Middie, the middle sister in the Blythe family. Firmly stuck between the long-standing Neo-sized Blythe and the little Petite, what is there to say about Middie? For one thing, she is a significantly different size than both of her sisters, which demands an individualized wardrobe, and shoe collection (even though stock Takara Middie boots will fit both Neo and Middie just fine).
Middie splashed out into the Blythe scene in 2010, with Macaron Q-Tea Party. I remember thinking that she didn’t look that different in sizing, at least until I saw a photo of a Middie next to a Blythe. And even then, she seemed a lot closer in size until I saw a Middie in person (finally!).
The sizing makes Middie tricky to dress because she is so much skinnier and shorter than Blythe is. Like the Neos, Middies have been faked on the online market, but she is still easy to find via legitimate doll-buying channels (such as Junie Moon and CC-Toys). When in doubt of the legitimacy of a doll online – always ask questions. I find that it’s easier to find truthful sellers in the collectors’ community than with eBay shops, but for the most part you can compare the photos of the dolls with official release promotional photos, especially if you are buying a stock Middie doll. If you’re buying a custom doll, be sure to ask questions if you want to know what the base doll was – the customizer should be able to tell you. Despite the fakes and the sizing issue, the nice thing about Middie is that she does fit Kelly shoes, and other similar-sized Barbie little sisters – the unfortunate thing is that once people in the Blythe community discovered this fact, the prices of Kelly shoes did raise on eBay.
Here is a comparison shot of Middie next to Blythe. For reference, the Middie is Jackie Ramone while the Blythe is Simply Sparkly Spark (FBL) – both of them are on stock bodies:
The size of the head is significantly smaller, same with the height. I’ve found very few clothing items that I had for Blythe that also work for Middie – notably a short empire waist top that works as a loose dress on Middie. Middie is shorter, slimmer, and her legs have the same general thickness all the way down. Her feet are very small though, when you put a pair of Neo shoes onto a Middie, it’s always like a toddler playing dress-up with a parents’ shoes. Overall, I’ve had to rethink how to dress Middie because her sizing doesn’t lend to the Blythes’ wardrobe to being very flattering on her.
Middie’s eye mechanism is different from Blythe’s. She lacks a pull ring and pull string, instead she has a dial on the back of her head. Moving the dial from left to right moves the eyes from looking left to right. Her head also tilts from side to side, unlike that of Blythe (on a stock body) which can only turn and not tilt.
Middie continues to be fairly well-priced. While she was thought to be overpriced initially, especially compared to Blythe and the lack of a changing eye-mechanism, she has been well received by the Blythe community overall. There are even some sources for Middie eyechips on Etsy (which fit in differently than Blythe eyechips do – do not attempt to pull them out through the eye socket!). Middie gets customized, finds herself on different bodies, and there has been more and more individuals who are interested in creating a fashionable wardrobe for Blythe’s middle sister. While she cannot share clothing readily with Blythe, boots can be shared and that adorable head tilt is something to behold in person.