The Toy Box Philosopher

Ever since I wrote the FailFix review back in November (which feels like yesterday in my head...), I have been wanting to take a look at the Glo-Up Girls.  Both types of doll have a makeover th...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2023/01/glo-up-girls-by-far-out-toys.html

Most of you have probably met my beautiful assistant at this point.  She's the Barbie Signature Looks #1 model from 2021, and she has a face mold called Lina.  I've always assumed that the name...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2023/01/tea-with-lena-rainbow-high-doll-house.html

Many of you (and most of Twitter) have been excited about the new Disney ily 4EVER dolls for a few weeks now, but it's taken me this long to produce a review.  Sorry!  I'm not good at doing thi...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2023/01/ily-4ever-fashion-dolls-by-disney.html

Happy New Year!  I've spent the last week or two reflecting on my year and trying to decide how to get 2023 off to a good start.  One thing that kept popping into my mind is how surprised I was...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2023/01/bratz-mowalola-felicia-by-mga.html

This time of year is all about being with family and friends...and exchanging gifts, of course!  In the spirit of the season, I wanted to take a moment to showcase a beautiful gift that I receiv...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/12/santoro-londons-gorjuss-dolls-by-paola.html

Merry Christmas!  I couldn't resist the urge to post another Sunday Surprise on this particular day, which tends to be full of its own fun surprises.  I'm sure there are fun things in store at ...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/12/sunday-surprise-cabbage-patch-christmas.html

Twitter is a bit of a disaster these days, so I hate to even mention it here on the blog, but I kind-of have to for this post, because without Twitter, I never would have known about the dolls I'...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/12/sunday-surprise-pennys-box-natural.html

This post is a good example of how it can take me almost a year to complete a doll review.  Way back in March, in the comments section of the Nendoroid Little Red Riding Hood review, Breanne sug...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/12/savage-baby-rubber-joint-dolls-by-monst.html

Well!  This has been an interesting few weeks.  Unfortunately, when life gets interesting around here, there are longer breaks between posts--sorry.  The biggest thing that happened was that I...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/12/dream-ella-extra-iconic-mini-dolls-by.html

You know how it is when you're looking at a doll on Amazon and then the search formula suggests six more things you might like?  And then you click on those things and get even more suggestions?...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/11/failfix-dolls-by-moose-toys.html

When I interrupted my 14-inch comparison series to look at the Honey Bee Acres general store, I figured I'd get right back to the 14-inchers within a week.  But then the DALL-E thing came along,...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/11/im-wow-dolls-by-im-girly.html

I already wrote an in-depth review of the new Monster High dolls, but I know there's a lot of interest in the individual characters, so I decided to do a short(er) follow-up with the fabulously f...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/11/g3-frankie-stein-from-monster-high.html

Happy Halloween!  I know I posted a review very recently, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to do a little something on this spooky day...Creepy Baby Doll from Spirit Halloween, $26.99.This ...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/10/creepy-baby-doll-by-spirit-halloween.html

I always try to avoid writing reviews that take three days to read.  I really do.  I have mixed success with this, though (the Monster High review coulda been shorter...), but thankfully the En...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/10/encanto-mirabel-doll-from-disney-store.html

Well, I missed celebrating the one-year anniversary of the blog re-start.  That's typical.  I can't believe it's already been a year, but I guess the huge pile of dolls in my basement is pretty...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/10/encanto-mirabel-dolls-by-jakks-pacific.html

I have all of these carefully-laid plans with the blog, I promise I do, but then things keep coming along to derail those plans--often in a delightful way.  Two weeks ago my discovery of the DAL...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/10/g3-monster-high-dolls-by-mattel.html

Today started out totally normal for me.  I got up, let the dogs out, grabbed a cup of coffee, and sat down to read the news.  But then an article in the Washington Post completely changed the...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/09/a-variety-of-dall-e-dollies.html

Happy fall, everyone!  It's so funny, because just as the season officially changed, New Jersey went from 90° and oppressively humid to 72° and breezy, with nighttime temperatures that are dow...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/09/the-buzz-general-store-from-honey-bee.html

I had fun hosting a guest review on the blog again (thank you, Lurkins!).  It felt like the good old days.  It's nice to get somebody else's perspective, and Lurkins chose a topic that wasn't e...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/09/articulated-glitter-girls-by-battat.html

Hi, I'm the artist formerly known as Lurkins!  I've been collecting 18" dolls since I cleaned out my attic in 2014 and rediscovered my American Girl doll, Felicity, and her spectacular Pleasant ...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/09/the-tale-of-two-shannons-guest-review.html

Happy September!  For the last six years, September in my life has meant helping one or both of my kids move into a new apartment or a new school dorm, always in the blazing heat and up three fl...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/09/be-bright-dolls-by-adora.html

How does one introduce a review about poop-themed toys?  I mean, I refuse to just dump such a steaming topic on you with no preamble.  That would eliminate all of the suspense and waste this va...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/08/heres-poop.html

I'm having a great time comparing 14-inch dolls (and, thanks to Amy's comment, I've even added another brand to the list!) but I need a little break from the formulaic approach to that series, so...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/08/toys-us-at-american-dream.html

Today's post is the third in a series of six short-ish reviews that will compare some of the 14-inch dolls that are on the market right now.  You can find the other two reviews here and here, or...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/08/glamour-girlz-by-new-york-doll.html

I mentioned in my Gwynn Tan review that I've gotten a little obsessed with 14-inch dolls lately, and so I decided to write a series of short (for me) reviews featuring this appealing size.  The ...

https://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2022/08/kindness-club-emmi-by-madame-alexander.html