Thursday, April 17, 2014

Anna and Elsa Knockoff Dolls From China

I have to admit that I am still obsessed with the global Frozen doll shortage, and I spend a certain amount of time every week checking the Disney Store inventory and browsing secondary market sales online.  EBay prices on these dolls have come down a little bit since my last Frozen doll review, but it can still cost $40 for the Disney Store Classic Elsa doll, and closer to $70 for an Anna and Elsa pair.  

While I was browsing eBay a few weeks ago, I noticed a two-doll set of Anna and Elsa selling for $18 with free shipping.  This is actually lower than the original Disney Store retail price for this sister set.  On closer inspection of the dolls, however, I realized that they are not authentic Disney Store dolls, but rather knockoffs selling directly from China.  They did look like reasonable imitations, though, complete with a high level of articulation.  Because I am inexplicably fascinated by cheap knockoffs, and because I noticed that a lot of people seem to be purchasing and bidding on these dolls, I figured it might be a good idea to do a quick review.

Counterfeit Elsa and Anna dolls from China.
I got what I paid for with the free shipping in this auction, because these dolls arrived from China in nothing but a plastic envelope, and the box was completely crushed and mangled:


The box is a copy of a regular Disney Store doll box.  Since I don't have the Disney Store version of this particular set, I will show you a comparison to the Classic Elsa doll's box:


Elsa's box has the Disney Store logo in the upper right hand corner:


The dolls from China have a familiar-looking purple oval with a different name inside of it.  I am not exactly sure what it says, though:

Dongs?
On the bottom front of Elsa's box there's a decorated label that says, "From the movie Disney Frozen."


 The knockoff box has a similarly-decorated area that says only, "from the movie Frozen."

Featuring the hit song, Do You Wanna Have a Lawsuit?
The back of the Disney Store Elsa's box has portrait cartoons of Anna and Elsa:


The back of the imitation box has portraits of the two Disney Store dolls:


On the bottom of the back side of the Disney box, there's a small area for warnings:

Choking hazard.  Small parts.
The translation to English on the knockoff box is actually quite good--except for maybe that last sentence:

Hey kids, have your parents remove the staplers before you play with them!
A few hours after this box arrived in the mail, I found my smallest dog, Monkeypants, chewing on one of Anna's hands.  I guess it fell off the doll and then slipped out of one of the crushed areas of the box.  I really hope it's not toxic.

Looks like kibble.
The dolls had mostly come loose from their wire restraints by the time I opened the box.  I only had to cut the plastic ties in Anna's head and loosen the wire that was holding her feet.

The backdrop of the box is made out of thin cardboard and has a blurry picture of Arendelle:


One of the things that impressed me about this set from what I could see in the auction photos was Elsa's fancy, glitter-decorated train.  Both my J.C. Penney Elsa doll and my Disney Store Singing Elsa have very plain trains, and so I was excited to get a more elaborate version of the famous ice dress.  

Unfortunately, while the train is nicely decorated, the dress as a whole is pretty bad.


The first strange thing I noticed about Elsa's outfit was her shoes.  They're bright green and have nothing in common with the rest of her outfit.  They also don't fit her very well--you'll notice that her toes don't make it all of the way down to the ends of the shoes:

A new import from Weselton?

These are copies of Barbie Fashionista shoes.  I don't have any doll shoes exactly like these to show you, but I know I've seen them before.  They're made out of a shiny soft plastic and feel a little sticky.

I guess neon green is the new blue.
Elsa's braid was tied to her neck with a clear rubber band:


She has a very nicely painted face and smooth, shiny hair:


The dress is a bit of a disaster.  It has many of the right components--a silky skirt (no slit, though), a glittery tulle train, and a princess-seamed bodice, but the construction is terrible.


The bodice, in particular, looks hastily made and very sloppy.  The two front seams are uneven and don't define the shape of the doll's chest at all.  It's more like a princess-seamed sack:


The neckline has an exposed raw edge that sticks up with a crooked row of stitching underneath.  The back of the dress closes with a strip of unattractive, stiff dark velcro that sticks out around the edges of the dress.

The train is attached to the dress under the doll's arms, and again, it is simply sewn on with a single row of stitches that leave the raw edge sticking up:


The dress doesn't fit very well and so the neckline gapes open:


Here is the new Elsa next to my J.C. Penney Elsa and my Musical Magic Elsa by Mattel.  I think even Musical Magic Elsa's collared half-dress is better than the knockoff dress:

JC Penney Elsa, knockoff Elsa, Mattel Elsa.
I will only compare this new Elsa doll to my J.C. Penney doll since the Mattel doll is quite different.

Standing next to the lovely J.C. Penney doll, the knockoff Elsa's dress looks even frumpier:


The contrast between the two bodices is striking.  I just watched the movie (again) and was reminded of how super-slinky and dramatic this dress is supposed to be.  Looking at this knockoff doll, I get an image of the ice castle scene, but with Elsa singing her heart out while shuffling around in a stiff sack dress.  It kind of ruins the moment.


The J.C. Penney Elsa doll has the same face as the Disney Store's Classic Elsa doll, and the knockoff doll seems to have basically this same face:


*For all of these comparison pictures, the J.C. Penney doll will be on the left and the knockoff doll on the right.

The head molds are not exactly the same.  There are tiny differences in the length of the face, the bulge of the eyes, and the shape of the forehead.  The knockoff Elsa has a flatter forehead, a longer mouth area, and flat eyes:


The eye paint is copied pretty accurately in the knockoff doll, but there isn't as much shine in the eyes and the purple eyeshadow does not have a pearlescent shimmer:


The dolls have the same smile, but slightly different shades of lip color.  They also both have blue glitter all over their faces:


I didn't notice this until I was looking at close-up pictures, but the knockoff Elsa has a funny texture in the vinyl of her head.  If you look closely, you can see tiny clear dots all over her face.  I changed the contrast in this next picture to make it even more obvious.  I have no idea what this doll is made out of, but frankly it scares me a little:

Those are not freckles.
Next, here is the knockoff Anna doll right out of the box:


She is wearing a one-piece dress, and a pink hat and cape.


The hat is plastic tied into the doll's head, but it also has a gold elastic band that fits under her chin.  The cape closes in front with a small square of white velcro.  The construction of the hat and cape is simple, and many of the edges are unfinished, but the hat does have a small folded brim and the cape has a shorter shawl section and an upright collar:


Anna's dress fits her better than Elsa's dress, but it still has some big problem areas.


The bodice's princess seams actually improve the fit of the dress in this case, and the black shiny fabric is decorated with some nice green scrolls:


I think maybe the bodice was supposed to intersect with the skirt in a midline point, but my doll's dress has the blunted point sticking off to one side, making the whole waistline look crooked.  The blue skirt is gathered at the waist and the pleats are unevenly spaced, adding to the overall confusion in this area.


Anna is wearing black plastic boots that don't fit all of the way onto her feet.  Her heels are sticking up at the bottom of the slit in back, which makes it impossible for her to stand up straight, and also keeps the back seam of the boots gaping open:

I wonder if Wandering Oaken's accepts returns?

The boots have molded scrolls decorating them, but the scrolls are not painted.  The boots have rough seams on the bottom that make them unable to stand upright without support. 


Here is the knockoff Anna with my Mattel Anna and my Disney Store Classic Anna:

Mattel Anna, knockoff Anna, Disney Store Anna.
I almost don't want to admit this, but of the three dolls, I actually like the knockoff Anna's face paint the best.


Once again, I will only compare the imitation Anna to my Disney Store doll, since these two have the most in common.  The Disney Store Anna came with mittens, too, but they're not shown here.

Disney Store Anna, knockoff Anna.
The two capes and hats are constructed in almost the same way, but the Disney doll's garments are made out of thicker, nicer fabrics and have better details.  For example, Disney Anna has a purple fur brim on her hat and her cape closes in front with a hook and eye rather than velcro.  This is a functionally relevant detail because the velcro on the knockoff doll's cape was constantly getting stuck in her hair and messing it up.  The hook closure is much, much nicer and easier to use.

Disney Anna's cape is also more velvety in texture and richer in color.

The dresses are not as similar as the capes, but it's clear that my eBay doll's dress was copied directly from the Disney Store doll:

Disney Store Anna, knockoff Anna.
The Disney Store Anna has a silky blue collared blouse underneath her black vest, although this shirt is attached to the vest and is not complete--it stops about half way down her chest. The vest has a scalloped neckline and colorful decorations.  

The knockoff doll only has sleeves in the light blue color.  The black bodice of her dress has a plain crew-style neckline with the scalloped pattern of the Disney dress reflected in a faint glitter outline.


The print at the bottom of the two dresses is the same except for minor differences in color and size:


The boots are exactly the same shape, but the Disney Store boots have gold painted decorations and painted heels.  Neither of these boots fit well on either of the dolls.  I have yet to be able to get either dolls' feet completely shoved into a boot.



As with the Elsa dolls, these two have almost identical head molds and very similar face paint.  The knockoff doll's head is made out of a much yellower vinyl that I don't find very natural or attractive.


Here I folded the Disney Store doll's collared shirt down so that her neck is visible:


The knockoff doll has a slightly smaller mouth and chin region, flat eyes and a flatter forehead.  The imitation doll also has pierced ears, although I can't remember if Anna ever wears earrings in the movie. I'd better watch it again.


All of the same colors are used in the face paint, but the eBay doll has a slightly brighter palette.  Her irises are a lighter teal with chartreuse details.


The mouths are very similar, but it seems to me that the Disney Store doll has a more lopsided grin.  As I mentioned, I think I prefer the overall look of the knockoff doll's face, but I do like the Disney Store Anna's mouth the best.



I was very happy to take the low quality clothes off of these dolls so that I could examine their body styles.  I assumed that they would have some kind of generic articulated body or a copy of the Disney Store doll body.  This is what I found on the Elsa doll:


She seems to have a hard plastic Barbie Fashionista body, complete with its twelve points of articulation:

Barbie Midge (she has a Fashionista body), knockoff Elsa.
The torso joint was a surprise, but not necessarily a good one.  I can't see what kind of attachment this joint has, but it's very loose and wobbly.  It's hard to get the doll to stand up straight.


There's a funny mark on Elsa's lower back, just below the torso joint:


The hands are made out of a slightly different material.  They are shiny and bendable and very poorly molded.  These are not Barbie hands, from what I can tell, but probably Disney Store doll hands:


Here's a Disney Store hand for comparison:


Unlike the Disney Store doll hands, though, this Elsa's hands do not bend at the wrist.

Elsa's legs are not Barbie legs.  She has non-rotating hinge joints at her knees, and her lower legs are larger than a Barbie doll's legs:

Her lower legs look like boots.

At first I assumed that these legs were copied from the Disney Store dolls that have hinged knees, but the shape of the legs is very different:

Disney doll hinged knee (L), knockoff Elsa's knee (R).
Elsa's hips are attached with what look like small bands of soft vinyl.  The joints are quite weak and the doll cannot hold poses well.  She collapses in the hips very easily.


So, Elsa's body is a strange Barbie and Disney Store chimera, with hinged legs added in from a source that I cannot identify.

Barbie Midge, knockoff Elsa, Disney Store Anna.
The biggest surprise with this set was that Anna does not have the same body as Elsa.  She also has a Barbie Fashionista torso and arms, but the similarities with Barbie don't stop there:



These two also have the same hand mold, but Barbie's wrist joint is much thicker and stronger.

Barbie hand, Anna's hand.
Anna's wrist joint is very thin and seems fragile.  The hands also fall out easily...much to my little dog's delight.


Anna's torso is not as loose as Elsa's and actually holds its position pretty well.  She does not have any markings on her back.


Knockoff Anna has rotating hinged knee joints that are very different from the clunkier hinges on the Elsa doll.



These legs are almost exactly the same as Barbie Fashionista legs, but the lower leg pieces on the knockoff doll are made out of a solid, bendable material and they don't match the color of the upper legs:

Knockoff Anna's legs.
Anna's hip joints have a hard plastic t-shaped connector, not the wobbly vinyl bands that the Elsa doll has.  These hips hold positions better.


Here are the Anna and Elsa dolls together:


With their different hands:


And different legs:


They both pose pretty well, but Elsa's loose joints and unbendable wrists make her the inferior doll:









These dolls are not as fun to pose as they should be.  Elsa was especially frustrating to handle.


I wrestled both dolls back into their clothes for a few more pictures.  The frayed edges of the cheap fabrics made re-dressing difficult--particularly on Elsa, whose hands can't be removed.


Once they were dressed, I took both dolls' hair down to get a quick peek at the rooting pattern.  Elsa's hair is scraggly and thin, but has a fairly nice texture.  It is shiny, smooth and easy to brush.    



However, the rooting on this doll was a huge disappointment.  As nice as she looks from the front, she has no hair whatsoever on the back of her head:

Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know!

Well...now they know.
This rooting pattern (if you want to call it that) makes it tricky to re-braid the hair without leaving large gaps of scalp exposed:


Anna's hair texture is worse.  It is coarser and doesn't feel as nice.  It also shed quite a lot when I tried to brush it out.  However, at least she has a back part that gives her a bit more rooted hair:


There are still big areas on her head that are completely bare:


I finally got both dolls' hair back into decent braids and was able to take a few more pictures of them:






Bottom line?  Since the Disney Store can't seem to re-stock their dolls at the moment, part of me feels glad that at least someone is stepping up to offer an affordable solution.  However, these feelings are overwhelmed by how dishonorable I think it is to copy other doll lines this blatantly.  Both dolls have head molds that are virtually identical to the Disney Store doll heads, and both have bodies copied to varying degrees from articulated Barbie dolls.  

Although the shapes of these dolls' bodies are almost exactly the same as a Barbie body, critical elements of construction were not copied carefully enough to produce a doll with what I would consider good articulation.  Many of the joints are loose and fragile and the dolls are not as fun to pose as their Barbie equivalents.  Elsa, in particular, is disappointing with her floppy hips, tippy torso and unbendable wrists.  Anna is a little better, but her hands fall out very easily and her wrists seem too thin.

These dolls' worst features are their sparsely rooted hair and their poorly made clothes.  It's no fun at all to style their hair and the clothes are shapeless and cheaply made.  It might be possible for a knowledgeable seamstress to tweak the clothes and make them better, but the fabrics don't seem nice enough to make this worthwhile.  Once again, Elsa rates a little worse in these categories since the bodice of her dress is just awful and her single braid hairstyle doesn't necessitate as much rooting as Anna's pigtails.  I must say that I do like the glittery pattern in her dress train, though.

The best thing about each doll is her face.  Goodness knows what the heads are made out of, but the Disney faces are copied so effectively that the result is cute, attractive, and very reminiscent of the movie.  Anna, in particular, seems even sweeter to me than her Disney Store counterpart.  The imitation Elsa's eyes are bright and clear and less wonky than my Disney Store Elsa doll.  From a distance, and at some angles, I have a hard time telling these dolls from the Disney Store dolls...a reaction that I am sure the manufacturers were expecting.  

I am very glad I didn't pay more than $20 for this pair.  I bought them mostly because my silly curiosity got the best of me.  Even with their cute faces, I cannot in good conscience recommend these dolls to anyone, especially not young children.  

59 comments:

  1. Great review! I've been lurking on your blog for awhile, and now I finally commented. I saw frozen a few days ago when I was on a plane; it's a really cute movie. I love your reviews :)

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  2. I LOVE your reviews and check every day if you´ve written something new! Thank you so much for all the work and love you put into this!

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  3. What a disaster those outfits are! I'd be ashamed to put out a shabby product like that, but then again I wouldn't blatantly knockoff dolls either.

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  4. Those dolls do have their cute perks... but the odd vinyl they seem to be made out of is a little disconcerting...
    I prefer the knockoff's dolls eyes more than the disney store ones, but overall I like the Disney Frozen dolls better.
    Another great review though! So interesting to see how different/similar knockoff dolls are!!! :)

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  5. Thanks for this...I've seen these around online and have wondered just how bad they are. Now I know. ;)

    I'm frustrated with the Disney Store's lack of stock. We're still trying to find Elsa for Little Gal and Kristoff for Oldest Gal. My mom and I have both been haunting the Disney Store website daily...except for yesterday, when they had Elsa in stock for a few hours. :( There are supposed to be new Frozen dolls again at the end of this month or the beginning of the next, so I'm hoping we'll be able to catch it in time to grab a few things before they sell out. :{

    Still, this post reminds me that the originals are worth waiting for. ;) Great review, as always.

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  6. For bootleg dolls, these aren't too shabby looking. At a glance, they'd probably fool most people, including me. Certainly, they're illegal products in every sense of the word, but, at the same time, they're also interesting curiosities. Believe it or not, there are actually collectors that focus on nothing but knockoffs/bootlegs like these.

    I don't have any bootleg dolls (that I know of), but I own quite a few Chinese/Korean bootleg/knockoff Generation 1 Transformers, mostly gestalts/combiners (the sets of 5-6 robots that combine to form an even larger robot, the most famous example being Devastator). I knew they were bootlegs when I bought them, so, I wasn't ripped off or anything like that. The quality of the plastic isn't as good as the real thing, the colors are sometimes mixed up, non-essential accessories are often missing, etc., but, for what they are, they're not bad.

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  7. You know, those actually don't look too bad! Well, Elsa's poor dress aside anyway.

    I live in Orlando (I'm Halston, I won your MH Cupid giveaway a while back so you most likely don't remember me but hello to you anyway!), about 45 minutes out from Disney World. The theme park's shops seem to be getting shipments of authentic Elsas and Annas every so often, but they're gone almost as soon as they're put on the shelves, If the online shop isn't getting stocked anytime soon, I can always keep a lookout for Elsa when I go out to that side of town next time. Just let me know and she's yours!

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  8. Wow, what an weird mix! I was just browsing dolls in the Chinese store a few days ago and I was wondering what the articulated knockoffs are like. I even opened this exact set to look at it closer. It's quite bad, but very interesting to me from a collector's point of view. Thank you for satisfying my curiosity.

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  9. Love your reviews!

    The legs on the Elsa knock off are like the very first wave of Barbie Fashionista dolls. They had slightly thicker legs than subsequent waves and the hinge knee with elastic hip jointing. The subsequent legs, although a little thin, are much better in my opinion.

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    1. Yeah, I was thinking older Barbie knees - they look a lot like the ones I have on my My Scene dolls, which I think shared a body with that Barbie.

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    2. Yes, they look like non-rotating articulated Barbie knees. The Baby Phat S.I.S. Barbies have them and I think Katniss does as well.

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  10. I'm frustrated with the lack of frozen merchandise to! All I see when I go to toys r us are toddler Annas and the figurine set. You would think, with all the popularity the movie's been getting, they would try to make a bit more $$. I am really interested in Monster high doll knockoffs, or factory defects. I have a bit of a request, using your three Elsa dolls, put together the perfect Elsa doll. Maybe you could use 1 Elsa doll you like the best, then the best Elsa dress, etc. I think it would be cool, so we could all see what to look for in order to buy the best Elsa doll.

    Love the review!

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    1. I agree. I think Disney changed hands, actually. That's why the Elsas are going out, but they're mostly back now. And, could you do a review comparing the Elsa Singing Doll and the Elsa Wardrobe Doll? It would be incredible seeing the comparison between the two size differences. And an Anna Singing Doll review would be nice!

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  11. Good evening Madam Philosopher! I've been reading your blog for several months, and I just wanted to express my gratitude to you. I'm a toy-based retailer, and your insights are invaluable to me. If I didn't work in this industry, I would still read your excellent blog, but your point of view on play has led me to better decisions with many of my customers, and for that I thank you. You're doing an excellent job, and I bet it's more than me who are grateful for you. Thank you from my tiny retail section! x

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  12. I know this is slightly off-topic, but did you hear that the La Dee Da and Pinkie Cooper dolls are being discontinued? So sad, I really liked them :(

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  13. It's weird that Elsa fake does not seem to have wrist articulation. she really looks like she should move at the wrist though. huh.

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  14. Hello philosopher.
    Again to be clear that English is not whether this commentary was translated by google translator. I hope you can understand.

    Frozen copies are very good here there is only basic articulation copies barbie.
    And for sale and seen only mattel dolls and none of the Disney Store.
    Project would also be a good buy dolls mattel Anna and Elsa coronation version and make an exchange of heads and clothes but feel that one would risk having dolls with heads and bodies of different color, besides the clothes may not fit very well on copies.

    Its copies are very good, are not like this doll "Elsa" with Anna clothing, or clothing with this Anna .. WITCH? (had a slight hope of seeing a doll with clothes anna elsa but I found this)

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Frozen-Princess-Elsa-Doll-Unique-Figure-12-size-/281312918088?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item417f8e7a48

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-12-frozen-princess-Elsa-Anna-pretty-girl-doll-best-gift-BX11-/261453492005?pt=TV_Movie_Character_Toys_US&hash=item3cdfd7af25

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  15. Thanks for yet another great review.. and this time about an interesting new topic! Knockoff dolls.

    I have very mixed feelings about cheap knockoffs... I think it's lame (and, of course, illegal) to copy a doll, but at the same time I think it's at the very least bad planning and at the worst, sleazy, to be Disney right now and not stock enough of these dolls to meet this crazy demand that it seems has been going on for so long now! I feel bad for the kids who are really wanting these dolls and the parents who aren't able to get ahold of them. So in a sense, it's kind of nice in theory that there are some different options popping up.. even though these dolls are definitely not great. I would be scared to buy them for a child because who knows what's in that mottled plastic, and hair! (I hope your dog hasn't suffered any side effects from his little snack...)

    As kind of an afterthought here's an interesting, cheap, and much safer looking option for anyone looking for an alternative while waiting to try to snag an official Disney store doll: making your own Elsa by recycling an old Barbie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5GAKE4DZw8

    Sorry for rambling in a comment, and thanks again for all the work you do here, Emily. :)

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  16. This is so funny! I ordered knock offs as well just to compare them to my Disney Store Anna and Elsa dolls and Mattel Anna and Elsa dolls. I wanted to order them over a month ago, but I had to wait until recently. They haven't come in yet, but I can already tell that my China knock offs are different from yours. I'll have to share when they come in. lol Great post as always!

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  17. your reviews are so funny and entertaining. thanks.

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  18. To me it seems like the Knockoff's eyes are less wonky than Disney's, most likely because the eyes don't have a bulge. I still prefer the Disney doll, even with slightly wonky eyes. The knockoff doll doesn't remind of Elsa the way the Disney doll does.

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  19. Very interesting! I love seeing comparisons of various knock-offs to originals and this is wonderfully comprehensive.

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  20. It's strange, seems like Disney didn't at all anticipate the success of Frozen. Just today I learned that there will be no release of the Finnish Frozen soundtrack :( I'm sure that a lot of kids in my country would have loved to sing along in our own language, and I enjoyed the Finnish dub a lot (had to opt to it since my daughter doesn't read yet)!

    I'm so happy that I noticed when Disney Store UK had restocked in March and managed to order the four classic dolls from there, most of them are sold out again. I've seen some Mattel Frozen dolls in shelves here, but Elsa is pretty rare... and Mattel Kristoff looks pretty bad to my eye. Thanks for the Chinese doll review, it was hilarious! And it's always very interesting to see comparisons of the different dolls.

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    1. Wow! I can't imagine how that feels… i'm so sorry! The magic of Frozen should be shared everywhere :)

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  21. They are really pretty. On the bright side, some little girl who wants the dolls now can be happy fora little bit anyway.
    On the other hand...
    Thank you for the review. As always, informative and entertaining.

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  22. The most puzzling thing about these dolls to me is that Elsa and Anna don't have the same body. I wonder what the reason for that is?

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  23. Knock off Elsa looks like Reese Witherspoon to me.

    I am dying to have an Anna doll of my own!

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  24. so far is the best imitation I've seen these dolls you do not believe me look on internet

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  25. The thick legs on the Elsa doll instantly reminded me of the Kenya line of fashion dolls. Maybe that's where they were ripped from? Great review (as always :-] )!

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  26. OMG this pair of dolls seemed alright to me at first glance, but the rooting pattern really shocked me! It reminds me of the EuroGirl you've reviewed, only worse! I can't believe that there's no hair at all... I seriously stared at the screen wondering "what in the world???" But anyway, I love all your through review of toys! See ya~

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  27. I'm still holding out for a Disney Store Elsa restock. They have tooooo, right? q: It's not like they're going to give up on selling Elsa forever. If money was no object I's have coronation LE Elsa. She's so. beautiful. Hehe. c:

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  28. Look at these knockoffs. They look so bad it's hysterical.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Disney-Frozen-Princess-Elsa-Anna-Doll-Figures-Set-Playset-12-dolls-2pcs-new-/400681562438?pt=TV_Movie_Character_Toys_US&hash=item5d4a7b7146

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    1. Wow. Compared to the one you linked, the reviewed one seemed ALOT better by comparison~

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    2. Yes! Even in the promo pictures the fabric is fraying and the hair looks dry and like it has an uneven cut.... and those wonky eyes! usually for promo pics they look for the best doll, so i wonder what the doll that people get look like....

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  29. Great review!! I am in Thailand and just found knockoff Elsa and bought it last Friday. I now put her back in the box again and secured her with wires. She is better in the box.

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  30. These dolls are widely available on AliExpress, but they're using pictures of the actual Disney dolls to try and boost sales. I think a lot of stores are in for a rude awakening when their customers receive these knockoffs instead of the items they thought they ordered.

    I have this same knockoff set, except my Elsa has pure white hair. I'm not unhappy with them, per se (Anna is cute) but I really don't think they were worth the $20 Kalli paid to get them. It would've been too much of a hassle to send them back, though.

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  31. I ordered this set about a couple months ago from AliExpress for under $20. In my situation, I had no idea they would turn out to be these imitations, since the original store ad for them showed images of the Disney Store version. The seller eventually offered to refund me if I mailed the dolls back, but I decided to keep the pair since the price was inexpensive for the pair. And it would be a hassle and expensive to mail them back to China. Still, I did feel misled in my original purchase. Thank you for this review and referring to them as imitations, bootlegs and copies. Because that is exactly what they are. More people should be aware that this is happening out there and double check what it is they are about to purchase. Thanks!

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  32. My theories on why the faces are spotted.
    1) it is cheaply made plastic
    2) the plastic has dirt caught in it

    I have an old My Little Pony which has a similar spotted look. Apparently small grains of dirt can get trapped in rubbery plastics especially if they were kept some where which was very dirty.

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  33. Elsas Legs are like the first Fashionistas Legs.
    They got the thin round Joints later.

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  34. I'm really glad I came upon your review on this. I just saw these same dolls earlier today and paced myself on whether to go for it since they seemed to resemble the classic Disney doll, but I hesitated after the look of it. Thanks to your review, I'm more than certain of my spending for a Frozen merchandise now. And sure as I intended, the original and official Disney Frozen doll looks better than the knock off.

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  35. Thank you for putting in such a lot of effort, it is really appreciated, I'm sure I speak for most readers!

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  36. Hello, thank you,i almost got one of this, i case you are still looking for frozen dolls, this last Monday i called my local Disney Store, because i was tired to look online for Elsa everyday, a nice guy told me that this Saturday (today) they will have the dolls but he suggested me to go early, then on the blog Never Grow Up, she inserted a link to the Disney Store Facebook blog i believe it is and it sounded like what the nice guy has told me so i called again on thursday and a lady told me to go saturday but she didn't give any specific info. So i went today i was there at 9:40 and there was a small line, the employees gave us instructions how to proceed to buy our dolls,i'm so thrilled everything was smooth and i got Elsa, Anna, and a Olaf Plush, they will have it behind the register, i'm so happy they only selling 2 to each customer, they had other stuff, also they had a ruffle for the dress,i believe they had like seven boxes of Elsa and if i remember right they had 2 more of Anna,just in case any of your readers want to check next Saturday on their local Disney Store, it seems that they still have limited quantities but still if you get there early you probably will get the dolls, i did ask the employee as i was waiting in line if they had enough, so i would't waste my time waiting and she told me yes, :)

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  37. Ok, I know everyone probably knows this, but parents, don't buy your kids knock off toys! There could be lead paint in these toys for all we know

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  38. Great review! (clapping hands) Love how u took the time to wright it. And it was really enjoyable! Thumbs up

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  39. I actually bought this pair for $12 off of TaoBao thanks to this review. Surprisingly, my Elsa's dress was much better fitted, and they both shared Anna's body. I was pretty pleased that I got two Fashionista bodies for next to nothing, since I have a few heads in need of articulated bodies.
    It might be disappointing if you were expecting the real deal, but for knockoffs these are pretty great! I'm actually so glad you did such a thorough review, since it helped me looking for replicas...
    It's a shame that people so blatantly rip off other companies, but they are what they are: cheap alternatives to a crappy shortage.
    Great review!!

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  40. How then does Ebay get away with allowing these knockoff to be sold? Its so blatant! I have to admit though some of the knockoffs I have seen are rather good!

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  41. I like knock-offs if they are decently made (or if they are cute), and I would buy this Anna bootleg if, and only if, she had a decent hair rooting (I'm adult enough to take off staples!)
    BTW I adopted an extremely cute bootleg Monster High dollie, yay!

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  42. I recently emailed the Disney Store to ask when they might have Frozen dolls in again. The response read, in part: " Unfortunately, we are unable to forecast if or when the item will become available. We
    apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this may cause." I find it amazing that Disney is willing to lose out on all this business which is being taken up by knock-offs companies in China. My children saw me looking at your post and they are begging me to buy these dolls even with their hideous hair rooting!

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  43. The legs are horrible

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  44. I love the article. Once again thank you.

    Elsa's body is probably Momoko - only these dolls have the Lily skin tone apart from the more expensive fashion dolls. The spots in her face are probably not dissolved paint.

    The rooting pattern is nothing unseen - check Madame Alexander 8" Cinderella and Belle, the ones that use the Stilettos Series body. Saves a nickel to the manufacturer. Nowadays it is all about the bottom line. Make it cheap, mark it up 500% and make the bosses happy.

    The knock off Elsa and Anna seem to be going for about $7 each. Even if you make new outfits, considering the kids attention span, I say it is fair. I would really have hard time paying on the upward of $40 for a doll to be tossed in couple of months.

    As for the knock offs... All mixed feelings there. It is wrong to assume that every knock off has to be toxic (for reference just see the number of recalls due to lead in the paint on Fisher-Price website). I have deliberately bought Thomas knock offs and had them tested. None showed lead in amount that could be detected by common test methods (meaning not getting my hands on CSI equipment).

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  45. They turned out cute?

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  46. Actually, at a birthday and holiday card shop (they had toys stocked for Christmas), I saw the Anna in a separate pack. She had the white streak in her hair, though it took up half of her right braid. Also her hair was brown. The outfit was inaccurate, but to me looked more appealing than the Disney Store one. I really don't know why, though.

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  47. Hi, our friend brought one of these home for our daughter as a gift from her Asia trip. The doll appears to be turning purple... The ones in your photos seem to have a purple-ish tone to it. I was wondering if you have noticed a colour change? I am concerned about the toxicity of the plastic on the end, it is from China... Lol

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    1. You're very wise to be worried. Many of these fakes have dangerously high levels of phthalates which are linked to, among other things, cancer. True, not all fakes are dangerous but why take the risk? You'd be better of throwing it in the bin.

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    2. O__e... I'm Never going to china...EVER

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  48. I'll be honest with you, i'd love to have one of those Elsa dolls. Not the Anna, though. The Elsa actually looks well-made.

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  49. Nice review. I also happen to have a store near my apartment, and I came across a knockoff Rapunzel doll directly copied from the Disney Store version.

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