I have a confession to make. I’ve only ever let one Blythe go from my house and sometimes I don’t think it really counts because she stayed in her box from the moment she arrived to the moment she left. ‘She’ being a NRFB Fancy Pansy. She arrived in October 2010 and I didn’t sell her until this year. Yes, she remained in her box in my house for over a year. But she arrived at a bad time (during midterms) and then after midterms it was papers and finals and I just kind of… tucked her away. She remained ‘tucked away’ (out of sight, out of mind) until I listed her up on Blythe Kingdom.

I think I have a bit of a problem with my dolls. It’s very difficult for me to part with them. I think the reason I was able to party with Fancy Pansy was because I hadn’t named her, dressed her, played with her, had her out with the rest of the dolls on my desk. If you point to any of my dolls right now, I have a very good reason for why she should be kept. Some people don’t have an emotional attachment (or as much as mine) to their dolls; others have dolls moving in and out so they see them more as visitors. I look and my dolls and I see the happy memories attached to them. I think it’ll have to be at the point when I stop seeing the happy memories that I’ll be able to let go of one of them.

How hard is it to for you to let go of a doll?

I’ve been asked on several occasions how might a Blythe collector be able to get their hands on a vintage Kenner at non-eBay buy it now prices, and it’s very difficult for me to give an actual answer to that. Kenners are a bit like a different animal when compared to Takara or ADG Blythes – it’s a lot easier to price a stock doll (or even a customized modern Blythe) than it is a Kenner at times.

Kenners are all different from each other. In box or out of box; original hair or cut hair; blonde, brunette, red or raven; side parts, centre parts, wispy or chunky bangs; are there cracks, and where are they?; holding clicks in the knees; limbs there or missing; blush or no blush; eyelashes present, missing or wonky. There are so many factors that can make or break the cost of a Kenner being ‘affordable’ to you. Affordability also means different things to different people. To some, it’s in the hundreds while others are willing to pay thousands for a super blushy, non-yellowed, NRFB with original plastic on the box.

I am, however, able to provide some minor tips that may help you find your very own Kenner at a hopefully decent price!

• Do your research! I would definitely recommend ‘watching’ auctions on eBay for Kenners of various types of conditions and see how much the bidding ends at. You’ll want to note down things like hair colour, cracks, any other damage, if any original clothing or accessories come with the doll. The least expensive Kenners will be those with matted/cut/missing hair, cracks, possibly missing or chewed limbs, no original clothing/accessories and possibly missing a pull string, has clouded chips and yellowing. Also watch for listings with poor, small or blurry photos, the Kenners tend to go for less in these auctions.

• Take advantage of forums like TIB and BK – post ‘looking for’ threads to see what pops up! When I did this, I had several people offer up Kenners that they were looking to sell. Also look at the selling boards regularly to see if anyone is trying to sell a Kenner. The great thing about buying from a collector is that they’re more likely to disclose flaws, take better photos and also know more of the history of the doll (any repairs, if the scalp is original). eBay sellers are less likely to know about potential flaws as they aren’t collectors/enthusiasts.

• Check out thrift stores and second hand stores! I’m sure we all still remember that blonde Kenner that was rescued from a thrift store a while back for a grand total of $1.99. Yes, thrift store Kenners do exist! All you need to do is actually look for them. This is more helpful, of course, if you live in a country where Kenners were originally sold.

• If you do happen to live in a country where Kenner originally carried Blythe, I also recommend checking out garage sales, online listings (eg. craigslist) and local flea markets. You never know if you might come up lucky or not! And it would be fantastic if there were more Kenners in the hands of collectors!

Good luck finding your inexpensive Kenner!

How much are you willing to spend on a Kenner?

I want to feature on as many shops online where Middie things can be bought!

Middie hasn’t been around for very long, and part of the reason that some people are reluctant to purchase a Middie is because there’s a lack of patterns, clothes, accessories, shoes, etc. out there for the medium-sized dolls. I think Middies are an adorable size – I had the (un?)fortunate experience of getting to see Middies in person and fell in love with their epic pocket-sized adorableness. I think I’d like to add a Middie to the doll family in the future, so my future feature on Middie shops is both for my benefit as it is for your benefit.

The deadline for including your shop with Middie-sized items will be July 13th! All you need to do is email me at michelle@blythelife.com with the name of your shop and the URL link to the store front. I will pick an item or two from your shop to feature in my future post on Middie shops!

Note: By contributing your shop to this Middle feature, you will be granting me permission to use 1-2 photos from your shop when I feature you in the post.

I’m a little particular about how I store my Blythes. This is probably a good thing, given how much that they cost.

My Takaras/Neos stay on their stands on my desk at the current moment. They’re generally always on their stand unless they’re sitting with me or being toted around in my purse. My Kenners are usually stored laying down so that they’re not touching each other. I think I’m more willing to let the Takaras hang out on their stands because they don’t have a history of cracking or falling apart where the legs go into their bodies. But Kenners on the other hand? They do.

I’m still really careful with my Kenners even after repairing a pelvis crack and swapping out bottoms for newer ones. I think it’s because they’re so expensive that I take extra care with them. They rarely leave the house unless it’s for a meet (Takaras are more likely to attend meets and also be carried around without a meet to go to). Is it weird that I treat my Kenners and Takaras differently? I hope not.

How do you store your Blythes?

Do you store your Kenners and Takaras/ADGs differently from each other? How about the stock vs. customized dolls?

Two years ago, I started this website and it has grown into so much more than I had ever dreamed or expected. Writing for BlytheLife has taught me a lot about the doll community and myself. You’ve all shared in the growth of my doll family (thanks to a few Kenners!) and explored with me the ever changing world of Blythe. I’ve crafted more over the past year than I ever did before. I have interviewed so many wonderful people since I started this blog, it’s been amazing.

Here is BlytheLife, by the numbers:

• 2 years
• 25 giveaways
• 25 interviews
• 337 posts
• 1689 comments
• 150,000+ hits in May 2012!

Thank you so much to everyone for their support of BlytheLife.com since I started this blog.

If you are looking or a way to give back, I am looking for people who would be willing to do regular (or semi-regular, or even one-off) posts. If you are interested, please get in contact with me via michelle@blythelife.com or check out the How to Contribute page for more details.

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If you know anyone that you think would be interested in getting interviewed for BlytheLife.com, please send me an email (michelle@blythelife.com) or refer them to the How to Get Featured page! I’m always looking forward to doing more interviews and showcasing more talent in this great dolly community!