I'm so tired of you Barbie.....

[firsttimemommy]

I don't want to offend any Barbie fans, and I will say that I grew up playing with them, but as a mom, I am SO tired of Barbie.

The clothes they make for Barbies are junk junk junk - even when we can find decent looking styles, they tear very easily and are hard to get on (so therefore she lies around mostly naked), she has WAY too many accessories that don't stay on (and how many sunglasses, purses, tiaras, gloves or pets do you need?) and frankly, all the Barbies look exactly alike! (and with their clothes off, they are identical :))

Sooooo, I am ready to stage a Barbie robbery and then after the discovery by DD of their disappearance, offer to replace them with more appropriate choices - but what would that be? Only Hearts? American Girls? I want DD to have dolls that she can dress up (that's the fun part!) and that LOOK her age (or at least childlike)..... but that don't look "babyish". I just want quality made dolls with quality made clothes and accessories.

Maybe I am overreacting, but I really feel the need to get rid of Barbie at our house!

(DD is 6.5 BTW)

[bubbaray]

If you find something, let me know. Because I see Barbie and the Disney Princesses (easier clothes to get on/off and less "busty") as lesser evils than Bratz

[Twoboos]

I am right there with you, we are overrun with Barbie and her Disney Princess counterparts. EVERY gift the girls want is "another Barbie." And her crap/accessories are everywhere and nowhere - so many pieces are lost immediately, even though there is one special box where her wardrobe is supposed to be...

Hijack but - DH and I get into arguments about this. He says of DDs want to buy another Barbie w/their own $$, then so be it. I say, let's limit these things!!! Don't know what the happy medium is.

[firsttimemommy]

I am right there with you, we are overrun with Barbie and her Disney Princess counterparts. EVERY gift the girls want is "another Barbie." And her crap/accessories are everywhere and nowhere - so many pieces are lost immediately, even though there is one special box where her wardrobe is supposed to be...

Hijack but - DH and I get into arguments about this. He says of DDs want to buy another Barbie w/their own $$, then so be it. I say, let's limit these things!!! Don't know what the happy medium is.

My DH thinks I overreact about pretty much everything, but he also doesn't think it's a big deal when I follow through with my little overreactions :P (i.e. staging the barbie robbery)

She has at least 15 barbies or barbie-like dolls (Disney princess, High School Musical dolls). I have always felt the same as Melissa as it was the lesser evil (we won't allow bratz either - the name alone is reason enough) but the more I step on random tiaras and see naked dolls laying on the floor, the more irritated I am becoming with Barbie and her mold-counterparts too! Like I said before QUALITY is a huge issue for me, but also SAMENESS. They all have the same face! Perky, pretty with long hair (DD has short curly hair that just. won't. grow. And guess what? She hates it b/c Barbie and the princesses look so different) And really, how many people actually look like Barbie anyway?

I am sure I am being harsh on the poor gal (Barb) but I really am just tired of her! I don't want to eliminate dolls though because DD truly loves playing with them.

[kayte]

There used to be Get Real Girls a few years ago, but I think a lawsuit with Barbie closed the company--perhaps they are available on eBay.

You mentioned the Only Hearts dolls which are a nice alternative.

My niece wants LIv Girls... I know nothing about them but here is their website

http://www.livworld.com/

Fisher Price makes My Loving Family-- which are posable and have houses, and accessories but permanent clothes.

Blythe dolls are big right now--lots of them on eBay. Their clothes seem nicely made. Plus there are LOTS of well made clothes on etsy.

Okay.. they are not cheap but Tonner Doll COmpany makes some nicely made dolls with more realistic shape.

I have seen the Nancy Drew ones and Marley in person. The clothes are better made than mine.

http://www.tonnerdoll.com/ndrew.htm

http://www.tonnerdoll.com/marley.htm

ETA-- My niece LOVES Faith and Friends dolls. (she will be 7 in December). They have GREAT clothes. Here is their website...

http://www.faithandfriends.com/

Around here, they are available at Mardel, which is a Christian bookstore.

[egoldber]

Too funny. My girls played outside all.day.long. today with the neighbor girl and her Barbies. It made me want to get Amy some Barbies for her birthday next month and both the girls some Barbies for Hanukkah. They had a terrific time.

I loved Barbies as a little girl. My neighbor and I were discussing how we played with our Barbie dolls until late elementary.

[ellies mom]

My niece wants LIv Girls... I know nothing about them but here is their website

http://www.livworld.com/



My oldest has a Liv Doll. I really like them. They aren't trampy like the Bratz dolls. They have wigs so if a budding hairstylist goes to town you can just get a new wig. The quality of the clothes seems pretty good too me but there is still a limited selection of clothes and accessories. The website is kind of WebKinz like. You enter in a code and you get access.

[firsttimemommy]

You mentioned the Only Hearts dolls which are a nice alternative.

My niece wants LIv Girls... I know nothing about them but here is their website

http://www.livworld.com/

Fisher Price makes My Loving Family-- which are posable and have houses, and accessories but permanent clothes.

Blythe dolls are big right now--lots of them on eBay. Their clothes seem nicely made. Plus there are LOTS of well made clothes on etsy.

Okay.. they are not cheap but Tonner Doll COmpany makes some nicely made dolls with more realistic shape.

I have seen the Nancy Drew ones and Marley in person. The clothes are better made than mine.

http://www.tonnerdoll.com/ndrew.htm

http://www.tonnerdoll.com/marley.htm

ETA-- My niece LOVES Faith and Friends dolls. (she will be 7 in December). They have GREAT clothes. Here is their website...

http://www.faithandfriends.com/

Around here, they are available at Mardel, which is a Christian bookstore.

Thanks for all the ideas!

We checked out all the links and googled Blythe dolls. The Blythe are expensive! DD didn't really like them (but I did!!! so cute). Liv dolls still seem to be a bit "older" than I was looking for, but cute. The Faith and Friends are my absolute FAVE. Soooo cute. I need to go check the Christian bookstores here to see if they carry them so I can see them IRL. Also still like the Only Hearts dolls. DD loved that they came with "little sisters". She also requested an American Girl "just like me" doll.

Thanks again!!!

[firsttimemommy]

Too funny. My girls played outside all.day.long. today with the neighbor girl and her Barbies. It made me want to get Amy some Barbies for her birthday next month and both the girls some Barbies for Hanukkah. They had a terrific time.

I loved Barbies as a little girl. My neighbor and I were discussing how we played with our Barbie dolls until late elementary.

Some of my fondest childhood "play" memories are with Barbie - I remember the Barbie airplane was my favorite!!!

I guess either the dolls/clothes have deteriorated or maybe it's just my new "mom" perspective but we're just not that into her anymore LOL.

Again, my *biggest* complaint is the ability to dress them - the clothes tearing, not fitting right, hard to get on, looking kind of trampy (hard to find a "set" that doesn't include something like that).

If we go through the with the Barbie-robbery, the "thief" will happily send you some!!! :) :)

[wendibird22]

I was never into Barbies as a kid. I think I owned maybe one real Barbie and one knock off my entire childhood. Instead I had a My Friend Mandy doll from Fisher Price and lots of clothes and accessories for her. It's too bad that they don't still make those. Very similar to the American Girl doll...larger size, but an older kid like features instead of a baby. My nieces, 8 and 5, love their American Girl dolls.

[Twoboos]

I should add, I don't mind the Barbies - it's the sheer number of them and the annoying clothes and tiny accessories. OP is right, the clothes fall apart very easily. And once you have 18 or maybe more.... well, enough is enough already!! It's Barbie Army! (or is that Armie?? :))

If you want to try american girl but don't want to pay the price, Target has some knockoffs, but I am blanking on the name right now. MIL has already gotten them for DDs for Christmas and plans to make the clothes and send them along in a trunk or suitcase or something (which DDs won't keep the clothes in, but keep trying MIL, LOL!).

[kayte]

It's Barbie Army! (or is that Armie?? :))



:hysterical:

[Naranjadia]

I was hoping Happy to Be Me dolls would still be around when I had kids. Alas, I think they're pretty much eBay only.

[egoldber]

The Target AG knock-offs are called My Generation or Our Generation.

Sarah has three AG 18" historical dolls (thank you, Grandma) and loves them. But the Barbie type dolls meet a different need, IMO. Kids like a doll they can easily hold and cart around, pull on their hair, etc and not have to worry about keeping them "nice". Also her accessories are small and inexpensive, whereas the 18" AG doll type accessories are LARGE and often not cheap.

My kids like dolls of all types though. ;) Amy also has a small Penelope Peapod size doll that she carries around and loves. I think she just really likes the smallness of it.

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

Barbie used to be such a nice girl, and then came Ken.... Her clothes are so risque and I am a total liberal chic! DD is 2 1/2 and so far we only have the holiday ones, as collectors items. They are better than Bratz, who I think is Barbie's cousin someone dropped off in the ghetto...

Target has the Manhattan Toys Groovy girls (I think), but they are material not rubber/plastic.

I found this link, but they are $$$$$! (http://www.tonnerdoll.com/marley.htm)

[kristac]

I have all boys so I'm probably not qualified to post to this thread but-
the Bratz replacements- Moxie Girlz don't look too offensive ??
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_sq_top?ie=UTF8&keywords=moxie%20girlz&index=blended&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00200B84A&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=03YWQA7Q383J6RM6N7JQ