Liv in Wonderland-My favorite line from them! I’ll miss it 😦
It seems that Liv was just released three years ago and already these dolls are going to retire. Just when I started to get into them, I hear the announcement that Spin Master, the company that produces them, is getting rid of them in 2013.
I know. When Liv was first introduced, I mentioned how I expected the Liv dolls’ sales to decline. Due to the high competition, Liv just couldn’t stand on it’s own. Liv dolls, even though pretty and fashionable, are just…like any other fashion doll. This is what makes them suffer. But Liv started a fashion trend that the other more “popular” dolls are imitating: pose-able bodies. That’s right. Liv was the first doll to have several different poses. The quality of the Liv dolls have been top notch as well. It’s sad to see the dolls leave so soon.
I know that Spin Master is used to making electronic games and boy toys, but they have to recognize that being a “Powerhouse” doll company is going to take time and effort. They should’ve known this before they made Liv dolls. When Bratz were first released in 2001, they didn’t make a whole lot of money. But Isaac Larian didn’t give up which is why Bratz grew to be the doll franchise it is today.
Times are different now than they were back then. Dolls need money in order for companies to keep manufacturing them. If a company senses that a doll isn’t working, nowadays they immediately toss that doll aside and start working on a project that will make a profit. Dolls are now made into an industry that can promise fortune if done in an innovative, creative, and discerning way. In order for companies to make the perfect doll they must:
1) Not consider what they personally think would be a positive doll, but do what children and tweens like. I’m sorry. Parents don’t want their kids to play with unwholesome dolls, but that didn’t stop Barbie and Bratz. It’s really not about the parents who just pick out a doll for their kids. It’s about the kids who like them. Even if a parent picks out a doll, a kid doesn’t have to play with it. It doesn’t mean they will like it. So, instead of worrying about what parents think, think about what kids like. And unfortunately the industry isn’t about personal creativity anymore either…not if you want to appeal to an audience and make money. So don’t throw your own ideas in too heavily.
2) Consider movie trends, music trends, and fashion trends.
3) Think about the future generation. NOT THE CURRENT ONE. Kids grow up fast, and before you know it, a whole new generation of kids will appear. Be aware of the future, not the present.
4) Have more quality and detail than the last doll to make the most realistic looking doll ever. Observe the current doll trend, in other words.
To conclude, I’m really sad to see Liv go. The doll line has really grown on me and the most recent outfits are so detailed and creative. I wish Spin Master wouldn’t give it all up so soon.
Liv Twist and Dance-obviously no dolls can pose like Liv can! Their poseable bodies had over 100 different poses that made them seem more alive! This is one of my favorites too.
Generation Next 
I am sooooooooo mad cause I can’t find liv dolls no store,I found just 1 liv doll at flea market. Help me find these beautiful liv dolls. Thanks. ..Maria smith
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They are discontinued and no longer available. The best places to look would be online (ebay, amazon, etc) and at thrift stores or flea markets. 😦 I’m also upset they are gone. They had such good quality. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
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THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I liked the liv dolls! They gave me inspiration for the story I’m writing!!
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Really? I would love to hear your story! Will it be posted on a blog?
Liv dolls’ creator claimed they weren’t prepared for the declining doll market. Which is a shame considering they were quality dolls. I’m trying so hard to find them all on a secondary market. 😦
What makes me happy is knowing that there are other Liv fans out there. So who knows. They may be back. 🙂
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Only just discovered Liv dolls in 2015.Its such a shame they decided to retire them, with a little tweaking those dolls could have been serious contenders for the Barbie crown. The poseability of those dolls is amazing and it seem’s not to have gone unnoticed amongst Barbie fans, as I’m reading in doll blogs and forums of Barbie head transplants onto Liv Bodies.I’ve been lucky to have found a fair few Liv B.N.I.B and they will definitely be keeping their heads. I hope spinmaster has a change of heart and decides to relaunch them.
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I agree. They started this whole poseable bodies trend really. They had many mix and match fashions, really good quality, and nice faces. They were new, so of course they weren’t at their potential. But their Alice in Wonderland line was spectacular, which showed me they were headed in a good direction. But shortly after, they were discontinued. I think it would be weird to see Liv bodies with Barbie heads. Maybe that’s just me.
I really like their subtle feminine faces.
I’m very happy to see that there are people out there who remember Liv dolls and like them as much as I do.
Thanks for commenting. 🙂
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The only thing I disliked about liv dolls was them not be able to do certain poses or positions and how their boobs were misplaced they werent curvy and had no ass.
Other than that they were beautiful. I have a decapitated liv doll body and I ended up putting a cut up hair barbie head on it.
Now. It looks like Hillary Clinton.
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I guess their body shape passed through the feminist looking glass as “normal”. XD They didn’t want to give them shape because they wanted them to look like normal girls.
This post though….LOL XD
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Feminist actually means equality for all, female & male, having same rights & opportunities; there’s no logic in the trend of using it as a scapegoat or derogatory term, unless you genuinely are offended by the idea of fairness.
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The TRUE meaning of feminism is to advocate for equality for all, particularly the social and political equality to that of men, but what that means to each feminist varies. For some feminists, it means fighting for WOMEN’S rights exclusively. For some women, that means acting against anything that they feel is not in women’s best interests. For other women, that could mean rejecting women who subscribe to what they feel is “traditional” or the patriarchy. There are many feminists who have criticized the doll industry and its influence on girls. This isn’t anything new. And feminists are very influential. Since they are, toy companies have to make sure it passes feminists’ inspections.
There is plenty of proof that feminists rejected certain doll brands in the past for being “hyper feminine” and having “too many curves”. That has nothing to do with equality, but it is how some active feminists think. Jezebel is one of the feminist media that has been against these kinds of media, especially when it comes to toys. Take a look at Tree Change dolls and how they got their start (to reject dolls like Barbie and Bratz, who have unrealistic proportions, show too much skin, wear too much make-up, etc etc). They actively hated Monster High, Bratz, and Barbie for having “mature” body types, and are active as feminists.
I’m a feminist myself, but this doesn’t mean I believe the same as all the other feminists. I’m also Black, which adds even more intersectionality to the conversation. I can’t be a femme and not benefit from feminism, but there’s still a lot to criticize when it comes to some of those who are in the movement. They are not excused from that.
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I loved the Liv Dolls , I especially loved the “It’s My Nature” series , I have the horse and the Daniel doll , I am left to EBay or Amazon to get the rest of the series , which is a BIG RIP OFF .
Why do the sellers on there have to jack up the price so high that the average person can not afford to get them ? I mean REALLY ? The Hayden doll was 200.00 ??? The original price was only 20.00 . Well I guess I will have to keep watching for a better deal .
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Yes, ebay is getting ridiculous. But I think if you email them and strike up a deal, they might be willing to sell it to you cheaper. I did that with a seller. They just send out 200.00 as bait sometimes.
Live dolls were amazing. I loved the quality and wish they had a stronger company backing them up.
Thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂
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