Retail stores have already started to roll out Christmas decorations and it reminds me that some people do start their Christmas shopping early. Unlike me, as I tend to leave it until the week or two before Christmas and end up having to brave busy malls because there is no way that I can have things shipped to me in time and this results in me complaining about crowded malls and the impossibility of finding what I need during the holiday season. But I digress. Some people are much more savvy shoppers than I am and begin early. I could only wish that I had the forethought to remember about Christmas before November and actually do some holiday shopping.

As the holiday season is approaching, I do sometimes get emails from people wanting to buy Blythes for their loved ones. Either for their child or for a spouse/significant other or, very generously, to a friend. And if you’re giving Blythes for Christmas, I would love to be your friend as well! I usually get about 3-5 emails every year about this time where someone’s wondering where they can go to buy a Blythe. And if they’ve heard about Blythe before, they ask where they can go to make sure that they’re buying a legitimate Blythe.

Some great holiday ideas for the Blythe lover in your life could include:

• Doll books! Some titles by Gina Garen include This is Blythe and Blythe Style.
• Pattern books for the sewers/crafters in your life – I would recommend the Doll Coordinate Recipe books that are geared towards new/beginning sewers. They don’t have a volume/issue number attached to them and they are very straight forward with step-by-step photographs
• Fabrics with tiny prints can be a great size for doll clothes or, even better,
• Doll clothes from Etsy or Artfire – just search “Blythe” with dress, outfit, shirt, pants, shorts, skirt and you will come up with a lot of listings in many types of styles

If you are set on buying a doll though, and don’t want to run the risk of getting a “factory” or “fake” doll, here are some suggested websites to try:

• Junie Moon – they are an official retailer and “the” retailer for Blythe, they primarily carry newer releases and also carry other Blythe/doll-related accessories
• CC Toys – they have some older releases as well as newer releases, but prices on some dolls may run higher than you would find on eBay
• Dolly Adoption – a Facebook group, members are required to follow rules that include listing if the doll is a factory or fake

Some commonly faked dolls include: Simply Mango, Simply Guava, Urban Cowgirl, Last Kiss, Ultimate Tour, Ten Happy Memories (anniversary doll) and, unfortunately, most of the translucent/semi-translucent dolls (e.g. Miss Sally Rice, Penny Precious). Many of the fake dolls come in a stock box and clothing or nude/without clothing. If you are not sure about a doll’s origins or suspect that it may be a factory/fake doll, I would recommend asking someone who’s opinion you can trust regarding the legitimacy of the doll, or to post in a Blythe Facebook group to ask for opinions.

I think that dolls make great holiday gifts and whomever you’re buying a doll or doll things for is a very lucky person. Happy shopping this (early) holiday season!