You have a doll-related website/shop/blog and BlytheLife has your target audience!

BlytheLife.com is an active doll website with a high readership that primarily consists of women who are Blythe and other doll collectors/hobbyists. By advertising your doll-related site or business with BlytheLife, you can ensure that your ad is being seen by the people that are your potential customers. Every time someone visits BlytheLife, they’ll see your ad on the side!

Did you know? Sponsorship costs are purposely kept low to keep advertising accessible to people in the doll community.

There are three spots currently available for the month of December and all sponsorship funds go towards the costs of keeping BlytheLife.com live on the internet!

Large – 1 spot available for December! (325×200 pixels)

• $10 – 1 month
• $18 – 2 months
• $26 – 3 months

Small – 2 spots available for December! (160×160 pixels)

• $5 – 1 month
• $9 – 2 months
• $13 – 3 months

If you’d like more information on how you can advertise on BlytheLife, click here.

Since the addition of fakes in the Blythe market, I’ve been asked time and time again why I “bother” with buying legitimate Blythe dolls. Here are some of the arguments that I often get presented with that are pro-fakes:

• They are less expensive/more affordable. This is true – a decent fake can be had for as low as ~$40-50 USD while a legitimate Blythe doll may be as low as ~$100-125 USD.
• There is a wider variety in hair colours and colour combinations in fakes than legitimate Blythe dolls. Also true – rainbow scalps had become quite popular since they started to pop up!
• Most people don’t use stock clothing anyways, so why not buy a nude fake? Sometimes I feel that this is a poor argument, because I can be quite fond of a lot of stock clothing. I may be one of those rare collectors that will actually reuse the stock clothing and have my dolls dressed in them over and over again. I am a huge fan of separates and find that quite a bit of the stock clothes are good quality. (Stock underpants do not qualify.)

I started collecting Blythe in 2009. Back then there were no known fakes on the market. Fakes didn’t really start rearing their ugly heads in the community until early 2011. The problems that I had with the fakes is that they were made to look like legitimate Blythe dolls – down to the stock clothing and boxes. It’s a recipe for disaster, as I feel that I would be very disappointed if I had bought a doll thinking that it was legitimate (due to the fact that it came in a proper box and the clothing looked right) and would feel incredibly ripped off. The majority of my dolls have been NRFB when they arrived, I am a bit spoiled that way because I really enjoy the act of unboxing a Blythe doll. There’s something really exciting about taking out all the new bits and bobs of stock, to brush a doll’s hair for the first time, to set her up on a stand. I’ve bought a secondhand Blythe before, but it isn’t as exciting and I don’t get the same sense of anticipation when unboxing a secondhand doll as I do a NRFB doll.

For me, I am acutely aware that Blythe is an expensive hobby. I started collecting Blythe while I was in post-secondary and have continued with it despite having pressing necessities like tuition and textbooks. Now that I have a Real Grown-Up Job, I haven’t gone incredibly crazy with buying more Blythes yet. I think that some of the fake Blythes are cute (I find some of the colour combinations are quite… odd at times), but at this time none of them have enticed me to the point of buying one to add to my Blythe collection. At least not like stock dolls have, considering the majority of my collection is all stock. Part of this is also due the lack of space, I’ve gotten more selective with new additions as my collection has grown. Funds don’t factor into my decisions, for the most part, because I save if I’m wanting a more expensive doll – either a custom, a stock doll, or a Kenner. For me, at the present time, I find that it if is something worth having, it is worth it to me to save up for it.

Do you find buying real Blythes worth it? Share your thoughts below in the comments.

Often when I get a new doll I admire her in the box for a short while. Devi Delacour arrived on October 25th (technically the 24th, if the building buzzer actually worked properly…). Beautiful box, although I do miss the boxes that have the proper flaps/covers in the front. But this is Devi Delacour, and I’m quite excited because she’s my first translucent Blythe, and my first preorder (from an illustration). For those curious, because I think this is the first time that I’ve seen it, Takara Tomy includes this information sheet regarding returns:

Her box is beautiful, her stock is amazing. I just love how creative it is with all the components – the corset waist cincher, the bat wings, the pitch fork, and those strappy boots! She’s so pretty, I am over the moon with my decision to preorder/buy Devi Delacour.

Yes, new dolls these days are packaged with a lot of plastic wrap on the bodies. She comes with protective plastic over both arms, both legs (which goes underneath the underpants), and underneath the hair. Her hair was actually divided in half, curled and also in protective plastic as well! So much plastic, so bad for the environment!

My favourite details about this doll are the black glitter stand (and pullring), her deep blue eyelashes, and the winged eyeliner. These are my favourite of her all special eye chips, she also has light blue, a deep pink, and an olive green. My first translucent doll, and she’s so pretty! Readers, this is Maple Reed:

Do you photograph the unboxing process of a new doll?

Just some little bits of news today:

BlytheLife.com is now on Instagram! @blythelifecom – Follow and there is an upcoming giveaway that will take place both on the blog and on Instagram!

And I am looking for participants for the 2016 Holiday Shopping Guide! Don’t be shy if you’re an Etsy/Artfire/Big Cartel shop owner because it’s essentially free advertisement for you for the holiday season! First part will go up very soon, so get in touch with me soon – michelle@blythelife.com.

The Bun-in-a-Cup thinks everyone should get a doll for their birthday!

What a loaded question! There are so many variables, so here are some things to keep into consideration:

The age of the person. I think we’d all be hard pressed to gift a Blythe doll to a toddler, but it is certainly appropriate for a child (or someone who is a child at heart) who can appreciate Blythe and can take care of them well.

The level of interest in Blythe. The last thing that you want to do is gift an expensive doll to someone who has a passing fancy in Blythe. But if they’ve been collecting, it’s probably a good gift bet.

And if you’re gifting yourself a doll for your birthday… Well I just think that is the most appropriate birthday gift of all – as you know yourself best! As for me, I definitely think that Blythe is an appropriate birthday present for most any age! Devi Delacour is my self-given birthday gift – I certainly know how to spoil myself! (Unboxing photos and fresh-out-of-the-box photos very soon!)

Do you think that a Blythe doll is an appropriate birthday gift?

P.S. If you’re interested in participating in the 2016 BlytheLife Holiday Shopping Guide, check out this post for more information!