Okay, so, Maricar tagged me on June 13th, and I’m finally getting around to keeping up my end of the deal (less than a month later—woohoo!). Basically, it’s a Seven Random Facts About Me kinda thing. I figure I’ll do my best to relate it to playtime.
1. I used to hate to play outside as a kid. Hated it. Would always prefer to be in my room reading a book.
2. If my mom did kick me out, my friends and I would play Barbie for hours. My friend had the inflatable furniture, …read more

I always wanted one of these Barbie heads (the official name is actually the Barbie Color ‘n Style Head) to be able to do her makeup and hair. Maybe it was because I had to keep my hair super short to avoid long hours in the morning de-tangling any “rat’s nests” in my frizzy hair! (I’m sure I preferred the short hair to actually having to get out of bed earlier.)
I bought one of these toys for my daughter a few years ago (a very discounted find at Big Lots!). It was fun to share with her …read more

And in the battle of Barbie versus Bratz, it’s Barbie by a nose!!!! Or, more realistically, a really long leg.
Here are the results:
{democracy:8}
I wonder if the results would be the same if we were comparing Bratz to the new My Scene line of Barbies (like the one pictured above), which are described as “fun ‘n flirty dolls”. They do look creepily like the Bratz dolls, I think. I’ll stick to traditional Barbie, or maybe none at all. Strawberry Shortcake is looking better and better! How long can I keep her cool in our …read more

Isaac Larian of MGA Entertainment, producers of the Bratz Dolls, was recently interviewed on ABC’s Nightline, with some rebuttal bits by Chuck Scothon, a senior VP at Mattel. He shares his thoughts on the Bratz vs. Barbie battle, and his plans to win it.
Follow this post to the end to see the YouTube posting of the ABC interview (and then please vote in our Barbie or Bratz? poll in the sidebar on the right!). Here are a few interesting bits that I gleaned from it all:
Larian admits that he first thought the dolls looked like aliens, but now …read more

Does Barbie still rule or do newcomers like the Bratz dolls have a chance at ascending the throne? A Google Fight’s been staged, click the image below to find out who emerges the victor – Barbie or the Bratz.

Business Week Online has published an article questioning the longevity of Barbie as an American toy icon:
Sales for the iconic Barbie fell 1% worldwide, the 11th consecutive quarter of decline for the franchise. Indeed, it’s a worrying sign that kids like Katayan are starting to eschew Barbie for other, more interactive toys.
It is a question raised as the girls of the next generation have so many playtime options available to them. Are dolls and dress up being completely replaced by on-line games and other hi-tech toys?
I don’t think so. Yes, my five year old daughter has …read more