Dolls For Christmas

I went doll shopping the other day...no, no, not the human kind (sigh, no such luck). I went to buy Jane some dolls for Christmas. She likes the Bratz and Polly dolls now and there are many of each. When I asked Jane a couple of weeks ago what she wanted for Christmas gifts she said "I don't know". At that point I suggested she make a list after thinking about it and watching TV (the kid shows she likes). Those I soon had a list filled with mostly those dolls or related ones. Now I have some observations about girls dolls.
I think that dolls are a good toy for little girls, for they require imagination to use. Most dolls look the same and have few working parts. So the child must pretend with them. But why do those dolls cost so much? In looking at toys I find that dolls are among the more expensive toys, relative to what it cost to produce them. And there are so many dolls that look identical, the clothes being the only distinction. So a Bratz Chloe doll, for example, looks almost identical to a Bratz Samantha doll.
Maybe the expression on the doll is s different or the hair color, but other than that they look the same. I wonder how Jane can tell the difference between one Bratz or one Polly doll- but she can. Clearly the manufacturer creates the many editions to drive the parent (who must pay for them all) nuts! Sigh.... Forget it....I should ask Santa to bring me some real live dolls to play with. People who rob banks are usually the dumb ones.