With all the big toy-themed sites covering almost nothing but the big, hot new products from Toy Fair, there are literally thousands of toys that get little to no love on the show floor from the press. Since I don’t get many invites to the major events (thanks to PR people and companies themselves that want big sites with bigger hits to drive fans into stores on launch days or pre-ordering their products like mad), I tend to dip around the show floor after my big deal appointments looking for quirky and interesting stuff you won’t see latched to a hype train. I’ll be covering a bunch of cool toys for just about everyone in a few columns here, so I may as well start with the last letter of the alphabet and work my way around randomly.  Say hello to Zeenie Dollz!

Have you ever wondered what the average children’s doll is made of (and just what that new Barbie or Bratz smell is)? Go look it up and prepare to cringe a bit. Each Zeenie and her packaging are made entirely of eco materials, and at 12 inches tall each, they’re sized perfectly for girls or collectors who prefer their dolls to stand out if displayed. I’m not sure what they smell like, but feel free to make a few jokes about patchouli and henna with a touch of sandalwood and hints of vanilla and citrus or whatever. Unlike other fashion dolls, their appeal doesn’t come from the pretend princess or an overtly sexy/sassy vibe, but from the eco-friendly message and approach the company embraces.

It was actually nice to see a product that was environmentally aware and not bland or overly preachy, well made and overall instantly likable as a gift for any kid who wants a bit of learning to go with their playtime. If you’ve checked out the website using that link above the jump, you’ve seen the nice art and maybe read up on each of the six characters in the line and what her earth-saving skills are. All the Zeenies need now is an appropriate fan base as well as more positive looks by fans of unique dolls.

I’d say thanks to the rather nice character designs and construction (even the showcase-style packaging is really nice), the gals may even have a big future as a possible web comic and/or animated series as a much more polished update to the old Captain Planet cartoons, but with a girl power/earth power vibe running throughout. Add in some humor and sidekicks, an earth-friendly transport mode and *ding!* it’d hit central and more kids into the message most other toys avoid. Get some indie developer to whip up a cool tablet game at some point and you get a potential few million new fans in a very short time span. The possibilities here are endless, but it starts with checking out the girls and perhaps making a purchase. At $39.99 with portions of each sale going to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), you’ll be helping out in a few ways and getting a great gift for someone in the process. Hey, every trend needs to start somewhere, so here’s your big chance to do your part, I say…