Underrated/Overrated Dolls

Hi all! I was just deboxing one of my dolls earlier today and was blown away by how beautiful it was. Decided to take a nice long look at my collection and compare all of my dolls. I was genuinely curious as to what people thought about some of the dolls that aren't as popular, or are super popular but don't agree with this. I thought it would be fun to discuss this and include all dolls (LE 17", the Designers, regular DS dolls, Mattel versions, etc.) that portray a Disney character. My own preference is to discuss the dolls I own in my collection as I can see all the details in person, however I think everybody should feel free to discuss any dolls they wish as I know some people liked certain sets but may have found them to be overpriced for what you get (ahem, Harrods sets!). Anyways, without further ado, here are my picks for underrated and overrated dolls.

Underrated:



This is the set I was deboxing today. I love absolutely everything about this set and wondered why it didn't seem as popular as some of the others. I believe that the Rapunzel and Flynn set is the more well liked. However, in my opinion, this is the best version of Rapunzel I have ever seen. The golden tinsel in the hair, the flared out skirt on the dress, the shortened hem with bare feet. Even the Mother Gothel has incredible detail in the dress, the dagger, and the best of all- her cloak. When I first ordered this set, the delivery driver sent it to the wrong address and then could not find it when they attempted to retrieve it. I was still able to find my set on ebay with a near retail price pretty much a few days after the release. I have also seen many people attempt to sell their set with little to no interest. I don't quite understand as this has become on of my favourite sets and I could not stop finding all these little details that, while subtle, really enhanced the overall look.

Overrated:



Don't get me wrong, I have this set and quite like it, however it seems that every time I see someone looking for a set from this released line, it's always the Belle and Beast set. I will say that Beast is fairly well done, but Belle is not my favourite. Her dress is so mismatched to me, it looks like they were going to continue with that draped/scrunched skirt, ran out of materials halfway through, and then decided to finish it with an A-line skirt with embroidery. The embroidery is well done, and I like the white lace peeking out from under the skirt, but it's so mismatched that it looks odd to me. A real shame as the design looks very beautiful in the artwork for the set. Another issue I have is how cramped inside the box they are. Beast is larger than the princes in other sets and it just seems like they are poorly positioned and squished. The platinum set is very close but with a much better dress for Belle. I still really like this set overall, I just don't see why it is so popular when there are better sets out there.

So, thoughts? Do you agree with my opinions or do you absolutely love my overrated set and loathe my underrated? Let me know, I'm interested in hearing what people have to say on the matter!

I LOVE the Gothel/Rapunzel designer set. Definitely underrated. I think it flies under the radar because, frankly, it was the most uninspired set character-wise. Pretty much every other set had something exciting in concept, and on paper, this was easily the most boring set. I think, with the possible exception of the Snow White/Witch set, this was the best executed set in the first wave.

Underrated
17" Maleficent - I understand why. The stock photo for this doll was absolutely atrocious. I was beyond relieved when I went to purchase it and saw how gorgeous it is. I still cannot believe we lucked out with Disney covering up that neck. It makes a world of difference. The details are intricate without being too crowded. As with any doll, there's room for improvement, but I'm extremely satisfied with what we got.

17" Epilogue Anna - I think that this doll came along when Frozen over saturation was at its peak. While I find the Elsa and Kristoff in this set to be underwhelming, I think Anna is just as gorgeous as her other 17" incarnations.

Overrated
Designer Maleficent - I'm the biggest Maleficent fan, but I have no desire to get this doll. I feel like most of the other designer villains have very chic and intriguing looks. I feel like the Maleficent designer just looks too costumey without looking movie accurate. I guess what I'm trying to say is that she could look more modern fashion, but they stuck too close to her movie costume to make that work. But she's not close enough to her movie look to work in that way, either. I hope that makes sense.

17" Elsa - Hear me out. This is a beautiful doll, but I've not seen any evidence that this would be as sought after if it wasn't rare/expensive. When I see photos of it, I think it looks kind of basic, and cannot fathom someone paying a thousand dollars for it. I actually have similar feelings towards 17" Snow White (braces self).

Luna_Ray: Wasn't there another thread that is similar to this?

Anyways!

When it comes to the designer Rapunzel/Gothel, here are my thoughts: While I think the detailing on Rapunzel's bodice/top is amazing, I am super disappointed in the design of her skirt. She is basically Snow White 2.0 from the set that was released with the princes. No creativity whatsoever. As for Gothel, I just really don't like what they did with her dress. There is nothing designer about it. It looks like a designer ignored it till the last minute and just decided to randomly insert embroidery. Personally, I would have preferred it if Gothel looked a bit older and had a few white strands in her hair. But the set overall is ok. They're not AMAZING.

I agree with you on Belle/Beast.

AJ-LO: I actually really don't like the 17" Maleficent. I think the exposed neckline was a big no-no. I think her face sculpt was bad, and the wrong color. and I think that her dress was disappointing. Not as drappy and dramatic as it should have been.

I agree with Epilogue Anna. The embroidery on her is amazing, and i love that they used felt/wool for the skirt because in the actual movie, she is wearing a material that looks like felt/wool. My only issue is the sweaty look.

I agree with 17" Elsa being overrated. But to make it clear, ONLY the DisneyStore one is bad. The Harrods one is quite nice and is worth the price.
Same with Snow White. A lot of people love that doll and consider her their grail... I don't think it looks THAT good. I prefer Aurora over her.

Ok... So my turn!

lordofanime said:

Luna_Ray: Wasn't there another thread that is similar to this?

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You mean this one?

http://disneypinforum.com/showthread.php?57508-Most-under-rated-over-rated-dolls

I haven't seen any of the LE dolls in person but I have some thoughts about them.

My problem with the Rapunzel set is that Rapunzel looks so severe. I saw a reőainted version of her and I liked her much better.

I guess it's because Belle is popular... but I agree that her skirt looks odd this way. And I'm not fond of the body construction of the Beast.


I have my oddities, too, 17 inch teen Elsa doll is my favourite and I know that she isn't popular at all.

Over rated is deffo Alice she doesn't look like her character at all.
I don't think anyone them are a £1000 not even SQ Elsa who is beautiful but just not worth the price. Most underated is Aurora she is stunning in her blue dress but doesn't go for much money and she has just as many details as the more expensive dolls.

I gotta say it, Winter Belle left me cold.

I apologize if it's too soon, but she didn't do it for it me. Roses. Gold. More roses. We get it. Yes, she's the best Belle they've done so far, but unlike Beast who is the embodiment of the movie, obviously, Belle is just a gorgeous doll in an over-fancy dress, to me, minus the spark of actual "Belle". And that skinny elongated neck and those skinny wrists.

Am I the only one?

Designer Belle (w/Gaston) rang so much truer to me, with her book and the simplicity.

What they really ought to do at some point is make her 17" in her blue dress and her hair down and the indigo cape that she met Beast in and was wearing for the breaking of the spell, and make Prince Whoever He Is alongside her. (They will take any simplicity out of that outfit, but I'd still like to see it.)

I find a lot of the older Mattel dolls to be underrated, or at least they don't get much attention.

Midnight Romance Cinderella, Holiday Belle and Holiday Jasmine with her rich warm gold outfit, Autumn Rose Belle, Spring Blossom Mulan, to name a few!

flowersandbooks said:

I gotta say it, Winter Belle left me cold.

I apologize if it's too soon, but she didn't do it for it me. Roses. Gold. More roses. We get it. Yes, she's the best Belle they've done so far, but unlike Beast who is the embodiment of the movie, obviously, Belle is just a gorgeous doll in an over-fancy dress, to me, minus the spark of actual "Belle". And that skinny elongated neck and those skinny wrists.

Am I the only one?

Designer Belle (w/Gaston) rang so much truer to me, with her book and the simplicity.

What they really ought to do at some point is make her 17" in her blue dress and her hair down and the indigo cape that she met Beast in and was wearing for the breaking of the spell, and make Prince Whoever He Is alongside her. (They will take any simplicity out of that outfit, but I'd still like to see it.)

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Have you seen teal jasmin? Cinderella? Elsa? All those dolls regardless of their clothes have skinny wrist and arms and the same neck...check the rest of the 17 inches even the designers. Thats why people are looking forward to moana because for ones we are going to have a doll with realistic body. You cannot discount belle for this reason alone because the rest of the dolls in this series are the same except guys of course. I dont think shes over the top..some even said her inner skirt lacks embroidery because its plain pink but if they did that then it is going over the top. Maybe this is why they removed the fur part in her hood because that could be too much. Shes as simple as can be in my opinion. Very detailed too. Her arms i think look too skinny because of her large sleeves which emphasized her thin arms..maybe her dress was too big making her limbs look thin. If we dressed her using another dolls dress like say elsas then you wouldnt make that comment. Thats why i remember people asking me why i love using a shirt a little larger than my body and I said it makes me look thinner lol it hides my fat haha

Mcandy said:

Have you seen teal jasmin? Cinderella? Elsa? All those dolls regardless of their clothes have skinny wrist and arms and the same neck...check the rest of the 17 inches even the designers. Thats why people are looking forward to moana because for ones we are going to have a doll with realistic body. You cannot discount belle for this reason alone because the rest of the dolls in this series are the same except guys of course. I dont think shes over the top..some even said her inner skirt lacks embroidery because its plain pink but if they did that then it is going over the top. Maybe this is why they removed the fur part in her hood because that could be too much. Shes as simple as can be in my opinion. Very detailed too. Her arms i think look too skinny because of her large sleeves which emphasized her thin arms..maybe her dress was too big making her limbs look thin. If we dressed her using another dolls dress like say elsas then you wouldnt make that comment. Thats why i remember people asking me why i love using a shirt a little larger than my body and I said it makes me look thinner lol it hides my fat haha

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I've seen all the dolls. I have the most recent Elsa and Anna, who look fine to me. They may all have similar limbs, but they don't all have the same heads. Somehow Belle's neck stands out to my eyes. Maybe they could have made it a few millimeters shorter. You're right, a different outfit and I wouldn't notice, but neither her dress nor her pose do her wrists any favors.

I'm not discounting Belle just for that reason; I prefer simpler Belles and she also doesn't 'feel like Belle', for whatever reason, to me. I just don't think she's the be-all and end-all. Not even the Belle-all and end-all. She is gorgeous, but as Belle herself said, she's "not for me." Just my opinion.

Honestly? I think Maleficent is one of the more underrated dolls. Those stock photos were some of THE worst stock photos Disney has ever made without a doubt, and I know ton of people were turned off because of that. I, admittedly, was nervous about getting her myself seeing I had been anticipating her release ever since I found out Sleeping Beauty was getting re-released. However, once I saw her in person I fell in love immediately. I love all the thorn detailing on her outfit and she is just so beautiful and stunning in person to me. I know some people also aren't a fan things like the greenish/gray skin and the v-neck thing she has going on, but those don't bother me. They clearly wanted to make the doll have elements of the live action film, which I would normally hate but I think it honestly works here. Granted, I am SO bias seeing Maleficent is my favorite villain of all time and she was my first 17" doll. But I honestly think she deserves a lot more love than she gets.

Now as for the most overrated? Snow Queen Elsa. I think she is a gorgeous looking doll and all, but I think she just doesn't look nearly as nice as some of the other LE dolls in the line. While she is very detailed considering how accurate it is to her movie counterpart, she comes across as more simple when compared to dolls like Rapunzel, Snow White, Aurora, and so on. I at the very least don't think she is worth the thousands of dollars people are willing to pay for her.

Underrated:

17 inch Jasmine. Yeah the shine sort of sucks and her outfit relatively simple but despite that I think she has one of the loveliest faces.

17 inch Merida. Great expression, great outfit and accessories.

Overrated:

17 inch Rapunzel. Beautiful dress but I just don't think that facemold that Disney keeps using looks anything like her. She's also got blankish expression/eyes..

17 inch Winter Belle. I'm probably one of the only ones who doesn't like her face. It's too narrow or too long, especially her forehead-I think that's also part of the reason her neck might look weird/too long. I also think her face is too plainJane and I don't like open mouth molds (Why has Disney store decided that every single Belle doll must be a mouthbreather? Even her toddler doll is the only mouthbreather out of all the toddlers). I do think it does look like Belle at certain points in the movie, but not when she is at her most beautiful, as she is during the scene her doll is based off of. The current designer Belle in the Belle/Gaston set is much more vibrant and I wish her 17 inch doll looked more like that.

U N D E R R A T E D
Prince Eric, he was the first male doll and is absolutely gorgeous. I can understand why he's not insanely popular and overlooked as are all the boys because Disney cannot seem to get the male hair and faces right but even still he's one of my favorites.

pretty much every Cinderella but especially her 17 inch, I feel like Cinderella has never had a bad doll. Her designs are always amazing.

tinkerbell fairies/pixies; I passed on fawn and tinkerbell and I've since regretted it. The fairies have become my favorite designer series and tinkerbell is a grail of mine. I think they're all really well done and are truly designer.

Tiana, she is soooo gorgeous. I cannot get over her dress, it's so intricate and beautiful and so true to the movie. Tiana as a character is already horrendously underrated... And sadly so is her doll. I also love her designer set with Naveen.

60th Aurora/Aurora in general, I absolutely love Aurora. I prefer her blue dress but her pink is just as gorgeous and arguably more recognized. Her dress is so beautiful and well designed. I absolutely love auroras hair. The 60th Aurora was also a big hit with me because I love that they have a doll that relates to a specific time or event. I went during the 60th anniversary for the first time at Disneyland so she's very special to me. But even so she too is absolutely stunning her hair and dress are beyond beautiful and I love the box.

and frozen fever I feel is very underrated maybe because I was hoping for them for so long and was beyond disappointed by the embarrassment that was epilogue Anna and grieving? Elsa, but I think they are both such gorgeous dolls, especially Anna. I love the bright fun boxes, and the little gift accessory with the red string. I just thought they were so well done and surprised they're not more popular.


O V E R R A T E D
I really can't think of any overrated dolls outside of snow queen Elsa but she's understandable given Elda's popularity and the limited edition size.

Overrated:

17" Cinderella. Not very highly rated but this just looks slo bad in every way that it still feels overrated.

Every Belle doll, I am just really unhappy with her face and hair in every version.

I agree with everyone[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif] that Sn[/FONT]ow Queen Elsa is overrated. I actually have that and I have the Heroes/Villains Elsa also in the same outfit so I have been thinking of selling the 17" one. But the Snow Queen Elsa is so valuable and my first doll along with the first Anna so there is sentimental value as well, so that I do not want really to sell her. But every time I look at her I think I rather have some other 17" Elsa...

Underrated:

Kristoff, I think the only truly natural looking male doll. And in a way all the Frozen dolls, costume and expecially face accuracy is important to me and these dolls are perfect regarding accuracy expecially with faces.

17" Tiana, she looks perfect, if I had seen her film I probably would buy this, I know I know I should see the film.

Red Jasmine, she was so stunning I regret not getting her


I do not know if Rapunzel and Gothel is underrated exactly but that is my favorite heroes/villains doll. I just hope Rapunzels face would be as good as Frozen dolls faces. since she is CGI too I would have thought this loud be easy but I guess not.

Meritre said:

You mean this one?

http://disneypinforum.com/showthread.php?57508-Most-under-rated-over-rated-dolls

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Oops, now I feel bad! For some reason I search the forum and I don't see this thread, only when directly linked. I made sure to search too since I didn't want to jack someone else's thread! :facepalm:

Personally, I think that the teal Jasmine is underrated. I almost bought dolls during the DFTC's second release (I went to the Disney store where they had Mulan/Shang and Pocahontas/John Smith) but my mom convinced me out of them... until I saw Jasmine. I didn't hear about her until weeks after her pre-release date. (It's because I'm in the P.C. and don't have great access to internet.) My mom called all of the local-ish Massachusettes stores, but they were all out of her. Some lovely human being mentioned that there were still two available in Tampa, so my Uncle drove over 2 hours there to preorder her for me (and back, and then to pick her up.. he's awesome). But I was so sad when I thought I wasn't going to get her and she's beautiful. So she's definitely my #1 underrated doll. I actually think all of Jasmine's dolls are gorgeous and I don't hear about them all that often, so they're all on the list for me.

For DFTC dolls, I love Pocahontas/Shang. She's gorgeous and I'm just in love. She doesn't seem super expensive anywhere so that makes me think she's not valued as much as she should be. I also love the Mulan/Shang set, but I can't put her on the list because she's in her matchmaker dress and that just hurts my heart. Poor Mulan stuck in a dress that's *so* not her.

Underrated for me is Tiana. I can't believe the SECOND doll in the line is worth about 1/3 of the first doll and 1/2 of the next couple after her. Plus she's so well designed.

Overrated (or at least too sought after) is the first Belle doll.

And the doll I WISH were underrated is Mother Gothel... because maybe then her price would be low enough that I could afford her!

Underrated: the red queen- shes so movie accurate. I think shes prettier than alice even. She looks so alive like what you see on tv and anytime might go out of her box and say "off with her head!" Lol shes very detailed as well.

Overrated: beauty and the beast platinum. Ok they look so beautiful and perfect. The problem is they look exactly like the designer belle and beast only taller. I just find it ridiculous. Still, they are indeed a beautiful set

Underrated: Wedding Rapunzel. Her brunette look doesn't get enough love, emphasis, or merch. And her gown and veil are incredible.

I'll also agree about both Tiana designers, especially the fairytale one. They did a fantastic job with her dress and the consumers chose not to agree.

I have to chip in with my agreement on some of these 'underrated's. I personally hate Tiana's overdone leaf dress, from the first moment I saw it on screen, but even I thought her couple set was gorgeous. To the point I seriously considered breaking my '17" only' rule for it! Pocahontas was beautiful too, but I'm biased there And as for LA Alice... I think the whole line was desperately underrated. I get that the movie(s) weren't popular, and the costume design was a faaaaar cry from normal - especially in comparison to the usual sparkly gowns - but the QUALITY. I haven't seen either film, but these dolls have launched into favourite status in my collection thanks to the excellent construction and phenomenal attention to detail. I... just... they're so great you guys! <3

I feel like all of Tiana's dolls are underrated. They are all so gorgeous and well done. Her 17 inch doll is stunning. It's a shame Tiana isn't more popular because Disney always does a great job with her.

Mcandy said:

Underrated: the red queen- shes so movie accurate. I think shes prettier than alice even. She looks so alive like what you see on tv and anytime might go out of her box and say "off with her head!" Lol shes very detailed as well.

Overrated: beauty and the beast platinum. Ok they look so beautiful and perfect. The problem is they look exactly like the designer belle and beast only taller. I just find it ridiculous. Still, they are indeed a beautiful set

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I agree with you that the Red Queen LE is underrated. She, and her box, are very beautifully detailed and she really has a dark, quirky beauty.

I would say all the platinums are overrated because I find they have barely more detail than the LE dolls (in fact, I expect that level of detail on an LE doll) and Disney's prices are bizarrely high to the point I feel shocked and offended.

I especially feel this way as I have non-Disney LE dolls that are made of truly top quality materials (hand-painted porcelain, glass eyes, real velvet, silk, peals, and gold thread, etc) for around $100, and meanwhile the platinum sets are totally made from petroleum products (e.g., polyester satin, plastic 'pearls,' I'm not saying something's wrong with those materials, but it is not expensive so wow so barefaced to charge so much), again I feel just barely more ornate than LE which are already at the limit of what is plausible for them to charge.

I don't judge or mean to offend the people who buy them of course because we all have our unique tastes and I'd never say, "well, I wouldn't pay nearly that much for XYZ so you oughtn't either" (a rude and ignorant type of comment many doll collectors get in general), but it does make me dislike Disney more, every time they release a new platinum.

Elphaba said:

I agree with you that the Red Queen LE is underrated. She, and her box, are very beautifully detailed and she really has a dark, quirky beauty.

I would say all the platinums are overrated because I find they have barely more detail than the LE dolls (in fact, I expect that level of detail on an LE doll) and Disney's prices are bizarrely high to the point I feel shocked and offended.

I especially feel this way as I have non-Disney LE dolls that are made of truly top quality materials (hand-painted porcelain, glass eyes, real velvet, silk, peals, and gold thread, etc) for around $100, and meanwhile the platinum sets are totally made from petroleum products (e.g., polyester satin, plastic 'pearls,' I'm not saying something's wrong with those materials, but it is not expensive so wow so barefaced to charge so much), again I feel just barely more ornate than LE which are already at the limit of what is plausible for them to charge.

I don't judge or mean to offend the people who buy them of course because we all have our unique tastes and I'd never say, "well, I wouldn't pay nearly that much for XYZ so you oughtn't either" (a rude and ignorant type of comment many doll collectors get in general), but it does make me dislike Disney more, every time they release a new platinum.

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have you seen the platinum beast in all his naked glory? Lol 750 dollars and the beast has a body like that? To think people were complaining how gaston doesnt look muscular enough when this doll is a lot worst..

I guess he would be too top-heavy to stand if they made his upper body movie accurate big. He would have to stand on all four and to recreate the dance scene would be quite difficult.

I wish I could see all these dolls in person just once.

Platium set Beast looked to me a bit like a hamster. It might be his outfit though...

Elphaba said:

I would say all the platinums are overrated because I find they have barely more detail than the LE dolls (in fact, I expect that level of detail on an LE doll) and Disney's prices are bizarrely high to the point I feel shocked and offended.

I especially feel this way as I have non-Disney LE dolls that are made of truly top quality materials (hand-painted porcelain, glass eyes, real velvet, silk, peals, and gold thread, etc) for around $100, and meanwhile the platinum sets are totally made from petroleum products (e.g., polyester satin, plastic 'pearls,' I'm not saying something's wrong with those materials, but it is not expensive so wow so barefaced to charge so much), again I feel just barely more ornate than LE which are already at the limit of what is plausible for them to charge.

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Yeah, it kind of bugs me when people try to rationalise those sets as "having way more detail!" or "made from higher quality materials!" because... they're just not. And the more often it's said, the more people start thinking they're paying for a product they're simply not getting. The platinums are exactly the same as the 'regular' LEs, the only reason Disney is charging that much is because they've seen the second market and know how much people will shell out for rarity/desirability. I'm not judging people who do buy them either - I'm the crazy lady that bought all of them! (plz send help). But yeah, that definitely has to be a purchase because the exclusive character/outfit/edition size means that much to you. Not because of a perceived raise in quality. (Remember when the Harrods sets came out and everyone was appalled because those were the dolls we should have gotten at $100 in the first place? Good times )

Meritre said:

I guess he would be too top-heavy to stand if they made his upper body movie accurate big. He would have to stand on all four and to recreate the dance scene would be quite difficult.

I wish I could see all these dolls in person just once.

Platium set Beast looked to me a bit like a hamster. It might be his outfit though...

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His bulk is due to the padding from his clothing..when you see him naked youd see that he has an unmuscular built...unmuscular human chest at that...