Wednesday, May 23, 2012

My Scene Madison and Westley Experience

When Mattel's My Scene dolls were released in 2003, I purchased Madison #1 (box date 2002) and included her descriptive information in chapter 3 of The Definitive Guide to Collecting Black Dolls, as shown in the image below. 
My Scene Madision ©2002 Mattel, 2002

I was initially quite enthused about these 12-inch dolls with slightly over sized heads and chunky foot-shoes worn over their actual Barbie-size feet.  Later, I purchased other My Scene Madison dolls for myself and for little ones as gifts. 

My second Madison, Spring Break ©2002, came with a CD featuring Mya and four other artists.  This doll along with Club Birthday Madison and Stylin' Friend (©2004 for both) are featured in chapter 3 of Black Dolls A Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating Collecting and Experiencing the Passion(At the previous link, scroll down from page 127 to 128 to view the Madison entries.)

In November 2005,  I wrote an online article about a close friend's granddaughter's My Scene collection.  Read it here

My enthusiasm with My Scene dolls ended as abruptly as it began for a couple of reasons.  My interest in a wide variety of dolls serves to more than adequately fuel my doll-buying urges.  Because My Scene dolls had been absent from store shelves, I assumed they had been discontinued. 
In 2009, while writing The Doll Blogs, my close friend and My Scene aficionado, informed me the dolls were still being manufactured.  What??? (I thought.)   "Why don't I see them in Toys R Us, Walmart, and other stores?" I asked.  She informed me of the following, which is recorded on page 282 in The Doll Blogs:



...My Scene dolls have chiefly been sold in Europe since 2006.  However, each year 10 new dolls are offered at limited locations in the United States.  These locations include Big Lots, K-Mart, and Family Dollar stores.  I did not realize the dolls that I have seen in Family Dollar and Big Lots during the past two to three years were actually newly released dolls.  I incorrectly assumed the dolls at Big Lots and Family Dollar were overstock of “discontinued” My Scene dolls.  While the dolls have not been discontinued, as I formerly thought, they are extremely hard to find in the United States.  As a result of their dearth, many online sellers, set prices two to four times that of the dolls’ retail.  I also discovered that America’s version of Madison is named Westley in Europe. I added Fab Faces to my collection because of her facial mechanism.  The doll is described by the manufacturer as having “innovative, one-of-a-kind movable face feature that allows girls to create five different expressions on the dolls' faces—from frowns to smirks and smiles! Each doll comes with a super glam, ultra stylish lace and glitter dress and her outfit is topped off with accessories no diva can live without—a furry boa, a sparkling tiara, and glittering jewelry!”   Photograph courtesy of the Internet.
Fab Faces' facial expressions and back buttons that active these

As illusrated on the back of the box, depressing one of the five separate buttons on Fab Faces' back will change the facial expression.  She pouts while frowning, looks slightly surprised, looks startled, raises her eyebrows and the corner of her mouth, and smiles.

Growing Up Glam My Scene Madison (box date 2006)
In 2009, Growing Up Glam Madison was on my friend's wish list for her granddaughter.  She was unwilling to pay the exorbitant amounts many eBay sellers were asking.  So I offered to help her find this "interesting" doll. Interesting, why?  Because with the turn of the dial in her back, Madison grows from 10 to 12 inches tall and gets "curvy," the term Mattel used on the box to describe the breasts the doll develops in her taller state.  The doll also has color change makeup.  Not even aware of the controversy this doll had sparked among some parents who were not very happy about a tween doll that transforms into a teen... with breasts (oh no!), I wanted one for myself. What a blessing (I thought), when in April 2010 I found two Growing Up Glams in an online Australian auction for less than US sellers were asking.  Disappointment set in after an initial month's wait for the dolls led to two, which led to three and a half months before the dolls finally arrived in August 2010!

My Scene Westley Cafe Chic, not sold in America

My Scene Westley Goes Hollywood, not sold in America

By February 2011, with the separate arrivals of Westley Goes Hollywood (box date 2005) and Cafe Chic Westley (box date 2007), the "gotta have 'em" My Scene Madison and Westley mission was accomplished.  These final two traveled from the United Kingdom to America in less than two weeks' time after their separate transactions were completed.   Take notes Australia Post!

Within the past year, I thought about finding new homes for my My Scene dolls, Madison #1 and #2, Growing Up Glam, Fab Faces, and the two Westleys (Cafe Chic and Going Hollywood).  The thought was only temporary, especially now that Close Friend confirmed the dolls' are no longer available in any market, domestic or global.  Their eight-year lifespan ended in 2010.

My Scene Doll Links
D7ana's My Scene Jai
http://www.manbehindthedoll.com/my_scenemain.htm
http://www.freewebs.com/cottonsprite/listofdolls.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Scene


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19 comments:

  1. I love The my Scene line and was sorry that they discontinued them here in the US (or so I thought) I repainted three of the Madison's that I had into fairies :) recently my hubby found three of them online for Mothers day and got them for me. He had no idea that I actually loved them, all he saw were dolls lol. One he got me was the very first one you pictured here on your blog. Another was one with a Vespia. All were My Scene Madison's . I'm on the hunt for a few more to repaint:) the others will stay pristine in their respective boxes lol. Thanks for the info and pics in this post:)

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    1. Your husband is the best!

      I'm glad you enjoyed this post. It's one that I have been meaning to write for over a year. D7Ana's recent post prompted me to just stop, drop, and do it.

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  2. Great information. I didn't know they were still being produced elsewhere. I still have one of my Madisons boxed and one was recently boxed for her clothes. I just bought a Chelsea Goes Hollywood a few months ago, for her clothes and accessories. Didn't realize she was newly produced. Did the MyScene dolls get caught up in the Mattel/Bratz lawsuit? I think I remember reading that, but I need to check again. Congrats on getting the new Westleys and thanks for sharing.

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    1. Hi Vanessa, the last My Scene dolls were made in 2010. The Goes Hollywood dolls are from 2005.

      Mattel and MGA did go through a court battle with MGA accusing Mattel of copying Bratz The link that I included to Wikipedia in this post touches on the law suit:

      "On April 13, 2005, Mattel's competing toy company, MGA Entertainment filed a lawsuit against My Scene, alleging duplication of its Bratz dolls, their multi-ethnic looks, fashions and packaging. The suit further accuses Mattel of "engaging in acts of unfair competition and intellectual property infringement intended to damage its market share, confuse consumers and trade on the company's goodwill."[4][5] Mattel had previously sued MGA Entertainment, alleging that Bratz creator Carter Bryant was working for Mattel when he developed the idea for Bratz.[6]El Segundo-based Mattel professed that the doll designer (Carter Bryant) develop the Bratz dolls while working for the Mattel company in 1999 and took the idea to MGA secretly. MGA developed the first-generation dolls of fashion while obscuring with Bryant’s involvement. The MGA toy makers sought 1 billion dollars in damages testifying that Mattel violated antitrust led on dispute over the Bratz dolls.[7]"

      They've been acting like crabs for several years.

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  3. Wow. I did not know that they were still producing the My Scene dolls. I would see them sometimes at the discount store and believed the same as you. I thought I had all of the Madisons' produced, but I was wrong. Thanks for sharing this information. I am going to find me a Westley and Growing Up Madison. A new hunt begins.

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    1. Yes, they were making them until 2010.

      I love your last statement! It was spoken like a true doll lover!

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  4. What I find most interesting about your news, DBG, is that Mattel attempted to bring back the Growing Up doll in the My Scene line. Do you recall if there was trouble when the Growing Up Madison?

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    1. Hi D7Ana,

      No, I don't recall any trouble other than the controversy the doll's ability to grow boobs caused. Of course I didn't learn about Growing Glam (box date 2006) until some three years after the doll was released to market.


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  5. Thanks for sharing this information, too.

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  6. Very interesting and informative article. I loved the My Scene play sets but HATED the big-headed dolls and discarded all the ones that came with the play sets I bought. I didn't know about the "growing up" My Scene doll. I had a growing up Skipper back in the 70s. She was also very controversial with parents.

    Many thanks

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  7. Thanks for the interesting post. I'm a My Scene lover myself. The last lines sold in Germany were "Street Art" and "Hollywood Bling" as far as I know. But there were still new lines sold in Eastern Europe and Latin America in 2011. I can't tell, if they are still sold there.

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    1. Thank you very much for the additional My Scene information.

      I am glad you enjoyed this post.

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  8. Im thinking of sell my over 20 my scene Madison dolls

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    1. I know that it's now 2015, but do you still need to sell any of those Madison dolls? Madison is my favorite female My Scene character.

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    2. Your reply was to Catina Gregory's comment but I too am going to sell all my Madison dolls, which includes all the ones shown here, except for the first one from my book. I'm not sure if I still have that one, but if I do, she's for sell as well.

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  9. Obviously I was out of it when I posted the last comment but what I was trying to say is im thinking of selling my my scene Madison dolls

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    1. Good luck with selling your dolls. You wouldn't happen to have Jai, would you?

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  10. Your information is wrong the Hollywood dolls were sold in the us along with a Lindsey Lohan doll too

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    1. I was informed by a My Scene enthusiast that the "Westley" dolls were only available in the UK because Westley is the UK's version of Madison. Apparently Madison is not sold there. Yes, other Hollywood dolls were available in the US, but was Westley also sold here?

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