The ultimate dream of every Blythe lover is to own at least one Kenner Blythe Doll. But why would we want to buy a US$1000 doll when we could buy nice Neo Takara Blythe dolls for a fraction of the price???? and where on earth can we get a cheap but good quality Kenner Blythe Doll if we set our heart to it? What to look for when buying a Kenner Blythe baby??? Read on, we will cover the whole holy route from starting to buy, hunting her down, to how to take care of her when you finally get the precious little gem.

1) What so special about Kenner Blythe (KB) ????

• She is a real vintage item from 1972. If she is new in box and never been opened, prices are about US$2500 up in eBay. Different hair colour KB tends to have different prices too. The most expensive being the Blonde KB, Black hair KB, Red Hair KB, then the Brunette KB.

• She is made of old aged plastic which has a natural pearly shine to her face which the NEO Blythes do not have. I have owned a like new black hair Kenner Blythe and she has this most unbelievable pearly shine to her face that i could never forget. Her compression is clear and translucent. Takara has tried to recreate this feel in one of their recent release the Ultimate Tour (UT). The UT also has a pearly shine (with pinkish compression) but it looks paint on rather than the natural inborn feel on the Kenner Blythe Dolls. Note that the pearly can be seen on only the like new or new great condition Kenner Blythe Dolls. The aged, used Kenner Blythe (KB) dolls that have been sanded, face washed etc willnot have that pearly shine. So far I have owned about 20 kennerBlythe and I have only seen this pearly shine on one of them. So when you recognize that pearly shine on a KB doll, you should know she is worth a lot more than her counter parts. Also this shine may wear off if you don't take good care of her face. Do not wash with alcohol. All you can use is water if you do not want o mess up with her makeup or inborn shine. A girl who had bought a never removed from box Kenner Blythe had told me the shine on her KB's face started fading once after she removed from her box. I can't tell if it really true but i also rarely see KB with pearly shine in eBay.

• Her eye mechanism is made easy with a soft click instead of a noisy click of the neo Takara Blythe. Your magical first encounter with your little Miss KB will include your big smile when you first hear the magical little click.

• She is unique. She is innocent. She is naughty. Like a wild child just went outdoors for a whole day playing in the mud, on the beach, on the grass in the park. Her hair is a mess. Dirty stains and marks all over her body doesn't weaken her soul. Your job is to help her regain her beauty. And when you did it, you will only be craving for more. Look at my messy little Snowy and her after bath pictures above. hahaha It is your journey with her that make her so special. You will enjoy your every moment with her and many more years to come. Each of them are unique with her little history and stories. Do ask your seller about her stories and record yours with her with loads of pictures.

For additional reference, take a look at a brief introduction of Kenner Blythe by Wikipedia below:

What is Kenner Blythe?

U.S. toy company Kenner. Reportedly, she was modeled after drawings by Margaret Keane, similarly to many other dolls of the '60s and '70s. Her most unique and notable feature were blinkable eyes that changed color with the pull of a string attached to the back of her head. Blythe dolls were only sold for one year in the U.S. (produced in Hong Kong), during 1972. She was not very popular and faded from store shelves quickly.

Thirty years after her first release date, Blythe regained popularity. In 1997, New York TV and video producer Gina Garan was given a 1972 Kenner Blythe by a friend and began using it to practice her photographic skills. She began taking her Blythe everywhere with her and took hundreds of photos. Then, in 1999, a chance encounter with CWC's Junko Wong brought Blythe to the attention of Parco and toy executives. In 2002, Gina published her first book of Blythe photography This is Blythe. Later that year, Hasbro (Kenner's successor) gave the rights to make Blythe dolls to Takara of Japan. Blythe was used in a television advertising campaign by the Parco Department Store in Japan and was an instant hit. Success in Japan led Blythe back to the US, where she become a niche product in a marginal market, selling largely to adults.

2) How to buy a Good Kenner Blythe Cheap????

(to be continued in Part 2 of this guide)

My KB girls