Monster High

[Dr Kain]

I like the outfit Spectra is wearing in that picture with Catty, but when are they going to do something different with her hair?

[eurorko]

I like Catty, I just wish they would go into the more darker territory. More goth/punk, like they were in the original releases. The line has been becoming way too frou frou lately. Catty's color scheme looks very similar to the Spider-girl (Wydowna, I think that's her name) that is supposed to be released. I'm glad to see Scarah get a regular release even though the SDCC version is much better. I wonder if Hoo-Dude will get a regular release as well.

[Staff Of Ka]

Catty is straight up 'Jem'! lol

the shoe Cleo is gorgeous...but Im SO over Cleo and Dracs...seriously how many of the same doll do mattel think little girls need?

The Horse is a new mold to me! Its very in keeping with MH style. cant wait!

[diosoth]

I'm guessing Catty's "B" earrings are a Barbie reference? Either way she's kind of an ugly eyesore of a design. Come on, she's a cat, couldn't they have made her a reference to the black metal band Kittie?
But from Scaris on it seems the design aesthetic has gone away from "horror" and more towards "fashion to sell to little girls". I guess Mattel has forgotten why people took to this line in the first place.

I won't touch most doll lines with a 10-foot pole. MH and Bratzillaz were kind of a radical change from the norm that got people outside the doll collector and little girl markets buying them. Now they've switched away from that and I think it's going to alienate some customers. Clothing has gone more towards the Barbie angle lately and everything has a theme to it now. The upcoming Howleen looks like one of the Fly Girls from In Living Color, which would be fine if this weren't a line that it doesn't work well in. I see people sort of guessing we'd see stuff like Slender Man, Lovecraft, creepy pasta and all that referenced in, but Mattel's actual choices are in the completely opposite direction. Bratzillaz is suffering the same now, most of the upcoming stuff is just generic doll fashion that doesn't fit the theme.

I kind of wonder if the era of "girl stuff that can appeal to a wider audience" is coming to an end though. Hasbro looks to be really watering down MLP into generic girl cartoon territory and they're aiming hard at the "pink overdose" market. MH webisodes have felt a bit weak lately and Bratzillaz has apparently stopped making them. Barbie is still going with their "this isn't Barbie, this is Monty Python" web series but that may eventually end. Toy marketing is really changing directions and it seems to be a taboo thing for men to buy stuff "for little girls" and I'm wondering if companies are trying to avoid that.

[Nekk-ra]

I have to agree about the the direction of the doll line. I saw the new Swim class dolls in K-mart 2 weeks ago, and the swimsuits look like something that little girls wore in the eighties. UGHHH. Except for the gorgon/mummy CAM set and the Target super heroine line, there hasn't been much that interests me lately. The line became so successful it feels like someone has decided to add their self-appointed influence in how the line is run.

[Staff Of Ka]

I totally agree! I decided a few months ago to stop collecting anything except new characters.

The decision has been made easier by the line losing the 'Edgeiness' it had. These are now so toned down as to be pastel!

[RenRa]

I'm a big fan of the MH dolls....I have taken thousands of pictures of them over the past 3 years!

[Dr Kain]

Has Catrine started to show up at Walmart yet? I go to 3 different stores at least once a week and they have yet to stock her.

[wyldman11]

She was pretty much this years Walmart valentines day doll. I still have some in the store last I checked in fact.

I agree the designs haven't been as good lately the shoes Draculuara outfit looks more like something that should have been on Ghoulia or Operetta.

Also I watched the Scaris special this week. Wasn't too bad till they started the return trip home, then it just got bad. I loved how they made it a big deal about having this epic journey that was basically a montage. It very much came off as we still need to tell about 15-20 minutes of story quick throw some crap together.

[RenRa]

I totally agree! I decided a few months ago to stop collecting anything except new characters.

The decision has been made easier by the line losing the 'Edgeiness' it had. These are now so toned down as to be pastel!

I second this, I had every doll up until recently when I just got tired of the same girls over and over, now I only get the new characters as well. Even still, some of the new girls have lost the original cool look that they once had, and seem un-inspired.

I skipped on Cupid because I thought she was boring, and I may do the same for some of the newer ones....

[Dr Kain]

She was pretty much this years Walmart valentines day doll. I still have some in the store last I checked in fact.

I agree the designs haven't been as good lately the shoes Draculuara outfit looks more like something that should have been on Ghoulia or Operetta.

Also I watched the Scaris special this week. Wasn't too bad till they started the return trip home, then it just got bad. I loved how they made it a big deal about having this epic journey that was basically a montage. It very much came off as we still need to tell about 15-20 minutes of story quick throw some crap together.

Well my Walmarts have not restocked their shelves since Christmas. In fact, it does not even look like they even clean up the MH shelf because it looks like an A bomb hit it every time I am in there.

[80's Enthusiast]

Has Catrine started to show up at Walmart yet? I go to 3 different stores at least once a week and they have yet to stock her.

I saw 6 or 8 yesterday.

[markatisu]

Has Catrine started to show up at Walmart yet? I go to 3 different stores at least once a week and they have yet to stock her.

Yeah she should be at most of them, I went to several stores last week that had her in stock

[Dr Kain]

Yeah she should be at most of them, I went to several stores last week that had her in stock

All right, I'll check my stores again this weekend.

[Patreek]

Oddly I actually really like Catty. I thought Catrine was pretty bland and boring.

Twyla is SO boring to me. She looks like a CAM figure for starters. Daughter of the boogie man could have led to SUCH A COOL design and instead its just meh.

[Dr Kain]

Went to two different Walmarts tonight and nope, not a single Catrine.

[markatisu]

Went to two different Walmarts tonight and nope, not a single Catrine.

I stopped by one just this morning and it had 8, so if you really become desperate just lmk

[diosoth]

Admittedly, a lot of this year's offerings have bored me. Kind of wish those reissue Clawdeens would surface because it's starting to look like those were a hoax. One picture back in December, and another person on the MH Dolls forum saying they bought one but didn't offer pics. I'm wondering if maybe that's not going to happen now.

Can't say the lack of dolls that interest me is a big deal since this wisdom tooth has started to hurt, and of course, no dental insurance, so that's probably a few hundred I may have to pay to get it pulled(guess I could ignore it and hope it falls out on its own, but I've read about tooth abscess and... eh... some nasty health risks there). Not that unexpected expenses tend to hurt my collecting too bad, but if this year were loaded up on dolls I wanted I'd be skipping a fair few anyway.

[Stratos*Major]

Diosoth...go to the dentist now!
Oral infection increases heart risk, lung function, and brain health.
Youll have enough tome, if u go now, before the new dolls come out!!

[pinkslipx84]

The reissues are on Bigbadtoystore.com for preorder.
13 wishes dolls are also starting to surface in the UK

[diosoth]

I guess that pretty much confirms Clawdeen, Frankie and Draculaura for another release. Pity it had to be Draculaura though, she got a reissue last year, while Ghoulia, Lagoona and Holt are in need of another run. But who knows, if these sell well(IF?) those 3 might get a chance.

Shame I had the tooth issues. I'll probably not replace Toralei unless she gets a reissue. I didn't mind selling Cupid, it was the bad hair reissue, but Toralei. Kind of wanted Nefera too but between $500 for dental work and $500 for a new fridge I have to pick and choose. I hate to say it though but I may grab 2 or 3 of the Clawdeen reissues, and wait until their supply dries up. I don't like scalping but I also don't like being short on cash or selling off stuff I want to keep. Oh well, I suppose the interest bubble will eventually pop and I can replace said dolls for cheap some day.

- - - Updated - - -

BBTS also has preorders for Rochelle and Nefera re-ships.

[markatisu]

God like Nefera needs a rerelease

[diosoth]

God like Nefera needs a rerelease

She's shot up in price lately, actually. Even though she sat on Amazon at less than retail for a year that doll is now going in the $40-$50 range for a boxed copy. It's like how the Clawd/drac 2-pack was on Amazon for $30 for months and months, and now it goes for 4X that. But I had to slel mine lately and welcome a chance to replace it. Her character is atrocious but the doll was decent.

[Dr Kain]

When were these announced and are there anymore pictures of them:

http://www.tattoomyheart.com/mhcheck/gno.html

[Staff Of Ka]

nope, they were announced about 6 weeks ago, and have been on BBTS for pre order for ages.

I Hate that Rochelle...the make up and sour face make her look like a bad Drag queen! she has one of the sweetest sculpts...and yet thats how they paint her!