Winx Club Dolls by Witty Toys and Jakks Pacific

I get inspired to write reviews for a number of different reasons.  Often, there is just a doll that is new and exciting and I want to get a close look at it.  I can also be motivated by special dolls in my collection, conversations with friends and family, the wonderful tips I get from you, and from shopping trips and online browsing (which I like to call "research").  This particular review has several origins.

I wrote a review of Winx Believix Bloom back in 2012 (here's the link).  The desire to write another Winx post started because of the simple fact that I have been noticing Winx dolls a lot lately.  I have been impressed by the steady stream of new dolls in this line, but have gotten into the habit of just stopping to admire the new dolls--not actually purchasing any of them.  The recently released Believix Power series proved too tempting to resist.  Believix Power Tecna will make an appearance at the end of this review.

Another inspiration for this post came ages ago, when I got an email tip from Emma to look into Giochi Preziosi dolls.  Giochi Preziosi is an Italian company that is one of the largest toy makers in the world.  This company makes toys, but also acts as a European distributor for other toy manufacturers.  Shopping for a Giochi Preziosi doll is like shopping for a Hasbro doll--there are a ton of different options in a range of styles.  With the help of eBay International, I ended up with a fun mix of dolls from Italy bearing the Giochi Preziosi label, including this basic Winx Club Bloom doll that I will review today:

Italian Winx Club Bloom doll (Witty Toys).

Winx Club Believix Bloom Doll by Jakks Pacific

I was at Toys R Us the other day, as I often am, checking out the new dolls.  As I was walking from the La Dee Da section back to the Monster High section, I saw a doll I'd never noticed before.  I was immediately drawn to her sweet face, her highly articulated body and her bright red hair.  These are three things I love to see in a doll.  So, I was standing there in the aisle inspecting this cute new doll when a whole group of Toys R Us employees bustled past with determination--clearly on a mission.  One of them stopped, halting the whole group behind him, looked at me and shouted, "There!  She has the last one!"  I went all deer-in-the-headlights and pointed to myself questioningly, wondering if I should put the doll down and run.  Most of the employees looked at me, looked at the doll, and then slouched defeatedly back to the cash registers.  One kind soul stayed behind to explain that I was holding the last Winx Club doll in the store, that none of the stores in the area have any left, and that "some lady" keeps calling and asking them to search the store and put all available dolls on hold for her.  He earnestly recommended that I not put the doll down lest someone grab it away from me.  Seriously?  I clutched the box closer to my chest and said, "oh, really?  So...these are, uh, popular with the kids?"  He smiled at me and shook his head, "you have no idea.  I guess there's a show or something."

Well.  This was an excellent Toy Box Philosopher moment.  I was dying to learn the whole story behind these dolls and their show.  I plunked down $20 for the doll and skipped out of the store, feeling like I had the last Winx Club doll on the planet and that I must be the luckiest person alive.  I came home to do a little research, and it turns out that these dolls are not, in fact, impossible to find.  You can get Bloom on Amazon for three dollars more than what I paid (with free shipping).  The other characters are a bit more expensive.  I think I might have picked the least popular doll in the group, but that's okay because I love her red hair.  Here's Bloom, my Winx Club fairy:

Winx Club Believix Bloom.