A List of Asian Dolls

Someone recently asked me about the different Asian dolls available to the average buyer, because it didn't look like there were many. There are probably less than there should be, but there are definitely many beautiful Asian dolls out there if you know what you're looking for. I've decided to gather all the information I have on these dolls in one easily accessed place. This list is my no means complete, as I only have my own personal knowledge to go on. But I have been researching dolls for a while now and have accumulated a list of at least some of the most common and obtainable Asian dolls on the primary and secondary market.

American Girl #4


American Girl Just Like You #4
American Girl #4 goes all the way back to 1995 when she originally made her debut as the first "Asian-American Girl." Her face mold is unique; no other AG has it. Her eyes are very dark brown, her long, straight, fringed hair is black. Her vinyl skin color is slightly more sallow than Caucasian AG dolls. She was retired in 2011, so she is only available on the secondary markets like eBay. One can expect to pay $70 - $100 for an AG #4  in good condition.

American Girl Ivy Ling

American Girl Ivy Ling
Ivy Ling is an American Girl "Best Friend." She was released with Historical Character Julie Albright in 2007. Ivy uses a modified version of a face mold that was first used for Jess McConnell. Ivy has light skin and brown eyes. She has straight, brownish-black shoulder-length hair with bangs/ fringe. Ivy was retired in 2014. She can be found on the secondary market for about $120 - $180 or more, though lower prices occasionally happen.

For those looking for "multiracial Asian" American Girl dolls, both Jess McConnell  ( Japanese and Scotch-Irish descent) and Kanini Akina ( Japanese-Hawaiian and French-German descent) are available, though retired. They also use this mold.


JESS (L) AND KANANI (R) MULTIRACIAL ASIAN DOLLS

There are also always at least several different "Truly Me" Asian American Girl dolls available through the American Girl doll site. They currently retail for $115.


TRULY ME ASIAN AMERICAN GIRL

Our Generation May Lee and Suyin

Our Generation May Lee
Our Generation recently released Asian May Lee, soon followed by Suyin, each of whom have an original Our Generation face sculpt. May has long black hair in pigtails and bangs. Suyin has medium length black hair in pigtails and a side part.

Previous to May Lee and Suyin, Our Generation may have offered few or no Asian dolls, although they are currently both sold through Target and retail for about $25. However not every Target store will carry them and they may need to be ordered through Target's website.

Battat, the company behind the Our Generation dolls, previously offered at least one other Asian doll that is rare to find today. Her name is unknown. She had light skin, brown eyes, and black fringed hair. She can sometimes be found on the secondary market for varying prices.


VINTAGE BATTAT ASIAN DOLL

Battat may possibly have offered other Asian dolls besides this one.

Madame Alexander Dolls

Madame Alexander Asian Dolls
Madame Alexander has several Asian dolls to choose from. One of them, a "Favorite Friends" doll with ivory skin, brown eyes, and long, black hair, is retired but can be found on the secondary market for about $10 - $50. Also, a blue-green-eyed fringed "My Life" version of this doll is also available from Walmart, retailing for about $30. She can cost more on secondary markets.


BLUE-GREEN EYED MY LIFE DOLL

Madame Alexander also offered Asian "Play Wonder" doll "Layla," one of two or three "Play Wonder" dolls.  "Play Wonder" dolls have slightly older features compared to other MA 18" dolls, more closely resembling teenagers. They even come with fingernail/toenail polish to enhance the "older girl" idea. Layla, like her Playwonder bffs, was originally sold through Target beginning in 2011. Today she can sometimes be found on Amazon for about $30, and also on the secondary markets for varying (and sometimes inflated) prices.


MADAME ALEXANDER "FAVORITE FRIENDS" ASIAN DOLL AND "PLAY WONDER" LAYLA
 

Journey Girl Callie

Journey Girl Callie
Callie is Journey Girls' contribution to the Asian doll market. She has a unique face mold from other Journey Girls. She has medium-light skin, brown eyes, and long, straight black hair (the only Journey Girl who has completely straight hair). Callie also has an alternate version offered with fringe/ bangs. She currently retails at Toys R Us for about $40. She can also be gotten on the secondary market for about $30.


ALTERNATE VERSION OF JG CALLIE

Gotz Precious Day Kimberly | Pottery Barn Kids Mei

Gotz Precious Day Kimberly | Pottery Barn Kids Mei
In 2002, Gotz added several 18" girl dolls to their Precious Day collection, one of them being Asian pouty-faced Kimberly. Kimberly has light skin, dark brown eyes, and long, thick brownish-black hair with bangs. She was retired after only two years so she can sometimes be difficult to find, but she does occasionally show up on secondary markets like eBay. Her cost will vary, usually between $30 - $100.

A very similar doll is Pottery Barn Kids Limited Edition Mei from China, also by Gotz. Mei uses the same face mold as Kimberly, with a slightly slimmer, slightly lower quality Pottery Barn Kids body. Her thinner hair comes styled into two, high, side buns, and is shoulder-length and layered when taken down. Mei, like Kimberly, is retired and difficult to find. Her secondary market cost when in new condition runs similar to Kimberly's, about $30 - $100.

  
GOTZ PD KIMBERLY AND PBK MEI FROM CHINA

Today's Girl Leah

Today's Girl Leah
Today's Girl at CP Toys offers two 18" Asian dolls, Leah and Limited Edition Mia. The dolls use the same face mold but come in different outfits. They retail for $39 at the CP Toys site. Incidentally, Leah and Mia have a Canadian twin: Newberry's Asian Lily, sold only through Newberry in Canada (no US shipping) for Asian doll seekers up north. Lily retails for $29 CAD.


TODAY'S GIRL LIMITED EDITION MIA | CANADIAN NEWBERRY LILY

Best Friends Club, Ink. Yuko

Best Friends Club Yuko
Best Friends Club, Ink. Yuko is one of the rarest of the retired BFC dolls. She can however still be found on Amazon and on secondary market sites like eBay. Yuko has long black hair and brown eyes. Her face mold is unique. BFC, Ink. dolls are frequently cited as being suitable for older kids and for adult collectors, due to their complex and possibly fragile, highly articulated 18" bodies. So be prepared to shell out around $100 for a new-condition Yuko, though her price can easily range in the $200s.

Adora Friends Jasmine and 4Ever Friends Lily

Adora Friends Jasmine and 4Ever Friends Lily
Adora makes Asian dolls in both of their 18" "Friends" collection: Jasmine from "Friends" and Lily from "4ever Friends." Jasmine has a unique face mold but Lily has occasionally shared her face mold with her Caucasian 4Ever Friends buddies. Jasmine and Lily can be found at some toy outlets but more reliably from online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. They can usually be bought for about $30 - $70, although the asking price can be higher. This is more often the case with Jasmine.

    
JASMINE and LILY

Global Friends Mariko and Mei Ling

Global Friends Mariko and Mei Ling
13" Global Friends debuted in the late 1990s with 13 (?) dolls, two of whom were Asian: Mariko from Japan, and Mei Ling from China. Both dolls have light beige skin and brown eyes. They share a common face mold with all the other Global Friends dolls. Mei Ling has long, straight black hair originally clipped into hair ornaments. Mariko's black hair is cut in a shorter, bob hairstyle. The dolls are now retired and can be difficult to get, but they will occasionally show up on secondary markets like eBay for about $30 or $70 (sometimes less).

Hearts 4 Hearts Tipi

Hearts 4 Hearts Tipi
13" Hearts 4 Hearts Girls Tipi is a little bit unique in that she comes from Laos in South East Asia, a region which isn't often represented in Asian play dolls. She has long black hair and brown eyes, and her vinyl is light tan as opposed to the usual pale-skinned Asian doll. Her face mold in unique. H4H dolls debuted around 2011 (?) but can be difficult to find at retail stores today. They can still be found at online markets like Amazon and eBay, typically for about $40 - $80, sometimes more. They can also be purchased in used condition on secondary markets for less. Tipi in particular can be hard to find and usually costs more than the average H4H, about $50 - $125, though a diligent buyer may find her for less. 

Paola Reina Mei, Lis, and Lui

Las Reinas Mei
Spanish doll manufacturer Paola Reina offers three Asian dolls from among their collections: Las Reinas (The Queens) Mei, Soy Tu (I am You) Lis, and Las Amigas (The Friends) Lui. Mei is the largest at 23.6" (60cm). Lis is in the middle at 15.7" (40cm) and little Lui is the smallest at 12.5" (32 cm).

The dolls are available in Europe and the Americas from their respective Paola Reina websites. Mei retails for about $115 (USD). Lis retails for about $60 (USD) and Lui retails for about $44 (USD). The dolls are also available from online markets like Amazon, Etsy, or eBay, though with generally inflated prices. 

  
SOY TU LIS

 
LAS AMIGAS LUI

Make Me Your Friend Lily

Make Me Your Friend Lily
Hobby Lobby formally had "Do-it-yourself-poseable-18"-doll-kits in four different models of different ethnicities. The Asian doll's name was Lily. Lily has long black hair (originally caught in high pigtails that might leave permanent bends in the doll's hair) with somewhat sparse hair plugs. She has pale sallow skin and brown eyes. Her face mold is unique among the other MMYF dolls. The assembled body looks very similar to that of Springfield dolls, but with a long Velcro closure in the back.

Hobby Lobby retired these dolls kits a few years ago, so Lily may be difficult to find. Some of her doll-kit friends may occasionally show up on the secondary market for between $10 and $30 (original un-assembled price was $20) but Lily is extremely rare. (My Lily is the only one I have seen in a year and a half of browsing the markets. She was purchased for $15 in like-new condition.)

Kidz 'n' Cats Miu

Kidz 'n' Cats Miu
Mui is the Kidz 'n' Cats contribution to the Asian doll market. She does not have uniquely a Asian face sculpt however, as she shares the "pouty" face mold with several of her Caucasian KnC friends, including Alyssa, Mareike, and Amelie. She is an 18" slim doll, full vinyl, and has 11 joints for maximum articulation. This makes her ideal for both kids and adult collectors. Mui has medium skin, black fringed hair, and brown eyes. She can be bought on popular online doll markets, including eBay, for a steep $160 - $180 or more.

Carpetina Ana Ming

Carpetina Ana Ming
There are two "Asian" Carpetina dolls, Ana Ming and Kohanna. Ana Ming is of Chinese ancestry with light skin, long black hair, and brown eyes. She retails from the Carpetina website for about $85. Kohanna is less of a standard Asian doll and more of a anime-type Japanese school girl so she does not have typical Asian characteristics.  Her hair is light brown/ auburn and her eyes are hazel. She also retails for about $85 from the Carpetina website. Both Ana Ming and Kohanna are slim 18" dolls


JAPANESE SCHOOL GIRL KOHANNA

Tenderhearts Girls Olivia

Tenderhearts Girls Olivia
Paradise Galleries' Tenderhearts Girls are five dolls of (mostly) different ethnicities, with Olivia being the Asian doll. She stands about 17" tall, and like her Tenderhearts pals she has a non-jointed cloth body fitted with an armature for poseability. (Only her arms above the elbows and feet above the ankles are vinyl.) She has long black hair with bangs/ fringe, worn in two braids. Her eyes are brown. She shares a face mold with her Tenderhearts friend Maria. Her original retail price was $50. She is now retired and can be very hard to find.

One or two of Olivia's Tenderhearts friends will sometimes make an appearance on eBay used, though Olivia seems very rare. Amazon however will sometimes sell Tenderhearts Girls, including Olivia, for about $30, brand new.

Karito Kids Wan Ling

Karito Kids Wan Ling
Wan Ling from China is the Asian Karito Kid doll. She was introduced in 2007 with the other five Karitos. Karito Kids are 21" tall but close to most 18" dolls in their general width. Ling has light tan or beige skin, brown eyes, and straight black hair with bangs/ fringe. She has a vinyl chest plate so she can wear thin shoulder straps, and her head also pivots on its neck.

Ling was retired in 2011, so she can't be bought retail anymore. But she does make the rounds on the secondary markets fairly frequently where she can be bought new or used for $35 - $100 (or more). She can also be found new in online shops like Amazon, though her price there is somewhat inflated.

My Twinn Asian Dolls

My Twinn Dolls Berkeley and Cai
My Twinn offers a number of Asian face sculpts in both the 23" and 18" size. All of the dolls are now retired as My Twinn has closed down their website, but some can be found on the secondary markets for a wide range of prices, depending on the condition of the doll. Some of these dolls are quite rare, others are less rare. Only a search through the secondary marketplace will reveal which dolls can be found. A buyer can expect to pay anywhere from $20 to $200 or more.


18" MY TWINN
Some of the 18" versions of the 23" dolls (which My Twin debuted in 2013 to compete with the popular 18" doll market) can also be difficult find. At the time of this writing, certain 18" Asian Twinns, like Cai and Berkeley, may be more common on the secondary market, while others, such as Kim and Pearl, may be less common. Some of the remaining 18" Asian Twinns, if they even exist, may be extremely rare.



FAO Schwartz Avery and Gotz Asian Hannah

FAO Schwartz Avery and Gotz Asian Hannah
FAO Schwatz Asian Avery (by Gotz) and Gotz Asian Hannah use essentially the same Gotz Asian model. The main difference is in their hairstyle. Avery's straight black hair is worn in a chin-length bob, either with or without bangs/ fringe. Asian Hannah has much longer, wavy black hair with bangs/ fringe. They each have brown eyes and medium tan and/or light tan skin, and their face paint may vary slightly. They are slim 18" vinyl dolls.

Avery, who is now retired by FAO Schwartz, can be easily found used on the secondary market for about $30 - $60. Asian Hannah is available from the Gotz website and other online doll markets for about $130 - $150. She can also be found new on the secondary market for about the same price.

Maplelea Friends Dolls

Maplelea KMF9 and KMF10
While the original Maplelea girls don't include an Asian doll among them (so far) two 18" Asian "Maplelea Friends" are available for purchase, KMF9 and KMF10. KMF9 has medium light skin, brown eyes, and long, straight, dark brown hair worn with bangs/fringe. KMF10 has medium light skin, brown eyes, and medium length dark brown hair with an off-center part. Both dolls cost about $100 CAD ($76 USD) from the Maplelea site, though they can also be bought at other online market places like Amazon or eBay for somewhat inflated prices.

Heidi Ott Jade (?)

Heidi Ott Jade (?)
Heidi Ott offered an 18" Asian doll who was part of the un-jointed, cloth-bodied Faithful Friends collection and whose name may (or may not) have been Jade. She is extremely rare, so details are scarce. She had light skin, dark eyes, and long, uncharacteristically-Asian, wavy brown hair. Below are other images of a "Jade" who was re-wigged to look more Asian. She can very, very rarely be found on secondary market sites and usually for no less than about $75 and upward of $100 and more.