Blythe dolls, with their distinctive oversized heads and large eyes, have a unique history in the world of collectibles. They were first brought to life by designer Alison Katzman in 1972 and produced by Kenner. The original line introduced eight dolls, each with one of four hair colors: blonde, red, brunette, and raven. The blonde and raven-haired dolls were only available in one edition, while the red and brunette-haired dolls had three variants each. Despite their novel design, the original Blythe dolls were not a hit and disappeared from shelves within a year. It wasn't until decades later that Blythe found a cult following, spurred by photographer Gina Garan's use of them in her work which brought the dolls back into the public eye. This renewed interest led the Ashton Drake Gallery, a US company, to produce Blythe replicas for the American market. These replicas, however, did not resonate as strongly as the Japanese versions. In Japan, Takara began producing Neo Blythe dolls in 2001, which were loosely based on the 1972 originals and became immensely popular. Takara also expanded the Blythe family with Petite Blythe in 2002, standing at 11.2cm tall, and later with Middle Blythe in 2010, described as "Not too big, not too small," at 20cm tall. While Takara's Blythe dolls were beloved, they were not without issues, and many collectors hoped for improvements in quality. In 2021, the Good Smile Company took over production from Takara, introducing an updated mold for Blythe dolls and sparking hope among collectors for the resolution of past quality issues. Ashton Drake, on the other hand, ceased their production of Blythe dolls in 2008 after releasing 12 different dolls. Throughout the years, Blythe dolls have evolved from a short-lived toy in the 70s to a collector's icon, with a passionate community and a rich history of production changes and company handovers.