Takara Blythes are also referred to as Neo Blythes, and they are the full-sized Blythes. The molds that make up the Neo Blythes are: BL, EBL (Excellence), SBL (Superior), RBL (Radiance), FBL (Fairest), and RBL+ (Radiance Plus). Here is a group photo of a stock doll of each Takara mold type:

From left to right, there is: Mondrian (BL), Love Mission (EBL), Velvet Minuet (SBL), Monique Magnifique (RBL), Simply Sparkly Spark (FBL), and Hi-Ho! Marine (RBL+).

Some BLs, such as Mondrian, came “boggled”. None of the the eyelids show in some of the dolls.

Most EBLs came with thinner, wispy eyelashes. Both BL and EBL had the same shade of pink eye chips. They were changed for SBLs.

Velvet Minuet is one of the earlier SBLs, she had the natural downward gaze, “yellowed” eyeballs, and the upward smirk that some people didn’t like in the earlier SBL Blythe dolls.

For reference, here is the text that is present on the back of their heads. The copyright date refers to the year that the mold was created, not the year that the specific release was manufactured. Often times, people think that a doll sold in 2016 should read 2016 on the doll, which is not the case. The copyright date is for the copyright of the design of the base doll.

BL (Back of Head)
Blythe TM / © 2001 Hasbro, Inc. / © CWC

EBL (Back of Head)
Blythe TM / © 2001 Hasbro, Inc. / © CWC

SBL (Back of Head)
Blythe TM / © 2003 Hasbro, Inc. / © CWC / TAKARA / CHINA

RBL (Back of Head)
Blythe TM / © 2006 Hasbro, Inc. / © CWC / TOMY / CHINA

FBL (Back of Head)
Blythe TM / © 2008 Hasbro, Inc. / © 2008 CWC Ltd. / TOMY / MADE IN CHINA

RBL+ (Back of Head)
Blythe TM / © 2013 Hasbro / TOMY / CHINA

Hasbro is mentioned on the back of the dolls’ heads as they own the Blythe trademark/brand. Hasbro had bought the rights to Kenner trademarks. CWC pays to license the name, and thus Hasbro must be mentioned on the products.

It’s been a while since I’ve gushed about tiny shoes here on BlytheLife, so I wanted to draw some attention to these lovelies:

I picked these up at a local Blythe meet up when a friend was destashing shoes and they just called to me. They’re a nice camel colour (or beige, or tan, if you’d rather make them sound less sophisticated…), with a mold stitch and lace-up design. There’s even line details for where the heel meets the sole, along with a partial slit up the back of the boots to allow for ease of putting them on and taking them off. I really wish I could tell you where to buy these, because I wish I could get them in more colours. Alas, there are no markings on these boots, so my dreams of owning these in dark brown, black, and perhaps even a cream are gone.

Do you have tiny shoes in your collection that you’re unsure of the origins of as well? It’s an unfortunate thing to not know where to get more of the same design! I know I definitely have multiple pairs that I could not, for the life of me, tell you where they came from. On the other hand, if I did know where I could get more, this would probably be bad information for my wallet…

Tiny Shoe Love is a feature on BlytheLife.com to showcase and share doll shoes that grace Michelle’s picky dolls’ feet. We love tiny shoes in this house, and we hope you do too!

It’s no secret that collecting miniatures that Blythes can use is fun. It makes for more interesting photos, and collecting miniatures can develop a life of its own and turn into a complete separate hobby. Luckily, miniatures tend to take up less room than dolls themselves (unless, of course, you are furnishing a dollhouse in which case you’ll need plenty of room for a 1:6 scale doll house that can be occupied by the star of the show, Blythe).

What I really like about miniatures is when I own pieces in 1:1 scale and 1:6 scale, because it just tickles me that my dolls can have the same things that I do – just smaller.

My absolute favourite big-little set are my Fujifilm Instax Minis – both miniature (Instax Mini 25) and full-sized (Instax Mini 8). Different colours, yes, but still stinkin’ adorable.

What are some of your favourite miniatures? Do you have some matching big-little sets?

I find Kenners to be some of the most interesting Blythes in the hobby. Some Kenner Blythe facts for those who are relatively new to the hobby:

• 1972 was the year that they were produced
• Kenners were a marketing flop – they did not do well in sales
• All Kenners were produced with the same eye chip colours (pink, blue, orange green)
• Their bodies were mimicked with the “Excellent” body that all stock Blythes (aside from BLs, who have Licca bodies) have

These dolls have survived since the early 70s, making them all 44 years old. That’s a long time for a plastic child’s toy to survive. Many of these dolls have endured time as a child’s plaything, then being stuffed away in attics and in other places in less than ideal conditions. Each Kenner is amazingly different, despite their common and very similar beginnings in a toy factory. Each Kenner has their own quirks, and that makes them very unique. Some of them have seen trauma through their time – either from children or just the elements, while others have been lovingly cared for as a favourite childhood toy of the past.

All of my Kenners have their own quirks, but they’re all still beautiful to me. My favourite Kenner quirk is one of Prim’s. She has a far left eye lash for each eye that always gets stuck inside of her face plate because they’ve been bent, and if they’re out they stick out in a way that points away from the rest of the eyelashes. If it was one of my Neos, this would bug me, but for her it’s endearing – I could not tell you why.

Do you own any Kenner Blythes? What are some of their endearing quirks?

With the approaching sixth birthday of BlytheLife, I thought it would be fun to look back on the last six years worth of posts! I did this first back in 2014 when there were just four years worth of posts, it’s amazing the changes in the doll community since then!

Most Visited Interviews? My interviews with…

• Scrumptious Delight!
• GBaby!
• China-Lilly!
• Rosiee Gelutie!
• Blythetastic!

Most Visited Posts!

• A Beginner’s Guide to Blythe
• Review: HUSET by IKEA
• Doll Shopping in Hong Kong
• Review: HUSET by Ikea (Bedroom Set)
• DIY Customizing: Changing Pullstrings (Without Opening the Head)

Most Visited DIYs!

• Knitted Legwarmers
• Easy Blythe Tutu
• Knit Cowl
• Tiny Knitting Project
• Cable Knit Throw Pillow

What have been some of your favourite posts on BlytheLife over the last six years? Share below!