Groovy Girls is the doll line which this wiki is all about! The brand consists of plush, 13-inch dolls; fashion and furniture accessories for the dolls; and craft kits. Groovy Girls generally cost $10 to $20 per doll and target the 6-to-12 age range, with licensed products including room décor, apparel, coloring books, and stationery.
Overview[]
Groovy Girls are a doll line produced by Manhattan Toy beginning in 1998. The multi-cultural dolls represent children of all races, and they all exhibit a variety of hairstyles and retro-styled, "groovy" clothing. These soft-bodied dolls are sold in specialty toy stores around the world, and no two characters are alike.
Groovy Girls are not only limited to just girl dolls - Groovy Boys have been made as well.
Ever since their humble introduction into the vast world of toys, they have been extremely popular with children, teens, and adults alike. While they reached their peak of popularity in around 2004-2008, when the "Main 6" characters (whose names spell out GROOVY) represented the line, they still continue to be popular today and thus, new dolls to add to the line continue to be made every year.
Not only does the line consist of dolls, but accessories and fashions for the dolls are sold as well. The accessories range from beds to furniture to even horses the dolls can ride.
History[]
1998-2003: Groovy Beginnings[]
Groovy Girls were launched by Manhattan Toy in 1998 to fill a void in the toy industry. Consumers were not only searching for a wholesome and funky alternative to the skimpily-dressed and anatomically-incorrect dolls of the time, but for a soft and cuddly doll as well. Manhattan Toy created four dolls known as Groovy Girls, who were not only made out of soft polyester fabric, but also had bodies that resembled little girls' natural body shapes. These dolls were Lupe, Lexi, Liza, and Lucy. They were initially sold in specialty toy stores such as Learning Express and Zany Brainy. Ever since then, more dolls have been produced each year. They were sold alongside outfits called Groovy Gear.
In 1999, Groovy Boys came along to join the girls. The first Groovy Boys to join the family were Zane and Ziggy. That same year, four dolls (three girls and a boy) were produced in a larger, 18" size. These dolls were Michaela, Gwenn, Gabi, and the boy, Max. Supersize Groovy Girls, at a 40" height, were also first produced this year.
Groovy Girls were initially produced with "smiley faces," but in 2000, Groovy Girls and Boys started to be produced with a sweeter face with eyes that had white highlights. The first dolls produced with this face were the "J series" of boys and girls, although they were first produced with the smiley faces.
The "S series" of boys and girls were later produced in 2001 as the first dolls to be produced strictly with the new face.
Also in 2001, Groovy Pets were created as furry friends for the Groovies. The first fun pack was also sold, featuring Sasha and a few outfits. It was called Posh Party. Manhattan Toy redirected the GroovyGirls.com domain name to their own website this year due to the dolls growing in popularity.
In 2002, the first Groovy Girls merchandise was released. The Briarpatch Board Games were sold as well as some other accessories for the dolls.
The 2000-2007 face received some variations in 2003, when Darci and Danika were introduced with different expressions on their faces than the same face that all the other dolls produced from 2000-2007 had.
2004-2007: A Surge of Popularity[]
In the late summer of 2004, the Main 6, an immensely-popular addition to the doll line, were introduced. Their names were Gwen, Reese, Oki, O'Ryan, Vanessa, and Yvette. Notice how their names spell out the name "Groovy?" That same year, GroovyGirls.com was launched as a virtual world.
2005 was a big year for Groovy Girls. The doll line was launched in Target stores, making Groovy Girls more accessible for consumers who don't have specialty toy stores in their communities. This also made the doll line more popular. The very unpopular and short-lived "Groovy Girls Sleepover Club" books also were released this year. They only lasted until January 2006 with 8 books in the series (4 produced in September 2005 and 4 produced in January 2006). In addition, a special-edition line called Chic Boutique came out. As of 2005, more than eight million Groovy Girls dolls were sold since its inception, totaling more than $100 million in retail sales.
In 2005 Groovy Girls Dreamtastics were also introduced. The Dreamtastics, which still are produced today, are a line of fantasy-themed dolls. They include princesses, knights, mermaids, fairies, and more!
2006 saw the introduction of Minis. They were 3" tall, portable, poseable, and totally collectible dolls made of plastic. The first Minis to be released were the Main 6 (in their first looks). Speaking of the Main 6, they were introduced with trendy new looks that year! Each one was released with a new hairstyle, new face, and new outfit!
Also, the Poseable core doll line was introduced, featuring the adorable plush dolls you all know and love but now with wires in their arms and legs that allow them to strike different poses. The first Poseable girls were Selia, Taryn, Savanna, Trissa, Shayla, and a new look for Trini. These dolls lasted until 2009.
In early 2007, the PetRageous furry friends joined the line. These large, 12" animals were short-lived and lasted until 2009. Each one had a distinct personality and flair to them as well.
In summer 2007, the Troop Groovy Girls, which were partnered up with Girl Scouts, came out.
2007-2009: RSVP[]
The fall of 2007 saw the final dolls being produced with the face that has beady black eyes. These dolls were the Candy Kingdom line, as well as the two holiday themed dolls, Cinder Sue and Sylvie Starr. In November 2007, a new series of Poseable dolls came out. These dolls were Andie, Anya, Ayumi, Adrianna, Aleika, and Analise. These six sporty girls also were the first-ever Groovy Girls to sport a new face with eyes that have white sclerae and colored irises!
Around the holiday season of 2008, Groovy Girls introduced the RSVP line of dolls. These dolls came with codes which enabled you to get a free song download on the new and improved GroovyGirlsRSVP.com. RSVP in this case means "Respect, Self-Expression, Values, and Play." The RSVP girls celebrated the 10th anniversary of Groovy Girls.
In 2009, the first ever Groovy Boy was released with the new face: Connor.
2009-Present: Downs and Ups[]
Late 2009-2010 saw the discontinuation of many lines: Supersize, Poseable, RSVP, Troop Groovy Girls, Groovy Pets, and even Groovy Gear! Only the Dreamtastics survived. However, Groovy Gear was not entirely vanished --- they were just re-introduced under the name Groovy Fashions. This seems to be a sign that Groovy Girls were becoming less popular, as Target stopped carrying the dolls by 2010.
In 2010, a new line came out: Darling Dramatics. These toddler-sized costumes re-created the outfits of the popular dolls Lakinzie, Starletta, and Princess Seraphina.
2011 saw the introduction of a special edition line which was immensely popular: Flutterflies. A Darling Dramatic costume for one of the Flutterflies, Lana Ladybug, was also produced.
In 2013, Groovy Girls celebrated its 15th anniversary with three party-loving dolls and a new Groovy Boy: Amelia, Gabrielle, Katrina, and Asher.
2014 saw the arrival of Skylar, Fuchsia, and Lilia. These girls celebrated Groovy Girls' "Sweet 16."
Manhattan Toy paired up with Celessence technology to produce the Style Scents line in 2015. Each doll in this line, each of whom came with a pet, is fruity scented. The Christmas doll for 2015, Noelle, also is part of the line.
Also in 2015, the Fairybelles line was created, consisting of three fairy dolls named Nissa, Breena, and Cricket. They seem to have been created as a replacement for Dreamtastic.
For the first time in 3 years, a new Groovy Boy named Logan hit the shelves in 2016.
In 2017, Jessica, Rose, Velvet and Super Groovy came out, followed by 4 new characters in 2018 and the last 4 were made in 2019.
Related links[]
Trivia[]
- The doll line has been around for 21 years.
- They are very easy to find on eBay thanks to their popularity.
- Groovy Girls have been sold in North America and Europe, but not Asia.
- However, some have been spotted as imports on Filipino site Lazoda.com.ph and on Aliexpress, a Chinese site.
- Licensed Groovy Girl products were sold and made in between 2004-2012.