Just a Bunch of Bratz!

One thing is for sure, the Bratz dolls do it big - big eyes, big lips, big hair, and to millions if preteen girls out there – big fun!  You can dress up your Bratz dolls in high fashion clothing, watch the Bratz characters on TV and their very own features films, play an endless variety of Bratz games and even listen to Bratz music!  It is no wonder this line of dolls has become so a popular among young girls in America.  

Whether you are thirteen or thirty three, the Bratz merchandise is one hot line of collector’s items!  If you are new to the Bratz collection, I will fill you in on what to look for when starting your very own Bratz collection.  First, lets start with a little background on the Bratz franchise.

The History of the Bratz

(courtesy of www.experiencefestival.com)

Bratz dolls are characterized by an oversized head with large eyes and lips, a small body and shoes that snap on and off. The original 4 characters were Yasmin (based on CEO Isaac Larian's own daughter, Jasmin), Sasha, Cloe and Jade. Every year, the Bratz collections include a "basic" line, at least one or two budget collections, and at least two or three feature collections.

The basic lines such as Flaunt It!, Xpress It!, Funk Out! and Step Out! feature the Bratz with two complete outfits (that can be mixed and matched, of course! Each collection has brought in new shoe styles and accessories (Bratz with pierced ears began with the release of Funk Out! and the new "ring" accessory was introduced in the Step Out! line). Budget lines include I-Candy and Hollywood Style, which feature the Bratz in one outfit with minimal accessories. 'Real' eyelashes first appeared in the Girls Nite Out collection, then again in the Wild Wild West collection and on Holiday Katia.

The unique Head Gamez line moved the Bratz' snap-on feature one step further by allowing the consumer to customize their own Bratz by snapping the Bratz head on and off a specially designed body. A variety of Bratz Head Gamez fashion heads were sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, and a gift set complete with one body, four heads and four separate fashion looks was released to the general market.

Collectible posters have been included with the Bratz since 2001, and collectible cards were introduced during 2004. Other dolls released through the years include collectible keychains, ornaments, accessories and make-up.

In addition to the dolls, the Bratz line includes playsets, vehicles, accessories, Lil Bratz, the Bratz Babyz, plush Petz, ("Catz", "Dogz" and "Foxz"), collectible posters and a video game. Later, in 2004, a straight to video animated movie, Bratz, the video: Starrin & Stylin', was released.

The Bratz Pack: Who they are

If you are going to collect the “girlz,” you have to know the “girlz!”  There are 9 main Bratz dolls, each with endless outfit and accessories.  To be a true collector of the line, having these dolls is essential! I have included the official bios of the four main bratz girls as told by bratz.com. They are (drumroll please!):

Cloe: Blonde hair, blue eyes, light skin tone. Bratz girl Cloe has appeared in most of the Bratz doll collections to date, with a few exceptions. (Cloe Angel)

BIO: Cloe knows she's going to be a superstar someday. She's spent countless hours imagining the speeches she'll give when she wins awards and has even designed several different outfits to wear at the various ceremonies. The funny thing is, she doesn't just want to be a movie star or a singing star; she wants to do everything! Being a girl who's totally into sports she looks up to female athletes who've branched out and done cool things that make them superstars, all while staying true to their sport. Her happy-go-lucky attitude has always made her the one in the foursome who everyone turns to when they're having a bad day. You can always count on Cloe to find something fun (and healthy!) to do and she's really good about making sure her pals are happy. While she's most comfortable when she's hanging out in jeans a t-shirt, she also likes to play dress up and has been known to borrow stuff from Jade's wacky wardrobe just for fun. Cloe's the girl everybody wants to hang out with!

Jade: Jade has a light skin tone, black hair and brown eyes. In the TV series and 3D films Jade owns a cat named Mica. (Jade Kool Kat)

BIO: Jade's spunky, fun-loving, carefree attitude is what makes her the one in the foursome who keeps things lively. There's never a dull moment with her as she might show up for a movie wearing a skirt made out of some old blue jeans or have her hair done in some wild style. She loves fashion and sometimes puts together fashion shows (making Yas, Sasha and Cloe serve as her models!) for the neighborhood. Walking around with a sketchpad in her hand as she often does means she can be a little bit distracted but that's only because she's concentrating hard on a new design! She laughs at herself all the time because just like her fashion sense, she has a quirky sense of humor as well. If you're feeling blue you can count on her to cheer you up with a really silly joke. Her favorite means of working out is to put on some cool electronic music and show off her new wave dance skills. And she likes to incorporate that music into her homemade fashion shows, too! Family is just as important to her as style and she's never too busy to hang out with her parents and show off her latest designs and hear what's gong on in their worlds. Jade's unique sense of style and attitude makes her the girl everyone admires!

Sasha: She has a dark skin tone, green eyes and dark brown hair. (Bratz Sasha Bunny Boo)

BIO: Sasha is just as glamorous as Jade, but she has a little bit more edge in her fashion sense and in her life in general. She's the girl who doesn't like taking no for an answer so she gets her way with a big, welcoming smile! She stands up for her friends and the causes she believes in and won't back down from a challenge. She's the one in the foursome who protects the others. She's also really helpful at planning and organizing projects so she and Yasmin spend a lot of time together making the charity events happen. Music is Sasha's biggest passion and she tells everyone who'll listen about her plans to be a big rock and roll star. She loves to sing and can play any instrument and has written songs that Jade has used in her fashion shows. Her super secret love is politics. She loves to read about what goes on in the government and imagines being a Senator or even the President some day! If she's not on the stage, she can usually be found leading a meeting as president of her class. She always says that her perfect life would be lived as a rock star politician. Sasha's the one you go to when you need a helping hand and a sweet smile!

Yasmin: She has a beauty mark underneath left eye, has brown eyes, tan skin tone and brown hair. Bratz Yasmin is named after MGA Entertainment president Isaac Larian's daughter, Jasmin, and because of this, has appeared in all Bratz collections of any character. (Yasmin Pretty Princess)

BIO: Yasmin is a girl who likes to show, not tell. She's got a lot of strong opinions and loves to share them but she's also always willing to listen to what her BFFs have to say. She enjoys curling up with a cool autobiography about celebs she admires but she also spends time on the net scrolling for news and current events. She has her own blog where she updates her pals and family about what she's up to and what she's thinking about the world and gives them tips on staying involved with your community while still doing fun things like getting makeovers. To make sure she stays fit she takes long walks in her neighborhood (always looking her best, of course!) which also gives her the chance to catch up with her friends in her community. As much as she likes to be stylish and loves putting together ultra-girly and fun outfits, she likes it even more when she can tie in some of her fun pleasures (like shopping and having get-togethers at home) to her global causes. She tends to be the one of the foursome who gets everybody involved in world concerns and likes to organize events for charity at school. You can always find her in the cafeteria, wearing something cute and telling people about the things they can do to help their towns and the world at large. Yas is your go-to girl for getting the important stuff done!

Roxxi: Roxxi is the twin of Phoebe. She has blue eyes, auburn (deep red) hair with black lowlights (often microbraided), light skin tone, beauty mark to the right of her lower lip. Roxxi of Bratz is played by Jessica Di Cicco. Roxxi’s beauty mark is absent in her 3D appearances. She appears in the Rock Angelz video game and movie, Bratz Forever Diamondz video game, also the TV series. (Nickname: Spice)

Fianna: Fianna has varying eye colors (usually green, brown, or blue), varying shades of blonde to light brown hair, tan skin tone (but has also been produced pale). Fianna is voiced by Jessica Di Cicco. She appears in the Rock Angelz and Bratz Forever Diamondz video games, also in the TV show. (Nickname: Fragrance)

Katia: Light skin tone, brown eyes and dark brown hair. Bratz Katia was introduced as the 2005 Holiday doll and was later featured in the Genie Magic doll collection and DVD feature, as well as the 2006 Play Sportz and Hollywood lines. Katia appears in Bratz Forever Diamondz video game. She is played by Tara Strong. (Flirty Turtle)

Sharidan: Violet (purple) eyes, black hair, light skin tone, beauty mark to the right of her upper lip. Sharidan surfaces in Bratz Forever Diamondz collection, Bratz movie and Bratz video game, Bratz Movie Starz, and Bratz Lil Angelz lines. She is played by Jessica Di Cicco. (Nickname: Sparklin' Sheep)

Nevra: Nevra has blue eyes, dark brown hair, olive skin tone. The last collection in which Nevra appeared was Bratz Dynamite in 2005. Nevra appears in Starrin’ and Stylin’. (Queen B)

The Bratz Dress Up Games

Click here for the super popular Bratz Dress up games: http://www.bratz-girls.net/html/bratz-dress-up-1.html

Starting Your Very Own Bratz Collection

*Start by buying the Bratz doll you admire the most. There are many different ways to start a great Bratz doll collection, but you have to start first those that are your favorite. It is important to remember that this you’re your collection to have and enjoy.  Buy what you like first, then move on to the other Bratz dolls, even fif the ones you like the most are the least valuable or coveted.

*Try to obtain at least one doll from each line of Bratz dolls:  Bratz, Lil' Angelz, Bratz Babyz, Bratz Kidz and Itsy Bitsy Bratz.

*Know which Bratz dolls are in demand.  Choose the “best,” most desirable Bratz dolls from each line to build the ultimate Bratz doll collection. Nighty-Night, Rock Angelz, Princess and Campfire dolls have a big fan base. There's less demand for the Live In Concert dolls, but if there's one you love, add it to your collection.

*Keep Bratz dolls sealed in their original packaging.  The value of dolls, as with most collectibles, increases dramatically if you keep the original packaging.  If you ever intend to sell you collection in the future, this is especially important. Bratz dolls that have been played with or even simply inspected outside of the box will have considerably lower resale value than dolls kept in mint condition.

Here is a current price guide for the Bratz girlz on the market today: