Dolls: Either You Love Them Or Hate Them

Showcasing the extremely lovely to extremely spooky dolls

By Diana Nadim
Dolls: Either You Love Them Or Hate Them

How Dolls Came About

Every child loves to recreate moments with a companion. A doll is a play toy for little girls in the form of a human figure. However, it’s not a surprise to get an adult with a favorite doll! Do you own one? What’s your child’s favorite toy? Well, welcome to the world of dolls!

For more on this, keep reading as this exciting piece has all the answers you need. First, a look at how these play toys came about! 

Dolls have stayed with us for thousands of years. They had different purposes back then. Their use included - From protection to magic, from religious to entertainment. Early documentation goes back to the ancient civilizations of Rome, Greece, and Egypt.

Here is where traditional dolls came from clay, rags, and wood. To date, countries like Africa, America, Europe, and Asia still have them. The oldest is the wooden paddle type. The doll discovery was in ancient Egypt tombs dated from 2000 BC. Their initial purpose of being in the graves is vague!

Germany started to manufacture modern dolls from the 15th century. With the new materials and industrialization, it produced plastic and porcelain dolls in plenty. By their 20th century, toys were now famous.

Some famous dolls in previous markets included Inuit, apple, corn husk, and matryoshka. Other examples were clay, peg wooden, paper, stuffed, and black. Fashion, action figures, and bobbleheads were also on the list. 

4 Current Lovely Dolls In Rage

Today, there’re lots of lovely dolls on the market. Every company wants to outshine the other using modern unique marketing strategies. However, a small fraction remains at the top! Here are a few examples of current lovely dolls in rage.

1. LOL Dolls

Source: Best Buy

These are a new phenomenon sweeping the world! Every household with a child wants to own one. So, what are LOL dolls?

L.O.L stands for Lil Outrageous Littles! The LOL dolls are collectible mini baby dolls with lots of fun surprises and attitude to learning. The toys were invention MGA Entertainment. Have they ever heard of the over-sexualized plastic Bratz Dolls?

Yes, they made headlines in the early 2000s. This is the same company as the LOL dolls. Here is why kids are a fan of play toy.

They arrive in an egg wrapped in plastic layers. These are stickers, a bottle, an outfit, a secret message, shoes, fashion accessories, and a doll. Guess what magic the doll can do?  

Yes, magic! These dolls come with different surprises; for instance, they can cry, pee, spit, or even change color. You must wonder how big they’re? The standard size for most of them is three inches. Each layer has surprises inside.

In the competition world, the Bratz doll series is giving Barbie dolls a serious run for their money. With sales figures shooting for them in 2004, MGA Entertainment was the company to watch in the toy market! In other words, it’s never too late to gift your little princess a LOL doll TODAY!

2. Disney Frozen Dolls

Source: Target

The word `Disney’ is not strange to most people. The six-letter name has taken the world by storm. Every baby or child reacts by the mention of this fantastic fan site. A frozen toy will turn your baby’s playroom into a real-life adventure.

This beautiful companion brings the magical world of Disney to a child. So, how do Disney Frozen Dolls look?

The main character of Disney Frozen Dolls is Elsa. She has a blue outfit that matches her long blonde hair. It’s a suitable toy for a three-year-old child. Other characters in the collection are Kristoff, Anna, Olaf, and Sven, who’re kids’ favorite. 

3. Longtime Winner... Barbie

Source: Target

Everyone wants to keep up with fashion, so do dolls! Barbie is one little fashion doll designed by an American toy company called Mattel, Inc. The first doll launched in March 1959 by Ruth Handler, an American businessperson. It would interest you to know that her first Barbie creation Bild Lilli, a German doll.

Keep reading to find out why Barbie is popular.

It’s no secret that for many kids and their parents, it was love at first! It’s on record that the company has sold more than a billion dolls to date. With few or zero reject or return cases. Ruth’s intervention has made it the most ever successful toy to hit the industry.

Source: Amazon

What’s unique about Barbie?

It’s interesting to learn that Barbie has the characteristics of an independent female. She has a whole host of clothes and accessories. Barbie keeps scaling up her lifestyle. Life well-heeled friends can relate.

In previous years, this fashion toy stood for the traditional female figure. Many teenagers copied her thick eyelashes, spike heels, and hairstyle she wore. But in her current state, her inventor is presenting matchless dolls. How?

The dolls allow children to discover the gender appearance of the toy themselves. One good example is the newly launched ‘Gender-Neutral Dolls.’ 

Guess what? Barbie has not remained your little toy with one product but expanded into animated films, video games, music, and TV specials. Every media franchise wants a piece of her! Above all, branded books and cosmetics are now available. 

If you wish to purchase one from Amazon, let this current price list guide you on a few offers. Barbie Special Edition Valentine goes for $27.99, Happy Holidays Barbie AA Doll is $78.99, Barbie Fashion Party Doll and Accessories is $34, and many more.

Meanwhile, for Barbie to maintain a top fashionista, she must continue to reveal a new line every year. So stay tuned for the next release!

Now, this should be scary. Have you ever heard of `hunted dolls’? Yes, you heard it right! Haunted! The following section might interest you, so don’t click away!

The Flip Side: 3 Extremely Spooky Dolls You Shouldn’t Be Going Near

Imagine your sweet lovely dolls move at night with their scary eyes wide open! What would be your next move? Of course, they’re extremely spooky dolls; you shouldn’t be going near!

This is a manufactured or handmade play doll or a stuffed toy in an animal shape. There’re possessed or cursed toys, though not common in some countries. Although stories of such dolls have a long history, some of them have appeared in popular culture a few years back.

Here are a few haunted dolls famous for bringing misfortunes, disturbing dreams, and scurrying through homes.  

1. Robert the Doll

Source: Pinterest

In Child’s Play series, Robert was a motivation for the terrifying Chucky doll. So, why the name? The report shows a German company by the name Steiff made it.

Different myths are out on who owned it. One story says Robert ‘Gene’ Eugene’s grandfather gave him as a birthday present in 1904 while a child. Another myth says something else. Robert was a gift in the form of revenge for a family by a malicious voodoo-practicing house help.

A sailor suit that maybe was his childhood outfit makes it easy to identify. He’s blamed for various bad happenings like broken bones, car accidents, and financial collapse. The doll now lives in a museum where brave travelers can visit him in Key West.

2. Annabelle

Source: Nerd Toys UK

Another spooky and famous play toy is Annabelle, a Raggedy Ann doll. She is an excellent inspiration for a sequel and movie. Her ownership story does not differ from Robert’s. Donna’s mother gave her the toy in 1970 when she was a young student practicing nursing.

Annabelle started moving around in her absence. You know what? Things started getting scarier because Donna found notes asking for help left by the doll. Attacks followed later where her roommate’s boyfriend was the victim! Warrens, the paranormal investigators rescued Donna.   

Her final storage is in a particular glass case in the Warren's Museum in Monroe, Connecticut. Here is where famous paranormal investigators, Warrens have their collections. A written warning on her glass reads ‘Positively Do Not Open.’ 

Interesting Fact: While Annabelle is portrayed spooky and sinister in the movies, her actual look is much more innocent. 

Source: radiotimes.com

3. Mandy the Haunted Doll

Source: Pinterest

Mandy is not your ordinary playmate! Even in her last ownership, she has to stay in a separate display glass. At the Quesnel Museum, Canada staff gets other dolls knocked over if in a shared display.

Her other mischief behaviors include taking their lunches, failing visitor’s cameras when taking her photos. Manufacturing the porcelain baby doll was in 1910, Europe. The rest of her origins are unknown.

The list is endless, but that’s it for now.

Summary

The society has a penchant for dolls. It can range from adorable dolls for kids to love and cuddle or spooky dolls that paranormal fans love to read and even attempt to experience!

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