Boy Dolls

Paola Reina Unai

Paola Reina Unai
Paola Reina released their18" Every Girl collection in May of 2015, which in spite of the name contained one boy: Unai.

Unai, like his Every Girl friends, has a special ability to bend and pose in almost limitless ways. While he has a cloth body and vinyl arms and legs and five points of articulation similar to American Girl dolls, his cloth body (which incidentally is white rather than flesh-toned) also has an armature that allows his arms and legs to bend in more natural directions than just forward and backwards. Unai can cross his arms over his chest or hold something in his hands for instance. This allows him to pose more realistically than most 18" dolls.



Unai has brown rooted hair and blue open/close eyes. He retails for about $80 USD on the Paola Reina site.

Molly P Originals Bobby and Dylan

Molly P. Originals Bobby and Dylan
In 2013, Me and Molly P dolls debuted their 18" Fashion Doll collection, which included two boys, Bobby and Dylan. 


TOY FAIR 2013. DYLAN AND BOBBY

They are soft-bodied articulated dolls like American Girl. Both have blue eyes and rooted hair, though Dylan is blond while Bobby is brown-haired. Bobby comes with a preppy button-up shirt, sweater, and red hooded jacket. Dylan is the rebel and wears a sweatshirt, black hooded jacket, and a brown beanie. All Molly P Fashion Dolls use same face sculpt (though it may have changed slightly since the dolls' debut).


MOLLY P BOBBY


MOLLY P DYLAN




It's unclear if Molly P's Fashion Dolls are retired; their website seems to be suspended. They are difficult to find but will sometimes show up on Amazon or other online markets. They can also be found on eBay (though often for inflated prices). Bobby shows up much more often than Dylan. Their cost can range wildly, anywhere from $25 to $125.

Best Friends Club, Ink CJ

Best Friends Club, Ink CJ
Best Friends Club, Ink debuted in late 2009 with their friendship-themed 18" super slim vinyl dolls. CJ, the only boy in the group, who's there to give "a boy's perspective" on things," may not have appeared until 2010 however. According to his BFC journal he loves skateboarding as well as most sports. His actual name is Charles James.



CJ, like other BFCs is a hyper jointed slim/ skinny doll. He bends at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, and also torso. Some Ball-jointed doll collectors have compared CJ and other BFCs to the very poseable BJDs. CJ has sandy blonde hair that is purposely styled "messy" and hazel-green eyes.



CJ looks surprisingly boyish; in other words, he's tousled and cute rather than pretty like some boy dolls. He originally came packed with a backpack, a skateboard and his journal.



CJ is definitely one of the rarer BFCs. When he does appear on markets like eBay, Etsy, and Amazon, his price reflects it. One might have to pay about $120 - $200 for a mint condition CJ, though he may go for somewhat less based on individual sellers.

Heidi Ott Boys

Heidi Ott Benjamin
Heidi Ott dolls were sold by Target in 1996 and later directly by Heidi Ott in 1999. Out of the ten historically-themed dolls, four were boys, most of which are very difficult to find today. Fortunately one of the boys, Benjamin, is fairly easy to track down on eBay or other secondary markets. He comes in a variety of themes and outfits like the other Heidi Otts. He was sold as the brother of lookalike Heidi Ott girl Beth.


HEIDI OTT BENJAMIN

The other boys, Jacob, Daniel, and Willy, are extremely rare and almost never show up on the secondary market. (In a year and a half of searching almost daily, I have seen one or two pop up only twice.) There seems to be a small amount of confusion on the internet (and from sellers) about which boy is whom. Based on a few solid sources and the age-old process of elimination, I've narrowed it down to some likely matches. (I don't guarantee them to be 100% accurate.)


HEIDI OTT BOYS: JACOB (left) and DANIEL (right)


HEIDI OTTS: WILLIE, BEN, DANIEL

Heidi Ott dolls stand about 19" tall. They have soft-standing, non articulated, tightly stuffed cloth bodies with vinyl extremities that start at the elbow and thigh. They need a little help from a doll stand (or wall) to stand. The boys come in a range of hair and eye colors from pale blond and blue eyes (Ben) to dark brown/black hair and brown eyes (Willy). Their wigged hair quality is slightly less than dolls like American Girl, but perhaps better than others. They range in price from about $10 to about $40 commonly, although their asking price is occasionally higher. Some Mint in Box dolls may command upward of $100.

Carpatina Prince Stephan

Carpatina Prince Stephan
In late 2015 "Prince" Stephan joined Carpatina's unique 18" dolls as the third "boy" in their collection. With his youthful good looks and impish grin, he stands in contrast to Carpatina's earlier "boys" Adam and Carter, who some have suggested resemble 30-year-old men rather than boys. Still the different models may to appeal to different tastes.

 
CARPATINA ADAM and CARTER

Stephan, like other Carpatinas, is a slim-body vinyl doll. He has brown hair and dark greenish brown eyes. He may stand slightly taller than 18" based on his juxtaposed pictures with 18" Carpatina girls.



He comes dressed in lavish, princely garb and retails on the Carpatina site for $108 - $128. Adam and Carter, also available from Carpatina, retail for $89.


Battat Jack

Battat Collectors Lane Kids Jack
Jack was part of Battat's original Collectors Lane Kids line which preceded their current Our Generation doll collection. Jack was one of five Collectors Lane dolls, and the only boy. Jack also shares the distinction of being the only Battat 18" boy doll to date.

  


JACK IN DIFFERENT STARTER OUTFITS

Jack has blue eyes that tend towards "shiny" in certain light, and blond wigged hair that tends to frizz badly over time. Fortunately he can be easily re-wigged and many collectors have done so, often giving him darker hair to match his slightly tan or beige complexion. He has a cloth and vinyl articulated body like Our Generation dolls.  He comes dressed in one of many different starter outfits.

Since he is retired, he can sometimes be elusive, although he does show up on secondary markets like eBay with semi-regularity. For a Jack in mint condition, the cost can sometimes range on the high side of $100, although he is frequently found in fair condition for much less. His asking price usually runs from $20 to $70.

Gotz Peter and Johann

Peter and Johann Gotz
You're not seeing double! Gotz boys Peter and Johann are two 19.5" slim vinyl dolls who use the Gotz "Hannah" mold. They are very similar to one another, right down to their lookalike Lederhosen and matching shoes, although Peter wears tan while Johann wears gray. They also have different colored shirts and neckerchiefs.



While they might look identical at first glance, they have telltale differences. Peter's hair is golden brown and very fine textured compared to Johann's thicker, auburn toned brown hair. Johann's skin is slightly rosier. They both have brown, fixed eyes. They are probably the most "beautiful" boy dolls on the market, although they are not always easy to find.

 
GOTZ TWINS JOHANN and PETER

Both boys are retired but will periodically show up on eBay and other secondary markets. They can be pricey, about $100 on the average, but can also be purchased for much less, depending on the doll's condition or the random seller's discretion. Johann actually tends to be more costly as he is a limited edition doll with only 3000 made; however, his cost does not always reflect it, and he can on the rare occasion be bought for less than Peter.

Kidz 'n' Cats Boys

Kidz 'n' Cats Alister and Jakob
Collector quality Kidz n Cats dolls by artist Sonja Hartman are a collection of stunning dolls, not the least of which are their boy dolls. Two of the latest KnC boys are Alister and Jakob, recently joined by Robert. Kidz 'n' Cats have actually released a number of boys since their inception in 2011, with new ones released every year. Some of these may be difficult to find today.

Kidz 'n' Cats have several different face molds, with new ones occasionally offered. Both Alister and Jakob share sculpts with previous boys Mike, Tim, and Bobo. Robbie shares a mold with Limited Edition Phillip. Kidz 'n' Cats' newest boy Robert has a unique mold (so far).


MIKE, TIM, AND LIMITED EDITION PHILLIP


ROBERT AND ROBBIE

KnC are 18" slim vinyl dolls with 11 (originally 9) points of articulation. They are proportioned very differently from many other 18in dolls in that they have longer legs and arms, and much smaller, less stylized heads. Their overall proportions are more realistic.


KIDZ 'N' CATS BOBO

They seem to be as popular for adult collectors as they are for children, due to their beautiful, artistic design and complex articulation. Alister, Jakob, and Robert can be purchased from online doll retailers carrying the Kidz 'n' Cats brand or the secondary markets, while their earlier companions may only be found on secondary markets, if at all. Kidz 'n' Cats retails for a hefty $150-$170, although they can be much more expensive, depending where you buy.

My Pal | My Sibling

My Pal for MY School and My Sibling Matty
My Pal | My Sibling dolls offer 18" dolls that help raise awareness for issues; autism and disabilities for My Sibling, and important themes like being thankful, promoting peace, caring for the environment, patriotism, and so forth for My Pal.



The very unique thing about My Pal | My Sibling is that they offer more boy dolls than girl dolls, the only play doll company that does so. They also offer a larger quantity of ethnic boy dolls, so if you are looking for something other than your typical fair-skinned, blue-eyed doll, My Pal | My Sibling may have it. They don't seem to offer any obviously Asian dolls, but AA, Hispanic/medium skinned, as well as Caucasian are readily available.


My Pal | My Sibling Boys


My Pal for Autism Awareness

MY Pal My Sibling dolls use the Lotus head and body type, also used by Today's Girl, My London Girl, and the New York Collection, among others. They are cloth and vinyl articulated, like American Girl. Like the now retired New York Collection, they are unique among other Lotus dolls in that they have open/close eyes. The dolls, many with unique, curly hair, are some of the more popular off-brands of boy dolls, and My Pal | My Sibling seem to have found a niche that works for them. They sell for about $45-$50 from the My Pal | My Sibling website.

Harmony Club Dolls Cameron and Mason

HCD Cameron and Mason
Harmony Club Dolls formerly offered these 18" boy dolls before changing out their stock. They are American Girl size, with cloth bodies and articulated arms and legs, although the body is slightly inferior to American Girl dolls. They have fixed eyes and decent quality wigs. They are also some of the best-looking boy dolls on the market, although they are retired and can be hard to find. They originally retailed for $80.


CAMERON and MASON


Harmony Club previously offered several other boy dolls, most of whom used the Cameron mold. Another boy doll with the Mason mold was recently offered on their site. Whether or not these dolls had official names is unknown.


HARMONY CLUB BOYS WITH THE CAMERON AND MASON MOLD


HC BOY and CAMERON

Harmony Club has also created custom boys (below) from their current stock of dolls and offers them for sale at a price of about $100.


CURRENT HARMONY CLUB BOY

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