Dana and Fianna joined my Bratz family so early on, that I can no longer recall which of them I got first. Wintertime Wonderland Dana and Stylin' Salon 'N' Spa Fianna were purchased sometime during the summer of 2003. Both were bought under the pretense that it was my birthday. Neither Colleen and I can pinpoint exactly who was the sixth different character in my collection, but honestly it doesn't matter. I have so many fond memories of playing with both Fianna and Dana as a twelve year old. Dana was the character I knew about first. She had originally debuted, like Fianna, in a Stylin' Salon 'N' Spa set. But not long after, MGA began to incorporate her into regular Bratz lines. Seeing Dana subtly replace Meygan in certain collections, like Style It! or 2003 Funk 'N' Glow, made me keen to get my hands on my very own. But the ultimate question had always stumped me...which Dana would be my first?!!
As a kid I had a far more pruned Bratz collection. This was intentional on my part. Although I was obsessed with Bratz from the moment I played with a friend's Xpress It! Yasmin in 2002, I wanted my own. But I had learned from my explosive Barbie collection that sometimes having more dolls meant you spent less time with each one. So I carefully curated my Bratz family, with the original intention of only having one doll of each character. Yea, that didn't last...even as a kid I had three Yasmin, three Jade, and three Sasha dolls. It was a thoughtful sentiment though, and I'm glad I got to know each my childhood Bratz very well. However, I would not want to go back to those days...there is no way I could contain my collection in that way anymore! Stylin' Salon 'N' Spa Dana was the first I had encountered at Walmart sometime in late 2002/early 2003. I was tantalized by this new Bratz character, and was sad that she was exclusive to the costly playset. Since Dana phased out of stores before I was heavily into Bratz, it was never really an option for me to get that spa. That was how I ended up with the spa sold with Fianna. By the summer of 2003, I was absolutely certain I wanted a Dana doll for my collection. There were several options, like Style It! and Funk 'N' Glow. However it was Wintertime Wonderland Dana who became the "chosen" one.
The reason I selected Wintertime Wonderland Dana was simple. She had winter clothes, something my Bratz dolls' wardrobe contained none of! Like I had purchased Beach Party Cloe for her swimwear earlier in the year, I opted to snag Wintertime Wonderland Dana for her cold season wear. I picked Dana at at Toys 'R' Us one summer day in 2003. She became an immediate hit. Back then, Colleen said I should pronounce her name like "Dan-ya," since it was "prettier" than "day-na." I agreed, since we had a neighbor boy called Dana, and I always thought of it as being a masculine name. Regardless of the pronunciation, I was mesmerized by my new doll. She was my first glittery Bratz, and it was this Dana that started my obsession with glittery dolls! Sadly, my childhood friend barely has glitter. That is the consequence of putting Fianna's spa makeup on her constantly, and then washing it off. She used to be caked in oodles of fabulous glitter. I loved how bedazzled Dana always looked, even in the simplest of attire. It was my affection for the glittery Wintertime Wonderland Dana which made me lust for Formal Funk. However, I wouldn't own any other Dana dolls for half a decade.
Ironically, the second Dana I ever added to my collection was a woe begone Formal Funk doll. During the summer/early fall of 2011, I found one at a large outdoor flea market. This seller had quite the wonderful selection of nude or mostly nude Bratz. They were between 50 cents and a dollar depending on how many garments they were wearing. It was at this booth that I purchased my very first Formal Funk Dana. Sadly, she no longer is with us. In 2012 I went through a weird customization phase. I thought I had to "justify" having duplicated dolls by customizing them in some way. It turns out I am just not meant to be a customizer. I much prefer fixing dolls up and restoring them to their former glory. Since I had removed all of Dana's face paint, there was nothing I could do to salvage her, and a handful of other Bratz. Fortunately, I had two other Formal Funk Dana dolls already. The one that was most special, is still very much part of my collection. She is the gal wearing the pink gown in this photo. She was part of the infamous "Craigslist #1" lot, that I procured in the fall of 2011. This Formal Funk doll was not the only Dana from said lot. I also acquired Racecar Driving Dana, who was far simpler in design. Admittedly, this Dana was overshadowed for some time. But nowadays, I cannot imagine my collection without her, and I so appreciate her simplicity.
That same fall, I went from having just two Dana dolls to several. In the "Bratz Guy Bin," which was purchased just a few weeks before the first Craigslist lot, I got Funk Out! Dana. She was one of my favorite finds from the depleted bin of mangy Bratz. She even had part of her original outfit, albeit a very tattered tank top and shirt! That's why I was so excited to get a boxed Funk Out! Dana a few months later in "Craigslist #3." Both outfits they sport came from my boxed doll. Despite the fact that my once packaged friend has been deboxed for years, she still looks so much crisper than the "Bratz Guy Bin" lady. I was floored when I finally got my hands on the iconic Stylin' Salon 'N' Spa Dana, in "Craigslist #2," shortly after Thanksgiving that year. She is the doll who dons what I have of her original robe/pajamas. The best part of this Dana was knowing her backstory. She had once been a treasured doll, who was sold by the child's grandmother, who played Bratz with her granddaughter. And who could forget "Piña Dana," my second Formal Funk lady who sports a pineapple like hairdo. She developed her "persona" during a 2012 Flickr photoshoot that was a prom scene. When I posed her arms straight up in the air, Colleen and I came up with the scenario that Dana was tipsy at prom, and that's why she was so happy. To this Dana, Piña Dana sits on display with her arms in the air, celebrating life! She's one of those dolls who I love so dearly because of her "personality."
As the years progressed, my Dana collection continued to expand. I'd say I have better luck acquiring duplicates of Dana dolls, rather than procuring new ones. That's not to say my collection doesn't have some Dana variety. But it's very evident which Dana dolls were popular sellers. Style It! Dana for instance must have sold well. I have three (at one point there was a fourth...another victim of customizing gone wrong). My most special of them is the lady my cousin's wife gave me back in 2012 (she wears the long sleeved boho shirt in this photo). Chrissy was kind enough to let me and Colleen keep her childhood Bratz, when she asked us to fix up her childhood Barbies that summer. Style It! Dana was one of my personal faves from the small group. She had most of her stuff and sported beautiful nylon hair (there are some variants with cheaper nylon tresses). For my 21st birthday that same summer, Chrissy also gave me her childhood Sun-Kissed Summer doll. She had been living at her grandmother's house, separately from the rest of the Bratz. Again, it was clear that Sun-Kissed Summer Dana had been taken care of an loved. She too was fairly complete. I was SO excited to have such an iconic doll for my collection, especially a beach themed one (I'm a sucker for swimsuit sporting dolls). Funk 'N' Glow and Head Gamez! Fashion Head Dana are my only two eBay gals at this time. Originally Colleen and I did not plan to buy the "Dana lot" from this particular eBay seller in 2012. They had listed out five different lots of Bratz, organized by character, which contained a few dolls and TONS of minty clothes/accessories. Dana's was the smallest of the lots, and the last to end. But we decided just before the listing expired to place a bid. We ended up winning Dana's lot too, and I was secretly super excited. I had always wanted Funk 'N' Glow Dana, and this one was immaculate. Plus, there was always such a novelty in owning a separately sold Bratz head. This Head Gamez! doll was on a body already too! Sweet Heart, Girls Nite Out!, Ooh la la Paris, and my second Wintertime Wonderland Dana dolls were some of my other favorite highlights from over the years. I couldn't leave out 2011 Style it! Dana either--she's the most recent version of Dana available to date.
It still feels somewhat surreal when I realize how many Dana dolls I've amassed over the years. I still remember what it was like when only Wintertime Wonderland Dana was part of my collection. But at the same time, it feels odd when I realize I didn't always own dolls like Formal Funk, Racecar Driving, or Stylin' Salon 'N' Spa. After all, they've become such staples of my Bratz family, I cannot imagine life without them. It's easy to mistaken my early adulthood purchases as being "childhood" dolls. After all, they were such an integral part of my rebirth as a doll collector. Although I have quite the selection of Dana dolls, there are still plenty out there I'd love to own someday. I still crave a Wild Wild West, Campfire, and Live in Concert Dana for instance. I get even more frustrated when I find fragments of Dana clothing, but the doll is long gone. I still hope to have a Wild Wild West doll to wear that outfit I got years ago, which is currently borrowed by a duplicated Snowboarding Lilee. But my greatest sorrow is that MGA hasn't manufactured a Dana in nearly a decade. I never understood why Raya was reincarnated for the 2015 Bratz relaunch, when she had been a single appearance doll beforehand. Why not Dana? Why not Fianna? Alas, I may never have the answers to these questions, and there may never be another Dana doll made. But no matter what, Dana will always be a cherished part of not only my childhood, but also my adult dolly memories!
