Tween Scene Kimani and Valencia by The One World Doll Project

I can't believe October is half over.  How did that happen?  In my house, that means a massive increase in activity leading up to the early college application deadline.  It's nuts.  It also means that we're getting closer to the holiday shopping season, which always signals some exciting new doll arrivals.  This is a good time to thank everyone who has sent me Photo Mission contributions so far.  I apologize for my even-slower-than-normal email responses, but I'm getting photos and they are fantastic.  I'd love to get even more!  I'll probably share this mission soon, after I gather a few of my own shots of the new goodies showing up here in Maine.

One of the new things I found very recently at Walmart is the 15.5-inch Tween Scene line by The One World Doll Project.  When I reviewed the Prettie Girls back in April, several of you expressed enthusiasm about these larger, pre-teen characters by the same company.  I'm especially interested in the Tween Scene dolls because they are made in collaboration with Robert Tonner--one of my favorite doll artists.

There are six characters in the Tween Scene line.  These include young versions of all the 12-inch Prettie Girls (Lena, Valencia, Kimani and Dhara) and two new characters (Alexie and Hana).  Incidentally, Dhara used to be called Dahlia, which is how I reference her in my last review.  The doll herself did not change at all--just the name.  On the first day I visited Walmart, there were only two Tween Scene characters in stock, so--indecisive person that I am--I bought both.  They are Kimani and Valencia:

Tween Scene Kimani (left) and Valencia (right) by The One World Doll Project, $23.94.

City Girls Update: "Taxi!" Billy and the "Gray Haze" Fashion

My City Girls review was very recent, so this is a bit repetitive, but I have had some requests to look at other items in this line, and honestly, I was pretty excited to de-box more of these bright-eyed newcomers.

To recap my initial impressions, I was mildly disappointed with Astor because of some articulation issues and mismatched vinyl, and also because of her slightly vacant expression.  I was a bit more impressed with Houston's overall look, although she shares all of the above mentioned flaws.  Overall, though, I felt pretty satisfied with the high quality clothes, the high level of articulation and the high potential in this line.

After the last review, I still had "Golden Swirl" Astor, "Taxi!" Billy and basic Brook-Lynn in their boxes. Of these three, I felt like Billy had the best chance of being my favorite, so I opened her and the "Gray Haze" fashion pack for this update:

"Taxi!" Billy City Girl doll by Tonner Toys.

The City Girls by Tonner Toys

Of all the beautiful dolls being released this season, I have been most excited to see the new Tonner Toys City Girl line.  Ever since their unveiling at the 2012 Toy Fair, I have been checking the Tonner blog like an addict, waiting for the release day.  To give you a little background, Tonner Toys is Robert Tonner's play doll label and Robert Tonner (for those just tuning in) is the designer of my favorite doll of all time.  So far, Tonner Toys has produced the cartoonish Little MissMatched dolls with their contagiously happy faces and colorful mix-and-match outfits.  The City Girls are a line of more realistic-looking ~16" fashion dolls designed and priced for "beginner" collectors.  So, basically they're the younger, more durable cousins of my Cinderella dolls...selling for about half the price.  That's more than enough to get my attention.

I think there's a hole in the play doll market that is begging for a release like this.  We have a wide variety of $20 fashion dolls to choose from (Barbie, Monster High, Bratz, Disney Store princesses), and you can find plenty of collectable fashion dolls for $100 and over (Tonner, Pullip, Integrity, Sybarite, Momoko, etc), but the intermediate market is sparse.  As the holidays approach, what do you get for that careful young doll collector who is ready for something special?  Or what do you get for yourself when the budget is tight and a regular Tonner doll is out of reach?  Maybe these dolls are the answer.

On November 9th, the long-awaited email hit my inbox, telling me that not only were the dolls in stock, it was a Free Shipping Friday!  Twist my arm, Mr. Tonner.

City Girls "Houston" and "Astor" by Tonner Toys.

A Review of LittleMissMatched Uptown Girl by Tonner Toys

LittleMissMatched is a New York-based company that got its start by producing mismatched socks.  The company and its products are all about fun, creativity and individual style.  There have been LittleMissMatched dolls for a while, but they were $13 cloth dolls (very cute).

I became interested in LittleMissMatched when I heard the announcement that the Tonner Doll Company, who makes my favorite doll, acquired the license to produce LittleMissMatched dolls under the umbrella of their brand new "Tonner Toys" label.

There are four Tonner Toys LMM dolls: Sporty, Uptown, Rock 'n' Roll and Artsy.  It's funny because they sell for $40 on the LittleMissMatched website, but they are $26.99 at Toys 'R' Us and FAO Schwarz.  I haven't seen them for sale anywhere else yet...not even Amazon.

I searched the aisles of Toy 'R' Us for a LMM doll.  I had to come back a few times because the few dolls that were in stock had very visible and disappointing face paint flaws or facial marks.  I finally found an Uptown doll that looked perfect, and was on sale, so I grabbed her:

LittleMissMatched Uptown Girl