Review of Journey Girl Kyla 2013 Paris Edition

PRODUCT
DETAILS
Doll size:  18 inches
(46 cm)
Age recommendation:
6+ (not recommended
for children under 3 
due to choking hazard)
Put out by:  Geoffrey,
LLC (subsidiary of Toys
R Us)
Year:  2013
Made in China
UPC:  803516056567
Price:  If you can find it
 at Toys R Us, $32.99.  However, these dolls can
 go high due to scarcity (particularly Meredith)
Hair Color:  Brown
Eye Color:  Hazel, long eyelashes, eyes don't
close
Movement:  Classic baby doll--head turns side to side, arms move front and back (not up
and down like flapping wings), elbows don't bend, legs move
back and forth, don't bend at knees, don't bend at ankles.
Type of doll:  Vinyl head, chest plate, arms, legs...but it
 has a soft cloth lower torso.
What box contains:  1 eighteen inch doll that is dressed
 in a black pleather with tan fur jacket, short sleeved floral print t-shirt, a brownish skirt with tulle ruffles, black leg warmers, black fur-lined boots, elastic band with black flower in hair.
Doll biography:  Kyla is an amazing artist who loves to share her creative inspiration with all of her friends.
Written on back of box:  Welcome to Paris! Best friends 
Chavonne, Kyla, Meredith, Kelsey, Dana, and Callie 
have just landed in Paris, the City of Light, and they are
 ready for adventure.  The Paris agenda includes: touring
 the Eiffel Tower, shopping on the famous Avenue des
 Champs-Elysees, and taking a scenic cruise along Seine
 River.  Along the way, they will stop at charming 
sidewalk cafes and visit the city's grand monuments and
 museums.  Their Paris journey is just the beginning, but
 their friendship will last forever.  Take a Journey Girl on
 your next trip and share the adventure!
__________________________________________________

Kyla has the honor of being the Journey Girl that I paid the
most for.  She even beat out Jordana in that department.  I
bought her off Amazon for $82.00.  I bought from the seller
who was charging the highest because they had a better 
feedback rating.  Had I known I would have wanted her just
 a few weeks earlier, I could have gotten her for $30.00.  If I
 had been patient, I could have gotten her for less.  Toys R Us
 got her in after the holidays, and they were selling her for
 $27.99.  However,  I fell under the obsessive desire to have
 the dolls at Christmas.  That desire is something that all sellers count on to put extra money in their pockets.  You think you
 won't be able to get the doll, and you are willing to pay anything for it.  I sometimes even think sellers hold back stock to make it appear as if there is a shortage.

Journey Girls are released every year, so chances are you
should be able to get one at a decent price if you are not
particular about the outfit.  I don't even doubt that Jordana
will be re-released in 2014 or 2015.  The first edition doll sold originally for $49.99, but she is now up to $112.00 on Amazon.
If you want a particular Journey Girl--like the Winter Edition
 Dana or First Edition Jordana--then you may have to pay a
 higher price.  A limited number of each edition is made and
 usually sells out.  Dolls that are hard to come by, like Meredith,
 may also be more expensive.

  It always seems inevitable,  though, that once you spend a lot
 of money on a doll--a cheaper one becomes available just to 
mock you.  Within several hours of buying Kyla, one appeared
 on ebay for half what I paid.  As a buyer, it is tempting to 
cancel an order.  I didn't because that type of game can leave
 you with nothing.  It did remind me that it sometimes it best to
 be patient.  A seller often risks bad feedback from frustrated
customers because of this sort of thing too.

Despite everything, I was glad to have Kyla.  My collection
was complete with her, at least until they come out with a new
doll.  She came the day after Christmas, which was nice,
because it was like the holiday had been extended.  However,
if I were advising someone else, I would not recommend
paying so much money for the Paris edition Kyla.  Though the
doll is lovely and has one of the best outfits of the Paris series
(not counting Jordana, who beats all with the best outfit), I
have my doubts about durability.

Kyla was one of the dolls that underwent a change in the
2013 Paris edition.  Her name was changed from Alana to
Kyla.  The girl she was based on also changed.

Kyla at the left in 2013.  Alana at the right in 2010.

I felt that the dolls were a little more cheaply made with
the Paris editions.  The vinyl seems a tad softer.  Though
it might feel nicer, it is easy for the ties to leave an
impression in it.  The hair is dryer.  This may be a good
thing or a bad thing.  Time will tell.  Journey Girl hair
had been prone to snarling in the past, and perhaps less
gel will stop this.  On the other hand, it might make it
worse.

The clothing doesn't seem color fast, and this creates a
problem because if it rubs against the doll's skin, it can
leave marks.  I had been wondering what the strange
bruise-like marks were on the dolls, and I finally realized
it was the rub off from the clothing.

The head band had plastic ties securing it to the head,
which need to be carefully cut.  The head band is elastic
with a cloth black flower.  The hair is styled very much
like Winter Edition Kelsey's hair.  It is a chestnut brown.

Kyla's outfit is quite cute with its coordinated Punky
Brewster style...but it was impractically made, particularly
for a child's toy.  The jacket is pleather with faux fur.  This
is not a typo.  Pleather is fake leather.  The problem with
it is that it can crack, flake, or melt depending on the
conditions.  Machine wash and drying is an absolute no-no.
You can hand wash it with a sponge and warm water.
However, for those of us living in a hot and humid state
like Florida, pleather can break down anyway.  The jacket
can also interfere with the doll's arm movements.

The floral t-shirt is probably cotton.  It has velcro in the back.
The skirt is another problem.  It is made with lining fabric
and tulle.  I'm not sure if washed, the lining fabric wouldn't
shrink and bunch up the tulle.  The black leggings leave
marks on the doll.  The boots are surprisingly easy to
remove.  The doll has underwear, which is common when
Journey Girls are put into dresses.

If you have a little girl that likes to carry her dolly all over
the place, I definitely recommend buying an outfit
accessory pack...because this doll's outfit will not last.  I
also recommend not paying a ton of money for it like I
did.