Their new name is Ross Blythe for Less

I haven't been to Ross Dress for Less in years, I completely forgot they carried dolls and other toys. Someone mentioned finding a cheap Barbie Basics accessory pack at Ross so I mentally added it to my shopping route on Monday morning. I almost forgot to go but remembered right before heading home, and I'm sure glad I did!

When I first blogged about Littlest Pet Shop Blythe I mentioned it'd be nice if Hasbro sold the Blythe dolls without pets so she'd be a little cheaper. At the time I didn't realize they did this in the past, because Ross had these three (c) 2010 dolls discounted to $4 each:

"Swim & Sun" Her pretty blue eyes match her hat, they're washed out in this photo

"Hiking Trip" Don't cry! Her expression looks like she dropped her lollipop on the dirt trail

"Desert Fun" I'll pretend a water canteen is in that unfortunate bag.

"Look for the matching LPS pet (sold separately)" is written on the front of their boxes. $4?! No pets, no problem! I hadn't seen these pet-free Blythes before so I don't know when they disappeared from regular stores and moved to places like Ross. Maybe this is the situation in my area and everyone else can still find these at Target.

Then in the next aisle I found this "Fashions & Treats Boutique" set for $13 -- it's still a ridiculous $30 at my local WalMart and TRU.

I count 5 pets and 4 treats

I don't think it's worth $30, especially because the treat counter is not real, it's printed on the cardboard liner. However, $13 is a good price for one Blythe, three extra dresses, play food, four stools, and five pets. I only wish they'd have included more shoes, I'd gladly give up a pet in the box for more Blythe shoes. Most kids probably don't care and they'd lose the tiny shoes within 5 minutes anyway. I sometimes have to remind myself they make these toys for children. ;)

A few more words about the counter: I appreciate the effort Hasbro put into making the packaging something kids can play with, until it falls apart. I just want to be clear it's not a plastic playset, which you might reasonably expect if you were paying $30 for it online and couldn't get a good look at it. The food and stools are plastic but the floor, steps, and treat counter are part of the cardboard liner.

sad polar bear

There are four pieces of food (honey, sardines, apples, and cheese) and five pets: bee, cat, pig, mouse, and ... a polar bear? Yeah, the white animal looks bearish with his rounded ears and big paws, I can't explain the pink splotch on his head. (Homage to Gorbachev?) So Hasbro, why didn't he get a treat? Maybe he's supposed to eat one of the pig's apples. Blythe's four dresses depict her pets included in this set -- except for the bear. He also doesn't have a stool at the fake counter! No treat, no stool, no outfit with his picture on it, poor bear. What happened? I'm thinking...

1) They added a 5th pet to make the set even more appealing to buyers.
2) They cut bear's treat, stool, and dress with his picture to increase their profit.
3) Clearly he's working at the treat shop so he doesn't need a treat or stool.

I really have no idea, it just seems weird one of the animals is left out in the cold. Oh I get it, because he's a polar bear! haha. This is just a random observation, what's going on with the LPS pets doesn't influence my decision to buy. I only care about Blythe, her clothes, and the price.

Homer, that is not a giant donut, it's a swim ring

 Ross also had Jake the shaggy hair Liv doll for $5, I might pick him up next week if he's still there. They had one Barbie Basics accessory pack for male dolls, I think it was $7 and I didn't want it that much.

Check out your local Ross if you haven't been there lately, you might be surprised by what you find in the chaotic toy section. I was impressed by the prices and will visit again in a week or so to see if they've added anything new to the toy shelves.