How is MH Doing? Popularity, Sales, Overall, etc.

[Morieris]

The Mh section of the stores around here are so tiny. Even with the resets of target and walmart there is barely anything but the cheap dolls.

Funny thing I walked by the Mh section the other day and a little girl was looking at the dolls and she had shriekwrecked catrine in her hand and was saying 'I want the dolls that move like this one..' meaning the articulation.  I feel ya girl. We all do. Even little kids care about the cheapness

It's not that kids don't like articulation but that parents were tired of having to replace the doll when the joints snapped or the arms got lost. I've seen so many broken or missing an arm or two MH dolls while thrifting. That's probably why DCSHG are more popular now. They are just as jointed and sturdy enough to handle rough play.

The joints are even improved on the newer dolls, and they feel good. Not to the standard of DHSHG, but I agree that the originals were too flimsy. Thing is, Mattel has maybe one articulated doll for every two that aren't.

[SaelaVe]

It's not that kids don't like articulation but that parents were tired of having to replace the doll when the joints snapped or the arms got lost. I've seen so many broken or missing an arm or two MH dolls while thrifting. That's probably why DCSHG are more popular now. They are just as jointed and sturdy enough to handle rough play.

And, as a mom, one thing that drives me nuts is having to put dolls back together all the time for my kid because she can't get the wrists to snap into place on her own.  She's never broken any of her dolls, but she has a difficult time reattaching the hands when she's redressing them.  It gets to be annoying pretty fast. lol

[Dosneko]

It's not that kids don't like articulation but that parents were tired of having to replace the doll when the joints snapped or the arms got lost. I've seen so many broken or missing an arm or two MH dolls while thrifting. That's probably why DCSHG are more popular now. They are just as jointed and sturdy enough to handle rough play.

And, as a mom, one thing that drives me nuts is having to put dolls back together all the time for my kid because she can't get the wrists to snap into place on her own.  She's never broken any of her dolls, but she has a difficult time reattaching the hands when she's redressing them.  It gets to be annoying pretty fast. lol

I think they could have kept the articulation but just removed the "removal" property. Aka more like the made to move Barbie's. Granted the joints wouldn't be as pretty per say but since that's how the Frightfully tall dolls work, I wouldn't mind so much.

[DogMom]

On recent trips:

Target: Several Targets in northern Chicago area had a few of the Monster High family dolls, one had a couple of Treesas and some of the Garden Ghouls, plus several of each of the budget basic dolls. MH section very small. I don't think I saw ANY EAH.

TRU: Niles IL store - better luck here - a nice variety of Electrified, budget/basic, Welcome to Monster High, some Shriekwrecked with about 10 Daynas, a few Frightmares, some Minis and blind boxes, the bus, several SW Gooliopes on sale for $15 I think, plus a few singles and oddments - the Amanita/Cleo 2-pack, the Djinni Whisp I (heart) Fashion, the Moanica d'Kay/Draculaura 2-pack (clearanced to $3.98! Score!), the Clawdeen/Clawd football 2-pack, and the Sugar and Scream cafe set (also clearanced, to $10!). Same store had only one end cap display of EAH.

I totally get how annoying it can be to have to constantly replace the hands/arms for children. But perhaps that's the price to pay for the unique, claw & splayed-out hands. Is the alternative 'Barbie hands' that won't catch fingers in little sleeves?

I've also noticed the reboot dolls seem sturdier - I adore my Ghoul's Beast Pet Cleo, even though she looks DRAMATICALLY different when compared side-by-side with a pre-reboot Cleo. I like her on her own, and her joints seem a lot firmer and the doll as a whole seems sturdier than original Cleos, not necessarily a bad thing. I do think she's lost some of her Egyptian-ness, and is looking more homogenized.

[Lhianneth]

It's not that kids don't like articulation but that parents were tired of having to replace the doll when the joints snapped or the arms got lost. I've seen so many broken or missing an arm or two MH dolls while thrifting. That's probably why DCSHG are more popular now. They are just as jointed and sturdy enough to handle rough play.

And, as a mom, one thing that drives me nuts is having to put dolls back together all the time for my kid because she can't get the wrists to snap into place on her own.  She's never broken any of her dolls, but she has a difficult time reattaching the hands when she's redressing them.  It gets to be annoying pretty fast. lol

I think they could have kept the articulation but just removed the "removal" property. Aka more like the made to move Barbie's. Granted the joints wouldn't be as pretty per say but since that's how the Frightfully tall dolls work, I wouldn't mind so much.

They have tried that. The new Venus dolls are all that way, and a few of the other new releases look like they'll be that way, too (previews of Dance Class Cleo/Ballet Line Cleo from SDCC had the same joints). There are two issues with them:

1. Monster High doll parts are highly exaggerated and more expressive than most fashion dolls. The hands are very big compared to the wrists. This makes redressing complicated if there are any sleeves (unlike Barbie, for example, whose hands tend to be a single "cupped" shape and not have individual fingers other than the thumb for most releases). Having a bunch of dresses with nothing but cap sleeves or tank tops is where we're already headed with the non-articulated dolls, and it's kind of boring. The hands on the non-articulated dolls are also less expressively sculpted to make up for this, already.

2. The method they chose for the non-removable joints for Venus is really quite bad. They don't seem to have spent long enough in R&D with this one, because the joints aren't the right size. The pegs that go into the arms are too large, and leave the limbs looking swollen and disjointed. They also stick out, such that the doll doesn't have a continuous limb when the arm or leg is straight (gapsgapsgaps).

[AllHallowsEve]

Our local toysrus annoys me, they have some nice stuff but it's way overpriced. They recently randomly increased the already high prices on MH dolls that have been sitting there for months clearly not selling

[RochelleGoyleFanatic]

I didn't even bother to check the toy isle when i went shopping. This is a first. 

[Dosneko]

2. The method they chose for the non-removable joints for Venus is really quite bad. They don't seem to have spent long enough in R&D with this one, because the joints aren't the right size. The pegs that go into the arms are too large, and leave the limbs looking swollen and disjointed. They also stick out, such that the doll doesn't have a continuous limb when the arm or leg is straight (gapsgapsgaps).

Interesting, I haven't unboxed any of the new Venus's that I've purchased yet so I've not paid attention to the joints. I'll have to take a look.

[Lhianneth]

2. The method they chose for the non-removable joints for Venus is really quite bad. They don't seem to have spent long enough in R&D with this one, because the joints aren't the right size. The pegs that go into the arms are too large, and leave the limbs looking swollen and disjointed. They also stick out, such that the doll doesn't have a continuous limb when the arm or leg is straight (gapsgapsgaps).

Interesting, I haven't unboxed any of the new Venus's that I've purchased yet so I've not paid attention to the joints. I'll have to take a look.

There's been discussion of the body on a few threads, particularly here:
http://mharena.com/index.php/topic,13724.msg278757.html#msg278757

Wardah posted a thread on how to shorten the elbow and wrist pegs so that they sit better here:
http://mharena.com/index.php/topic,14508.msg291605.html#msg291605

But you can see some of the joints' gaps on other dolls, such as the family line and upcoming Ballet, too:
http://mharena.com/index.php/topic,13390.msg292272.html#msg292272 (elbows and knees are particularly visible in this photo)
http://mharena.com/index.php/topic,14471.0.html (elbows on Cleo)

[Sapphire-Light]

No matter the type or lack of articulation looks like it's already too late for MH and EAH 
The MH and EAH has being heavily ignored by little girls in favor of Shopskins, DC Girls and Descendants, I have noticed little girls hardly even spent time at MH and EAH area (who is VERY small now)

For example I went to Walmart and between random discounted G1s  I saw for the first time G2 deluxe dolls in person, they only had Franky and Ari, I was looking at the dolls and a girl around 11 years came and hold an Ari, then she looked at the doll wit a meh face and put her back in the shelves then ignored the rest of the MH dolls and went to the DC Girls area and she was all delighted wit them and picked one Wonder Woman wit the fancy dress

So G2 is a big letdown for little girls as well

[modernmonsterhigh]

Yeah.. I kind of wish they would go back to gen 1. I like the new webisodes too, I hope they find all the original ghouls and mansters ( I hope they bring back howleen too because we haven't seen her at all since ghoul fair )

[Konzern]

Yeah.. I kind of wish they would go back to gen 1. I like the new webisodes too, I hope they find all the original ghouls and mansters ( I hope they bring back howleen too because we haven't seen her at all since ghoul fair )

Howleen's getting at least one doll, she had an SDCC reveal with Cushion.

[modernmonsterhigh]

Yeah.. I kind of wish they would go back to gen 1. I like the new webisodes too, I hope they find all the original ghouls and mansters ( I hope they bring back howleen too because we haven't seen her at all since ghoul fair )

Howleen's getting at least one doll, she had an SDCC reveal with Cushion.

OMG WHERE?!?!? I am getting so hyped! I need to save to buy her ;0;
EDIT: I just saw her. Not a huge fan of the hair or body but I'll just put her hair down or possibly reroot. As for the body I'll rebody her if I really don't like it..

[Jabroniville]

I've definitely seen a major decrease in shelf-space for MH & EAH stuff in Western Canada. The Toys R Us stores went from "aisle of MH; half-aisle of EAH" to "one aisle for both", and now an empty space where EAH was clearanced out. Superstore has reduced EAH to a few facings, and MH only has half of what they once did. Walmart has reduced MH to only a tiny little bit of what they once had- entire half-aisle are down to a few facings.

[Shahaila]

There are hardly any in the Tragets and Walmarts I frequent.  Makes me sad .... but then again, I have not been motivated to buy any in a long time, but I always did like walking by and looking at them.

[Zeowitch]

I've definitely seen a major decrease in shelf-space for MH & EAH stuff in Western Canada. The Toys R Us stores went from "aisle of MH; half-aisle of EAH" to "one aisle for both", and now an empty space where EAH was clearanced out. Superstore has reduced EAH to a few facings, and MH only has half of what they once did. Walmart has reduced MH to only a tiny little bit of what they once had- entire half-aisle are down to a few facings.

Our shops in South Africa hardly has any MH or EAH. You are so lucky if you get anything new. It is so sad. Our exchange rate has become so bad that I can't even afford to buy online. I bought my first doll in over 6 months this weekend, she was on sale. So I know your pain.

[RochelleGoyleFanatic]

2018 is the last

[roseprincess1]

2018 is the last

“The end of a melody is not its goal: but nonetheless, had the melody not reached its end it would not have reached its goal either. A parable.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

If it end it ends it was great while it lasted.. We will always have the dolls that we purchased and the great memories to go with them.

“The splendid thing
about falling apart
silently...
is that
you can start over
as many times
as you like.”
― Sanober Khan, A Thousand Flamingos

and if it ends there will be new things to love... new dolls to entice us and we will always love what once was.

“The most important thing is this: to sacrifice what you are now for what you can become tomorrow.”
― Shannon L. Alder
and be sides.. if it does end.. in the future we may see it again.. better than ever ( star wars anyone? Transformers? Countless other francises that have been re re re re built)

If it ends.. it ends on a good note.. it was fun and positive and we will go on to more great things.
if it doesnt end and all of us nay sayers have to eat our words well that will be great too.
I really am good either way.. it was fun while it lasted.. I'll miss it.. but i look forward to what comes next.

[RochelleGoyleFanatic]

2018 is the last

“The end of a melody is not its goal: but nonetheless, had the melody not reached its end it would not have reached its goal either. A parable.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

If it end it ends it was great while it lasted.. We will always have the dolls that we purchased and the great memories to go with them.

“The splendid thing
about falling apart
silently...
is that
you can start over
as many times
as you like.”
― Sanober Khan, A Thousand Flamingos

and if it ends there will be new things to love... new dolls to entice us and we will always love what once was.

“The most important thing is this: to sacrifice what you are now for what you can become tomorrow.”
― Shannon L. Alder
and be sides.. if it does end.. in the future we may see it again.. better than ever ( star wars anyone? Transformers? Countless other francises that have been re re re re built)

If it ends.. it ends on a good note.. it was fun and positive and we will go on to more great things.
if it doesnt end and all of us nay sayers have to eat our words well that will be great too.
I really am good either way.. it was fun while it lasted.. I'll miss it.. but i look forward to what comes next.

I'm ok with it because we got way too many Ula's, Clawdeen's and Frankie's...I just wish we got more Rochelle's Venus's, Catty's before it ended...

[roseprincess1]

2018 is the last

“The end of a melody is not its goal: but nonetheless, had the melody not reached its end it would not have reached its goal either. A parable.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

If it end it ends it was great while it lasted.. We will always have the dolls that we purchased and the great memories to go with them.

“The splendid thing
about falling apart
silently...
is that
you can start over
as many times
as you like.”
― Sanober Khan, A Thousand Flamingos

and if it ends there will be new things to love... new dolls to entice us and we will always love what once was.

“The most important thing is this: to sacrifice what you are now for what you can become tomorrow.”
― Shannon L. Alder
and be sides.. if it does end.. in the future we may see it again.. better than ever ( star wars anyone? Transformers? Countless other francises that have been re re re re built)

If it ends.. it ends on a good note.. it was fun and positive and we will go on to more great things.
if it doesnt end and all of us nay sayers have to eat our words well that will be great too.
I really am good either way.. it was fun while it lasted.. I'll miss it.. but i look forward to what comes next.

I'm ok with it because we got way too many Ula's, Clawdeen's and Frankie's...I just wish we got more Rochelle's Venus's, Catty's before it ended...

I would have liked at least one more catty in her new out fit.. have they announced this 2018 is the end? offically?