I think series 4 is justified, and so is shadow. High. I think that those lines have more detail, love and variety in them, and the amount of effort in them justifies the price, but definitely costume ball, rainbow vision, and Maria is NOT WORTH THE PRICE.
If you look into Volks or the Korean Fairyland dolls, you'll see why they are so expensive. They're made of high quality resin, with full articulation on all joints, which are stringed, except the fingers and toes, plus customization options. I own 3 BJDs, and I'm doing all the faces myself, plus I can pick the wigs and eyes I want. There's not really a comparison to be made with Barbie, even a collector's edition. Even my two RH dolls, those are hinge joints, not threaded ball joints. That's a huge difference in manufacturing. Volks is also one of those really passionate, traditionally run Japanese companies that are very careful about hiring and quality control and don't do mass production just to get money from a trend.
Fairyland makes such beautiful dolls. Although I'll probably never own one, I still love looking at their site to look at all the dolls they've made. I have a soft spot for the Minifees
Those string joints are going to be a problem down the line. I have some of my mom's dolls mainly Madame Alexander whose body are very loose. The string or band deteriorates over time. She also had a Helen Kish doll from the 90s that has this problem that doll was expensive.
Every time a new rainbow high doll releases I ask myself "who is this series for?" Because no parent is going to keep up with buying this many dolls at such a high price. I also work in childcare and I have to ask, does anyone know a child that owns a rainbow high doll? At my work there was one child that owned one, and she said her and her sister had one each. The rest only owned LOLs. But this was a pre-K daycare so I can see how parents are hesitant to buy a young child such an expensive doll. But seriously does anybody know a child that owns one??
At my old job, I used to see a lot of kids carrying around RH dolls- but that was back in Series 1/Series 2. I honestly can't imagine many parents dropping $40-50 on a single doll, 2nd outfit or no. Unless it's for a special occasion or something.
@@DarlingDollz yeah, also something I thought was kind of interesting is that I brought my RH dolls to my nanny job one time so the kids could play with them and they're nearly 7 and they had significant trouble dressing and undressing the dolls, specifically with the shoes. I don't have any of these but I've heard there are some RH dolls where you can't even remove the shoes without applying heat.
@@Trunksette Oh yeah, I recall Series 2 having some especially troublesome shoes. And even still a lot of them they refuse to put slits in the back to make it easier. It's maddening.
I know some older kids- like 3rd/4th grade and up, who have them. Most kids I know with them have a handful because they ask for them for birthdays and holidays, but their parents definitely aren't buying anywhere close to them all. We often let our kid spend 25-35 on a toy during a store trip but that's largely because my partner and I are both toy collectors- I don't think most parents will spend that on toys on average outside of special occasions.
I wanted an American girl doll growing up, but as a Korean American, they never had a Korean American doll. They made one once when I outgrew the need. Now that I am back into dolls, this doll is very discontinued and now at a price point of 500+ which is very depressing. Her name was Z Yang
Asian American dolls in general are so underrepresented in AG, it's really sad. Just one in the entire historical lineup, but she's a best friend with the smallest collection of every single character. Really hoping they add more Asian rep soon.
Somehow my sister managed to score a mint Z Yang for a great price. She was basically floating for about a month after finding that one! They've added a new Asian character in the Girl Of The Year collection, Corrine, who is Chinese American, I believe. She has a little sister, Gwennie, and a baby brother with the weirdest name I've ever heard. (Blix???) They've also added a couple of new Asian Truly Me dolls. It would be really nice to have more diversity in the main line main characters. (not just best friend characters)
I usually get my dolls either second-hand or wait for them to go on clearance. The Lalaloopsy dolls I collect are down to $9.00 USD right now. It helps that I'm very picky about what dolls I actually want XD
Same. I'm not from the US, & quite a lot of dolls that are exclusive to Walmart etc. are just impossible to get in my country (some of the RH, new MH, Collector barbies etc.). I can try to use an international shipping but a price of it + customs can make everything just not worth it, unfortunately. I wish companies like MGA & Mattel will think about international customers, too. For those who interested, it takes from 1 year (& more) from the release date at States to wait for the doll in good condition in my country. Talking about used ones, of course. So I'm a bit jealous of those who live in the US, at that point.
@@dv2291 Same here, getting the dolls i want is so hard, even the used ones. At this point i just gave up and collect other more affordable stuff instead
Yes secondhand dolls are the best. My mum wouldn't let me keep them at home initially because she's superstitious, so I only bought new dolls. But I've convinced my mum secondhand dolls are not haunted, and my wallet has been super grateful.
Lalaloopsy dolls were so much fun when they first came out, my baby sister had a lot of em and even playsets from holidays and her birthdays. I was pleasantly surprised to see them back on shelves but I do miss the little ones with the reusable packaging and the accessories 🥹
Hi! I work in a huge toy store and we sell a lot of different fashion dolls. The people buying rainbow high dolls are actually two different groups. The 8-11 year olds (the parents then) and the 21-26 year olds!! Which is very different from other fashion dolls we sell. Rainbow high is definitely gonna be a collectors doll in a couple years. It's very high quality and the price matches it.
I am a BJD collector, it is oftentimes what motivates me to keep my job, lol. My favorite girl is a Doll Leaves Betty that was only around $250 which is on the cheaper side of things but I've spent well over 100s on clothes, wigs and eyes for her, she's very spoiled. My most expensive doll though is a Dream Valley Sylves Dragon Full set, he was like $1,200 and I adore him too. Very expensive hobby, but it keeps me with the will to work.
The reason for the price generally has to do with the fact they are custom sculpted, oftentimes realized in limited batches, and generally are extremely high quality. Definitely not for children, but a wonderful collector's item!
Base dolls usually run like, 600, obviously a fully detailed outfit with all the detail of real clothes will cost a lot. I think people just get caught up in that.
I definitely think that Maria, should’ve come with a second outfit, had black hair to contrast her mostly red look, and had accessories such as an image of a lost loved one and offerings, because that’s what Dia De Los Muertos is all about, celebrating those loved ones we have lost and offering them their favourite things.
Maria caused in the fandom a huge division of some loving her and not caring about how much of a cultural salad she is and many angry that even Barbie made a better doll with a better fashion for way less and even how the price isn’t shown in her designs.
They definitely should’ve gave her a little table full of offerings, a garland of marigolds, etc. Definitely an outfit or two bc the dress she’s giving and how it’s stylized has little correlation to Dias de los Muertos. Even a lil alebrije would’ve been a nice addition
The best quality clothes are for BJDs. I’ve been collecting them for over ten years, and their clothes are INSANELY detailed. A basic clothing set is about 70$, and more detailed pieces are 200-500$. Wigs are 20-300$. Eyes are 10-100$. Shoes are 20-150$. And then you need to send her to an artist for a face up which can be 200-500$ depending on who you send her to and if you get body blushing. I have some BJDs that completely finished and dressed, are valued at about 3k. The thing that sucks, is that I don’t have room to display them. So they live in their boxes until we can move into a house. But anyway ya, BJDs are a massive money pit haha. Thankfully though, they appreciate in value especially since many sculpts are limited editions or companies close down. ALSO EDIT: Most BJD companies and retailers, as well as resellers on DOA do LAYAWAY. So it’s not like we are all dropping grands Willy nilly. For Christmas I received my Doll Chateau Ona full set, and it took me an entire year to pay her off. I think I paid about 100$ dollars a month. If you want to get into BJDs, they have different sizes, so you can start out with a smaller YOSD or a MSD which are less expensive, and then pay with a payment plan. EDIT 2: The reason I love BJDs is because they are GORGEOUS in person. The quality is amazing and they are heavy and gorgeous in your hands. They are literally a piece of art in a way Barbie or Rainbow High just isn’t. I do collect fashion dolls too though!
I used to think “60$ for boots?!” But then i realized, bjd clothes cost about the same as real clothes, even though its less fabric theres just as much labor and detail put into them. Not to mention the risk of staining in buying cheaper clothes for them.
I personally love BJD’s since I’m an artist myself so I get to spend days making a wig and clothing pieces and doing their face up exactly how I want it and just making these wonderful characters I just love it
They are detailed but I don't think I can agree on the quality being high a lot of the time. They rarely actually feel like "human clothes but shrunk down" the way original Smart Doll clothes do and they are of comparable pricing.
@@Jhud69 it definitely matters who you buy from. Its the difference between the people who set the price standard based on value, and the ones who follow it without matching the quality.
I miss the original Monster High and Ever After High doll lines. To me they were the best combination of price and quality. Plus I loved the series and I felt more connected to them because they were different and just accepted. It would have been cool to see you talk about OMG and the Tweens dolls. Like the doll itself can be a decent quality but I don’t think I’ve been able to buy one that doesn’t have issues in the stitching of the clothes. Plus the prices sometimes confuse me too.
Quality? I love the dolls as well, but the glue seapage for example ruined so many dolls (and their clothes). Other than that, they used cheap fabrics on MH a lot of the times and quality control was terrible (I have a Draculaura with 2 left feet and a Frankie with one small eye and one normal eye. It's literally 2 different eye "molds" I'd call them). I absolutely loved these dolls as a kid, but looking at my MH collection now, I do feel quite disappointed with a lot of them because of different reasons...
@@myra0224 Well I’m sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I didn’t have any like that go wrong with any of the dolls I got and some of them I even got second hand.
@@marzettik Yeah, same. Most of mine are new as I bought them myself, but some second hand. They all have it, some worse than others. I'm sure you've heard about it, literally anyone who collects 2010-2015 Mattel dolls (MH, EAH, Barbie...) has pointed the glue problem out before
Hi guys! So, after publishing this video, I was alerted to some concerning news regarding the owner of the Smart Doll company. I was not privy to these behaviors before recording- all the reviews I've seen of them mentioned having excellent experiences with the company, but it appears these experiences are not universal. If you feel compelled to purchase a Smart Doll, I urge to just do your research and decide if you're comfortable supporting the company. I still appreciate the openness of the manufacturing process and seemingly how well the employees are treated, but I apologize to anyone who may have thought I was intentionally ignoring the issues with the company. I was just not aware.
The idea of testing out a similar but cheaper doll with a child first is a great idea. I've been worried about crazy little kids getting the last of the old LPS there are and am glad when they get the new ones instead lol.
Ik my grandmother used this tactic on me and my sisters bc she was wanting to gift us AG dolls that looked like us for Christmas😂 but ultimately she didn’t bc me and my sisters didn’t care much for AG dolls, at the time it was either bratz or MH
Oh my goodness I am so happy the two of you collaborated!! I really enjoy both of your content. Really fascinating dive into the price points and different types of dolls! I actually saw a smart doll owned by someone in the fitness community on RUclips; otherwise I would have had no idea. It's great that there are dolls at all different types of price points, albeit all doll collecting is not cheap!
I've noticed that Smart Dolls seem to resonate with a lot of people who aren't established doll collectors or otherwise just aren't into the traditional fashion doll. It's interesting how they have such a wide appeal despite being so pricey.
I think it's fair for a limited edition to have larger batch if they are an international release. It's near impossible to get a numbered limited edition number without a paying a high shipping cost.
Because of this channel, I regularly pay attention to the dolls I see on the clearance aisle in Wal-Mart. I noticed how expensive fashion dolls can be and wondered how parents/adults approached buying them for children.
For the people who would buy this Cinderella doll, it’s not so much about her being Cinderella, but being a limited Volks doll. They also only make only like 50 - maybe 200 of those sets each, so you can’t just casually buy one. You need to have a membership card and enter an online or RL lottery. These dolls are made for Super Dollfie collectors who are looking for a doll with certain facial features, not necessarily princess doll collectors. If she comes with a pretty outfit & hair, that’s just a little cherry on top for most collectors, as they usually change all of that anyway. I’ve done that too hehe ~
I'm an adult who loves dolls, but I don't actively collect them because the prices of the high quality ones I like like Rainbow High are too much for me to afford if I were to buy almost every single one. The way I see it, quality over quantity. I'm way happier with my 6 RH dolls that I'd be with 20 Barbie Fashionistas. For people out there who want to collect dolls but can't afford it, I say buy less of the high quality dolls. Pick your favorites. Maybe you'll buy one, and that's ok. Smaller collections are wonderful too. It's your love for your dolls that matters. 💕
Exploring the different reasons ppl collect dolls would be an amazing video topic in itself! I had a bit of an epiphany when you brought up the appeal of just being able to hold a doll & feel it's quality, being a factor that might justify higher prices for some collectors. For the most part I'm not concerned w/ what materials a doll is made of. What I appreciate is the imagination behind creating such a specific style & aesthetic that a character comes thru even if there's no actual prepackaged story. OMG kinda exemplifies that for me. They come w/ just enough lore to give an idea of their general vibe, & the rest is up to me to interpret based on their fashion. Inversely, rainbow high puts a ton of story & worldbuilding into the promo materials, but not much individual personality into the fashions themselves (w/ a few exceptions). Figuring that out actually helped me appreciate rh more! What I see as lack of personality in the clothes, a lot of rh fans see as versatility that allows them to create their own characters, or reinterpret canon ones.
I remember when I was able to buy my first American girl doll. I used my birthday money and she felt so special to me. She had great quality and I love her so much.I feel like some dolls like ag and other collectors doll that have high quality or are rare or hard to produce are allowed to be higher priced but I still don’t like price hiking. I love rainbow high but I always have quality issues with my dolls (ripped fabric, misewn jacket, weird fitting, etc) so the price increase slightly annoys me. I’m glad the new monster high dolls seem to be about 25 dollars.
I am a VOLKS collector and I have to admit - yes the price is steep. But once you see them in person, it’s love at a first sight. I used to be a Barbie and MH collector until 2014 but once I have seen and held a resin doll (my first was Luts) I count not go back anymore. Now I have a fairly large collection of VOLKS dolls and love them deeply. They are my pride and joy 🤍
The beauty of collecting play-line dolls is that YOU get to determine a doll's value based on your own criteria, rather than purchasing whatever the toy company TELLS you is valuable. I totally understand the desire to buy collector's edition dolls because for many collectors, scarcity is a huge part of the appeal. But personally, I get way more enjoyment out of collecting dolls simply if I like them, regardless of their price. I just started collecting Fashionistas and it's become kind of an addiction at this point. I agree with Allycat about the clothing quality though. I understand they're working within a small budget on these dolls but ughhh. I try to avoid anything with printed-on pockets or buttons. But otherwise, I absolutely adore my army of $10 Walmart Barbies XD Anyway, great video collab! I used to have a Pleasant Company Samantha growing up, and just hearing Darling mention her makes me sad that my mom sold her D:
same here! i love the fashionista face sculpts & paint and usually i just get my favorites and redress them in the older barbie outfits i've built up over the years. i know a lot of collectors feel like they need to buy every single doll in a collection, and that's valid but to me that would be so much stress
@@fusetunes Yes 100%!! I used to have more of that mindset of "ahh i need every single doll in this line to feel complete" but it started stressing me out, which is so stupid haha. And agreed, the Fashionista face sculpts are so cute, and most of them have great hair quality too. I honestly love these dolls!
It's funny to me because I sorta got into dolls "backwards" - after years of rejecting playline Barbies I found out about BJDs, vinyl art toys, artist dolls, MLP modders and other OOAK/custom doll and toy makers and I was hooked. I still don't have any BJD because of the expense and commitment! But yeah, "full set" releases like that Disney collab are somewhat rare and more for an adult collector's market. There's sometimes unique sculpts in those sets, which makes them more rare because collectors don't typically alter or deconstruct a set. Definitely more of an art piece with a much more limited run that Bratz! I got into MH from the customs aspect and alt fashion; and then LOL and RH because of the fashion and unique sculpts and articulation. Because I'm interested in customs, I mostly have pre-loved dolls that I'm not concerned about finding mint, and even prefer some battle scars so I can practice restoration and cleaning techniques! I have some New new blindball dolls like the LOLs and Surprise! Zuru dolls, but I'm not likely to buy something like RH unless second-hand or on a massive sale. The fashions are probably "worth it" but as you said, there's less pieces per box, and they kinda hook you into buying more dupe dolls to get more fashions. I've always seen RH as sort of the stepping stone between fashion dolls like LOL/Barbie and more mature customizable dolls like BJD...so I've not really blinked at the price point because I assume the market skews older and less rough play, more care taking/display oriented.
As someone who cares a lot about consumer ethics - particularly in the fashion space where it does get talked about a lot compared to the toy collector space where I rarely see it - I get very disheartened or annoyed with seeing people constantly complain about the cost and quality of dolls. Fast fashion has ruined people's perception of what clothes should cost, 'should' being the ethical cost for the materials, for a better quality garment starting from the sample, and to paying the workers fairly. In clothes prices seem to be the same as they were 20 years ago despite inflation, if not substantially less, but in order to hit those prices unethical companies are sacrificing something in those areas I mentioned (usually the workers pay.). This I think is comparable to fashion dolls. People complain about oh the quality isn't what it used to be, but also don't want to pay what the cost would demand of that if the company were to actually charge a price that would mean for higher quality and better paid employees. People rag on Mattel for being lower quality - but Mattel is trying to keep costs down for parents who are buying dolls for their kids more so than appealing to adult collectors. MGA has more detailed products ('quality' being arguable depending how picky one is), but that CEO is a douchebag and have you ever read their Glassdoor reviews; I doubt very few employees in the offices or warehouses and factories (even the so called cheap ones deserve living wages) are getting fair wages. Collecting dolls as an adult is a luxury (even the play line ones, not just in having the income but having the space for them and other privileges) - even more so than clothes - and so, I think this is all so important to remember before people complain. I think a valid complaint though is if it is just a marketing markup ie: fake limited edition
This is something I've thought about frequently lately-it's such a relief to see some other people feel the same. Recently I looked through some old toy catalogues from the 80s-90s, and even the very simple Barbie dolls usually cost around $30-$35 with inflation, so I can only imagine how much the generally more elaborate fashion dolls of today should cost. It's a little frightening; I understand people's hesitation with paying more, as costs are often artificially inflated-but at the same time, we can never truly advocate for worker's rights without being willing to pay more and buy less. I hope more sustainable and ethical buying practices become the norm in the future.
@@hkrsztt I'm glad you feel the same, it is a relief to me too just to see others giving it some more thought and the community talking about it more which I think is where it needs to start. As a doll collector, I certainly grapple with the hobby and its capitalistic and environmental ethics while really loving to buy them, so I certainly don't expect everyone to be 'perfect' or have a clear solution when it comes to this topic. You bring up some good examples of looking at prices in older catalogues; I think it would be really interesting to have some sort of chart that shows different playline and collector dolls from 20 or more years ago, their original price and their price adjusted for inflation in todays market to compare. (Also I love your pierrot icon! I've been obsessed with that artwork lately)
Yes, the prices for basically all US dolls (Barbie and MGA) is higher than just the exchange rate, then there is sales tax on top (12% in my province). Also, we don't generally have the big sales. It means I buy much less than I would if lived in the US.
Great video. I appreciated the insight of an AG collector because, as you guys mentioned, they are considered a moreupper class doll. I used to get the catalogs as a kid and look through them, but my family couldn’t afford something like that and even as a kid, I preferred to save my money to buy LPS toys and other small things because they had more play value to me than a single doll of high quality. I am a doll enthusiast but unfortunately too broke to be a collector. Budget dolls are important for people with lower income and children, but i would rather save up for a nicer doll. :) I don’t have space to display or properly store dolls, so for now, I just watch doll videos and live vicariously through y’all 😂
When I saw the Smart Doll in the thumbnail I was like, OH NO... 😨 Unfortunately with Smart Doll the CEO being very interactive with customers is actually a bad thing. He's a bit notorious for being petulant and abusive.
Yeah, I was alerted to some of his behaviors after I had already scheduled this video for uploading. At the very least, the company itself seems to treat its employees well and the manufacturing process is still very interesting, it's just really unfortunate that the face of the company is known to act so horribly.
@@DarlingDollzyeah I bought mine of eBay my dad tried to get me one of the website but the owner asked him why he wanted the doll he said he wanted to get it for his daughter and the owner cancelled the order without telling my dad he lost over £100 as he pre paid for shipping and some other things it sucked but we bought one of some lovely people off eBay so yeah 😂
Hi! I came from Ally’s video. As an AG collector, I think the most I would pay for a single AG doll is $150 USD. I don’t care is she’s a NIB Kanani or Cécile etc. or a Pleasant Company doll signed by Pleasant Rowland, I’m never going to spend a ton of money on some plastic (although they are beautiful dolls). I’m also teenager and I don’t really have a job besides babysitting occasionally so that does come into play.
i am also a teenage doll collector, and i must say it is quite difficult to be able to afford any fashion doll without having a fixed job. i mostly collect rainbow high(haven’t got into AG but i’m thinking about it) and i have payed full price for all 5 of my dolls. with the sheer amount of RH dolls releasing, i’d love to get my hands on my favorites before i get tempted to buy more, but it’s hard when you earn max $100 USD. I am looking to buy RH’s lily cheng, but paying $75 for a doll would break me financially.
I recently started paying down on my first BJD- a layaway buy and hand cast from an independent artist with some flaws, but I'm so excited. The artistry and customizability is something I find so appealing about BJDs, and now that more artists are making smaller dolls, offering 3D printed options, and offering payment plans, it feels more possible to for me to obtain them. So I guess that makes my upper cap now around 300 if broken into payments- but typically my range is $15-30 for a doll with the occasional splurge into the 40-50 range. While I strongly get the appeal of Smart Dolls the creator has really put me off. Even with the lower exchange rates now I'd probably opt to buy secondhand if I ever did get one.
Also the the you could buy multiple budget dolls for the price of one doll struck a cord. Once my grandmother gave a huge bag of budget Barbie’s and fashion packs and I loved it.
I think lumping in Volks and Smart Doll with other fashion dolls doesn’t make much sense since they are not competing in the same market. High-end BJD collectors don’t buy 10+ dolls a year; some don’t even buy a doll every year. So really a more apt comparison is someone who spends $500 for one BJD vs someone who spends $500 to buy 20 $25 dolls.
On the American Girl doll level, I googled to make sure my memory was correct, but I remember when these came out and they were like SUCH a status symbol. I wasn't into dolls (the toxic idea that boys can't have dolls ofc), but I had my rich friends still showing them off to me, showing off how many they had, how important it was that they had THIS one or THIS one and don't you wish you could have this?! I went to school in a more affluent town than I lived and a ton of the kids were like that, heaven help you if you liked a $6 doll or action figure instead. Watching my gen grow up and have kids of their own, it definitely continued. Parents that wished they'd had these dolls as kids, remembered the trauma of missing out, purchased dolls that their kids didn't take care of and ended up destroying, just so their kid could say they had Samantha or Cynthia or whomever and grandmas were desperately sewing clothing so their kids didn't have to spend money on those expensive outfits. I think the doll community on insta gets like this too, with the screaming about not having a brand new doll 2 seconds after its street date. Or saying they're "late to the party" when the doll came out a week prior. But then they'll turn around and blame the company for coming out with too many dolls at once. I only started collecting this year, but especially in the playline sector, it kinda boggles my mind that people use a mass release doll as a status symbol. Just like those "collector edition" dolls that there's 400k of, that's not rare. It just means you had $30-$40 when you went to walmart.
I will freely admit I spend too much on dolls even when I'm trying to buy them used. But it tends to be a situation where even the lowest price I can find is still kind of a lot. I think the most expensive ones I've gotten have been Monster High sdcc dolls, but even then I wouldn't go far enough to spend a grand on one of them. For the reasons though; what it usually ends up being is that the stuff I like ends up being rarer than I want it to be. I found a used Scarah and Hoodude set on ebay which was still a lot but I just really liked the squishy boy doll, and Mattel didn't see fit to make a payline version of him so that's what I was left with. It works out sometimes though because I'm not an "In box" collector so if the packaging is damaged I don't really care too much.
Oohhh. Interesting video. BTW, wish you luck on your AG collector journey. I am a bit dissapointed you both did not have a deeper disscussion. There is quite a lot of things one may talk about when it comes to how much the status/money outsourcing strategy of a company effects the production of dolls (quality vs details vs pricing) or the ethical side of doll prices. Like, Mattel requires its products to have bigger profit margin due to being public, and sometimes this very much effects collector releases. However, these are difficult topics to discuss, so I understand why you did not touch upon them that much. Plus, casual conversations like this are rather calming. Overall, it was fun to listen to two of you chat about dolls. I am curious if this format of videos, in any way, is going to become a series?
I collect Living dead dolls (Among others) and those are $30ish each when they come out. When a series comes out (usually 5 dolls total) you can only buy the whole series at once. Which I think is a fair price for how nice they are. But they haven't been making any new dolls in years, and since they are a niche line they can get expensive on eBay. I just got really lucky bidding for them. But those are for adults, and doll lines for kids are usually very expensive for what you get. RH for example is very nice quality, I have some. But I can't help for feel sad because there are probably tons of kids who want these beautiful dolls, and plenty of kids don't want just one, they want a whole group for pretend play and some parents can't afford that.
Ok. This is really bizarre. I think Rainbow High dolls are actually pretty affordable. Context. I am not a collector. I got back into dolls a few years ago when I started crocheting my own. (I make custom stuff as a side gig) My daughter started making her own doll clothes around then and paying attention to dolls is something I started doing as she got more interested. I want to support her burgeoning love of clothing design, so I started looking for dolls that would match that love. A good Barbie (base doll) is expensive. We ended up getting some of the posable ones. $15-20. Their bodies are nice for play, but the clothes are so crap. Just badly designed spandex. Almost all the other clothes are very plasticky fabric, like bad vinyl tablecloths. My six year old's self-taught hand sewn felt dresses are better quality. Other than Barbie (so cheap feeling) everything else in our local toy aisle is $30-40. So getting a main series Rainbow High doll with multiple beautifully sewn outfits for $25? Amazing. Throw in some toys with it in a set for $35? Actually super affordable. As a parent, my one gripe is that they should pivot from always having new dolls and just sell some outfits. I would pay $5-10 for a nice additional outfit for my daughter's doll. I would fork out for a few new outfits. I wish they went that direction instead of making cheaper, less articulated doll designs.
As a middle-class kid in the 90s, I got an American Girl doll for xmas one year and it was a huuuuge deal. Like my parents and grandparents made a big show out of how expensive it was and how Good i had to be to get it lol. If a kid had 2+ AG dolls i knew they were Rich
I think integrity dolls are the most gorgeous ones but way too expensive for me , that's why I mostly get barbies , I think in the play line doll market they're the ones with the most realistic proportions and sculpted faces. I'd love to get an integrity doll at some point though .
Love the video! This conversation was interesting. I personally think RH and SH have pretty fashions, but I haven't bought a single one as I can get the same outfit quality, and a lot more creativity with LOL OMG and Tweens. The Tweens in particular have so much detail for such small dolls (6") and they still come with lots of accesories and super well made outfits, and the prices are better I think.
Honestly, this is kinda why I stick to buying play line dolls. They're cheaper to buy, I can find them in stores more easily, and since most adult collectors don't like them as much they usually don't get scalped.
In defense of Smart Doll clothes... The quality of those items is outstanding. You mentioned the old Pleasant Company AG clothes being like "real" clothes only miniature... that's the Smart Doll clothes. The jeans are just like real jeans, absolutely amazing quality. As well, everything they do is hand made by someone. He's got a small team and they work exclusively on their items, and the owner has a very rigid quality standard (He'll often sell "chaos" items, which are items that don't meet his quality standards, for cheaper, but I've yet to find an actual flaw on any of these items). Given the business ethics and quality control, for me at least the price is justified 🥰
i would love to see more discussion style videos like this from you :)! i love your normal content but it's nice to be able to just listen to you in the background
I collect a mixture of collector and playline dolls. The most I’ve spent on a single doll was a little over $200 for the Proudly Pink Silkstone. And generally my limit for a single doll is $160. Loved this video!
Great video! It's always interesting to hear peoples thoughts in the doll community! I honestly had no idea people were so into collecting more of the playline dolls until recently. I collected monster highs when they first came out, but I've actually always leaned more towards the expensive type collectors dolls. I have a few BJDs from different companies and while yes, they can be expensive, I don't think there is a single playline doll, or any doll sold in a store really, that could compare the quality to a BJD. You just gotta see one in person, and then you will know why they cost that much. I had to stop though because while I didn't mind the initial investment into the doll (the most I spent was $800 for just the head lord help me) it was the clothes that got me. Like you mentioned, $50 for a shirt, while very very well made, is the norm and it kinda sucked the fun out of the 'doll' aspect, when that those things start adding up. Also at the time, there wasn't a doll that was 12 in/standard fashion size, that was still more 'adult' like. Those were usually the huge 3 ft kind of dolls. Much too big for my taste. ^^; I found a happy medium in Integrity. They give that fancy feel, with purses that open and earrings made of something other than plastic, without the HUGE prices that a BJD would have. Also, don't know if they count as dolls per sayyyy, but I like Hot Toys as well! And all the accessories they come with. Just my thoughts! It would be a very hard sell to make me go back to playline unless there was something truly unique and special out there. Always love your videos! Love hearing people talk about dolls of any kind! :D
I have four Smart Dolls myself, they are pricy yes but they are 100% worth it to me, considering how they all are handmade by a small company that values its workers over clients, which might sound bizzarre but I like that approach. That said, can't say I 100% like the creator (sacrilegous I know), sometimes he can be very overly dramatic in his "owning the haters" stances and how many dramas he caused where a fan got hate for stating their basic opinion. But I also like the way he runs the company and what he does when it comes to representing disabilities with his dolls. Plus they cost about as much as other dolls of this type and the quality is almost incomparable. The quality of the clothes is also absolutely insane, they are literally like human clothes scaled down... though I don't always like the styles they offer, but a lot of fans make good clothes for them too. They are definitely an investment but worth it, they are a good middle ground of a doll that has high quality and is on a collector's side BUT is sturdy enough that it can also be enjoyed by children (another thing I like about the company - Danny is actually very open about his dolls also being meant for children, he doesn't gatekeep them for "adult's only" like other companies like this do). I don't treat my dolls like eggs because I know nothing bad can happen to them - I can take them places and just enjoy them, unlike some resin BJDs for example.
I have a few BJD's from different makers, and I think the appeal for me is how customisable they are. You can redo there face paint or often request one of the artists who make the dolls for custom face paint. You can make clothing, or buy pretty outfits. You can change there wigs, eye colour, even limbs very easily. They are good for taking photos as they are posable and so changeable. I saved and got one quite young and taught myself some photography. There is a lot of opportunity to be creative.
I'd highly suggest talking to someone immersed in the BJD hobby to help explain Smart Dolls more. There is a lot more to that particular company that can be discussed, and there are countless other BJD companies as well!
SmartDoll is really a whole rabbit hole of it’s own… some of the stuff with Danny Choo is WILD. There’s a write up on r/HobbyDrama for those interested. He regularly bans people who criticize any flaws with the dolls, and he hates volks so much it’s ridiculous
I’m not a doll collector I just find it interesting but you said dolfie and I WHEEZED bc I KNOW those are expensive😭 there was a Sailor Mercury Dolfie Dream Doll that was like $3k but to be able to buy her you had to buy a different dolfie dream doll to enter the raffle to buy her, it was insane.
Great video! I'm an adult collector and although I might be able to afford an art doll like a resin BJD, I don't really have much interest in them. I do have 3 Smart Dolls; one in a dark skin tone, one in a light, and the 3rd in a tan. I love them but am content with my 3 and won't be adding any more. I have most of the Rainbow High dolls, but none were purchased full price; some were sales, many were clearance (for as low as $9) I have a large collection of American girl dolls, but only 3 were purchased brand new from AG. Most were found on Facebook marketplace or garage sales. I have more Barbies than I can count, at least half of them were thrifted. So as much as I love dolls, I do NOT like spending a lot of money on them. (Granted, even bargain-priced dolls can drain the wallet if I don't pump the brakes, lol.)
This video made me think of the difference between playline and collectors. I'm am adult but I only display a couple dolls and I prefer them to feel like I can comfortable redress/store/move them without messing up the design Also, a 5 year old I worked with showed me rainbow high and watching the show with her is what got me hooked on them! She ultimately got me back into doll collecting after many years and I'm grateful 😊
Oh wow what a cool collab! As a doll collector with 65 AG dolls and 15 Rainbow High Dolls (I’m a new collector for RH) this was a fun video. The most I ever paid for an AG doll was a Cécile and a Jess on eBay for approx $140 USD. I wouldn’t probably go over $150 for an AG doll, unless it was a very cool exception. I also did buy Lily Cheng for $80 and I’d say that’s the most I’d ever pay for a RH doll.
It's always nice to get other perspectives on how people see the value in a doll. I keep going back and forth over figuring out how I want to spend my doll budget. Probably $400 US is the most I would spend on a single doll, but that would probably be an older Barbie (maybe a Silkstone or Bob Mackie) because I remember those from when I first started collecting, so they have nostalgic value as well. I have spent $300 US on an Integrity doll and kind of regret it. I can't even get my money back if I try to resell it, because it was more expensive for me to get it in Canada in the first place. Definitely living outside the US affects how many dolls one can buy and which brands are better value than others.
I just bought a smart doll last night, second hand. I’ve been obsessed with them, I don’t know why. (Probably the ADHD) Right now, it is cheaper to buy a smart doll due to the JPY-USD conversion, but in the past it can be about $500, possibly more if the conversion rate tips in the favor of JPY. Right now it’s around $375, if you’re on the fence. I’m so excited to see her. I wasn’t really expecting to see them on this list, thanks for taking a little look at them! Edit: me, seeing the thumbnail after watching the video: sometimes you immediately click on a video and simply do not think.
I've actually been considering getting one while the conversation is low. I think they'd be really fun to sew outfits for! All my first choices are currently out of stock though. So we'll see.
@@DarlingDollz right? The one I’m waiting for is out of stock. I happened upon a good deal on Mecari last night, which is the reason I jumped on it haha. She’s a Felicity doll in Cinnamon. I’m waiting for Dimension to be back in stock, who were you considering?
In 2006 I paid $600 US for a 60cm resin doll, with faceup & eyes, naked with no wig and he was worth every penny (CP Luts Yder). I saved up to buy another one as soon as I could afford it (CP Luts El). They are heavy, solid dolls and not very fragile. They are a great size to sew for and super posable and cuddly. The ball jointing helps the doll settle into one's arms. I got 2 vinyl 60 cm dolls soon after (Volks Dollfie Dreams and Obitsu 60cm) for ~$200 US each. All of these dolls are so gorgeous, I have yet to regret buying them and sewing for them is so fun. In fact, I sold my Pleasant Company era Samantha to pay for my Dollfie Dream
The most I've ever spent on a doll was probably $250ish (Australian) for a NIB myscene doll. She cost a lot but at the time I had the means to afford her and she is my holy grail, although it's a crazy price for a "vintage" playline doll, the sentimental value means she was more than worth it for me 💗
I never had new dolls as a kid, only op shop dolls that I had to share with my sister, so only recently I got into collecting. My first one I got last year was the repro bratz rock angelz and I completely understand why my mum never bought me one. I paid 70$ for ra cloe, and I’ve barely paid less than that since. The cheapest one was either 20th anniversary bratz or mermaid high. Even on sale dolls are still 40$+, even in places like Kmart and big w
I actually use to collect Volks Dollfie Dreams and depending on how after market feels can reach up to the Cinderella price. The only way i can/could afford them are through layaways through the second hand market. Now that im not collecting any new (wanna focus on the two i have plus expanding my AG collection) the Volks Rapunzel BJD is the only one on my radar because she is just gorgeous
RH doll prices went beyond absurd, specially in a post pandemic economy scenario. I find them beautiful, but it's impossible to keep full track of you're an eager collector or a parent. My latest purchase was Kia Hart, and that's because I found her in a very good price (considering it's an old release) and because a very dear friend of mine offered to pay it for me as birthday present. Other than that, it's impossible
My family did not have very much money growing up, which I think is one of the reasons I have always idolized AG. My sister and I each got one doll. My family does not celebrate birthdays or holidays, and the closest store was 2 states away. It was a very special occasion. She is one of the most expense gifts I have ever been given and she is one of my most cherished childhood friends.
I got American Girl dolls as a young girl because I was very obsessive with keeping my toys in good shape from a very young age so I guess I was trusted with them - I still have them and besides normal aging they're still in great condition. I wanted expensive detailed stuff rather than a lot of toys, and I could see being really into RH if it was out when I was younger. I think teaching kids quality over quantity from a young age is helpful overall as well. But that being said, cheaper doll have their use too, and it feels like there's less and less decent options every year :/
Having been a ag collector first then finding RH and fashions dolls this was really interesting! I struggle all the time now between buying all the new fashion dolls and wanting to continue ag it’s so expensive and hard to do both
It's how I feel about the Bratz reissue dolls that MGA is putting out. I'm glad they are doing reissues, as I wasn't collector when I was younger. And depended on my parents to buy it for me. But the Prices and the fact that I don't have easy access to buy them. Is driving me crazy, I wanted the girls night out reissue dolls but I didn't get to buy them online in time. Cause you know, I had to bills and make sure I feed myself. So I just want them to be easier for us fans to buy them.
I think my limit is decidedly around $30. So here's the thing, I started collecting Rainbow High, but I've decided to stop given just how many issues there have been. Constant factory defects, customer service being very hit or miss, and more have contributed to it, but the price of the Jr. High dolls, Pacific Coast, and all the special releases like Slumber Party, Rainbow Dream, Rainbow Divas, and Neon Shadow just, aren't worth it, and that's not even getting into the dolls specifically branded as collector. I picked up Brianna and Ayesha for full price and Carmen on discount, and I gotta say, none of them were worth the price for what they came with. And now with Costume Ball hiking up the price? Just no, no doll is worth that much money. Though granted, it's easy to see why I might feel that way given I'm a customizer in addition to collecting. I have a small assortment of Ever After High and Monster High dolls, and I got into them after both brands ended. I get everything pre-owned and work to find lots that reduce the cost, so they're missing pieces sometimes, but the dolls that speak to me do end up in my collection, one way or another, and I won't go for more than $25-$30 unless it's something that's truly difficult and impossible to grab otherwise (looking at you Dexter and Justine). When you look at the dolls I value, it's stuff that you don't see everyday. Way Too Wonderland and Freak Du Chic are my favorites of each respective series, they're something specific and I don't need every character, just my favorite designs. The designs have character just as much as the characters do, and they had a strong series of stories that went with them. Rainbow High doesn't have that, I don't care for how it's written at all, and as it's gotten worse, it's killed my love of the dolls. The Barbies I had as a kid were a mix of cool designs and characters I liked from the Barbie movies, and that was important. The point you both made about the Cinderella doll at the end is important, it's not just the price in money, it's also about the price of emotional investment, and if I'm not emotionally invested in the story and the art you're trying to make, your doll isn't worth it to me. I spend a lot of time with my dolls, what I don't pay for in monetary cost is paid for in hours of repairs and cleaning dolls to make them like new again, and that works better for me.
The smart dolls are worth the price from what I seen and I'm planning on getting one down the future because of how amazing they look. I also might get a bjd to just to see the difference I might go into kid mode when getting one
The rising prices is a good point, even buying one for my self hurts my wallet. 40 bucks is a lot, so Im glad I found lots of fun with the budget Barbie series. I like to collect the super cool looking ones, and they are much easier to afford. I do want a Rainbow High, but they are really expensive. If the price is worth it or not is another discussion.
Just bought two OMG tweens with the sale and my work discount I got two for the price of one. They are from series 2 so they were cheaper then the newest ones. Going to take them out of the box since they most of the accessories are in little bags. Like that they have stands.
Okay so I don't own a Super Dollfie (the one you showed in the video) but I do own a Dollfie Dream. Normal Volks dolls don't go into the thousands lol, I'd say 400-ish is a good price point for most non-licensed characters. As a general rule DDs are about 100$ less than SDs at base price for a completed doll, but Volks has always been the sort of company where the completed dolls are just a side treat, the real draw lies in the amount of customization available for them. A blank head and a body will be a little less than 300$. The price is so high because everything Volks produces is hand-sewn, hand-painted, entirely in Japan, which will obviously hike up the cost compared to if you move production to a country like China. They're very much directed at doll collectors or hobbyists who want to make their own doll but don't have the sculpting ability to do so. The thing about them is that you kind of have to see them in person to really get how *gorgeous* they are, I find that whatever pictures I take of DDs and BJDs hardly do them justice.
the most expensive doll i’ve ever bought is the Haunt Couture MH dolls, at about $80. I know they are expensive but MH is my favorite doll line and i really love their designs so that makes it worth it to me. That’s definitely my upper limit though. All the other dolls in my collection are playline and max out at $30 (rainbow high, cave club, polly pocket, and the occassional barbie)
Superdollfies are just a brand in the Bjd world, they are normally higher priced especially if they are in collaboration with Disney etc. There are much more affordable bjds that can be brought if you buy from individual artists such as frappzilla and rumpledoll. Bjds are made more affordable with most buying through third party suppliers with layaways (bjdivas company ) (if you’re familiar with the term it’s like a doll loan, paying the third party a smaller chunk over a period of time until it’s fully paid and they send it to you) most of the time these dolls take up the 3 years to produce and receive by the buyer so even if you paid up front you would still be waiting a substantial amount of time unless they say they have some already in stock to buy. Therefore layaways make sense for these type of prices in the long run. I wouldn’t buy a doll for over a thousand gbp but I have gone up to 800£ for a full set from the company called ringdoll. Just found AG and got my first Luciana Vega😁☺️
To spend 1000 on a doll you have like really love that doll and have to be want her to a point that you can't live without the doll has to impress you and be the most beautiful doll you've ever seen in your life. My Sofia is an American girl prototype from 1984 with the rare vinyl body and samber eyes which makes her special
I collect rainbow high and here in Canada the price of rainbow high is rediculous. The core series is $45.....the Pacific coasts were $50.......the winter breaks were $60.....the twin sets were $80.....and now the new Holiday edition Roxie will be over a $100! I love these dolls, but I'm getting frustrated. I now only buy the dolls I really love. And now I heard they are going to start putting them in multi- packs so that you have to pay for three or four dolls, just to get the ONE you like. I think if they want this doll line to survive, they need to start listening to their core audience....doll collectors. I don't know any kid into rainbow high, they all love LOL dolls. However, I will give them credit for giving us quality, whereas with the higher priced Barbie's, you pay high, but don't get any better quality for the higher price.
I used to collect Anime collector figures which would average at $150-$250 and I feel like I was insane for paying that much per figure but now, i usually go for Lol Omg and Rainbow High and I think I would go as far as $80 if they are like Lilly
I've never had a Volks, but I do have a couple BJDs of licensed characters, one of which was $800 before shipping and the other $650 (I got them for a discount, I think the official pricing was $900 and $800 respectively). To be fair, these dolls weren't of characters that have preexisting dolls, but they are high prices for dolls. To me, they were worth it, because of the sheer quality. They're also handmade, so that adds extra cost. As you said, BJDs are hard to make and are usually made by small companies, so I don't mind paying the price to get something so remarkable. Comparing them to playline dolls- even collector dolls (such as Disney collector dolls)- they're insanely gorgeous, and worth it to me.
I’m a new doll collector and exclusively collect Barbies at this point (mainly Barbie Fashionistas but I also love The Looks dolls) because of how expensive other lines can get. I like Rainbow High but some of their prices can be hard to justify for play line dolls (that don’t impress me enough to want to buy them right away). I love Monster High, but they’re still really expensive for even used, incomplete dolls that are often missing limbs. That’s why I’m excited for the reboot dolls (even though I don’t love all of them..), I can finally get a chance to get them when I was a kid I couldn’t. Honestly the max price I’d pay for a play line / not adult collector level doll would be about $100 but I much prefer to buy dolls under $40-50.
My choice is going to be SmartDoll they are definitely worth the price the quality of the dolls and clothing accessories shows and the are really durable and longevity is high and they hold thier value. I haven’t got any license SmartDolls or any other bjd similar. They only way I’d consider those would be as a layaway payment plan on higher priced dolls.
The A.G. dolls are surely expensive, but worth all of how much they cost: the quality of the materials, the accuracy of the realization and the charme of the characters make them something really special: if they were cars, they were Cadillac or Rolls Royce! The "Maple Girls" and the "Our Generation" are not bad, but even the quality, not only the price, is significantly lower: they can be a good choice as gifts for children, but not suitable for collectors or dolls passioned, who, rightly, wish for the quality and for it are disposed to spend much money. Anywhere, the smaller dolls are not always so cheaper: some Barbie "exclusive" (with a designer dress), at least in Europe where I live, can even cost several hundreds of dollars, much more of any A.G. and, by my advice, even if are very well made, don't worth so much. Currently I own a A.G. Rebecca and ordered a Samantha (identical to the one visible in this video at 5:27) which has to arrive in the next days; Rebecca is really wonderful, a real angel, almost a real girl child, very better than the other dolls I have, is completely worth what I paid for her; i expect the same from Samantha. Yes: the A.G. are really another world.
An interesting video! Only thing I would say about Smart Doll is it does have some weird customer service, with requirements to 'prove' yourself before purchasing and weird stuff like that...put me off ordering, which is a shame, as the dolls themselves are pretty. Worth researching that sort of thing if you are going to order. I never really saw the appeal of american girl dolls but good quality is always good to hear. The super dollfies are stunning and I super recommend them! Bjd dolls have always been my favorite! A 1000 dollars is a bit much for me. You can get a stunning bjd for around 400 and I feel they are worth every penny.
Slightly different than the fashion doll world, but I'm a vintage My Little Pony collector and it's interesting how much people overestimate the worth of their crusty ponies that have been in their attic for 30 years. An average nicely refurbished/excellent condition pony will usually be worth no more than like $20 to me unless it's rarer or exclusive (and even then $30 is pushing it). As for ponies that need cleaning and refurbing... no more than $5, $10 if we're talking something rare. Only a few ponies push into the $100+ range and they're usually mint in-box, region-exclusive, or SO rare as to be particularly valuable.
At 11:00 you show Maria and it made me realize something. Her golden bone hand situation is a removable bracelet. I don’t know Spirit queen from lol surprise has shown that they could just mold it to the hand and it would look better
I have a theory about the more pricy collector rainbow high dolls. Maybe, MGA noticed the rise in the popularity of anime, and us anime fans are dumb enough to pay a lot of money for figures. It's really not uncommon to see some of us pay nearly $100 - $300 for some of the more extravagant ones. Bare in mind these are statues: you can't pose them and they wear the same clothes forever. So from that perspective, the Chinese-style collector doll you showed seems reasonably priced and if the Day of the Dead themed one would easily go for the same price as a figure. By contrast, the normal rainbow high dolls seem like a bargain compared to the cheaper anime prize figures (aka a figure of less good quality, usually in a less interesting pose, typically sold for $25-$40). Likewise, the rainbow high dolls do seem to be marketed towards both adult collectors and tweens who have more financial independence than smaller kids. (This doesn't justify the $130 price tag of course, it just explains some of it.)
Coming from someone who collects IT dolls, I’d say rainbow High clothes are right up there with integrity. I personally think they could sell for more and 100% be worth it. Rainbow high is high quality, not just for playline, but in general. The RH dolls themselves aren’t as nice quality as IT or AG, but the clothes 100% are. Minus the Velcro. Some ppl are just super cheap and should consider collecting less expensive brands bc $35 for a rainbow high doll is totally understandable considering the quality. Ppl wanting rainbow high to be like $20 is so unrealistic, like stop! Go buy a cheap ass Barbie doll if you want to spend only $20.
You are so right. The knee high boots of some of my RH dolls feel exactly like my Nu face knee high boots, same faux leather fabric and all. I was really surprised by that.
Rainbow High is literally hiking up the price and giving us so much less than when they first came out
I think series 4 is justified, and so is shadow. High. I think that those lines have more detail, love and variety in them, and the amount of effort in them justifies the price, but definitely costume ball, rainbow vision, and Maria is NOT WORTH THE PRICE.
are you seriously saying that wave one had more to offer than shadow high/wave 4?
@@Queerlyness maria and costume ball is the reason why I made this comment
girl I stopped collecting rh. personal preference but yeah every new doll that isn't a series dolls is like 45+ and comes with 1 outfit ....yikes
@@cassieoliveira13 no I'm talking about Maria and the costume ball dolls babe
If you look into Volks or the Korean Fairyland dolls, you'll see why they are so expensive. They're made of high quality resin, with full articulation on all joints, which are stringed, except the fingers and toes, plus customization options. I own 3 BJDs, and I'm doing all the faces myself, plus I can pick the wigs and eyes I want. There's not really a comparison to be made with Barbie, even a collector's edition. Even my two RH dolls, those are hinge joints, not threaded ball joints. That's a huge difference in manufacturing. Volks is also one of those really passionate, traditionally run Japanese companies that are very careful about hiring and quality control and don't do mass production just to get money from a trend.
They're so next level!!! 😍 I don't have one yet, I have a Mystic Kids SD and it's till really lovely!
Fairyland makes such beautiful dolls. Although I'll probably never own one, I still love looking at their site to look at all the dolls they've made. I have a soft spot for the Minifees
they are something else truly. i literally gasped when i saw the cinderella doll's face
Those string joints are going to be a problem down the line. I have some of my mom's dolls mainly Madame Alexander whose body are very loose. The string or band deteriorates over time. She also had a Helen Kish doll from the 90s that has this problem that doll was expensive.
@@iamsoverybored878 You can just restring the dolls. All the modern bdjs can be completely taked apart and restrung.
Every time a new rainbow high doll releases I ask myself "who is this series for?" Because no parent is going to keep up with buying this many dolls at such a high price. I also work in childcare and I have to ask, does anyone know a child that owns a rainbow high doll? At my work there was one child that owned one, and she said her and her sister had one each. The rest only owned LOLs. But this was a pre-K daycare so I can see how parents are hesitant to buy a young child such an expensive doll. But seriously does anybody know a child that owns one??
At my old job, I used to see a lot of kids carrying around RH dolls- but that was back in Series 1/Series 2. I honestly can't imagine many parents dropping $40-50 on a single doll, 2nd outfit or no. Unless it's for a special occasion or something.
right,i've always thought this. I know kids who watch the webisodes and dont own any of the dolls. ive never met a child with one.
@@DarlingDollz yeah, also something I thought was kind of interesting is that I brought my RH dolls to my nanny job one time so the kids could play with them and they're nearly 7 and they had significant trouble dressing and undressing the dolls, specifically with the shoes. I don't have any of these but I've heard there are some RH dolls where you can't even remove the shoes without applying heat.
@@Trunksette Oh yeah, I recall Series 2 having some especially troublesome shoes. And even still a lot of them they refuse to put slits in the back to make it easier. It's maddening.
I know some older kids- like 3rd/4th grade and up, who have them. Most kids I know with them have a handful because they ask for them for birthdays and holidays, but their parents definitely aren't buying anywhere close to them all.
We often let our kid spend 25-35 on a toy during a store trip but that's largely because my partner and I are both toy collectors- I don't think most parents will spend that on toys on average outside of special occasions.
I wanted an American girl doll growing up, but as a Korean American, they never had a Korean American doll. They made one once when I outgrew the need. Now that I am back into dolls, this doll is very discontinued and now at a price point of 500+ which is very depressing. Her name was Z Yang
Asian American dolls in general are so underrepresented in AG, it's really sad. Just one in the entire historical lineup, but she's a best friend with the smallest collection of every single character. Really hoping they add more Asian rep soon.
Somehow my sister managed to score a mint Z Yang for a great price. She was basically floating for about a month after finding that one!
They've added a new Asian character in the Girl Of The Year collection, Corrine, who is Chinese American, I believe. She has a little sister, Gwennie, and a baby brother with the weirdest name I've ever heard. (Blix???) They've also added a couple of new Asian Truly Me dolls. It would be really nice to have more diversity in the main line main characters. (not just best friend characters)
i still think you should save up money to get one
I usually get my dolls either second-hand or wait for them to go on clearance. The Lalaloopsy dolls I collect are down to $9.00 USD right now. It helps that I'm very picky about what dolls I actually want XD
Same.
I'm not from the US, & quite a lot of dolls that are exclusive to Walmart etc. are just impossible to get in my country (some of the RH, new MH, Collector barbies etc.). I can try to use an international shipping but a price of it + customs can make everything just not worth it, unfortunately.
I wish companies like MGA & Mattel will think about international customers, too.
For those who interested, it takes from 1 year (& more) from the release date at States to wait for the doll in good condition in my country. Talking about used ones, of course.
So I'm a bit jealous of those who live in the US, at that point.
@@dv2291 Same here, getting the dolls i want is so hard, even the used ones. At this point i just gave up and collect other more affordable stuff instead
Yes secondhand dolls are the best. My mum wouldn't let me keep them at home initially because she's superstitious, so I only bought new dolls. But I've convinced my mum secondhand dolls are not haunted, and my wallet has been super grateful.
Lalaloopsy dolls were so much fun when they first came out, my baby sister had a lot of em and even playsets from holidays and her birthdays. I was pleasantly surprised to see them back on shelves but I do miss the little ones with the reusable packaging and the accessories 🥹
Hi! I work in a huge toy store and we sell a lot of different fashion dolls. The people buying rainbow high dolls are actually two different groups.
The 8-11 year olds (the parents then) and the 21-26 year olds!! Which is very different from other fashion dolls we sell. Rainbow high is definitely gonna be a collectors doll in a couple years. It's very high quality and the price matches it.
I am a BJD collector, it is oftentimes what motivates me to keep my job, lol. My favorite girl is a Doll Leaves Betty that was only around $250 which is on the cheaper side of things but I've spent well over 100s on clothes, wigs and eyes for her, she's very spoiled. My most expensive doll though is a Dream Valley Sylves Dragon Full set, he was like $1,200 and I adore him too. Very expensive hobby, but it keeps me with the will to work.
The reason for the price generally has to do with the fact they are custom sculpted, oftentimes realized in limited batches, and generally are extremely high quality. Definitely not for children, but a wonderful collector's item!
Base dolls usually run like, 600, obviously a fully detailed outfit with all the detail of real clothes will cost a lot. I think people just get caught up in that.
I definitely think that Maria, should’ve come with a second outfit, had black hair to contrast her mostly red look, and had accessories such as an image of a lost loved one and offerings, because that’s what Dia De Los Muertos is all about, celebrating those loved ones we have lost and offering them their favourite things.
Maria caused in the fandom a huge division of some loving her and not caring about how much of a cultural salad she is and many angry that even Barbie made a better doll with a better fashion for way less and even how the price isn’t shown in her designs.
They definitely should’ve gave her a little table full of offerings, a garland of marigolds, etc. Definitely an outfit or two bc the dress she’s giving and how it’s stylized has little correlation to Dias de los Muertos. Even a lil alebrije would’ve been a nice addition
The best quality clothes are for BJDs. I’ve been collecting them for over ten years, and their clothes are INSANELY detailed. A basic clothing set is about 70$, and more detailed pieces are 200-500$. Wigs are 20-300$. Eyes are 10-100$. Shoes are 20-150$. And then you need to send her to an artist for a face up which can be 200-500$ depending on who you send her to and if you get body blushing. I have some BJDs that completely finished and dressed, are valued at about 3k. The thing that sucks, is that I don’t have room to display them. So they live in their boxes until we can move into a house. But anyway ya, BJDs are a massive money pit haha. Thankfully though, they appreciate in value especially since many sculpts are limited editions or companies close down.
ALSO EDIT: Most BJD companies and retailers, as well as resellers on DOA do LAYAWAY. So it’s not like we are all dropping grands Willy nilly. For Christmas I received my Doll Chateau Ona full set, and it took me an entire year to pay her off. I think I paid about 100$ dollars a month. If you want to get into BJDs, they have different sizes, so you can start out with a smaller YOSD or a MSD which are less expensive, and then pay with a payment plan.
EDIT 2: The reason I love BJDs is because they are GORGEOUS in person. The quality is amazing and they are heavy and gorgeous in your hands. They are literally a piece of art in a way Barbie or Rainbow High just isn’t. I do collect fashion dolls too though!
I used to think “60$ for boots?!” But then i realized, bjd clothes cost about the same as real clothes, even though its less fabric theres just as much labor and detail put into them. Not to mention the risk of staining in buying cheaper clothes for them.
I personally love BJD’s since I’m an artist myself so I get to spend days making a wig and clothing pieces and doing their face up exactly how I want it and just making these wonderful characters I just love it
I just make my bjd clothes from old yard sale clothes 😁 and the wigs from yarn
They are detailed but I don't think I can agree on the quality being high a lot of the time. They rarely actually feel like "human clothes but shrunk down" the way original Smart Doll clothes do and they are of comparable pricing.
@@Jhud69 it definitely matters who you buy from. Its the difference between the people who set the price standard based on value, and the ones who follow it without matching the quality.
I miss the original Monster High and Ever After High doll lines. To me they were the best combination of price and quality. Plus I loved the series and I felt more connected to them because they were different and just accepted. It would have been cool to see you talk about OMG and the Tweens dolls. Like the doll itself can be a decent quality but I don’t think I’ve been able to buy one that doesn’t have issues in the stitching of the clothes. Plus the prices sometimes confuse me too.
Quality? I love the dolls as well, but the glue seapage for example ruined so many dolls (and their clothes). Other than that, they used cheap fabrics on MH a lot of the times and quality control was terrible (I have a Draculaura with 2 left feet and a Frankie with one small eye and one normal eye. It's literally 2 different eye "molds" I'd call them).
I absolutely loved these dolls as a kid, but looking at my MH collection now, I do feel quite disappointed with a lot of them because of different reasons...
@@myra0224 Well I’m sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I didn’t have any like that go wrong with any of the dolls I got and some of them I even got second hand.
@@marzettik Yeah, same. Most of mine are new as I bought them myself, but some second hand. They all have it, some worse than others. I'm sure you've heard about it, literally anyone who collects 2010-2015 Mattel dolls (MH, EAH, Barbie...) has pointed the glue problem out before
Hi guys! So, after publishing this video, I was alerted to some concerning news regarding the owner of the Smart Doll company. I was not privy to these behaviors before recording- all the reviews I've seen of them mentioned having excellent experiences with the company, but it appears these experiences are not universal. If you feel compelled to purchase a Smart Doll, I urge to just do your research and decide if you're comfortable supporting the company. I still appreciate the openness of the manufacturing process and seemingly how well the employees are treated, but I apologize to anyone who may have thought I was intentionally ignoring the issues with the company. I was just not aware.
The idea of testing out a similar but cheaper doll with a child first is a great idea. I've been worried about crazy little kids getting the last of the old LPS there are and am glad when they get the new ones instead lol.
Ik my grandmother used this tactic on me and my sisters bc she was wanting to gift us AG dolls that looked like us for Christmas😂 but ultimately she didn’t bc me and my sisters didn’t care much for AG dolls, at the time it was either bratz or MH
Oh my goodness I am so happy the two of you collaborated!! I really enjoy both of your content. Really fascinating dive into the price points and different types of dolls! I actually saw a smart doll owned by someone in the fitness community on RUclips; otherwise I would have had no idea. It's great that there are dolls at all different types of price points, albeit all doll collecting is not cheap!
I've noticed that Smart Dolls seem to resonate with a lot of people who aren't established doll collectors or otherwise just aren't into the traditional fashion doll. It's interesting how they have such a wide appeal despite being so pricey.
Erin? I didn’t know you are into dolls, that’s amazing! Great, to see you here.
I think it's fair for a limited edition to have larger batch if they are an international release. It's near impossible to get a numbered limited edition number without a paying a high shipping cost.
Because of this channel, I regularly pay attention to the dolls I see on the clearance aisle in Wal-Mart. I noticed how expensive fashion dolls can be and wondered how parents/adults approached buying them for children.
Amazon. Target puts many on sale. I don’t recommend buying out of sale unless you don’t mind buying them full price
For the people who would buy this Cinderella doll, it’s not so much about her being Cinderella, but being a limited Volks doll. They also only make only like 50 - maybe 200 of those sets each, so you can’t just casually buy one. You need to have a membership card and enter an online or RL lottery. These dolls are made for Super Dollfie collectors who are looking for a doll with certain facial features, not necessarily princess doll collectors. If she comes with a pretty outfit & hair, that’s just a little cherry on top for most collectors, as they usually change all of that anyway.
I’ve done that too hehe ~
I'm an adult who loves dolls, but I don't actively collect them because the prices of the high quality ones I like like Rainbow High are too much for me to afford if I were to buy almost every single one. The way I see it, quality over quantity. I'm way happier with my 6 RH dolls that I'd be with 20 Barbie Fashionistas. For people out there who want to collect dolls but can't afford it, I say buy less of the high quality dolls. Pick your favorites. Maybe you'll buy one, and that's ok. Smaller collections are wonderful too. It's your love for your dolls that matters. 💕
Thanks so much for collaborating with me! I loved how the video turned out and learning about dolls at different price points!
Exploring the different reasons ppl collect dolls would be an amazing video topic in itself! I had a bit of an epiphany when you brought up the appeal of just being able to hold a doll & feel it's quality, being a factor that might justify higher prices for some collectors.
For the most part I'm not concerned w/ what materials a doll is made of. What I appreciate is the imagination behind creating such a specific style & aesthetic that a character comes thru even if there's no actual prepackaged story.
OMG kinda exemplifies that for me. They come w/ just enough lore to give an idea of their general vibe, & the rest is up to me to interpret based on their fashion. Inversely, rainbow high puts a ton of story & worldbuilding into the promo materials, but not much individual personality into the fashions themselves (w/ a few exceptions). Figuring that out actually helped me appreciate rh more! What I see as lack of personality in the clothes, a lot of rh fans see as versatility that allows them to create their own characters, or reinterpret canon ones.
I remember when I was able to buy my first American girl doll. I used my birthday money and she felt so special to me. She had great quality and I love her so much.I feel like some dolls like ag and other collectors doll that have high quality or are rare or hard to produce are allowed to be higher priced but I still don’t like price hiking. I love rainbow high but I always have quality issues with my dolls (ripped fabric, misewn jacket, weird fitting, etc) so the price increase slightly annoys me. I’m glad the new monster high dolls seem to be about 25 dollars.
I am a VOLKS collector and I have to admit - yes the price is steep. But once you see them in person, it’s love at a first sight. I used to be a Barbie and MH collector until 2014 but once I have seen and held a resin doll (my first was Luts) I count not go back anymore.
Now I have a fairly large collection of VOLKS dolls and love them deeply. They are my pride and joy 🤍
The beauty of collecting play-line dolls is that YOU get to determine a doll's value based on your own criteria, rather than purchasing whatever the toy company TELLS you is valuable. I totally understand the desire to buy collector's edition dolls because for many collectors, scarcity is a huge part of the appeal. But personally, I get way more enjoyment out of collecting dolls simply if I like them, regardless of their price. I just started collecting Fashionistas and it's become kind of an addiction at this point. I agree with Allycat about the clothing quality though. I understand they're working within a small budget on these dolls but ughhh. I try to avoid anything with printed-on pockets or buttons. But otherwise, I absolutely adore my army of $10 Walmart Barbies XD
Anyway, great video collab! I used to have a Pleasant Company Samantha growing up, and just hearing Darling mention her makes me sad that my mom sold her D:
same here! i love the fashionista face sculpts & paint and usually i just get my favorites and redress them in the older barbie outfits i've built up over the years. i know a lot of collectors feel like they need to buy every single doll in a collection, and that's valid but to me that would be so much stress
@@fusetunes Yes 100%!! I used to have more of that mindset of "ahh i need every single doll in this line to feel complete" but it started stressing me out, which is so stupid haha. And agreed, the Fashionista face sculpts are so cute, and most of them have great hair quality too. I honestly love these dolls!
It's funny to me because I sorta got into dolls "backwards" - after years of rejecting playline Barbies I found out about BJDs, vinyl art toys, artist dolls, MLP modders and other OOAK/custom doll and toy makers and I was hooked. I still don't have any BJD because of the expense and commitment!
But yeah, "full set" releases like that Disney collab are somewhat rare and more for an adult collector's market. There's sometimes unique sculpts in those sets, which makes them more rare because collectors don't typically alter or deconstruct a set. Definitely more of an art piece with a much more limited run that Bratz!
I got into MH from the customs aspect and alt fashion; and then LOL and RH because of the fashion and unique sculpts and articulation. Because I'm interested in customs, I mostly have pre-loved dolls that I'm not concerned about finding mint, and even prefer some battle scars so I can practice restoration and cleaning techniques! I have some New new blindball dolls like the LOLs and Surprise! Zuru dolls, but I'm not likely to buy something like RH unless second-hand or on a massive sale. The fashions are probably "worth it" but as you said, there's less pieces per box, and they kinda hook you into buying more dupe dolls to get more fashions. I've always seen RH as sort of the stepping stone between fashion dolls like LOL/Barbie and more mature customizable dolls like BJD...so I've not really blinked at the price point because I assume the market skews older and less rough play, more care taking/display oriented.
As someone who cares a lot about consumer ethics - particularly in the fashion space where it does get talked about a lot compared to the toy collector space where I rarely see it - I get very disheartened or annoyed with seeing people constantly complain about the cost and quality of dolls. Fast fashion has ruined people's perception of what clothes should cost, 'should' being the ethical cost for the materials, for a better quality garment starting from the sample, and to paying the workers fairly. In clothes prices seem to be the same as they were 20 years ago despite inflation, if not substantially less, but in order to hit those prices unethical companies are sacrificing something in those areas I mentioned (usually the workers pay.). This I think is comparable to fashion dolls. People complain about oh the quality isn't what it used to be, but also don't want to pay what the cost would demand of that if the company were to actually charge a price that would mean for higher quality and better paid employees. People rag on Mattel for being lower quality - but Mattel is trying to keep costs down for parents who are buying dolls for their kids more so than appealing to adult collectors. MGA has more detailed products ('quality' being arguable depending how picky one is), but that CEO is a douchebag and have you ever read their Glassdoor reviews; I doubt very few employees in the offices or warehouses and factories (even the so called cheap ones deserve living wages) are getting fair wages. Collecting dolls as an adult is a luxury (even the play line ones, not just in having the income but having the space for them and other privileges) - even more so than clothes - and so, I think this is all so important to remember before people complain. I think a valid complaint though is if it is just a marketing markup ie: fake limited edition
This is something I've thought about frequently lately-it's such a relief to see some other people feel the same. Recently I looked through some old toy catalogues from the 80s-90s, and even the very simple Barbie dolls usually cost around $30-$35 with inflation, so I can only imagine how much the generally more elaborate fashion dolls of today should cost. It's a little frightening; I understand people's hesitation with paying more, as costs are often artificially inflated-but at the same time, we can never truly advocate for worker's rights without being willing to pay more and buy less. I hope more sustainable and ethical buying practices become the norm in the future.
@@hkrsztt I'm glad you feel the same, it is a relief to me too just to see others giving it some more thought and the community talking about it more which I think is where it needs to start. As a doll collector, I certainly grapple with the hobby and its capitalistic and environmental ethics while really loving to buy them, so I certainly don't expect everyone to be 'perfect' or have a clear solution when it comes to this topic. You bring up some good examples of looking at prices in older catalogues; I think it would be really interesting to have some sort of chart that shows different playline and collector dolls from 20 or more years ago, their original price and their price adjusted for inflation in todays market to compare. (Also I love your pierrot icon! I've been obsessed with that artwork lately)
@@laluneroi I checked out his channel, I'm glad he is talking about both this and overconsumption
thank you for having the icons showing who's speaking-- i have trouble identifying and differentiating voices so it really helped :))
i just wish dolls were still affordable in canada tbh,,, bratz repros are $45-70 and RH by itself is $45-90
Yes, the prices for basically all US dolls (Barbie and MGA) is higher than just the exchange rate, then there is sales tax on top (12% in my province). Also, we don't generally have the big sales. It means I buy much less than I would if lived in the US.
Great video. I appreciated the insight of an AG collector because, as you guys mentioned, they are considered a moreupper class doll. I used to get the catalogs as a kid and look through them, but my family couldn’t afford something like that and even as a kid, I preferred to save my money to buy LPS toys and other small things because they had more play value to me than a single doll of high quality.
I am a doll enthusiast but unfortunately too broke to be a collector. Budget dolls are important for people with lower income and children, but i would rather save up for a nicer doll. :) I don’t have space to display or properly store dolls, so for now, I just watch doll videos and live vicariously through y’all 😂
When I saw the Smart Doll in the thumbnail I was like, OH NO... 😨 Unfortunately with Smart Doll the CEO being very interactive with customers is actually a bad thing. He's a bit notorious for being petulant and abusive.
Yeah, I was alerted to some of his behaviors after I had already scheduled this video for uploading. At the very least, the company itself seems to treat its employees well and the manufacturing process is still very interesting, it's just really unfortunate that the face of the company is known to act so horribly.
@@DarlingDollzyeah I bought mine of eBay my dad tried to get me one of the website but the owner asked him why he wanted the doll he said he wanted to get it for his daughter and the owner cancelled the order without telling my dad he lost over £100 as he pre paid for shipping and some other things it sucked but we bought one of some lovely people off eBay so yeah 😂
Hi! I came from Ally’s video. As an AG collector, I think the most I would pay for a single AG doll is $150 USD. I don’t care is she’s a NIB Kanani or Cécile etc. or a Pleasant Company doll signed by Pleasant Rowland, I’m never going to spend a ton of money on some plastic (although they are beautiful dolls). I’m also teenager and I don’t really have a job besides babysitting occasionally so that does come into play.
i am also a teenage doll collector, and i must say it is quite difficult to be able to afford any fashion doll without having a fixed job. i mostly collect rainbow high(haven’t got into AG but i’m thinking about it) and i have payed full price for all 5 of my dolls. with the sheer amount of RH dolls releasing, i’d love to get my hands on my favorites before i get tempted to buy more, but it’s hard when you earn max $100 USD. I am looking to buy RH’s lily cheng, but paying $75 for a doll would break me financially.
I recently started paying down on my first BJD- a layaway buy and hand cast from an independent artist with some flaws, but I'm so excited. The artistry and customizability is something I find so appealing about BJDs, and now that more artists are making smaller dolls, offering 3D printed options, and offering payment plans, it feels more possible to for me to obtain them.
So I guess that makes my upper cap now around 300 if broken into payments- but typically my range is $15-30 for a doll with the occasional splurge into the 40-50 range.
While I strongly get the appeal of Smart Dolls the creator has really put me off. Even with the lower exchange rates now I'd probably opt to buy secondhand if I ever did get one.
Also the the you could buy multiple budget dolls for the price of one doll struck a cord. Once my grandmother gave a huge bag of budget Barbie’s and fashion packs and I loved it.
I think lumping in Volks and Smart Doll with other fashion dolls doesn’t make much sense since they are not competing in the same market. High-end BJD collectors don’t buy 10+ dolls a year; some don’t even buy a doll every year. So really a more apt comparison is someone who spends $500 for one BJD vs someone who spends $500 to buy 20 $25 dolls.
On the American Girl doll level, I googled to make sure my memory was correct, but I remember when these came out and they were like SUCH a status symbol. I wasn't into dolls (the toxic idea that boys can't have dolls ofc), but I had my rich friends still showing them off to me, showing off how many they had, how important it was that they had THIS one or THIS one and don't you wish you could have this?! I went to school in a more affluent town than I lived and a ton of the kids were like that, heaven help you if you liked a $6 doll or action figure instead. Watching my gen grow up and have kids of their own, it definitely continued. Parents that wished they'd had these dolls as kids, remembered the trauma of missing out, purchased dolls that their kids didn't take care of and ended up destroying, just so their kid could say they had Samantha or Cynthia or whomever and grandmas were desperately sewing clothing so their kids didn't have to spend money on those expensive outfits. I think the doll community on insta gets like this too, with the screaming about not having a brand new doll 2 seconds after its street date. Or saying they're "late to the party" when the doll came out a week prior. But then they'll turn around and blame the company for coming out with too many dolls at once. I only started collecting this year, but especially in the playline sector, it kinda boggles my mind that people use a mass release doll as a status symbol. Just like those "collector edition" dolls that there's 400k of, that's not rare. It just means you had $30-$40 when you went to walmart.
I will freely admit I spend too much on dolls even when I'm trying to buy them used. But it tends to be a situation where even the lowest price I can find is still kind of a lot. I think the most expensive ones I've gotten have been Monster High sdcc dolls, but even then I wouldn't go far enough to spend a grand on one of them. For the reasons though; what it usually ends up being is that the stuff I like ends up being rarer than I want it to be. I found a used Scarah and Hoodude set on ebay which was still a lot but I just really liked the squishy boy doll, and Mattel didn't see fit to make a payline version of him so that's what I was left with. It works out sometimes though because I'm not an "In box" collector so if the packaging is damaged I don't really care too much.
two of my favorite channels!!!
Oohhh. Interesting video. BTW, wish you luck on your AG collector journey.
I am a bit dissapointed you both did not have a deeper disscussion. There is quite a lot of things one may talk about when it comes to how much the status/money outsourcing strategy of a company effects the production of dolls (quality vs details vs pricing) or the ethical side of doll prices. Like, Mattel requires its products to have bigger profit margin due to being public, and sometimes this very much effects collector releases. However, these are difficult topics to discuss, so I understand why you did not touch upon them that much. Plus, casual conversations like this are rather calming.
Overall, it was fun to listen to two of you chat about dolls. I am curious if this format of videos, in any way, is going to become a series?
I collect Living dead dolls (Among others) and those are $30ish each when they come out. When a series comes out (usually 5 dolls total) you can only buy the whole series at once. Which I think is a fair price for how nice they are. But they haven't been making any new dolls in years, and since they are a niche line they can get expensive on eBay. I just got really lucky bidding for them. But those are for adults, and doll lines for kids are usually very expensive for what you get. RH for example is very nice quality, I have some. But I can't help for feel sad because there are probably tons of kids who want these beautiful dolls, and plenty of kids don't want just one, they want a whole group for pretend play and some parents can't afford that.
I'd like to correct "some parents" to "most parents"
Ok. This is really bizarre. I think Rainbow High dolls are actually pretty affordable.
Context. I am not a collector. I got back into dolls a few years ago when I started crocheting my own. (I make custom stuff as a side gig) My daughter started making her own doll clothes around then and paying attention to dolls is something I started doing as she got more interested. I want to support her burgeoning love of clothing design, so I started looking for dolls that would match that love.
A good Barbie (base doll) is expensive. We ended up getting some of the posable ones. $15-20. Their bodies are nice for play, but the clothes are so crap. Just badly designed spandex. Almost all the other clothes are very plasticky fabric, like bad vinyl tablecloths. My six year old's self-taught hand sewn felt dresses are better quality. Other than Barbie (so cheap feeling) everything else in our local toy aisle is $30-40. So getting a main series Rainbow High doll with multiple beautifully sewn outfits for $25? Amazing. Throw in some toys with it in a set for $35? Actually super affordable.
As a parent, my one gripe is that they should pivot from always having new dolls and just sell some outfits. I would pay $5-10 for a nice additional outfit for my daughter's doll. I would fork out for a few new outfits. I wish they went that direction instead of making cheaper, less articulated doll designs.
As a middle-class kid in the 90s, I got an American Girl doll for xmas one year and it was a huuuuge deal. Like my parents and grandparents made a big show out of how expensive it was and how Good i had to be to get it lol. If a kid had 2+ AG dolls i knew they were Rich
I think integrity dolls are the most gorgeous ones but way too expensive for me , that's why I mostly get barbies , I think in the play line doll market they're the ones with the most realistic proportions and sculpted faces. I'd love to get an integrity doll at some point though .
I love listening to videos like this on the background while i’m doing other things ☺️💕
Love the video! This conversation was interesting. I personally think RH and SH have pretty fashions, but I haven't bought a single one as I can get the same outfit quality, and a lot more creativity with LOL OMG and Tweens. The Tweens in particular have so much detail for such small dolls (6") and they still come with lots of accesories and super well made outfits, and the prices are better I think.
omg yes. i love both of your channels, so i'm super excited that u two are collaborating!! :D
Honestly, this is kinda why I stick to buying play line dolls. They're cheaper to buy, I can find them in stores more easily, and since most adult collectors don't like them as much they usually don't get scalped.
In defense of Smart Doll clothes... The quality of those items is outstanding. You mentioned the old Pleasant Company AG clothes being like "real" clothes only miniature... that's the Smart Doll clothes. The jeans are just like real jeans, absolutely amazing quality. As well, everything they do is hand made by someone. He's got a small team and they work exclusively on their items, and the owner has a very rigid quality standard (He'll often sell "chaos" items, which are items that don't meet his quality standards, for cheaper, but I've yet to find an actual flaw on any of these items). Given the business ethics and quality control, for me at least the price is justified 🥰
i would love to see more discussion style videos like this from you :)! i love your normal content but it's nice to be able to just listen to you in the background
I collect a mixture of collector and playline dolls. The most I’ve spent on a single doll was a little over $200 for the Proudly Pink Silkstone. And generally my limit for a single doll is $160. Loved this video!
Great video! It's always interesting to hear peoples thoughts in the doll community! I honestly had no idea people were so into collecting more of the playline dolls until recently. I collected monster highs when they first came out, but I've actually always leaned more towards the expensive type collectors dolls.
I have a few BJDs from different companies and while yes, they can be expensive, I don't think there is a single playline doll, or any doll sold in a store really, that could compare the quality to a BJD. You just gotta see one in person, and then you will know why they cost that much. I had to stop though because while I didn't mind the initial investment into the doll (the most I spent was $800 for just the head lord help me) it was the clothes that got me. Like you mentioned, $50 for a shirt, while very very well made, is the norm and it kinda sucked the fun out of the 'doll' aspect, when that those things start adding up. Also at the time, there wasn't a doll that was 12 in/standard fashion size, that was still more 'adult' like. Those were usually the huge 3 ft kind of dolls. Much too big for my taste. ^^;
I found a happy medium in Integrity. They give that fancy feel, with purses that open and earrings made of something other than plastic, without the HUGE prices that a BJD would have. Also, don't know if they count as dolls per sayyyy, but I like Hot Toys as well! And all the accessories they come with.
Just my thoughts! It would be a very hard sell to make me go back to playline unless there was something truly unique and special out there.
Always love your videos! Love hearing people talk about dolls of any kind! :D
I really enjoyed this podcast type video! I would love to watch/listen to more from you two!
I have four Smart Dolls myself, they are pricy yes but they are 100% worth it to me, considering how they all are handmade by a small company that values its workers over clients, which might sound bizzarre but I like that approach. That said, can't say I 100% like the creator (sacrilegous I know), sometimes he can be very overly dramatic in his "owning the haters" stances and how many dramas he caused where a fan got hate for stating their basic opinion. But I also like the way he runs the company and what he does when it comes to representing disabilities with his dolls. Plus they cost about as much as other dolls of this type and the quality is almost incomparable. The quality of the clothes is also absolutely insane, they are literally like human clothes scaled down... though I don't always like the styles they offer, but a lot of fans make good clothes for them too. They are definitely an investment but worth it, they are a good middle ground of a doll that has high quality and is on a collector's side BUT is sturdy enough that it can also be enjoyed by children (another thing I like about the company - Danny is actually very open about his dolls also being meant for children, he doesn't gatekeep them for "adult's only" like other companies like this do). I don't treat my dolls like eggs because I know nothing bad can happen to them - I can take them places and just enjoy them, unlike some resin BJDs for example.
Which smart doll should I get because I've been wanting one for awhile and I can't choose for the life of me
FOUR 😭 lucky lol, I can’t even afford one, but maybe in the future.
@@bbi2.052 Lol I spent my first 4 paychecks on them, not proud of the decision but it was a dream come true for me.
@@Weirdos22146 I have an old Valiant and I'd love to have her semi-real version because I prefer the semi-real ones personally.
@@Jhud69 I also love the semi real ones to
I have a few BJD's from different makers, and I think the appeal for me is how customisable they are. You can redo there face paint or often request one of the artists who make the dolls for custom face paint. You can make clothing, or buy pretty outfits. You can change there wigs, eye colour, even limbs very easily. They are good for taking photos as they are posable and so changeable. I saved and got one quite young and taught myself some photography. There is a lot of opportunity to be creative.
I'd highly suggest talking to someone immersed in the BJD hobby to help explain Smart Dolls more. There is a lot more to that particular company that can be discussed, and there are countless other BJD companies as well!
SmartDoll is really a whole rabbit hole of it’s own… some of the stuff with Danny Choo is WILD. There’s a write up on r/HobbyDrama for those interested. He regularly bans people who criticize any flaws with the dolls, and he hates volks so much it’s ridiculous
I’m not a doll collector I just find it interesting but you said dolfie and I WHEEZED bc I KNOW those are expensive😭 there was a Sailor Mercury Dolfie Dream Doll that was like $3k but to be able to buy her you had to buy a different dolfie dream doll to enter the raffle to buy her, it was insane.
I love this video. I love smart dolls I WISH I could own one
Now I want to check out maplelia dolls or whatever they’re called! The faces looked so cute!
Thank you for introducing me to AlleyCatLovesAG!!! I'm a huge fan of bigger sized dolls and love AG!
Great video! I'm an adult collector and although I might be able to afford an art doll like a resin BJD, I don't really have much interest in them. I do have 3 Smart Dolls; one in a dark skin tone, one in a light, and the 3rd in a tan. I love them but am content with my 3 and won't be adding any more.
I have most of the Rainbow High dolls, but none were purchased full price; some were sales, many were clearance (for as low as $9)
I have a large collection of American girl dolls, but only 3 were purchased brand new from AG. Most were found on Facebook marketplace or garage sales.
I have more Barbies than I can count, at least half of them were thrifted.
So as much as I love dolls, I do NOT like spending a lot of money on them. (Granted, even bargain-priced dolls can drain the wallet if I don't pump the brakes, lol.)
This video made me think of the difference between playline and collectors. I'm am adult but I only display a couple dolls and I prefer them to feel like I can comfortable redress/store/move them without messing up the design
Also, a 5 year old I worked with showed me rainbow high and watching the show with her is what got me hooked on them! She ultimately got me back into doll collecting after many years and I'm grateful 😊
Oh wow what a cool collab! As a doll collector with 65 AG dolls and 15 Rainbow High Dolls (I’m a new collector for RH) this was a fun video. The most I ever paid for an AG doll was a Cécile and a Jess on eBay for approx $140 USD. I wouldn’t probably go over $150 for an AG doll, unless it was a very cool exception. I also did buy Lily Cheng for $80 and I’d say that’s the most I’d ever pay for a RH doll.
love this type of content + the fact that its a longer video x
It's always nice to get other perspectives on how people see the value in a doll. I keep going back and forth over figuring out how I want to spend my doll budget. Probably $400 US is the most I would spend on a single doll, but that would probably be an older Barbie (maybe a Silkstone or Bob Mackie) because I remember those from when I first started collecting, so they have nostalgic value as well. I have spent $300 US on an Integrity doll and kind of regret it. I can't even get my money back if I try to resell it, because it was more expensive for me to get it in Canada in the first place. Definitely living outside the US affects how many dolls one can buy and which brands are better value than others.
this is a fun format! I like the commentary you both had; you should do this again sometime!
I just bought a smart doll last night, second hand. I’ve been obsessed with them, I don’t know why. (Probably the ADHD)
Right now, it is cheaper to buy a smart doll due to the JPY-USD conversion, but in the past it can be about $500, possibly more if the conversion rate tips in the favor of JPY. Right now it’s around $375, if you’re on the fence.
I’m so excited to see her. I wasn’t really expecting to see them on this list, thanks for taking a little look at them!
Edit:
me, seeing the thumbnail after watching the video: sometimes you immediately click on a video and simply do not think.
I've actually been considering getting one while the conversation is low. I think they'd be really fun to sew outfits for! All my first choices are currently out of stock though. So we'll see.
@@DarlingDollz right? The one I’m waiting for is out of stock. I happened upon a good deal on Mecari last night, which is the reason I jumped on it haha. She’s a Felicity doll in Cinnamon.
I’m waiting for Dimension to be back in stock, who were you considering?
@@KrazyCatQueen I think my first choice would have been Genesis in Tea. She'd be so fun to turn into an anime version of my mascot
@@DarlingDollz oh! Cute! I’d love to see if you end up making clothes for her, or any other dolls some time! Haha.
In 2006 I paid $600 US for a 60cm resin doll, with faceup & eyes, naked with no wig and he was worth every penny (CP Luts Yder). I saved up to buy another one as soon as I could afford it (CP Luts El). They are heavy, solid dolls and not very fragile. They are a great size to sew for and super posable and cuddly. The ball jointing helps the doll settle into one's arms. I got 2 vinyl 60 cm dolls soon after (Volks Dollfie Dreams and Obitsu 60cm) for ~$200 US each. All of these dolls are so gorgeous, I have yet to regret buying them and sewing for them is so fun. In fact, I sold my Pleasant Company era Samantha to pay for my Dollfie Dream
The most I've ever spent on a doll was probably $250ish (Australian) for a NIB myscene doll. She cost a lot but at the time I had the means to afford her and she is my holy grail, although it's a crazy price for a "vintage" playline doll, the sentimental value means she was more than worth it for me 💗
I never had new dolls as a kid, only op shop dolls that I had to share with my sister, so only recently I got into collecting. My first one I got last year was the repro bratz rock angelz and I completely understand why my mum never bought me one. I paid 70$ for ra cloe, and I’ve barely paid less than that since. The cheapest one was either 20th anniversary bratz or mermaid high. Even on sale dolls are still 40$+, even in places like Kmart and big w
I actually use to collect Volks Dollfie Dreams and depending on how after market feels can reach up to the Cinderella price. The only way i can/could afford them are through layaways through the second hand market. Now that im not collecting any new (wanna focus on the two i have plus expanding my AG collection) the Volks Rapunzel BJD is the only one on my radar because she is just gorgeous
RH doll prices went beyond absurd, specially in a post pandemic economy scenario. I find them beautiful, but it's impossible to keep full track of you're an eager collector or a parent. My latest purchase was Kia Hart, and that's because I found her in a very good price (considering it's an old release) and because a very dear friend of mine offered to pay it for me as birthday present. Other than that, it's impossible
My love of dolls came from agtube so I am so happy about this collaboration!
My family did not have very much money growing up, which I think is one of the reasons I have always idolized AG. My sister and I each got one doll. My family does not celebrate birthdays or holidays, and the closest store was 2 states away. It was a very special occasion. She is one of the most expense gifts I have ever been given and she is one of my most cherished childhood friends.
My first rainbow high doll was a $3 Goodwill find, she was in box and everything!
😯
I got American Girl dolls as a young girl because I was very obsessive with keeping my toys in good shape from a very young age so I guess I was trusted with them - I still have them and besides normal aging they're still in great condition. I wanted expensive detailed stuff rather than a lot of toys, and I could see being really into RH if it was out when I was younger. I think teaching kids quality over quantity from a young age is helpful overall as well.
But that being said, cheaper doll have their use too, and it feels like there's less and less decent options every year :/
Having been a ag collector first then finding RH and fashions dolls this was really interesting! I struggle all the time now between buying all the new fashion dolls and wanting to continue ag it’s so expensive and hard to do both
It's how I feel about the Bratz reissue dolls that MGA is putting out. I'm glad they are doing reissues, as I wasn't collector when I was younger. And depended on my parents to buy it for me. But the Prices and the fact that I don't have easy access to buy them. Is driving me crazy, I wanted the girls night out reissue dolls but I didn't get to buy them online in time. Cause you know, I had to bills and make sure I feed myself. So I just want them to be easier for us fans to buy them.
I think my limit is decidedly around $30. So here's the thing, I started collecting Rainbow High, but I've decided to stop given just how many issues there have been. Constant factory defects, customer service being very hit or miss, and more have contributed to it, but the price of the Jr. High dolls, Pacific Coast, and all the special releases like Slumber Party, Rainbow Dream, Rainbow Divas, and Neon Shadow just, aren't worth it, and that's not even getting into the dolls specifically branded as collector. I picked up Brianna and Ayesha for full price and Carmen on discount, and I gotta say, none of them were worth the price for what they came with. And now with Costume Ball hiking up the price? Just no, no doll is worth that much money.
Though granted, it's easy to see why I might feel that way given I'm a customizer in addition to collecting. I have a small assortment of Ever After High and Monster High dolls, and I got into them after both brands ended. I get everything pre-owned and work to find lots that reduce the cost, so they're missing pieces sometimes, but the dolls that speak to me do end up in my collection, one way or another, and I won't go for more than $25-$30 unless it's something that's truly difficult and impossible to grab otherwise (looking at you Dexter and Justine). When you look at the dolls I value, it's stuff that you don't see everyday. Way Too Wonderland and Freak Du Chic are my favorites of each respective series, they're something specific and I don't need every character, just my favorite designs. The designs have character just as much as the characters do, and they had a strong series of stories that went with them. Rainbow High doesn't have that, I don't care for how it's written at all, and as it's gotten worse, it's killed my love of the dolls. The Barbies I had as a kid were a mix of cool designs and characters I liked from the Barbie movies, and that was important. The point you both made about the Cinderella doll at the end is important, it's not just the price in money, it's also about the price of emotional investment, and if I'm not emotionally invested in the story and the art you're trying to make, your doll isn't worth it to me. I spend a lot of time with my dolls, what I don't pay for in monetary cost is paid for in hours of repairs and cleaning dolls to make them like new again, and that works better for me.
The smart dolls are worth the price from what I seen and I'm planning on getting one down the future because of how amazing they look. I also might get a bjd to just to see the difference I might go into kid mode when getting one
The rising prices is a good point, even buying one for my self hurts my wallet. 40 bucks is a lot, so Im glad I found lots of fun with the budget Barbie series. I like to collect the super cool looking ones, and they are much easier to afford.
I do want a Rainbow High, but they are really expensive. If the price is worth it or not is another discussion.
Can't wait for the Benefit Sale this year!!
Y'all are iconic
Just bought two OMG tweens with the sale and my work discount I got two for the price of one. They are from series 2 so they were cheaper then the newest ones. Going to take them out of the box since they most of the accessories are in little bags. Like that they have stands.
Okay so I don't own a Super Dollfie (the one you showed in the video) but I do own a Dollfie Dream. Normal Volks dolls don't go into the thousands lol, I'd say 400-ish is a good price point for most non-licensed characters. As a general rule DDs are about 100$ less than SDs at base price for a completed doll, but Volks has always been the sort of company where the completed dolls are just a side treat, the real draw lies in the amount of customization available for them. A blank head and a body will be a little less than 300$. The price is so high because everything Volks produces is hand-sewn, hand-painted, entirely in Japan, which will obviously hike up the cost compared to if you move production to a country like China. They're very much directed at doll collectors or hobbyists who want to make their own doll but don't have the sculpting ability to do so.
The thing about them is that you kind of have to see them in person to really get how *gorgeous* they are, I find that whatever pictures I take of DDs and BJDs hardly do them justice.
the most expensive doll i’ve ever bought is the Haunt Couture MH dolls, at about $80. I know they are expensive but MH is my favorite doll line and i really love their designs so that makes it worth it to me. That’s definitely my upper limit though. All the other dolls in my collection are playline and max out at $30 (rainbow high, cave club, polly pocket, and the occassional barbie)
I loved this video. So chill and relaxing while giving cool information and opinions. 🖤 Hoping to see you both togheter more often.
Superdollfies are just a brand in the Bjd world, they are normally higher priced especially if they are in collaboration with Disney etc. There are much more affordable bjds that can be brought if you buy from individual artists such as frappzilla and rumpledoll. Bjds are made more affordable with most buying through third party suppliers with layaways (bjdivas company ) (if you’re familiar with the term it’s like a doll loan, paying the third party a smaller chunk over a period of time until it’s fully paid and they send it to you) most of the time these dolls take up the 3 years to produce and receive by the buyer so even if you paid up front you would still be waiting a substantial amount of time unless they say they have some already in stock to buy. Therefore layaways make sense for these type of prices in the long run. I wouldn’t buy a doll for over a thousand gbp but I have gone up to 800£ for a full set from the company called ringdoll.
Just found AG and got my first Luciana Vega😁☺️
Just looked at some dolls from ringdoll and oh my gosh!! they're so pretty.
What ever you do don't collect Mr. Frundles.
To spend 1000 on a doll you have like really love that doll and have to be want her to a point that you can't live without the doll has to impress you and be the most beautiful doll you've ever seen in your life. My Sofia is an American girl prototype from 1984 with the rare vinyl body and samber eyes which makes her special
This was such a fun video!
I collect rainbow high and here in Canada the price of rainbow high is rediculous. The core series is $45.....the Pacific coasts were $50.......the winter breaks were $60.....the twin sets were $80.....and now the new Holiday edition Roxie will be over a $100! I love these dolls, but I'm getting frustrated. I now only buy the dolls I really love. And now I heard they are going to start putting them in multi- packs so that you have to pay for three or four dolls, just to get the ONE you like. I think if they want this doll line to survive, they need to start listening to their core audience....doll collectors. I don't know any kid into rainbow high, they all love LOL dolls. However, I will give them credit for giving us quality, whereas with the higher priced Barbie's, you pay high, but don't get any better quality for the higher price.
I used to collect Anime collector figures which would average at $150-$250 and I feel like I was insane for paying that much per figure but now, i usually go for Lol Omg and Rainbow High and I think I would go as far as $80 if they are like Lilly
I've never had a Volks, but I do have a couple BJDs of licensed characters, one of which was $800 before shipping and the other $650 (I got them for a discount, I think the official pricing was $900 and $800 respectively). To be fair, these dolls weren't of characters that have preexisting dolls, but they are high prices for dolls. To me, they were worth it, because of the sheer quality. They're also handmade, so that adds extra cost. As you said, BJDs are hard to make and are usually made by small companies, so I don't mind paying the price to get something so remarkable. Comparing them to playline dolls- even collector dolls (such as Disney collector dolls)- they're insanely gorgeous, and worth it to me.
I’m a new doll collector and exclusively collect Barbies at this point (mainly Barbie Fashionistas but I also love The Looks dolls) because of how expensive other lines can get. I like Rainbow High but some of their prices can be hard to justify for play line dolls (that don’t impress me enough to want to buy them right away). I love Monster High, but they’re still really expensive for even used, incomplete dolls that are often missing limbs. That’s why I’m excited for the reboot dolls (even though I don’t love all of them..), I can finally get a chance to get them when I was a kid I couldn’t.
Honestly the max price I’d pay for a play line / not adult collector level doll would be about $100 but I much prefer to buy dolls under $40-50.
Totally agree 👍
Smart dolls are around $360 right now
My choice is going to be SmartDoll they are definitely worth the price the quality of the dolls and clothing accessories shows and the are really durable and longevity is high and they hold thier value. I haven’t got any license SmartDolls or any other bjd similar. They only way I’d consider those would be as a layaway payment plan on higher priced dolls.
The A.G. dolls are surely expensive, but worth all of how much they cost: the quality of the materials, the accuracy of the realization and the charme of the characters make them something really special: if they were cars, they were Cadillac or Rolls Royce! The "Maple Girls" and the "Our Generation" are not bad, but even the quality, not only the price, is significantly lower: they can be a good choice as gifts for children, but not suitable for collectors or dolls passioned, who, rightly, wish for the quality and for it are disposed to spend much money.
Anywhere, the smaller dolls are not always so cheaper: some Barbie "exclusive" (with a designer dress), at least in Europe where I live, can even cost several hundreds of dollars, much more of any A.G. and, by my advice, even if are very well made, don't worth so much.
Currently I own a A.G. Rebecca and ordered a Samantha (identical to the one visible in this video at 5:27) which has to arrive in the next days; Rebecca is really wonderful, a real angel, almost a real girl child, very better than the other dolls I have, is completely worth what I paid for her; i expect the same from Samantha.
Yes: the A.G. are really another world.
An interesting video! Only thing I would say about Smart Doll is it does have some weird customer service, with requirements to 'prove' yourself before purchasing and weird stuff like that...put me off ordering, which is a shame, as the dolls themselves are pretty. Worth researching that sort of thing if you are going to order.
I never really saw the appeal of american girl dolls but good quality is always good to hear. The super dollfies are stunning and I super recommend them! Bjd dolls have always been my favorite! A 1000 dollars is a bit much for me. You can get a stunning bjd for around 400 and I feel they are worth every penny.
Slightly different than the fashion doll world, but I'm a vintage My Little Pony collector and it's interesting how much people overestimate the worth of their crusty ponies that have been in their attic for 30 years. An average nicely refurbished/excellent condition pony will usually be worth no more than like $20 to me unless it's rarer or exclusive (and even then $30 is pushing it). As for ponies that need cleaning and refurbing... no more than $5, $10 if we're talking something rare.
Only a few ponies push into the $100+ range and they're usually mint in-box, region-exclusive, or SO rare as to be particularly valuable.
At 11:00 you show Maria and it made me realize something. Her golden bone hand situation is a removable bracelet. I don’t know Spirit queen from lol surprise has shown that they could just mold it to the hand and it would look better
I have a theory about the more pricy collector rainbow high dolls. Maybe, MGA noticed the rise in the popularity of anime, and us anime fans are dumb enough to pay a lot of money for figures. It's really not uncommon to see some of us pay nearly $100 - $300 for some of the more extravagant ones. Bare in mind these are statues: you can't pose them and they wear the same clothes forever. So from that perspective, the Chinese-style collector doll you showed seems reasonably priced and if the Day of the Dead themed one would easily go for the same price as a figure. By contrast, the normal rainbow high dolls seem like a bargain compared to the cheaper anime prize figures (aka a figure of less good quality, usually in a less interesting pose, typically sold for $25-$40). Likewise, the rainbow high dolls do seem to be marketed towards both adult collectors and tweens who have more financial independence than smaller kids. (This doesn't justify the $130 price tag of course, it just explains some of it.)
Coming from someone who collects IT dolls, I’d say rainbow High clothes are right up there with integrity. I personally think they could sell for more and 100% be worth it. Rainbow high is high quality, not just for playline, but in general. The RH dolls themselves aren’t as nice quality as IT or AG, but the clothes 100% are. Minus the Velcro. Some ppl are just super cheap and should consider collecting less expensive brands bc $35 for a rainbow high doll is totally understandable considering the quality. Ppl wanting rainbow high to be like $20 is so unrealistic, like stop! Go buy a cheap ass Barbie doll if you want to spend only $20.
You are so right. The knee high boots of some of my RH dolls feel exactly like my Nu face knee high boots, same faux leather fabric and all. I was really surprised by that.
Integrity dolls are so much better looking though.
@@iamsoverybored878 I totally agree!
@@iamsoverybored878 Well yeah but those are for grown adults so I’d hope so lol
Yea but for these collectors it's all about piece count. I guess a RH doll with 10 barbie fashionistas ruffle dress would be more worth it than a s4🙄.
I collect Bratz and the prices on even used Bratz are crazyyy!!!