Wednesday Wisdom - Friendship Kids

The Friendship Kids began production in 1998 with help of doll maker Kingstate [1]. Kingstate primarily made porcelain dolls prior to the Friendship girls [2] and it shows in how the first 'series' of dolls' look [1]. The first series of dolls that ran from their creation until 2005 [1].

First series doll - they tend to be in frillier, more extravagant dresses like porcelain dolls

They ceased production sometime in 2002 and when they came back in 2005, a lot of things had changed [1]. Their face became more lively and the dolls began to wear more modern clothes. The white toned body eventually got replaced with a flesh colored one [2] to match up more with American Girl (which had dumped the white bodies sometime prior to Felicity's release in the late 1990s). They were given a subtitle to go along with their new look - 'Best Friends Forever' [2].

The Second Series of Doll in her original clothes

And that is basically where our story ends. Yes, justmagicdolls is known for not updating their articles after the early/ mid-2000s. Yet the official website is still up and running (http://www.kingstatedoll.com/) despite not being updated since 2006 (like the justmagicdolls article itself) or at least that is what the copyright notice makes me think. There's a phone number you can call on there and an email you can write to if you really want one of these dolls. Some say the dolls are retired [2] but I don't know what year or anything like that. You can find their dolls on eBay (duh) and even at... Kmart? Kmart... only baby dolls though, it seems... and at one time at Wal-Mart, apparently. 

Both my sources do not have many positive things to say. Their eyes are too big [1], they are impossible to stand without them getting pigeon-toed [1], sometimes you end up with a rag-doll looking doll (one with both a cloth body and cloth upper limbs) [2], the cloth body doesn't match the vinyl at times [2], there are only really dark-skinned African American dolls available [2] and their wigs can become untamed (but you can easily remove and replace them though) [2].

I guess if you are really dying for one of these dolls, give Kingstate an email or call or just stalk eBay until you find what you want.


Sources

1. http://www.justmagicdolls.com/meet/Kingstate/Kingstate.htm
2. http://www.littleravencreations.com/blog/kingstate-friendship-kids