Bratz Series 1 Budget Dolls: A Lookin' Bratz Review!
Bratz Series 1 Budget Yasmin, Cloe, Jade, and Sasha
Hey Angelz!
A few months ago, images from a toy event featuring scaled-back versions of the Bratz 20 Yearz Special Edition dolls leaked. While it’s remained unknown where these versions of the First Edition dolls would be released or if they would be at all, I am happy to finally share information about this release! The Bratz team at MGA Entertainment was kind enough to send me a set of these budget re-releases, which calls for a mini review! Keep reading for a detailed review on the Bratz Series 1 budget dolls (not their official name, but it seems like the most appropriate title), including pictures and details on the dolls’ hair, faces, accessories, how they differ from the original releases, and information on where they will be sold!
the packaging
It’s been quite a few years since Bratz has released a budget doll, with their last round of budget dolls being repackaged versions of their 2015-16 lines. Similar to the 2015-16 budget dolls, the Bratz Series 1 budget dolls come in slim trapezoid-shaped packaging that is cardboard all-around except for the plastic window in the front. The top of each box features the respective character’s name logo and icon, and the bottom features the Bratz logo and artwork of the core four in their First Edition second outfits. The artwork is also featured on both sides of each box, and each individual character art is featured on the back. The back is pretty standard, and includes character bios and “I Come With” descriptions. Each box’s color is representative of each character’s original box color. The boxes showcase what each doll comes with: the doll and all the pieces its wearing plus the 2001 Bratz hairbrush.
the dolls, fashions, ‘n’ faces
Unlike my other reviews, I will not be unboxing these dolls as I already have two sets of the 20 Yearz reproductions out-of-box. Besides, there isn’t much to say about the dolls! Each character comes with her second outfit and the quality seems to be the same as the 20 Yearz dolls.
If you recall the face application method for the Bratz 20 Yearz dolls in 2021, it appears that these budget versions also use the stamp method with the original 2001 head mold! All of the faces are reminiscent of the later batches of the 20 Yearz dolls, with Cloe and Sasha’s faces looking more refined than earlier batches. All of the faces look pretty great and are definitely an improvement from the standard editions from 2021. It would’ve been fun to have seen this collection get sprayed faces like recent Bratz releases, but they still look great!
If you’ve already read my explanation on how Bratz faces are applied, feel free to skip to the next section! If not and you’re interested in learning more, keep on reading! Nearly every Bratz doll between 2001 and 2014, except for a select few, has a face screening that was painted using the “spray” method. The spray method ensures the eyes are elongated across the face for a classic, sultry Bratz look. Between 2015 and 2016 (except for the V Files x Bratz doll), and for the Bratz 20 Yearz Special Edition dolls released last year, the “sticker”/stamp method was used to apply the dolls’ faces. The sticker method is hit-or-miss as the 20 Yearz dolls looked beautiful (in most cases), while it played a huge role in the discontinuation of the brand in 2016. A new method was introduced to the Bratz brand with the Rock Angelz reproductions last year, which is UV printing. UV printing is a more cost-effective method to apply dolls’ faces as spraying seems to be less common in the doll industry these days. Holiday Felicia, the GCDS dolls, Sweet Heart Meygan, and the JimmyPaul dolls also use the UV printing method. The GNO 21st Birthday Edition dolls reintroduced the spray method to the brand ever since the 2018 Collector dolls, but the recent Series 1 re-releases seem to use the sticker/stamp method.
THE HAIR
While the early batches of the Bratz 20 Yearz dolls had saran hair, later batches were given nylon hair. Similarly, the Bratz Series 1 budget dolls (and upcoming 2-Packs) have nylon hair.
Just like the face printing method section, feel free to skip this portion if you’ve already read my explanations on the differences between Bratz hair types! Nylon hair appears to be the current standard for the Bratz brand, as is the case for most MGA doll brands since 2019. For context on some of the different hair types used on Bratz, nylon has often been confused with polypropylene, which is a hair fiber that was used in a majority of lines between 2008-2013 and is known for being hard to manage and prone to degrading over time, because of a name mix-up over a decade ago. Saran—which has been used on most Bratz released between 2001-2007, 2015-2018, and on most of the Bratz 20 Yearz Special Edition dolls (except for some later variants which use nylon) released in 2021—is a great hair fiber that has always satisfied collectors, though it is prone to yellowing and degrading over time. Nylon is another premium hair type that can be easily restyled with heated hair tools and is less likely to degrade over time like saran and polypropylene can do. Saran hair is harder to come by in certain colors and is not as commonly used in modern doll production due to rising prices, so nylon provides a way for consumers to have these hair colors without resorting to using low-grade polypropylene. Nylon also tends to feel really nice and oftentimes better than saran, so I hope this is something that stays for most—if not all—future Bratz doll releases.
Not sure how to deal with nylon hair? Watch my recent Bratz Hair Care Guide video where I wash and style the latest Bratz Series 3 and Pretty ‘N’ Punk dolls!
THE BODIES
The Bratz Series 1 budget dolls use the standard 2001 Bratz bodies. I cannot fully tell if the dolls have the “matte” bodies that the 20 Yearz dolls used or the “rubbery” bodies that regular Bratz dolls have, but they do look more like the rubbery bodies!
OTHER FEATURES
The Bratz Series 1 budget dolls do not come with many accessories or extra pieces aside from hairbrushes. The dolls do not come with a second outfit, hats, bags, posters, or a stand—only the doll and hairbrush.
PRODUCTION RUN: is this a new batch?
Some people may be wondering if the Bratz Series 1 budget dolls are re-packaged from the original batches from 2021, and I can confirm they are not. The budget dolls are a whole new production run of the 20 Yearz/Series 1 dolls, along with the Series 1 2-Packs that are expected to come out later this year.
BRATZ SERIES 1 2-PACKS
A few weeks ago, stock images of Bratz Series 1 2-Packs were revealed. The 2-Pack pairs are Cloe/Sasha and Yasmin/Jade, and come with all of each character’s respective 20 Yearz/Series 1 outfits, accessories, a poster, and brush. These are still coming out, but a release date and retailer information has not been confirmed yet—they will likely be released for the holiday shopping season.
BUDGET DOLLS AND THEIR PURPOSE
If you’re wondering, “What’s a budget doll and why are they made?”, this section is for you! A budget doll is a doll that is typically scaled-back in regards to piece and accessory count, and is produced as an alternative to a brand’s standard releases. Budget dolls are often created for brands like Barbie and Monster High in which a doll will come with one outfit, limited or no accessories, and will be packaged in a slim box; L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. and Rainbow High have come out with their own budget dolls in recent years in which they reproduce popular characters with limited body articulation, less pieces and accessories, and are packaged in a slimmer box in order to appeal to different markets. Budget dolls are sold at just about every retailer, but MGA Entertainment’s budget dolls have been more limited to stores like Family Dollar and Dollar General recently. Bratz has come out with plenty of budget-friendly dolls in the past, including the Stylin’ line from the late 2000s. Some people may wonder what the purpose of these dolls are, especially if they are just scaled-back versions of dolls that were originally released with more pieces. The simple answer is that these releases are meant for consumers who cannot afford the original dolls, and makes these dolls more accessible for lower income families and collectors. Some collectors may not see the “need” for budget dolls and may even see them as pointless, but please keep in mind that these do not need to cater to every collector—not everything is meant to be a collectible and budget dolls serve a purpose for those who may not be in the best financial position. If you don’t see a need or purpose in these budget dolls, then they aren’t made for you and you don’t need to buy them… nobody’s forcing you! But, please don’t discount those who are in need of a more affordable option. In particular, this specific set of Bratz Series 1 budget dolls is meant for the Mexican market and may trickle to the U.S. market soon—read the “Where To Buy” section below for more details!
WHERE TO BUY
If you’re wondering where you can buy the Bratz Series 1 budget dolls, they are currently a Mexico exclusive. As stated in the previous section, the dolls were created specifically for the Mexican market as a cheaper alternative to the standard Bratz dolls—this is a common practice for many toy companies looking to expand their brands in international markets. To break it down, a standard Bratz core series doll (i.e. 20 Yearz, Series 2, Series 3) costs $889 MXN, which is roughly converted to $50 USD; this is twice the cost of a Bratz core series doll, which costs a maximum of $26.99 USD in the United States. Dolls typically cost more outside of the United States because distributors and retailers factor in import costs, causing prices to get marked up—this isn’t something that companies can really control, which is why they create budget dolls. The Bratz Series 1 budget dolls are currently making their way to Liverpool stores in Mexico (please note that Liverpool is the name of a department store chain in Mexico and has no relation to the city in the UK) and retails for $469 MXN—this would translate to roughly $26 USD. It is unknown if the dolls will be sold in other Mexican retailers, or will remain exclusive to Liverpool. There are no links to purchase the dolls online at the moment.
While the dolls remain a Mexico exclusive, there is a chance they might come to the United States! Retailer information is unconfirmed at the moment, but stay tuned for information on whether or not they end up being sold in any U.S. retailers—I suspect they may end up in a department store similar to Liverpool. If the dolls hit the U.S. market, I theorize they will cost between $15-17 USD—again, nothing is confirmed. Otherwise, it does not appear these budget dolls will be sold in any other countries. But, as I have mentioned in the past, put the pressure on your local retailers to stock new Bratz dolls! MGA Entertainment (as well as almost every other company) offer their product range to all international retailers, but it is up to the retailers to order them. If you aren’t getting Bratz in your country, let your retailers know there is demand for them!
OVERALL THOUGHTZ
Overall, I am impressed with the Bratz Series 1 budget dolls and enthused that the brand is receiving this kind of treatment. A lot of folks associate budget dolls with a brand’s failure, but it’s quite the opposite in most cases. It is true that some companies struggle to sell products and sometimes end up repackaging them to ship off to discount stores (the Bratz 2015 dolls being an example), but that isn’t the case with these. These dolls were created out of a demand for more affordable Bratz dolls in Mexico, leading MGA to create an entirely new production run of these dolls for retailers.
Personally, I love seeing different iterations of Bratz—especially scaled-back versions—and this budget line is one of those instances where we see previously-released dolls in fun new packaging! I love the boxes and have always wanted to see more classic Bratz dolls in slim-box packaging like this. Imagine newly-designed slim-box Bratz on shelves? I’d live for it!
Whether you love it or hate it, the Bratz budget dolls provide an affordable option for international collectors while also appealing to kids who simply love to play with dolls. A lot of the online doll community consists of adult collectors who often don’t understand that not all dolls are produced with them in mind—this is an instance where Bratz can reach a younger demographic and give international collectors access to affordable Bratz dolls. I love that MGA is taking more steps to reach its global fanbase and I hope these efforts continue! And don’t forget that this line is delivering a high quality product at an affordable price point compared to the brand’s competitors—that’s always a win!
Thank you again to MGA Entertainment for gifting me this set of Bratz dolls, and thank YOU—the reader—for reading this article about the dolls!
I hope you keep checkin’ out Lookin’ Bratz for more news and reviews in the future! Stay tuned to LookinBratz.com for more news on the Girls with a Passion for Fashion, and make sure to check out Lookin’ Bratz on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok for more scorchin’ Bratz content and news!
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xoxo
