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Kim Blake's daughter Sarah, 7, used to be a Barbie fan, but she's moved beyond that. She's getting ready to donate her 3-foot tall Barbie dream house and about half of her 20 Barbie dolls to charity. Now, she's more into playing outside or taking Taekwondo martial arts classes and less into dolls in general. That's a switch from her mother, 35, who played with Barbie dolls until she was 13. "Her girlfriends don't play with them any more either," says Blake, a store manager in Renton, Wash. "They've actually said the word 'babyish' talking about them." The last time Barbie wasn't feeling the love was about 12 years ago when, after years of little competition, pouty-lipped Bratz dolls became wildly successful. They sent squeaky clean Barbie into a sales spiral. Bratz dolls were edgy. They wore low-rise jeans, had heavy makeup and exposed navels. And they were sultrier than Barbies. But the Bratz fad faded in 2005, and Barbie slowly regained sales ground. The same may happen with Monster High dolls. Industry experts say it will take a lot to dethrone the Barbie. "It's still one of the strongest brands in industry," says Needham & Co. toy analyst Sean McGowan. In a call with investors on Wednesday, Mattel CEO Bryan Stockton admitted that the success of Monster High and its other doll brands might be causing some of Barbie's sales dip. But he points out that Barbie's sales are higher now than when Monster High dolls were launched in 2010. He said the competition is energizing the entire doll sector. In general, "hot toys" have a cyclical nature, usually with a 5-year time span, says BMO Capital's Johnson. This ensures that no toy stays on top forever. Even evergreen brands that endure for decades, like Barbie, have highs and lows in popularity. "It happens with everything -- name a toy, and it's had its ups and downs," Johnson says. "At some point the day comes when a kid says, 'Nah, I'm tired of this.'" That day isn't completely here for Olivia Maddux yet. Her mom, Lisa, believes her new love affair with the Monster High dolls may have in fact extended the life of Barbie dolls. "I think the addition of Monster High dolls, aimed at a little different demographic, kept Barbies alive in our place, since she plays with them together," she says. That may be true. In Olivia's world, the two -- Barbie and Monster High -- peacefully coexist. Well, sort of. "The Monster High dolls are like the Barbie's servants," Olivia says.
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