"Tell me what's your Flava?" Every time I look at these dolls, that old commercial immediately starts playing in my head. It is by far one of the most memorable doll ads from my childhood (right alongside the Generation Girl, Kitty Fun Barbie, and Kelly Amusement Park ones). Funnily enough, it wasn't the distinctive commercial that prompted me to buy a Flavas doll as a child. It was a simple chance encounter at Toys 'R' Us one evening in 2003 or 2004. Usually Dad took my sister and me out to KB Toys, since it was cheaper and had out of date toys (which we often preferred to new releases...we are shelf warmer girls). Every so often, he'd take us to Toys 'R' Us as a special treat. Of course, I loved these outings too...as long as a store carried my plastic people I was satisfied. I recall to the left of the entrance there was a large section for new arrivals. It was an assortment of goods, ranging from outdoor water guns to Barbies. It was in this area the graffiti styled Flavas boxes caught my eye. Immediately I was intrigued and I just HAD to get my hands on one of these dolls. After some debate, I chose "Sporty" Kiyoni Brown, who I later renamed Ginger. I don't recall my reasoning, since there was a variety of other Kiyoni dolls. Maybe I liked her athletic attire or her crimped hair? All the dolls had extra clothing items and accessories, which was a large part of their appeal. But mainly, I enjoyed their racial diversity, edgy wardrobe, and special face sculpts. When I take inventory of my favorite dolls from childhood, I've noticed a trend....I tend to lean towards the ones with unique head molds, skin tones, or hair styles. Plain blondes were never my favorite thing (not to say I didn't have my fair share of standard Barbies, because heaven knows I did). That's most likely why I was so easily swayed into getting Kiyoni Brown on the spot. Of course, I was quite the impulsive shopper as a kid anyways, so it wouldn't have take much more than my dad gesturing towards the dolls for me to want one.
I could tell that the Flavas were some sort of Bratz competition, what with their city styling and diverse representation. I definitely thought the Flavas had more moxie than My Scene dolls, who also competed with Bratz. I recall playing with Kiyoni Brown from time to time, and especially fixating on her petite wardrobe. I dubbed her Ginger, perhaps because I wasn't sure how to pronounce her name. I'm sure the thought crossed my mind more than once to purchase more Flavas to play with. But I had trouble focusing on doll brands when I was young. I was too easily lured in by the nearest temptation. It wouldn't be until I was an adult collector when another Flavas doll would cross the threshold of my home. Kiyoni herself disappeared circa 2010 or 2011. I believe I was still technically on a doll hiatus, but was starting to feel the strong draw to them again. I know that sometime in 2010, I sifted through my rather vast childhood collection and weeded out some decaying clone dolls and a few other random oddities. I feel horrible knowing that Kiyoni probably got thrown out, along with my weird looking American Idol Simone and Movie Star Teresa. But I'm fairly sure that was her fate...I don't think she ever made it to our spring 2011 yard sale. My regret over Kiyoni's demise is part of why I held off on purchasing any more Flavas when I did start collecting again. To have more in the house would have been a painful reminder of what I'd done to the poor thing.
It was a summer day in 2018 when Flavas once again became part of my dolly world. I stopped in at the Salvation Army on my way home from AAA to renew my license. In one of the bins by the toy section I found Jammin' in Jamaica Madison and a Flavas Tika doll. I rarely saw Flavas in the wild as an adult collector. The only others I recall encountering had been years before. They were standing upright in a container with my Palm Beach Teresa. That was when we first started dabbling in dolls again, so my sister and I were far pickier. Although I always did second guess my decision to leave the awesome Flavas guy behind. I decided not to make the same mistake again, so we adopted Tika. After that, I specifically kept my eyes pealed for more Flavas. Luck would have it that some would come our way. A regular seller at the flea market had Happy D and "Street" Liam. I didn't get them together, but they appeared a few weekends apart. I know I had encountered Liam before purchasing my first Tika, so I had started searching for him at that flea market booth afterwards. The sellers had so many dollies, that he must have been fully concealed or simply not put out on the table each Sunday. Fortunately, I did have another opportunity to snag him. The ultimate Flavas find, and my most recent to date, occurred a year later in September of 2019. Once again at the local flea market, we struck gold. But this time around, it was the ULTIMATE treasure. One of the vendors had a selection of boxed Flavas. All were guys, and all were just $5 each!!! How could I resist such a bargain? The Flavas dudes were the most interesting thing about the franchise, in my opinion anyways. Typically, male dolls are more basic looking than their female counterparts. They are often treated just as "accessories" rather than stand alone, detailed individuals. Such was not the case with the Flavas guys. Each doll, even those that represent the same character, stand on their own. They also came with spare clothing pieces and accessories, just like the girls. I scored "Sporty" Liam, "Diamonds & Denim" Liam, and "Party" Tre that autumn Sunday. If you take just one look at my three Liam dolls, you can tell that they are all unique. I couldn't be happier and more grateful that I found boxed boy Flavas.
My collection hasn't grown in the three years since my last flea market discovery. But that's to be expected, given the age of the dolls and the short time they were available in stores. I still keep a lookout for them when thrifting. I hope that one day I can be reunited with my childhood Kiyoni Brown. I still have pieces to my childhood doll's ensemble, which could come in handy someday. I honestly would buy her again on eBay or Mercari if it came down to that. It's a shame that these dolls didn't sell better, because it would have been awesome to see them evolve for a few more years. I believe if they had come out in modern times, the Flavas line would have done better. I think they were a bit ahead of the curve, what with the special head molds, serious expressions, and realistic attire. I feel they are more compatible with dolls today, who share many of the same attributes. Although I remember getting my first and only childhood Flavas doll, I can't deny that my true passion for these dolls blossomed as an adult. I can better appreciate all their wonderfully unique and diverse features now more, especially since they are so photogenic! It was great fun collaborating with my sister to design this album cover photo for them. The graffiti scrapbook paper backgrounds compliment their original artwork. My L.O.L. Clubhouse makes a perfect backdrop as the outside of a factory or storage units. We used recycled aluminum cans and toilet paper rolls to add more dimension to the scene (as well as nuts, bolts, and washers for extra debris). Even my Barbie Volkswagen that is missing a door came in handy--it looks like an abandoned vehicle hanging out in the empty lot! Throw in some Generation Girl, Flavas, and other assorted accessories and you have a picture that is brought to life by these dolls' personalities!