The Belville Series produced by LEGO and Marketed starting in 1994 (LONG)
Introduction: While officially part of the "LEGO System," The Belville sets are on a completely different scale and offer many pieces different from those found in the Mini-fig-scaled sets. Originally packaged in purple boxes and aimed at primary- and middle-school-aged girls, the Belville sets contain many large pieces, require minimum construction time and feature lots of small plastic dolls. Colors the first two years ranged toward deep pink, pastel greens and blues, and light yellows. Starting in 1996 sets have featured considerable white and more green and dark blue while continuing the pastel shades. 2001 sets include many of the colors formerly unique to Scala sets.
The "adult" dolls are approximately four inches in height; the child dolls are 3.2 inches. This scale closely matches the scale of other "doll house" manufacturers. Arms articulate at shoulders, elbows and wrists. Hands are set to the standard LEGO System grip&emdash;allowing the Belville people to hold LEGO System items. In many cases, items like hairbrushes and flowers actually fit the Belville scale better than the mini-fig scale. Legs articulate at the hips, knees and ankles. Heads come in three basic styles: child (boy and girl differentiated by hair), adult female (three different hair styles, the first introduced in 1994, the second in 1996, the third in 1999 for the princess) and adult male and fit with a ball-socket to the torsos. The 1999 and 2000 Belville fantasy figures feature several unique hair styles. All the faces are fully sculpted. The faces through 1996 wore quizzical, thoughtful expressions which observers tended to either love or hate. In 1997 LEGO lowered the eye pupils so that the figures stared. In 1998 the pupils of some of the chidlren dropped lower still so that they appeared slightly "bug-eyed." In 2001, the children all gained upper and lower eyelashes. Proportions all appear natural, although the child heads are larger than normal. The fairies come in a scale similar to mini-figs but do not articulate. The "baby" figures do not articulate either and have the their legs set open for riding on hips. In contrast to the LEGO yellow of all mini-figs and the Technic dolls, Belville dolls so far all have fairly-natural Caucasian skin colors and most hair in either blonde, black or brown. (Madam Tussa has snake-infested red hair. The old king and the fairy Queen's hair are white. Flora in set #5834 is a redhead) Prior to 1998, all the girls shared the same pageboy style haircut. In a decision so late that at least one 1998 set appeared in pre-issue press materials showing the pageboy style, LEGO changed all the June 1999 girls to a single, french-braid style. Blondes dominate, totalling 23 out of the 42 figures offered through 1998. All sets, so far, have been in the 58xx series except accessory packs and the Shell and Childrens' Day Promo.
The sets (in number order):
Set # 2555 Belville Swing (Shell Petrol World-wide Promotional Set) Available for £7.99.
Appeared in January 1998 in Europe, reissued in North America in 2000. A hybrid set. Two girls, one blonde, one brown-haired, in the pageboy style of 1994-1997 but clothed in 1998 fashions and offered in a beach-like setting. Two full-height, quarter-round, pale-yellow bases, small dock, pink swing, palm tree, picnic basket and supplies, a white dolphin and a grey cat with black and white kittens. 48 pieces.
Set # 2858 Girl with Two Cats.
Available in 1999 only in Germany as part of the World Children's Day Promotion. Blonde girl with original style pageboy haircut in pink-and-white top, white shorts. White cat, black kitten, red brush and yellow bowl. 6 pieces.
Set # 5136 Belville accessories. Listed at $3.50 (US dollars).
Appeared in 1995. Includes two skirts, hair pieces and bows, teddy bear, brush, etc. 10 pieces.
Set # 5387 Belville beach accessories.
Available June 1998. Includes brown popsicle and white single ice cream cone, seastar, etc..
Set # 5395 Belville hospital equipment.
Available August 1996?. Includes crutch, removeable cast, medical equipment and white skirt.
Set # 5399 Belville Acessories
Available April 1999. Includes crowns, sword, red and green apple, wands, jewels, carrot, silver dish, letters, goblet, hair bows, tabletop. 21 pieces.
Set # 5801 Fairy (Millimy the Fairy). Shop@Home price $3.50.
Available April 1999 in a blister pack. Ivory-colored fairy with white butterfly wings. "Millimy" holds a green wand. Pink storage trunk and accessory bricks. 14 pieces.
Set # 5802 Princess Rosaline. Shop@Home price $5.50, later $7.75
Available April 1999 in a blister pack. Blonde, adult-sized female in lavender with full-length white cloth skirt trimmed with roses, small crown, parasol, pink case and glass bottle with green stopper. 9 pieces.
Set # 5803 Girlfriend Iris. Shop@Home price $5.50.
Available April 1999 in a blister pack. Brown-haired, adult-sized female in blue with blue-and- white gingham, lace-trimmed skirt. green apple, white rabbit named Fifi with carrot. 7 pieces.
Set # 5804 Witch's Cottage. Shop@Home price $12.25
Available April 1999. Red-haired, adult-sized female in black with gray skirt, red gingham apron, black steeple hat with spider, male head with evil expression and unique hair. Pale-blue, quarter-round full-height base with white arched table, green window piece, black cat, cauldron, bat, broom, various bottles, recipe book. 40 pieces.
Set # 5805 Princess Rosaline's Room. Shop@Home price $24.00, later $27.50.
Available April 1999. Blonde Princess Rosaline in pale pink gown. The pale-blue, full-height base holds a pale-yellow turret with half-cone roof. Pink and white bed with white half-canopy, vanity with open work white legs. White cat, lace-edged yellow coverlet for bed, bottles and suitcase and pale-green fairy. 69 pieces.
Set # 5807 Royal Stable. Shop@Home price $33.00
Available April 1999. Iris in same outfit as #5803 with rabbit joins blonde Prince Justin in a space defined by a pale-green notched full-height base, pale-yellow and pink castle walls. White pony named Lucas, green saddle, black bridle, brown fence section, green trunk, pale-blue fairy, pink battlements and blue tub. Pink bucket holds tack. 61 pieces.
Set # 5808 Enchanted Palace. Shop@Home price $66.00.
Available April 1999. The largest set in the fantasy Belville series. A raised CRAPP with built in steps serves as a base. Pale-blue, quarter-round full-height bases set on the CRAPP define three rooms: a throne room, a sitting room and a bedroom (?). Pale-yellow castle walls, white pillars and green windows provide vertical spaces, topped by transluscent demi-cones for roofs. A white rabbit, pink fairy, fish and bird provide a menagerie for Princess Rosaline dressed in purple and white and her goateed father in red with an ermine-edged cape and full crown. Witch Madam Tussa hangs around outside with her broom, plotting trouble. 213 pieces.
Set # 5810 Vanity Fun. Listed at $4.99 (US dollars)
Introduced March 1995. Special pieces: blonde girl, white kitten, clear bowl (same piece as mini-fig heads) plus furniture. 21 pieces.
Set # 5811 Prince Justin. Shop@Home price $5.50, later $7.75.
Available April 1999 in a blister pack. Prince Justin is male, blonde, adult-sized figure with broad shoulders, teal cloth jerkin secured with black cord, silver sword and letter. Unique hair. He has a blue jewel and is accompanied by a white cat. 6 pieces.
Set # 5812 Old King. Shop@Home price $5.50, later $7.75.
Available April 1999 in a blister pack. The king is an adult-height male with a face like Colonel Sanders wearing mostly red with white knee socks. He wears a silver crown and a red cloth cape edged with ermine and holds a silver sword. He has a belljar with gold coins inside. 8 pieces.
Set # 5820 "Leberglass" "Tuinplezier" 17 Dutch guilders.
Available August, 1996 in Europe. Blonde girl on white swing inside pink arch (same girl as #5840). Flowers, furniture, black puppy with bowl, pink cloth "mat."
Set # 5821 Pamela's Picnic Time "Pamela paa picnictur."
Available May 1997 in a blister pack in Europe. Blonde girl in blue top and white shorts, black kitten, picnic hamper basket, green cloth mat and accessories including loaf of bread. 10 pieces.
Set # 5822 Jennifer and Foal £6.50 (Hamley's price)
Available May 1997 in a blister pack in Europe. Brown-haired girl in blue slacks, pink top with white foal, hamper basket with goodies for foal. 7 pieces.
Set # 5823 Fairy Bedroom (Millimy's Bedroom). Shop@Home price $6.75.
Available January 2000. Pale pink fairy with cloth sleeping bag with rose on blue bed, small dresser, pink transparent chest same size as System pirate chest, unique striped yellow and plain white kittens. 33 pieces.
Set # 5824 Fairy Castle (Millimy's House). Shop@Home price $9.00.
Available January 2000. Blue fairy and pink half-dome on a white trellis-work enclosure make up most of this set with the white rabbit, carrots, flowers and furnishings on a light green quarter-round base. Yellow butterfly and beetle. 64 pieces.
Set # 5825 Belville Castle Stella & Fairy (Fairy Queen's Magical Place) Shop@Home price $14.50
Available Jauary 2000. A white-haired (wind-blown style) female adult figure in pale blue with pale blue cloth dress and clear steeple hat entertains a Millimy-sized pale-yellow fairy in a setting that includes a rotating pale-blue and yellow wall panel, pillar and arch set on a green quarter-round base. Additional items include fireplace built against wall, pink translucent trunk, white-and-pink chair, round blue table, book, bowl and other accessories. 51 pieces.
Set # 5826 Belville Castle The Queen's Room (Queen's Chamber) Shop@Home price $18.75
Available January 2000. A black-haired adult female in purple and blue. Hair style is unique. She lives in a setting consisting of a purple window piece, revolving blue and yellow wall with mantel on which lives various sinister objects. A buff-tower with purple translucent demi-cone holds a throne, wine bottle and glass. Lamp stand, apple, jewels and other items of the black arts fill out the set for this person and her black dog familar. The little transluscent frog is unique. 77 pieces.
Set # 5827 Royal Coach. Shop@Home price $29.75
Available January 2000. Princess in white gown, shadowed by white fairy, heads out for a ride with blue bodied prince (no cloth tunic) in white, flower-decorated coach with blue wheels and tack pulled by white pony. Various accessories. 82 pieces.
Set # 5830 Fun-day Sundaes. Listed at $9.99
Introduced March 1995. Special pieces: Blonde girl, Blonde female adult, cash register, small full-height base. 30 pieces.
Set # 5831 Adventurous Puppies. Kleines Hundebaby Listed at 12,00DM, $4.99 US
Introduced March 2001. Large pink chest, white puppy, pink dish, flowers, large butterfly clip, yellow leash. 18 pieces.
Set #5832 Vanilla's Magic Tea Party. Vanilla's Tee Party Listed at 18,00DM, $8.99 US
Introduced March 2001. Bonde, single-braid, freckled girl in pink with floor-length gown, cake, teapot and two huge pink transparent teacups and saucers. Comes with small book. 12 pieces.
Set #5833 Rosita's Wonderful Stable. Rosita und das Zauberpony Listed at 35,00DM, $16.99
Introduced March 2001. Black-haired girl in single braid dressed in orange satin gown, parasol, white foal, giant butterfly clip, pale yellow turret with pink tower roof on green, full- height base, basket, white kitten and accessories. Comes with small book. 38 pieces.
Set #5834 Enchanted Garden. Flora und Elvira in Zaubergarten Listed at 90,00DM, $41.99 US
Introduced March 2001. Cloth base with stream and garden printed on it. Molded hill with white gazebo on top with unique blue roof. Two girls, redhead in single braid style in light-green gown, other is braided blonde in light-blue gown. Two beds with side tables, tower, swing, little wagon, two clip-on butterflies, watering can. Comes with two books. 94 pieces.
Set # 5835 "Balettstudio." 30 Dutch guiders, £14.99 (Hamley's price)
Available August 1996 in Europe. Blonde girl in tutu (same girl as in # 5875 and 5890), light yellow full-height base, pink corner wall in weave pattern, four windows form a mirror of wall height, white arch on top, white suitcase, cabinet, bar on arch, jambox, pink cloth mat. 29(41) pieces.
Set #5840 Garden Playmates. Listed at $19.75
Introduced March 1995. Special pieces: Blonde girl in skirt, black dog, two "puppies"&emdash;grey and black, lots of 4x rounds for columns, large pink roof pieces, First set to have leaf pieces. 87 pieces.
Set #5841 Beach Fun. £7.99 (Hamley's price)
Available June 1998. Blonde girl with new single-braid hair style in green top and pink skirt and new pink sunhat. Includes pink diver's uni-body inflatable raft with proper oars, umbrella, lifejacket, red crab, two yellow seastars, two opening shells, "sandcastle," and picnic lunch on low table and small full-height base including soda-pop bottles made of clear 1x tubes, grey puppy. 43 pieces.
Set #5844 Dolphin Windsurfer "Laura with Surfboard" $5.00
Available June 1998. Girl with pulled-back,braided blonde hair in white, sleeveless top and blue wedgie and lifejacket, bare feet (!). Paradisa size yellow windsurfer, larger pink sail, Paradisa- size dolphin, pail, shovel, opening shell, "sand." 17 pieces.
Set #5845 Dolphin Show (Harriet at the Dolphin Show) $11.00
Available June 1998. Girl with new black, single-braid-down-back hair style, white top and pink skirt with beach pieces printed on it and orange lifejacket. Pink-and-yellow jetski, two dolphins (white and grey), small, tan, full-height base with diving platform, palm tree, crab, seastar, opening shell and yellow hoop for dolphin to jump through.51 pieces.
Set #5846 Our (My) Secret Island (Desert Island) DM52,30; $24.75
Available June 1998.black-haired, single-braid girl in pink top and pale-pink pedal-pushers, yellow sunhat, brown-haired boy in blue and white. Four quarter-round, full-height tan bases form the island on which stands a palm tree, a sand dune made of two yellow BURPs, and a tent platform on pilings with a pink tent and two sleeping bags (are the boy and girl alone together here? tsk-tsk). White, uni-hull dingy, orange oars, net, map and binoculars, small green dock, picnic lunch supplies, flowers, orange seastar, crab, "treasure" chest (from pirates), snake and blue shovel. 94 pieces.
Set #5847 Surfer's Paradise (Belville Beach Club) $33.00
Available June 1998. Blonde girl with new braided hair style in pink suit and skirt, brown-haired, bare-footed boy in swim suit and lifejacket, adult female with black hair in white swim suit and lifejacket. Large tan full-height base with pink-and-white striped awning-topped refreshment stand, blue lifeguard stand, pink bench (?), white chaiselounge and yellow ladder- and-slide, umbrella-topped table and two Paradisa-sized windsurfboards, palm tree, grey cat. 134 pieces.
Set #5848 The Family Cruiser (Yacht) (Belville Luxury Cruiser) $44.00
Available June 1998. Girl with braided, blonde hair, black-haired female adult in mostly white with white, print skirt, brown-haired male adult in blue and white. Large, white, uni-hull cabin cruiser with pink deck and yellow, uni-hull dingy. Everything one needs for the boat including kitchenette, sleeping quarters, sunhat, life-jackets, jambox, and a black puppy. 224 pieces.
Set # 5853 Lucinda and Cressida, "Cirkusprinsesse." £8.00 (Hamley's price)
Introduced May 1997 in blister pack in Europe. Black-haired girl in black boots, pink, star-speckled top and green skirt and white pony. Note white bridle and pink saddle. "I give 10 points out of 10 for the girl's pose." 10(6) pieces.
Set #5854 Pony trekking, "Telttur." £27.00 (Hamley's price)
Introduced May 1997 in Europe. Grey pony with black saddle and bridle, brown-haired girl in pale pink and yellow and blonde girl in riding helmet and boots, black puppy. Green cloth tent with blue, yellow and pink polkadots, green BURP (!), campfire, Fabuland cooking pot with ladle, hamper basket, luggage, green apples, dishes, sleeping bags&emdash;all on a pale green full-height base. Includes writing paper. 57(51) pieces.
Set # 5855 Riding Stables. £65.00 (Hamley's price)
Introduced May 1997 in Europe (replaces 5880). Two girls in riding boots with helmets, one with black hair and pink top, one blonde with blue trousers and white and pale blue top. One adult blonde female also in riding attire, pink top, white breeches. One black and one brown pony, one brown foal, black and brown tack. one grey cat and two kittens, dog. Stable is light blue full-height baseplate plus light green plate. Upstairs is yellow plates on white "walls," two sleeping bags and access via green ladder. Includes paddock, supplies and other accessory items. Incudes writing paper. 155 pieces.
Set # 5860 Love 'n Lullabies [Amour et berceuses; Canciones de Cuna]. Listed at $21.00
Introduced September 1994. Special pieces: brown-haired, skirted female (Mother?), baby, cradle, "toys," wall and full-height base. Only one of original sets with no children. 52 pieces.
Set # 5870 Pretty Playland [Ravessante cour de jeu; Precioso patio]. Listed at $42.00.
Introduced September 1994. Special pieces: Blonde girl with skirt, Black-haired boy, large turntable, slide, skateboard, cedar tree, black dog, green weave walls and full-height base. 95 pieces.
Set # 5874 Hospital Nursery (name?)
Introduced 1997 in Europe (replaces 5860). One adult female with brown hair in nurse's pantsuit uniform, two babies, one in blue, one in pale green. Pale blue rectangular base with white weave walls, two yellow cribs with tiny cloth sleepers, bibs, chair, pink double cabinet with sink and changing table, other nursery accessories. 65 pieces.
Set # 5875 "Buhashure?" Hospital? "Ziekenhuis" 70 Dutch guiders. £34.99 (Hamley's price) $30.99 in Imagination Center.
Available August 1996 in Europe. Four figures: a blonde nurse, a black-haired doctor, a black- haired boy and a blonde girl. Pale blue full-height base, white weave walls, two hospital beds, lounge chair, television. table, flowers, cast for child and other hospital-specific items. 99 pieces.
Set # 5876 "Julia, Benjamin, le docteur et l'infirmieré"
Same as 5875 above, but with book in French added. Also includes Belville poster. Different box and presentation, otherwise the same. I have no other information on this set.
Set # 5880 Prize Pony Stables. Listed at $54.00.
Introduced September 1994. Special pieces: two girls, both in red-and-white riding habits, one blonde, one brown-haired. One white and one black pony, one foal, lots of riding accessories, two sleeping-bag beds, upstairs for beds above stable, cat. 119 pieces.
Set # 5890 Pretty Wishes Playhouse. Listed at $99.00.
Introduced September 1994. Special pieces: Black-haired adult male, adult blonde female, blonde girl&emdash;both with skirts, baby, dog, cat, swimming pool, palm tree, column pieces for upstairs with bedroom. Downstairs has small kitchen, second bedroom, television, living room area with round tables and chairs. 222 pieces.
Set # 5895 "Villa Belville" 160 Dutch guiders.
Available August 1996 in Europe (replaced 5890). Another house but with white weave walls upstairs and dark pink walls downstairs. Bathroom upstairs complete with towels, bedrooms downstairs and full-equipped kitchen with white cabinets with pink doors, a black Fabuland pot and teapot and vent over the stove, high chair and table with chairs, outdoor barbeque pit, playpen, chaiselounge. An adult male with brown hair, blonde woman with green top and skirt, blonde girl mostly dressed in pale pink. 316 pieces.
History: (number in parentheses refers to years available)
September 1994:
5860 Love 'n Lullabies 1994-1995 US 1994-1996 in Europe (3)
5870 Pretty Playland 1994-1995 US same in Europe (2)
5880 Prize Pony Stables 1994 only US 1994-1996 in Europe (3)
5890 Pretty Wishes Playhouse 1994 only US 1994-1996 in Europe (3)
March 1995:
5136 Belville accessories 1995 only US, 1995- in Europe
5810 Vanity Fun 1995 only US 1995-1996 in Europe (2)
5830 Fun-day Sundaes 1995 only US 1995-1996 in Europe (2)
5840 Garden Playmates 1995 only US 1995-1997 in Europe (3)
August 1996:
5395 Hospital accessories 1996-1999 in Europe (4)
5820 Swing set 1996-1997 in Europe (2)
5835 Ballet Studio* 1996-1998 in Europe (3)
5875 Hospital* 1996-1999 in Europe (4)
5895 Villa Belville [replaces 5890] 1996-1998 in Europe (3)
May 1997:
5821 Pamela's picnic time 1997-1998 in Europe (2)
5822 Jennifer and foal* 1997-1998 in Europe (2)
5853 Lucinda and Cressida (circus princess) 1997-1998 in Europe (2)
5854 Pony trekking* 1997-1998 in Europe (2)
5855 Riding stables [replaces 5880] 1997-1998 in Europe (2)
5874 Baby Hospital [replaces 5860] 1997-1998 in Europe (2)
January 1998:
2555 Belville Swing (Shell Promo) 1998 only in Europe (1) 2000 in North America (1)
June 1998 §:
5387 Belville Beach Accessories 1998 in Europe (1)
5841 Beach Fun 1998 in Europe (1)
5844 Dolphin Windsurfer (Laura with surfboard)§ 1998-2001 (4) World-wide
5845 Dolphin Show (Harriet at the Dolphin show)§ 1998-1999 (2) World-wide
5846 Our Secret Island (Desert Island)§ 1998-1999 (2) World-wide
5847 Surfer's Paradise§ 1998 (only) (1) World-wide
5848 The Family Cruiser (Luxury Cruiser)§ 1998-1999 (2) World-wide
1999:
2858 Girl with Two Cats 1999 only in Germany (1)
April 1999 §:
5399.Belville Accessories 1999-
5801 Fairy 1999-
5802 Princess Rosaline 1999-
5803 Girlfriend Iris 1999-2000 (2)
5804 Witch's Cottage 1999-
5805 Princess Rosaline's Room 1999-
5807 Royal Stable 1999-
5808. Enchanted Palace 1999-
5811 Prince Justin 1999-
5812 Old King 1999-2000 (2)
January 2000
5823 Millimy's Bedroom 2000-
5824 Millimy's House 2000-
5825 Fairy Queen's Magical Place 2000-
5826 Queen's Chamber 2000-
5827 Royal Coach 2000-
March 2001
5831 Adventurous Puppies 2001-
5832 Vanilla's Magic Tea Party 2001-
5833 Rosita's Wonderful Stable 2001-
5834 The Enchanted Garden 2001-
*A few of the 1996 and 1997 Belville sets were available in the LEGO-owned stores in the Mall of America and the Disney Imagination Center in Orlando from 1997 through 1998.
§ Several of the 1998 and starting in 1999 all current sets are available through the US Shop-at-Home catalog service.
Commentary: Prior to 1976, LEGO marketed its sets without regard to the sex of the child. Both girls and boys appeared equally in advertisements. Specialized sets consisted primarily of town and house environments of potential appeal to both boys and girls. The earliest figures, introduced in 1974, usually came in family sets with equal numbers of female and male figures. The mini-figure changed this product orientation. While a female hair piece was part of the first mini-fig offerings, the kits at this scale were overwhelmingly action-occupation oriented. Police, fire-protection, coast guard, road construction and heavy industrial settings left little room for domestic or service-oriented work sets. At the same time, the advertising shifted, showing mostly boys playing with these new sets. Only the generic brick-dominated sets for younger children showed girls.
Perhaps to compensate, from the mid-Seventies through the early Eighties LEGO offered a series of brick-based rooms for girls. Each set contained pieces to create a specific room in a house, or a set of furniture. Most of the sets came with the older, larger ball-headed figures. Three of these sets made it to the United States in 1979: the bathroom, living room and a kitchen. A bedroom followed in 1980. Called the "Homemaker" sets in the United States they do not not appear to have been a commercial success and disappeared by 1983 or '84. A plastic LEGO tile-based jewelry line called "Scala." was also a commercial failure. By 1990, LEGO had become a "Boy" toy in both product and public perception.
One might be tempted to see the Belville series as an early Nineties reincarnation of the Homemaker series. The Homemaker series are important because they tell us that LEGO has been down this road before, but I think it would be misleading to assume that Belville is warmed-over Homemaker. The Homemaker sets contained no walls, no pastel bricks and no "dolls." Without walls, how was a builder to incorporate these sets into a house? And how would any girl develop an attachment to the round, ever-smiling figures that came with these sets? The strength and beauty of all real dolls lie in the power of well-sculpted or designed faces to evoke emotional attachment on the part of the person who owns and/or plays with it. The ball-heads were clever but not dolls.
LEGO first attempted to solve the marketing problem they themselves had created with the introduction in 1992 of a sub-series in mini-fig scale called "Paradisa." These sets came in pink boxes and featured some pink pieces, more female mini-figs and pastel-colored base plates. Most of the sets were part of a beach-oriented playworld of surfing, swimming, outdoor cookouts and horseback riding. The series never proved popular with girls, and boys generally refused to be interested at all.
In September, 1994, LEGO launched its next attempt at capturing some of the girl toy market. This attempt was Belville. In designing this seres, LEGO addressed some of the Homemaker series' problems. The Weave walls and full-height columns give a child vertically-enclosed dimensions without adding substantial costs, weight or numbers of pieces. The pastel colors and numerous hearts clearly identified these sets as "for girls." The larger-scale dolls also allowed full action, limited dressing and undressing, identification and infinite posing possibilities&emdash;something the mini-fig scaled Paradisa sets did not.
Belville did not do any better than Paradisa, and the first year was a commercial disaster&emdash;at least in North America. LEGO introduced the series with some publicity in the early fall of 1994. Within two months the stores in this country were starting to heavily discount the sets. By January 1995, Pretty Playhouse and Prize Pony Stables had disappeared from most stores. Neither of these sets appeared in the 1995 North American catalog. The small, modestly-priced sets that appeared in March 1995 seemed to have been somewhat more successful but by late 1995 virtually all the Belville sets were gone (with a couple of exceptions where the store obviously took on a special order). None of the Belville sets appeared in the 1996 North American catalog.
Why? Part of the problem may be that LEGO had become too successful at what it had tried to be starting back in the late Seventies. LEGO was the third-largest selling category of toys in 1995, yet that success was built on dominating the construction toy business. For most customers, construction toys equal boys' toys. Since all LEGO sets tended to be shelved together, the Belville sets were being lost in a sea of boy-oriented sets.
The Belville sets were not really construction sets at all. They were doll house sets. It is possible they might have been better off being shelved in the doll house section of a toy department. However, placing the LEGO trains with other model trains in the Toys R Us stores did not seem to help the LEGO trains sell one-way-or-another. This does point out that once a manufacturer is tagged with one category in the public's mind, it becomes extremely difficult to sell something else. Even after ten years of marketing in this country, most Americans seem totally unaware that LEGO has trains available for purchase.
Price may have been an additional factor. The smallest Belville set in 1994, #5860, listed at over $20.00 and did not include a child doll. While the prices were not outrageous in comparison with similar products from other manufacturers, they were sustantially more expensive than other LEGO sets with similar piece counts.
The withdrawal of Belville from the North American Market in 1995 seemed to indicate that LEGO had decided that Belville was another unsuccessful marketing specialization. However LEGO did not give up. Seventeen months later, in August 1996, LEGO introduced four new sets in Europe indicating both a long-term commitment and some financial return.
Although Belville was to continue to expand its contemporary setting offerings through 1998, it appears obvious now that LEGO decided on a new approach at this time.
First, LEGO added a new wrinkle to their marketing to girls with a new "Scala" line. LEGO had brought out a line for girls called "Scala" in the early Eighties that consisted of make-it-yourself, plastic jewelry based on LEGO plates and flats. It was apparently a commercial failure and disappeared after two years. However, in March 1997, LEGO announced a new Scala line consisting of six-inch-scale dressing dolls with hair and cloth clothing. The sets were initially available in Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and France. Each set consisted of a doll and accessories to outfit one room. The largest sets included a cottage or a house for these sets to go into. By the end of 1997, Scala sets were available world-wide. Even the Shop@Home Duplo catalog for Christmas featured five of these sets&emdash;making them more widely available in the United States than Belville was at that time&emdash;and in 1998 Scala sets began to appear in a few regular retail outlets in this country.
The slender Scala dolls with long, combable hair immediately remind a viewer of Barbie dolls but these dolls wear flats and use LEGO-like plates to stand. The furnishings appear to be of better quality and be more realistic. They also indicate a wider variety of actvities for the Scala girls to get involved in (no hanging out at the beach with Ken&emdash;although that soon changed. Swim-suit sets appeared 1998).
The furniture used the standard LEGO bumps for some assembly and a flower-petal pattern that was brick compatible for other items. Quite a few Belville accessories, such as the watering can, the cat and kitten, the brushes, etc. moved to Scala.
With the new Scala line providing a six-inch scale doll house theme, Belville moved from domestic-oriented sets into the territory formerly occupied by Paradisa. Of the six new Belville sets offered in 1997, four centered around pony-riding, one of Paradisa's main attractions. LEGO ended the Paradisa line in December, 1997, cutting the series off with the last three sets disappearing after less than a year of availability. Belville was to get its chance; Paradisa had had its and was gone.
In 1998, the transformation of the Belville line to coverage of Paradisa's areas was complete. LEGO introduced six new sets, all on a "fun at the beach" sub-theme. With the exception of two hospital sets, all Belville sets focused on girls (and boys) and their parents having fun in outdoor, vacation settings. The problem with this approach was that it was apparently no more successful than Paradisa had been. Or, perhaps, Scala was seen as the place for such activities. Scala sets began to move into the same areas as Belville in 1998 and featured more rapid turnover of sets with new dolls appearing on a semi-annual basis. Soon there were Scala camping and horseback riding sets, as well as beach clothes and beach settings.
By the end of 1998, it was beginning to appear that, despite the strong support LEGO was giving to Belville, the series was going to prove to be nothing more than a smaller scale version of Scala. This did not appear workable for the long term. Scala, with dozens of new sets appearing every few months, was proving to be more popular and more market-responsive than the Belville line which was following the LEGO System approach of introducing new sets once a year and carrying older sets in the lineup for at least two and, sometimes as long as four years.
The answer to this marketing dilemma came with the June 1999 Belville lineup. LEGO changed the series into a fantasy theme with princess, witch, fairies and king. This was so different then anything LEGO had done with Belville previously that it was difficult to see these new sets as Belville at all. In reality, Belville has reinvented itself. No contemporary settings, no girls, no boys, but total fantasy at the adult scale. Four of the 1998 beach sets carried over through 1999, but the rest of earlier Belville was gone. Only the 2858 German promotional set carried on the old Belville theme.
The Belville sets for 2000 continued the pattern set in 1999, except they were available in January, the earliest introduction date for any Belville set. Was LEGO trying to fresh out this theme as quickly as possible?
The 2000 sets used the numbers 5823 through 5827, five sets in all, all small to moderate in size, in contrast to the large, expensive 5808. Why LEGO left the 5806 and 5809 numbers unused is puzzling. Except for the royal coach (#5827) the 2000 sets were all various rooms for characters live/sleep in. Two new characters appeared, an evil queen and a good fairy queen. The little fairies gained their own garden and bedroom.
The 2001 sets (appearing in March) moved the Belville theme further into a "fairy" world and away from the fairy-tale world. But instead of the little fairies, hair-clip butterflies on the same scale appeared and girl-scale figures once more appeared in three of the sets. No adults&emdash;they were last year. All these girls are apparently princesses and wear cornets and heavy, silk-like gowns. Of special interest is the black-haired Rosita in set #5833&emdash;the first character with a distinct nationality&emdash;and Flora in 5834, the series' first girl redhead. Both Flora and Vanilla in 5832 sport slightly parted lips so that a bit of white for teeth show.
Is this as far as LEGO is going to be able to take Belville in a fairyland direction? If this is an end, where will Belville go next?
numbers used so far:
5800 5840 5880
5801 5841 5881
5802 5842 5882
5803 5843 5883
5804 5844 5884
5805 5845 5885
5806 5846 5886
5807 5847 5887
5808 5848 5888
5809 5849 5889
5810 5850 5890
5811 5851 5891
5812 5852 5892
5813 5853 5893
5814 5854 5894
5815 5855 5895
5816 5856 5896
5817 5857 5897
5818 5858 5898
5819 5859 5899
5820 5860
5821 5861
5822 5862
5823 5863
5824 5864
5825 5865
5826 5866
5827 5867
5828 5868
5829 5869
5830 5870
5831 5871
5832 5872
5833 5873
5834 5874
5835 5875
5836 5876
5837 5877
5838 5878
5839 5879