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| Designer's Choice Kari Michell dolls |
The doll in the middle was purchased from Big Lots a couple of months ago after I signed up for a repainting project with plans to use this doll as my subject. The redhead wears a full-length pink "silk" gown with faux fur pink shrug. A casual fashion of pink sweater and pink skirt with ruffled hem is included. Accessories are two different styles of pink high heels and two different pink purses. The doll wears simulated pearl cross-shaped earrings and necklace. Big Lots' $10 price is decent for the clothing and accessories alone, which I will probably use for other dolls.
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| African American Designer's Choice Kari Michell dolls |
After reading an informative Limbe Dolls post, The Spice of Life: Part 1, I discovered the Kari Michell dolls are made by the manufacturer of World Peacekeepers and Power Team Elite action figures Familiar with the quality of M and C Toy Centre Ltd's action figures, I wanted and found the two African American Kari Michell dolls on eBay. They were offered in the same auction for $24.99 with free shipping.
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| Head shots of the three dolls |
Unlike the white version, the African American dolls do not have an extra fashion. Like the white version, they all share the same generic, nondescript face sculpt. Even though the dolls are not articulated, I wanted to add them to my Black Barbie clone/competitor collection. These are not actually Barbie clones because they do not look like any current or past head sculpt used for Barbie and/or Barbie's friends. The Kari Michel dolls fall into the competitor category.
Both AA versions have black-rooted hair, and brown-painted eyes. They wear pearl heart-shaped earrings. One doll wears a burgundy faux suede jacket, burgundy pleather pants, a fuchsia knit top, a burgundy handbag, and burgundy high heels. The other wears a black sparkly pullover sweater, a black faux leather pencil skirt, black high heels, and a black handbag.
All three dolls have a box date of 2005, but I do not know if the company is still producing African American versions. At the time I purchased the redhead, Big Lots had a large supply of white Kari Michell dolls. I have never seen an African American Kari Michell there or anywhere locally.
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Thanks for the post about one of my favorite clones. White Kari Michelle dolls have re-appeared in the Big Lots I frequent but their fashions are pretty much the same as the ones that were offered before the recession.
ReplyDelete12" Power Team guys have also re-appeared but once again there are no African American ones although I did get a new Hispanic one week before last.
I think that if the Kari Michelle and 12" Power Team guys sell well enough this Christmas season then we may see a wider variety of them in stock in the future.
The Power Team Elite guys have resurfaced at my Big Lots for $10 this year. I believe they were priced $12 last year. I have not seen any African American versions in a couple of years here.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see articulated AA Kari Michell dolls in the future for $10 and the return of new AA Power Team and/or World Peacekeepers. May an email to M & C Toy Centre LTD is in order. Email: contacts@mctoy.com.hk
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I have not seen the AA Kari Michell dolls in a few years. I usually wait until around Christmas and the pop up Christmas Toy Stores will have AA Power Team figures, they have different outfits but no new faces.
ReplyDeleteEither the clones are stepping up their game or Mattel is losing theirs.
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely more alternatives to the so-called "Plastic Princess."
ReplyDeletedbg
Hello from Spain: I like your dolls AA. They are beautiful clones. There are much clones in your city. We keep in touch.
ReplyDeleteThe AA dolls are not in my Bog Lots yet. I have seen them in years. I need to check back for the Power Team dolls.
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ReplyDeleteI used to see the KM clothing sets with a choice of AA & Caucasian. I bought most at Big Lots and some from Odd Job (old store). I'm glad to see them in stores again but the quality for me has gone way down for these. I have 2 of the black clones from years ago now I must pull them out because these faces look different to me
ReplyDeleteI did pick up a couple of the WPK guys that I don't have. Glad I picked up the AA guys I did when I spotted them
Hi Dollz4Moi,
ReplyDeleteIt appears the company has not produced any AA versions of KM in a while. I've learned not "to sleep" on black dolls that may be of potential interest to me to avoid future regret. Often our dolls are here today (in limited quantity), gone tomorrow, only to later resurface on the secondary market for two to three times retail.
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