Polly Pocket, Then and Now

I've talked about Polly Pocket dolls several times over the years.  The first time was back in 2015, when I reviewed  3.75 inch dolls from 2011 and 2012, and compared them to a Polly Pocket-themed Kinder Surprise egg that my husband generously bought for me.  More recently, I looked at the bizarrely entertaining Pop 'n Swap Pollys from 2008.  My advent calendar feature last December also included a 2024 Polly Pocket set with the smaller 1.25 inch Polly dolls.  Oh--and speaking of advent calendars, I have plans to do another advent mini series this December, but it'll be shorter and more focused than last time.

Anyway, the Polly Pocket advent calendar from last year got me thinking about the original Polly Pocket dolls--you know, the tiny little two centimeter ones that come in compact cases.  I never had any of those sets when I was a kid, and didn't purchase any as an adult collector, either, until just recently.  Today I'm going to be looking at a few sets from the late 80s and early 90s, and comparing them to similar toys from the last few years.  Because Polly Pocket is such a distinct and beloved brand, this review feels long overdue...and it's pretty long, too.  So grab a snack or a drink and settle in.

Various Polly Pocket toys, current and vintage.

Woof & Co. by Sunny Days Entertainment

I feel like I should call the last month or two of my life the Walmart Phase, because a lot of the things that I'm excited about lately are from Walmart.  And I don't shop at Walmart very often.  It all goes back to that tip about the LUV dolls being on sale for $7.50 (which they still are, btw).  While I was investigating that deal, I found about six other doll lines that were either on an irresistible clearance sale or were simply too appealing to ignore.  I really didn't need any fresh ideas for reviews, since I have enough dolls in my basement to last the rest of my life, but this is a good time of year to investigate some affordable dolls and toys that might be appealing to kids.  The Hey Besties that I just talked about would make wonderful holiday gifts, and I think the dolls in today's review would, too.

I hesitate to call the critters in today's review dolls, though.  That hesitation prompted me to look up the official definition of a doll, which is something you'd think I'd have done by now.  According to Merriam-Webster, a doll is "a small-scale figure of a human being used especially as a child's plaything."  So, yeah.  These aren't really dolls, because they're definitely not figures of human beings.  They're dogs:

Woof & Co. Finley, by Sunny Days Entertainment ($29.98).

Happy Halloween!

Damien by Living Dead Dolls.

Miniverse Make It Mini Baby Food Sets by MGA Entertainment

Thank you so much for the wonderfully kind comments about my old dog, Geordi.  We miss him, but he left the world peacefully, snuggled up on the couch in his own floofy blanket, with lots of kisses and treats.  And my other old dog, Kit, is doing really well.  He's back to running around like a puppy and harassing me for pieces of my dried mango.  So life has stabilized, and I'm happy to be back in New Jersey playing with dolls.  Today's dolls are surprise toys, so I guess this is a Sunday Surprise post, but the title was already too long to add those words.

I didn't really plan for this review, but when I saw the new Make It Mini Baby Food sets, with their tiny silicone babies, I had to act.  I recently reviewed Zuru's crazy-popular My Mini Baby dolls, and also the strange silicone Star Babies.  So I've been on a bit of a silicone baby kick.  And when I realized that MGA had thrown their hat into this ring, I figured I should see how their version of a surprise ball mini baby measures up:

Silicone baby from a Make It Mini Baby Food set, by MGA Entertainment ($10.99).

Hey Bestie Dolls by Battat

I had a fourth Wednesday Addams doll review in the works, but about halfway through photographing that doll, my enthusiasm level dropped and I got distracted by something else.  I think it's mostly because the second season of the Wednesday television show isn't as good as the first, so I kinda lost my inspiration.  I might come back and finish that review at some point, because the doll is cute, but I needed a break.

What distracted me is a collection of 5-inch dolls called Hey Bestie, sold exclusively at Walmart.  I stumbled upon them while investigating an anonymous tip that the LUV girls are on sale at Walmart for $7.50.  That's a very good deal (and is still available as I write this).

The Hey Bestie dolls are also a good deal.  Most of the characters come in pairs of two, and average about $7 each.  They're made by Battat, the Canadian company responsible for the lovely 18-inch Our Generation dolls.  I tend to like Battat's products (and their packaging) so I was excited to see another doll line from this company.  As you'll see by the end of the review, I managed to buy almost every single Hey Bestie set that's being offered right now, but the first doll that caught my attention, predictably, was this green-eyed redhead named Millie:

Hey Besties Millie by Battat ($14.97).

Wednesday Addams, Part Three: Monster High (and Knockoffs)

I've been eagerly waiting to do this installment of the Wednesday Addams doll series, mostly because it's been a while since I looked at a new Monster High doll.  I think my last Monster High review was Skelita Calaveras back in 2023.  Can that be right?  I think it's right.

That doesn't mean I haven't bought a few Monster High dolls in the last two years, though.  Believe me--I have.  I've been captivated by pretty much everything in the Skullector series.  But for some reason there hasn't been occasion to review any of those creatures.  Also, I have issues with how Mattel is marketing their Skullector (and Barbie Signature) dolls these days.  But we can talk about that later.

For now, I'll just say how delighted I am that Mattel contributed to the Wednesday doll deluge.  Monster High is an excellent brand to represent this trendy character.  Today I'll be looking at two Monster High Wednesday Addams dolls, and also a few knockoffs that are trying to ride their coattails.

Wednesday Addams by Monster High, $40.

Wednesday Addams, Part Two: Ellowyne Wilde by Robert Tonner

I'm back with the second review in my series of Wednesday Addams doll explorations!  In the first installment I looked at two Living Dead Doll interpretations of Wednesday, and today I'll showcase Robert Tonner's Ellowyne Wilde version of the character.

Ellowyne Wilde is an interesting vehicle for Wednesday, since the two girls have some overlapping personality traits.  Both wear a lot of dark clothing and have dark outlooks on life.  Ellowyne is melancholy and overly-sensitive, though, while Wednesday is cunning, morbid, and emotionally stilted.  

Let's see how Wednesday's aesthetic crosses over into Ellowyne's world: 

Any Wednesday Ellowyne Wilde doll by Robert Tonner ($235).