so the number is limited to how many have already been produced. These are hot items for collectors, so if you’re looking for a retired bear, you might have a lot of searching to do before you’re lucky enough to find it at a price you find acceptable.

Unless you just want every one of the Boyds Bears you can possibly find (and some people do!) then it’s best if you narrow down your idea of what your collection should be about. You can choose between plush bears and resin, or you can have a mixture. Even if you choose one or the other, you’ll want to further plan your collection, because there are so many, with new ones being produced all the time.

You can narrow your collection theme by holiday—there are several both plush and resin designs for every holiday you can think of. Just Christmas bears alone in both plush and resin could have you happily searching for new items for quite some time, but the other holidays are well-represented, too. You can choose ornaments, bears wearing different hats, bears made to represent the seasons, Boyds Bears themed Victorian or country, or almost any other kind of classification you can think of.

Originally posted 2008-12-29 14:00:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

Franklin Mint Collectibles Collectibles -> Decorative Collectibles -> Franklin Mint One of the most popular brands of collectibles are Franklin Mint Collectibles. This company is well known throughout the world for providing collectible editions at reasonable prices and they even offer payment plans for their more expensive items. This has allowed thousands, if......
Precious Moments Collectibles Collectibles -> Decorative Collectibles -> Precious Moments -> Figurines With their distinctive designs and inspirational quips, Precious Moments collectibles are one of the most sought after decorative arts. Originally designed in 1975 by Eugene Freedman, it wasn’t until the mid-1980’s that the company hit full stride. Since then, these cute......
Ganz Cottage Collectibles Collectibles -> Decorative Collectibles -> Houses, Cottages Out of all of the available decorative arts collectibles, Ganz Cottage collectibles rank near the top. They offer a huge variety of different types of collectibles and no matter what your interests are, chances are they will have something that will be perfect......
Coca Cola Collectibles Collectibles -> Advertising -> Soda-> Coca-Cola By far, one of the most endearing collectibles that has become popular over the past few decades are Coca Cola collectibles. This company has done a great job of coming up with many ways to create valuable and memorable products that are highly sought......
Avon Collectibles Collectibles -> Decorative Collectibles -> Decorative Collectible Brands-> Avon The Avon Company has been a respected institution in the United States since 1886, and their line of decorative collectibles contain some of the most sought after pieces on record. The company first began producing Avon collectibles in the mid-1960’s and......

Related Websites

Safe Bear Hunts Bear hunts are a popular sport in Alaska. It's one of the many types of big game hunting that's popular in this very northern state. People who don't live in the area and aren't familiar with bears may wonder why anyone would want to hunt a bear. But it's actually......
Choosing a Theme for Coin Collecting There are some coin collectors who work on vast and varying coin collecting. They do not settle in on one theme, and instead try to collect as many different types of currency as possible. While this is perfect for some collectors, it is difficult for those looking to have some......
Collecting Antique Teddy Bears Are you wondering why you might want to go into collecting antique teddy bears? It really is a matter of taste when it comes to collecting antique teddy bears. It is quite possible for you to collect these bears on a wide variety of different levels. You can collect all......
Stamp Collector Stamps -> Worldwide -> Collections, Lots Few types of collectors get more excited and enthusiastic about a new acquisition than a stamp collector. Stamp collecting is one of the most popular hobbies in the world, enjoyed by young children, the elderly, and every age in between. Over 20 million people......
Protect Your Autographed Baseball Memorabilia Most people who are sports enthusiasts, and that collect autographed baseball memorabilia are thrilled when they find the perfect item and it happens to also be autographed by one of their favorite sports stars. This happens to be especially true when the piece of autographed baseball memorabilia is a well......

Online Stores Online Stores