Find out where to buy new and second-hand dolls while avoiding fakes and scammers.
This post is regularly updated and was last updated in September 2022.
Buying your first Blythe doll can be an exciting, yet daunting experience. When I bought my first Blythe doll in 2009, I watched eBay auctions for months before I actually placed a bid. I got outbid so many times before I won an auction. The idea that I was spending so much money on a doll was scary and exciting. I eventually won an auction for a Simply Lilac.
I receive quite a lot of emails from Blythe newbies that are curious about where and how they can buy their first dolls. Here are my tips for newbies.
Note: Fake vs official Blythe dolls
The doll market has been flooded with fake dolls based on the Blythe mould. Fake dolls are also sold as:
- Factory dolls – unless they are made from official doll pieces from the factory floor they are not factory dolls they are fakes.
- TBL – a cute take on the mould names that official releases have (SBL, RBL) based on the Chinese selling site Taobao, they are referring to TaoBao Blythe.
- “nude Blythe doll” – most fakes on eBay are listed under this title
Fakes sell for around $70 whereas official releases are priced in the hundreds. We will explore fake dolls further.
2 – SBL (Rainy Day Parade)
3 – RBL (PD Aubrey)
4 – FBL (Bloomy Bloomsbury)
Work out which doll you want to buy
Before you can buy a Blythe you need to decide which doll you want to get. I recommend starting by deciding on hair colour. If you can choose the hair colour you want then it will be a lot easier to decide which doll to buy.
There are loads of different hairstyles, and different face moulds for the releases. It is likely that at first, you won’t be able to tell the difference between the doll’s face moulds but as you get more into Blythe you will be able to see the differences.
Sometimes it is easier to buy whatever doll is available. Even for a seasoned Blyther, hunting down a particular doll can take months if it is rare.
Do your research, you don’t want to be disappointed. Blythelife.com has a handy introduction to the common terms you will come across when researching Blythe. Be careful that you don’t accidentally buy a Petite Blythe thinking it is a 12″ sized doll. Neo Blythe is the type you are looking for if you want a full-sized one. Middie is a middle-sized one.
Price and availability
Dolls vary in price and availability. The price and availability of particular Blythe releases can depend on a number of things, the number of dolls made, popularity, original price, and stock.
If a doll is extremely popular, like Miss Sally Rice, it will be a lot harder to find. Kenner Blythe dolls are the first Blythe dolls that were manufactured and sold in 1972, they are very sought-after and expensive collector items. Even just a head for a Kenner Blythe could sell for $800.
The next release from 2001 was the BL mold. They are also highly sought after and can be priced from $400 – $800 depending on the doll, condition, and stock items (clothes etc) that it comes with. The cheaper dolls are the RBL+, RBL, SBL and FBL molds.
Postage and payment
Posting a doll internationally can cost $50 USD on top of the price you are paying for the doll. You should always pay for registration and pay through PayPal. Some sellers may ask you to pay as a gift in PayPal, I would not recommend doing this unless you know the seller as it negates your ability to open a dispute later on if they rip you off. If you can, buying from within your own country makes it a lot cheaper (around $20 postage depending on where you live).
Make sure you discuss the terms of the sale with the seller. Some people offer layaways for more expensive dolls and you can pay the doll off in intervals. They usually have a non-refundable deposit. Don’t pester the seller while waiting for it to arrive, they cannot control the postal service. If you want it right away, offer to pay for express postage. I have had dolls take anywhere from 2 days to 8 weeks, I am in Australia.
Customs and excise fees
You should also consider that you may be charged customs fees for importing the doll into your country. Lying on your customs form is illegal and negates any insurance you have as the value entered is lower than the doll is worth. Remember to factor customs fees into your price and check your local government websites for information.
Finding a doll for sale
Once you have decided which doll you want to buy, you may find that you cannot actually find that particular doll anywhere for sale. I receive emails from hopeful new Blythers all the time regarding this. Make sure you read any listings thoroughly before you buy a doll. If a doll is listed as being stock, it means that it has not been modified in any way and should be, as it would be new from the box.
You will also find a lot of custom Blythe dolls listed and they could have a range of modifications including, sand matting their face (taking away the shine), hair re-roots, lip carving, painted eyelids and new eyelashes. A lot of newbies buy a Blythe with the intention of customising the doll themselves. I did this and ended up unhappy with the result. Buy one from an experienced customiser.
Fake dolls and factory dolls
There are now many fake dolls in the Blythe doll market. These are not Blythe dolls anymore than a fake Barbie would be a Barbie doll. They are roughly based on the same moulds.
Most are sold on eBay or Aliexpress and will be listed as “nude Blythe doll” or “factory Blythe”. Some releases have been sold in fake boxes and passed off as real Blythe dolls but the list of genuinely faked dolls in boxes is very small. Generally they are naked, with hair that does not match any known, genuine release.
There are several dolls that have been faked or copied, there are also dolls known as factory dolls which were put together in the factory using spare parts.
Factory dolls are rare these days with fakes making up most of the listings on eBay.
These links will help you:
- Investigation into fake and counterfeit Blythe dolls
- List of known copied and fake Blythe dolls
- Avoiding factory and fake Blythe dolls on eBay
- Whatever happened to ThisIsBlythe .com
The website This is Blythe is no longer owned by Gina Garan, she lost the domain when it lapsed. The dolls available on this site are heavily marked-up fakes or images taken from customiser websites that are not in the hands of the website owners. It used to be a great resource in the community. Read Imogen’s investigation into ThisIsBlythe(dot)com: Whatever happened to ThisIsBlythe(dot)com.
Blythe shops
Junie Moon
The official shop for Blythe in Japan is Junie Moon. Buying direct from Junie Moon ensures that you are not buying a fake doll. I find their EMS shipping to be fast to Australia. You can sign up for their lotteries in which they select people to buy their limited dolls.
Other online retailers
- CC Toys – Hong Kong (ships international)
- Mandarake – Japan (ships international – mix of stock and custom dolls, 2nd hand)
- Magma Heritage – Singapore (ships international)
- Hobby Link – Japan (ships international)
eBay
eBay is another source for buying Blythe dolls but beware, there have been a number of scammers on eBay. Make sure you thoroughly check the sellers eBay feedback and read up on Bad Dolly Deals. Bad Dolly Deals is a community in which people record transactions that have gone badly. The price you pay on eBay for a doll is generally going to be higher than you would pay if you bought it direct from another doll collector. There are also many fake dolls sold through eBay.
Facebook
There are several groups for buying and selling dolls on Facebook. I recommend Dolly Adoption. They have a list of rules to be followed when using the group so make sure you read it before participating. They also hold a list of feedback for buyers/sellers if you go to the groups Files page (you have to be a member).
100% Stock Blythe Adoption (for dolls that have not been customised)
Facebook can be a little unsafe. Before you buy from anyone ensure that you check Bad Dolly Deals for their name. That said they could be using another name or no username at all on Facebook. Make sure you pay for registered postage or tracking. It is your responsibility as a buyer to pay for this.
Attend a meet-up or BlytheCon
There are numerous Blythe-related events organised each year all over the world. I was an organiser of BlytheCon Australia and was amazed by the number of people I met that were new to the hobby. It probably also helped that I had around 9 Blythe dolls for sale, for very low prices.
Attending a dolly meet-up is a great way to meet other Blythers as well as buy things without having to pay for postage and wait for delivery. If you are lucky, there will be vendors selling dolls too. It is much nicer to be able to look at and inspect a dolly before you buy them.
The United Nations of Blythe is a Facebook group that lists all the Blythe events going on around the world.
Blythelife.com has a great tutorial on the common terms used in the Blythe realm that you should read before you start looking.
The wait
So, you’ve purchased your first Blythe doll! Congratulations! Now you must wait, this is the worst part of buying a Blythe doll. You need to be patient. There is nothing worse as a seller than having a purchaser hassling you because their doll hasn’t arrived even though it has been posted and it is out of your hands. If you’ve done your research on the seller, have paid through PayPal and have a tracking number you shouldn’t stress.
If you have a tracking number you can obsessively check the tracking online! I like to wait a couple of weeks and THEN check the tracking. Usually, my dolls take from 2-5 weeks to arrive in Australia from overseas. Within Australia, they should be here within 10 days or overnight if sent Express.
BLYTHOPIA 
I need help finding some doll paste so I can customise my Blythe Doll!! if you know what’s the name for the paste or where It is available from please? Thanks in advance xxx ♡ Love your Blythe blog ♡ xxx it helped me a lot in buying my Blythe
Hi Anthea, tbh I am not sure what paste you mean? I think people carve the doll faces but I leave that to the professionals as it is very difficult 🙂 So happy that the blog was able to help you buying your doll. xx
Hi
I have purchased about 5 Blythe Dolls already customised. I am rather particular on my dolls as they need to have that special look about them before l buy most of my dolls were over the $400 mark when they first caught my eye and could only try to purchase by bidding the prices were just unrealistic for what they were most over $600 to over $1000 factory make and then customised most Neo and l alway preferred the Azone Body.
I can’t believe what some artist or customisers are asking for these dolls yes their adorable but l believe overpriced in some cases.
Carmen
Melbourne
Australia
🐨
I appreciate the work that these customisers put into the dolls, some taking over 20 hours to complete. If you calculate an hourly rate they would all be over $1000 to be worthwhile! I don’t really collect custom dolls though, only have 2.
Hi, Katie I have been looking at one of your beautiful dolls for about a month that I am in love with. Her name is Cherry Beach Sunset and I was wondering how I can buy her.
Hi where can I purchase a bog standard doll from for my daughter to play with and how much can I expect to pay? I’m out of my depth!
I’m looking to buy off eBay is magma_heritage a good seller
Hi, although I haven’t purchased Blythe from magma heritage, I’ve purchased most of my Pullip dolls from their physical store, they can be trusted, you can also check their facebook account 🙂
I have purchased online through Magma Heritage, while they seem to be a little odd with who they will allow to order (some people get banned for apparently no reason) they have been wonderful for me.
I have a Blythe doll that I received from my Great Aunt — she was a collector of all dolls. I am looking for information about selling her — she’s a 1972 Kenner, New in the box w/ protective plastic over the box intact. Thanks for your time and information.
I am not a Blythe doll enthusiast. Although I have come quite fond of mine. I bought this little girl at a thrift store thinking she was a monster high doll with a broken voice box because I didnt hear anything when I pulled her string. It wasn’t till later that I realized the string controlled her eyes and started to investigate her further. I have just paid 50 cents for an original 1972 Blythe in her original dress and panties. Besides her tattered hair and missing 6 eyelashes she is perfect. Her pullstring is smooth and works great, all her joints bend with ease and she has no cracks. Im not trying to get rich off of her but id to sell so someone else can fully appreciate and enjoy her
Well damn you are living the dream! I have literally dreamt about this happening lol. You could try the Kenner Blythe group on facebook. Make sure you read their rules, there are many as we often have scammers in this community. I’ll buy her from you for $300 right now 😀
Actually you might want to also try putting her on ebay 🙂
I’m knew to Blythe and I’m so overwhelmed with the choices. How do I figure out what my first doll should be.
Me too! Ive no idea what im doing so many sizes options eyes hair hands…..the more i research the more confused im getting lol …..somewhere someone should just state…”newbies get this first and go from there” 🙂 x
Sorry I didn’t reply yet! I didn’t realise I had comments. Curious to know who you chose and whether you own more than one doll now? I find that once you get one, you get another, and another. For me my first choice was based on the colour of the hair and the price. Now my collection is a little more “curated” I like dolls that look good together, and I have clothes to suit them.
If you don’t know Blythe by name, you may know her by sight. She is instantly recognisable by her big, lollipop head and huge, vaguely manga-style eyes which sometimes change colour; her expression is slightly forlorn. She mostly sports geek-chic hair – a heavy fringe, sometimes dyed different colours – and wears vintage-styled outfits. We all love Blythe Dolls! Thanks for the info, Katie.
I have a 1972 redhead, side part Blyth doll I want to sell. She is nude, has the 7 lines on her back. I was terrified of her as she was given to me as a gift as a child. I took her clothes off and I’m sure my barbies wore her green dress. Don’t do etsy or eBay and wanted to find her a home. Please contact me if interested. Her body has no marks except for being dirty. Her face is perfect. Eyes work cord is original. I can send pics.
Hi Yvonne, sorry this site is a little ignored at the moment while I run my business. Did you find a place to sell her? I have a link in the menu to the Kenner Blythe Guide which is the best guide to the vintage ones.
HI Katie. I did find someone to buy her. Her name is Jade and she is from BC. She asked if I would do lay-away which I didn’t have a problem with it at all. I sent her out the beginning of January. I sold her for $500. Thank you for taking the time to let your group know that I had one for sale. I believe it was definitely a win/win for Jade and myself. Take care, Yvonne
So happy for you both!!
Hi, I am a Barbie collector but several years ago I bought a Blythe doll on ebay. I am looking into selling all my dolls and would like to accurately list them. From your excellent website I’ve determined I have either Hollywood or Excellent Hollywood. How would I tell the difference? I tried looking at the box but it appears to be all Japanese. TIA
It can be hard to tell. I’d recommend you post photos on 100% stock blythe on Facebook it’s a group.
I have my childhood Blythe doll (1972 or 73) still in her box. Hair and outfit original and eyes are perfect. The twist tie around her waist is original. I am not familiar with ebay and wonder now the best way to offer for sale if I decide to sell her. Suggestions welcome. Thank you.
I would suggest the Facebook group Kenner Blythe. If you click the link at the top of this site you’ll be taken to an awesome site just about the vintage Kenner Blythe dolls. Ebay is over inflated most of the time.
Thank you Katie, I will look into that.
Hello I have a few dolls lying around in my house and I would like to sell them but I dont know where to find the price for these dolls can you help me identify?
Sorry I didn’t see your message, looking at sold listings on eBay is the best place.
Hi! I was wondering who could make a Blythe doll for me that’s custom made. I want to be able to ask that the doll has a certain hair color and length. What is very important to me is to have the doll artist to customize her eyes for me.I want special features like her eyes to be starry/ glittery, with other normal colors added like blue or brown added to her eye functions. Do you happen to know anywhere or anyone who can make a special custom doll for me?
Thank you!
– Haley Hart
– Hart.haley@rocketmail.com
Hi Haley, your best bet would be to look for custom Blythe doll groups and find dolls with a style you like and see who the customiser was. You can also find a lot of customisers on etsy.com 🙂 Many good customisers have a list that is several years long.
Hi Katie. Are you able to tell me which genuine Blythe dolls have a matte face? -Fiona
Hi Fiona, off the top of my head there is a few BL model Blythe dolls (the first releases) that had a Matte face and Bianca Pearl. I will let you know if I think of more.
Great informative article. Thankyou. I am also in Aus and just getting started and this article was very helpful to a newbie.
That is great to hear! You should join the Blythe sales Australia facebook group. They have pretty strict rules but there are often dolls for sale there and you don’t have to wait for the postage. It is pretty fast from Japan though, sometimes 2 days from the official store Junie Moon!
Very informative. Thank you. I have a 72 Blythe doll where the head has come off. ? Another 72 doll has the legs off.. Otherwise they are in excellent condition.. Can they be fixed? I guess my daughter wasn’t too careful when playing with them. I live in Ontario Canada
Hi Joan, wow what a dream to have some 1972 Kenner Blythe dolls. Sadly necks breaking and the pelvis cracking is super common for these vintage beauties. Some of us have come up with ways to put a bolt in the neck but it requires a lot of work opening the head. Another thing people do to hold the pelvis together to keep the legs it is using plumbers tape to hold it. I’ve never had any luck gluing a broken pelvis back together. If you are looking to sell them these are things that people will still be OK with though it will affect the price. There are some restorers in the US I believe.
Would love to see photos of your dolls!
I’m a collector and was looking for a specific “Wednesday Addams” doll and was hoping you had her. The dolls are beautiful I admit but I’m not sure though if I want to pay$500+ for her. 🤔
I don’t have any specific Wednesday dolls but you might be looking for a custom Blythe doll as Wednesday Addams. I would join some Blythe adoption groups on facebook and see if anyone has something in your country.
There are a couple of stock dolls that could work as her and then you could buy an outfit, I have bought from this seller before and the stuff was well made and arrived: https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1384843800/wednesday-outfit-for-neo-blythe-ob22
Some dolls that might look a little Wednesday, though I don’t know if you want bangs.
With bangs:
Daunting Drusilla: http://cc-toys.com.hk/products_details.php?id=1728
Check it out: http://cc-toys.com.hk/products_details.php?id=1385
Centre part:
Very Cherry Berry older face mould, looks different from the recent dolls but love her:
Cheapest one I found at Mandarake: https://order.mandarake.co.jp/order/detailPage/item?itemCode=1217050392&ref=list&keyword=very%20cherry%20berry&lang=en
Ebay:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/324744570242?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=KRvnRA8UQFm&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=gnNrUDi9S2K&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
You could also try to buy a fake one from aliexpress or ebay: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/304155225188?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=MCPcghieSjG&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=gnNrUDi9S2K&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Much cheaper! About $50-90 I believe. I often use the fakes for customising.
Be careful buying any dolls on etsy as there are lots of scammers on there currently.
Hope that helps! xx