Review of Lammily from The Toy Box Philosopher

The Toy Box Philosopher posts some of the most detailed doll reviews online and is an expert on dolls. Here’s what it had to say about Lammily. For full review check out http://www.toyboxphilosopher.com/2014/12/the-lammily-doll.html

“The good things about the Lammily doll vastly outnumber the bad.  First of all, her box is a gorgeous work of art.  It’s made completely out of recyclable cardboard, but I can’t see myself ever throwing it away.  The presentation of this doll rivals some of the most expensive collectibles I own.  Also, Lammily comes with an illustrated backstory that sets her up as a friendly, independent world traveler while leaving the specific details of her personality up to each new owner.  Finally, the doll herself is much higher quality than her $25 price would suggest.  She has thick, silky-smooth, realistic hair that is easy to work with and feels amazing.  Her facial features are mild and unadorned–giving her a sweet, versatile appearance that will appeal to a broad audience.  Her clothing is well-made, practical and reasonably flattering (her shoes are underwhelming, though).  Her body design has very few flaws, especially given that it is completely original.  The body feels solid and satisfying in my hands and the articulation is superior to many other 12-inch fashion dolls (certainly better than the unarticulated Barbie Fashionista bodies).  With a couple of critical tweaks, the articulation could be fantastic.

The Lammily doll came into being because there was significant public enthusiasm for a fashion doll with average proportions.  This admirable goal could have been achieved in a number of different ways–and might easily have produced a hastily-made, gimmicky product.  Nickolay Lamm managed to use the idea of realistic body proportions as a starting point for creating a doll that is special in a number of different ways.  I happen to know first hand about some of the thoughtful, heartfelt decision-making that went into the design and production of this doll, and I suspect that anyone who buys her will be able to see the the evidence of this, too.  The end result is a charming character with a very distinct look.  Lammily is unlike anything else that is on the market right now, and yet she manages to feel almost instantly familiar.

Despite my fondness for the Lammily concept and company, I didn’t hold back my criticisms here at all.  I guess I don’t know how to write a review any other way.  What’s amazing to me, though, is that I can cast the same critical eye on this doll as I would on a doll made by a multi-million (or billion) dollar company…and she can still come out shining.  What Mattel, MGA and Jakks Pacific do regularly and professionally, Nickolay Lamm did from scratch for the first time–and in most ways, he did it better.  And he did something new: the Lammily doll might have body proportions that represent an average woman, but her shape is far from typical in the fashion doll world.  The Lammily slogan “Average is Beautiful” comes to my mind again, but now I have a different reaction to these words.  While I find my Mia to be quite beautiful, there’s very little about her that is average.
She is extraordinary.” – The Toy box Philosopher