blythe ·
inspiration ·
Blythe dolls - My creative hobby, a collectors dream
The wonderful world of Blythe! Ok so what are Blythe? Blythe is a collectable fashion doll that originally was manufactured in 1972, but retired after 1 year due to poor sales. In 2001 Neo Blythe was reborn in Japan with new original concepts by CWC and Takara Tomy releasing 100's of dolls in the years that followed.
Blythe is still produced to this day - with multiple dolls being released by Junie Moon each year.
The doll is highly collectable with prices ranging from £100~ to over £1000 for the most sought after dolls.
I originally started collecting Blythe in 2005 as a teenager! It's an expensive hobby, though. And once I went off to university and started working in London - the collecting took a backseat, and I sold quite a few of my dolls.
After a trip to Japan a couple of years ago, including a visit to Junie Moon's shop in Daikanyama, I made my first purchase of a new doll in over a decade - an interest in collecting again was born.
What I like most about Blythe is the ability to style, sew and make clothes, buy lots of tiny unique fashions by super talented makers and designers, as well as photograph them. The community is also so friendly and the hobby is really alive across various social platforms.
It's such a fun creative outlet that is something not-so-serious in quite a serious world.
Having the hobby of doll collecting has brought me so much joy the last year and also helps me to de-stress from a day job in big tech. I also love connecting with the activities I enjoyed as a child (major Barbie doll fan over here in the 90's). What did you do when there were no adult expectations, what did you enjoy? That's the key to finding your true passions and interests.
Here is to doing more of the things you love in 2025! P.S Never grow up & keep playing.
All photos and dolls above are my own collection. You can follow/find more of my doll photos and sewing on my doll instagram account here.
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