As a full-time student who’s been in post-secondary for what seems to be forever, my number one financial priority has been my education for the last five years, and it’ll be my number one financial priority for the next three. Tuition and assorted other ‘necessary’ student fees come before textbooks, but textbook money comes before Blythe (unfortunately). I thought I’d come up with a few of my tips as a student while in the woefully expensive world of Blythe.

Photo by sxc.hu user lusi.

If I cannot afford to pay for something outright, I don’t buy it.
Blythe is not worth carrying an outstanding balance on my credit card. Blythe is also not worth running my savings account low when I have other (slightly more important) things to pay for and fund. Now that I’ve said that, I have put a Blythe (or two, or three) on my credit card before, but I always make sure that I can 100% pay off my credit card bill and that I can afford to do that so I don’t incur any interest. 20% interest? No thanks!

If I don’t use it, need it or even remember that I had it – I can sell it or just part with it.
I will go through my dolls’ things periodically to see what I can part with. Sometimes I come up with a bunch of things that I haven’t seen (or remember I had!) for months. If that’s the case, and I no longer feel like I need to still own it, I’ll sell it. I sell things both on forums and also at local Blythe meets. I’ve also done trades to get things that I’d prefer to have and I’ve given away oodles of Barbie clothing for little kids who’ll appreciate them a lot.

If I want something, I’ll see if a trade is okay.
Bartering is a great tool to use in the Blythe world. Always be polite and ask if they’re willing to do an equal trade for something. Keep in mind that you will need to pay shipping, but it does work out cheaper than sending something to someone and then using that money to buy something else. It’s also faster, and no need for money to change hands.

Photo by sxc.hu user shadowkill.

If I wasn’t about to get it when it wasn’t marked down, I probably shouldn’t get it.
Sometimes you can find fantastic deals in the sundries section on Blythe Kingdom and This is Blythe. The most important thing to think about is if you really want it. If it’s a super cute top, and it’s mark down to $7 from $10, but I wouldn’t have gotten it at $10, do I really want it? The thing is, if I really wanted it, I probably would have jumped at the $10 price. Because it’s marked down to $7, am I now more attracted to the object because it’s lower in price or because I just really want it? It’s a good thing to keep in mind when shopping for non-Blythe items as well. That pair of jeans is super cute, but is it cute on you because it’s 50% off or because you genuinely like it for it?

If it takes time away from school, it’s a sign to stop.
I slow down on the amount of time I spend doing Blythe things when school rolls around. Blythe is always going to be there. Unfortunately, my courses aren’t going to slow down for me just because I decided to spend an evening looking at dolly photos instead of studying. A great way to keep on task is to allow yourself X number of minutes per day (or week) to do hobby things. If I study for 2 hours, I’ll give myself a 15 minute break for Flickr. It’s a lot cheaper to give up some dolly time than it is to repeat (and repay!) for a course.

What are some of your tips for staying on budget in the Blythe hobby?

I thought Middie was a bit odd when she was first announced. I mean, she had no eye mechanism (like the larger Blythe size, anyways)! No pull string, no four sets of eyes. For the most part, Petites were tolerated for not having those key features because her head was so tiny. But Middie? Why not have an eye mechanism? And a wheel? Ugh.

Of course, now I’m all “I really want to get a Middie! Melo looks so cute! I want a Middie! OMG, ALL THE MIDDIES ARE ADORABLE!” Yeah, I’m a convert within the Blythe community.

Since Middie’s debut in late 2010, they’ve been sporadic and mostly limited edition. This didn’t help with Middie’s popularity at all, nor did the fact that they are expensive for what they are. For the cost of a Middie, you could get a Simply Chocolate or Vanilla. For some of the more limited and sought after Middies, they cost more than many types of modern Blythes. But one thing that Blythe has always surpassed Middie in is the amount of shops and crafters that sell Blythe sized items.

I wanted to do a little showcase of some fantastic sellers who craft for Middie, the poor little middle child who’s been so restricted in terms of getting a decent wardrobe! So I selected out shops that carry hats, shirts, carry bags and dresses. Hopefully you’ll find something fun and cute for the Middie in your life!

Shameless Plug by nuwandalice

Super adorable crocheted hats for both Blythe and Middie. My favourite in her shop right now is this cute little piggy hat! My favourite part about the hat is the cut little ears. She also has a Middie-sized bear hat and a striped Middie hat in stock (as of writing).

The Helmet Factory by irulethegalaxy

This shop has both beaded helmets for Blythe and Middie! The neat thing is that the Middie-sized helmets fit Middie, Odeco and Moof – so if you’re a multi-doll collector, this could be great for your favourite dollies! My current favourite that it’s in stock has the neat ‘frosted’ rainbow beads!

ericaduh by ericaduh

Now that we have your Middie’s head covered, it’s time to look at the rest of her! ericaduh makes super adorable tops in various sizes. She crafts for Blythe as well as Middie and Odeco. Yes, if you see that she has Odeco tops in stock, those fit Middie as well!

SewPixie by SewPixie Designs

I love my Neo-sized carry bags by SewPixie, but did you know that she also makes Middie carry bags? She does! SewPixie also carries Petite bags and does custom orders. I love both the simplicity in the look of the carry bags and the elegance in the design. The carry bags keep your dolls protected in a lightly padded bag without too much added bulk.

StitchWhipped by SwitchWhipped

Adorable doesn’t begin to cover the cute little dresses over at StitchWhipped. Not only does the shop carry dresses for Blythe and Middie, but also Petite! There are both dresses and skirts in Middie sized, but I wanted to showcase that covers all of the doll and I think it’d go great with the piggy hat featured above! My favourite was a little piggy Middie dress.

Every month’s last Friday (almost every month…) is part of a feature on BlytheLife.com, Freebie Friday Five. Welcome everyone to this month’s instalment! I mention 5 things I love every month that’s free to do/read/see. It’s been renamed to Friday Five from Freebie Friday Five.

If you have any suggestions for next month’s Friday Five, please don’t hesitate to email me! Maybe you have a site you think that I should feature or a pattern that’s free and up on the web? Tell me!

For the month of July, I wanted to include blog posts that I loved reading and I think other people would enjoy them.

1. “Getting your doll out in public” from the blog My Plastic Fantasy – a great article about how to get out there and take photos of your doll in public, something that I still need work on.
2. A DIY tutorial on a Blythe Flower Crown from the blog Crafty Girl – a cute tutorial that shows you how to use ribbons and fake flowers to make a cute flower crown for your favourite dolly.
3. A post on a new project that’s being undertaken by a member of the Blythe community from the blog Doll House Studio.
4. Awesome tutorial on how to sew collars for Blythe dresses over at Oh Strumpets! Blythe too! that I highly recommend!
5. Over at 222am.org, there was a post about the restoration of a redheaded Kenner – and we all know how much I love a good restoration story!

If you know of a site, group or activity that you think I should highlight in next month’s Friday Five, let me know! Comment below or email me.

You will need:

• Yarn – worsted weight or thinner (sock yarn would look awesome too!)
• Knitting needles – size indicated on the ball band for your yarn
• Elastic – mine is 3mm wide and 6.5cm long
• Needle and thread (in a matching colour, if possible)
• Yarn needle/tapestry needle

Directions:

• Cast on 6 stitches
• Knit across the 6 stitches and then slide them to the other end of the needle
• Knit across the 6 stitches again and then slide them to the other end of the needle
• Repeat the last two steps until you have an i-cord that is approximately 20cm in length
• Bind off 6 stitches
• Sew the elastic to both ends of the i-cord (you can tuck the elastic in or sew it to the outside of your knitted cord)
  
• With the yarn needle, tuck the ends in
• Put the headband onto your doll

Change it up:

• Add buttons, badges/pins or flowers to the headband!
• Change the colour yarn you use to make it striped!
• Knit 2 i-cords and twist them together!

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?