I personally feel like Jem did pay off but not in the way hasbro wanted since it took years but Jem is still remembered today for the animated series and has a small cult fandom while Maxie herself is barely remembered and when she is she is basically a side note to Jem’s history as “that doll that replaced Jem”

Maxie had a smaller body than Jem. Hasbro got the European license for Sindy, but could not release her in the North American market. So Hasbro came up with Maxie as a way to sell the Sindy doll in the US. They used the Alberts as consultants on Maxie to make her more suitable for the US market. Jem was not replaced by Maxie - Hasbro planned on releasing both lines in 1988. Because of financial issues Hasbro was having, they decided to release only half of the toy lines planned for 1988 - Jem was discontinued because she had not had the success they wanted in the previous year. Hasbro expected 30 million in sales and only got 22 million in sales from the 1987 Jem doll line. Both Barbie and the Rockers and Jazzie were Mattel’s attempts to eliminate competition from Hasbro, by releasing a doll that was the same theme as what Hasbro was doing. Mattel even designed Barbie and the Rockers in 16 hours when they heard about Jem and got the Rockers on the shelf in 4 months - when designing a new doll usually takes 18 months from start to landing on the store shelf.

I grew up in the 80s I was around 10 and 11 years old when Jem and the holograms came out I absolutely loved it! I am a big fan but I also was very disappointed when she left but I also loved Maxie dolls and the cartoons they definitely needed to finish the cartoon for Jem I wish that they would’ve been able to do both and gave us more Maxie as well

LOVE this video!! Maxie's body was actually smaller than Jem's. Jem had failed partly due to the fact that she was bigger than Barbie and couldn't share clothes and accessories. Maxie did have larger feet and smaller breasts than Barbie, which seemed to have been the inspiration for Teen Skipper in the 90's... The Doll Industry is such a fascinating world! Thanks for sharing this awesome video! :)

OMG! Looking smart Maxie doll! I had her!

I was the perfect age for Jem & Maxie (born in '83) and they were my favorite fashion dolls!! I loved that they both had straighter figures, smaller chests + flat feet. I honestly thought Maxie was a Mattel product and Barbie's cousin this whole time! 😱

really enjoyed hearing about different doll lines that i havent come across before. hope to see more of this series :)

Jazzie also had the same face as ⭐️ Starr Btw! Also Mrs. Heart had the same face.

Jem was awesome. She should have kept being made, except she was PRICEY!!! I think THAT was her demise was that people had too many options and not enough cash for the higher priced dolls like her and the lacy, spacey, out of this world Spectra (another expensive doll i wanted back in the 80s but couldn't get because i was devoted to Transformers).

Привет! Я родилась в России в 82 году, у нас не было возможности купить Макси. Сейчас я в Израиле и купила моим дочкам Макси, они такие милые!

I’m a big fan of the Jem cartoon and I feel like the dolls under performed because they were well quite ugly.

I have a couple Maxies and do like them, but much prefer Jem to be honest! I found mine in flea markets in the Netherlands, so she might have been sold here just in very limited quantities, I found each in different cities… Years ago I sold some of my Jem dolls and I regret doing so…

Maxies world great cartoon series saw it on family channel in 1993 I was 9 at the time 😊

I personally think they gave up on Jem too easily. The problem in that type of doll market though is who is going to want to face Barbie..no one

i had a maxie doll and she does not have the same body as Jem. Maybe of the younger girls in the last year of Jem, but not of Jem herself. She was much smaller, more in line with the Barbie body. Jem is a full inch taller and way WAY more articulated.

I really love these dolls ... better than Barbie at the time. I'm an old guy and I still have my Maxie and her friends dolls. Also I have Jazzie and one of her friends. Did you know that along with Francie, Jazzie is a cousin of Barbie's?

Were you a child of the 80's?