Finding Doll Props: World’s Smallest and Lalaloopsy Blind Box Unboxing

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Anna made a quick trip to Target and returned with not one, but two brand new blind boxes for us to enjoy.

They seem quite different from the usual blind bags we’ve come to love (see Finding Doll Props: Surprising Blind Bags and Finding Doll Props: Blind Bags for Christmas). 

However, different does not mean dreadful, so let us quickly unbox them.

The first one is from a line call “World’s Smallest”.  These consist of small scale replicas of classic human toys and novelty items.

Anna says she first heard of them from a post on the bjd forum, Den of Angels.

Inside the box is the wrapped toy and a surprisingly extensive catalog of their other novelties.

Several of the offerings look promising.

Inside our box is a classic Duncan yo-yo.  It doesn’t exactly suit my tastes, but I suppose the children may enjoy learning to use it. 

But alas, this fine yo-yo is a little too large for 1/4 scale dolls.  Perhaps the yo-yo would better suit a 1/3 scale bjd instead.  It is definitely to large for our 1/6 scale yosds.

Anyway, Yuna and Sakura seem to be more interested in the other products made by this company. 

Wait, is that a small scale Barbie doll they are admiring?  Please no.

Next is the Lalaloopsy blind box.  According to Anna, Lalaloopsy is a line of play dolls designed to resemble sewn ragdolls.  How quaint.

The unwrapped box is quite pretty, it looks like a large purse or possibly a trunk.

Tucked inside, we have the wrapped doll and accessories and a catalog of all the different Lalaloopsy figures to collect.

Here we have the darling little doll and her parts. 

How adorable, she wears a wig as well.  It’s not quite as fine as my own, but apples to oranges.

Here is the little doll all dressed and ready for a day at the beach.  It would appear that most of the dolls are based on such amusing themes.

This Lalaloopsy doll is the perfect size to be a plaything for any young ball jointed doll.

“Ooooo, what is that? It’s so cute!  Can I have it?!  Can I play with it now?! Well?”

Calm down Sakura dear.

“….Um…May I play with it too?…”

“Oh, it’s so cute!  I want one too. :)”

No, not you too Usagi. 

Well, I shall have to settle this properly.

Now Sakura, didn’t you just receive those “cool” building sets (see Finding Doll Props: Kinder Joy Opening)?

And when was the last time you tidied up your other toys?

“Oh man..”

And really Usagi, don’t you think this toy should go to the actual children?

Don’t worry Usagi, there’s something special coming up for you.

“Really, yay! :)”

So that means the little Lalaloopsy goes to Yuna.

She will enjoy her new doll and take good care of it. 

However, there is still one more thing to settle.

Who gets to keep the pretty box.

This may not be so simple to resolve.  Wish us luck my dear readers.

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Doll Owner’s Corner: Pros and Cons of Collecting

It’s the first of the month, time for another Doll Owner’s Corner.  When I, the doll owner, talk about anything at all.

This month’s topic:

The Pros and Cons of Collecting Ball Jointed Dolls

Pro - Dolls are so small and easy to collect, they take up so little space.

Con - One doll takes up very little space, but if you have several (plus accessories) they will take up all shelf/closet space in you room/home.

Pro - It’s fun to make and sew things for your dolls.

Con - If you aren’t good at sewing, trying to make doll clothes can be torture.

Pro - If you can’t sew doll clothes very well, there are tons of cute options for bjds from sites like Alice’s Collections and Dollmore.

Con - All those cute doll clothes sold online come with not so cute prices.  Imagine spending as much on your doll’s clothes as your own, and that’s assuming you can find clothes that fit your doll.

Pro - It can be easy and fun to shop for doll props and furniture in toy stores and such.

Con - It’s hard to tell your friends/family that your dolls “are not toys” if you shop for doll props at toy stores.

Pro - By carefully saving up for your doll purchases, you can learn so much about handling money responsibly.

Con - You could try to be responsible with your money, or you could just as easily spend your rent money on that must-have limited edition bjd.

Pro - You can actually earn money on the side selling your own handmade doll clothes or commissioning face ups and customization.

Con - To earn money making doll stuff, you first have to learn how to sew/paint/etc. and actually get good enough to earn something from it.

Pro - Doll collecting is an interesting hobby in general, and collecting bjds is particularly unique.

Con - Interesting hobby or not, it’s hard not to feel like you’re “that weirdo who collects creepy dolls” at times.

Pro - It’s fun to go places with your dolls and there are plenty of places to take them like conventions, meet ups, museums, etc.

Con - To take your dolls anywhere you first have to decide which ones to take, plus you have to pack them carefully to prevent any sort of damage on the way.  And that’s all assuming you are comfortable taking dolls out in public at all.

Pro - By buying from doll companies from other countries, you can learn fun and fascinating things about their culture.

Con - Dealing with language barriers.

Pro - All that time spent waiting for orders to be processed and your dolls to be shipped teaches the importance of patience.

Con - Waiting.  So much waiting.  Waiting for everything! 

Pro - The joy and excitement of receiving a package in the mail.  It’s your new doll and you can’t wait to unbox it.

Con - Getting your new doll in the mail and after wrestling through all the packaging to get the darn box open, suddenly getting hit with the strong smell of new resin (gag).

And that’s just a handful of the many fun and not so fun things about collecting bjds.  Have any more you would like to add?  Leave a comment below.

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