A Deep Dive into ZELFS ("Obscure Cousins" of the Trolls)

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After uploading my troll dolls video I received a lot of confused comments wondering “why weren’t zelfs mentioned?”
Funny enough I had never even heard of zelfs so with zero nostalgic ties I decided to dive head first into the world of zelfs for your enjoyment!
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SOURCES:
dollect.net/da...
web.archive.or...
/ @moosethezelfs
• Zelfs from Moose Toys ...
• Zelfs Venus Fly Trap S...
thetoypool.com...
www.thedrum.co...
nevergrowupdoll...
/ @moosethezelfs
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the lulaloopsey youtube channel is not suitable for children i make nostalgic video essays\cartoon reviews for young adults !
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TAGS: A Deep Dive into ZELFS ("Obscure Cousins" of the Trolls),moose toys,toy deep dive,toy video essay,2000s nostalgia,2010s nostalgia,zelfs video essay,trolls video essay,troll dolls,troll dolls deep dive,moose toys zelfs,why were zelfs discontinued

[@lulaloopsey]

Stop data brokers from exposing your personal information. Go to my sponsor aura.com/lulaloopsey to get a 14-day free trial and see how much of yours is being sold.

[@Inky.64]

For the longest time I genuinely thought these were some sort of weird fever dream I had when I was a kid 😭

[@gaeulmail]

all the sea themed zelfs are so important .. theyre so precious

[@lulaloopsey]

the themes are genuinely so cool!!!

[@NeilaniWilson]

@@lulaloopseyplz review grojband

[@scouttyz]

my family was poor growing up so toys r us was a luxury and the first ever toy i got from there was a zelf. they were mint scented !! this video unlocked a hidden memory. tysm

[@Furbtastic]

You forgot to mention they had a full on animated web series! Never owned the toys but I watched the official cartoons. They'er such cute figures.

[@lulaloopsey]

@@Furbtastic i talked about the webisodes but cut it out because i didn’t really have a lot to say & thought it was a boring segment of the video 💔 i could always repurpose that part of my script for my second channel soon

[@Betty_Baby_Alives]

OMG I WATCH UUUUU @FURBTASTIC 💗💗💗💗💗

[@felixfeelstherock]

ME AND MY BROTHER HAS BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONEEEEE

[@lulaloopsey]

AAA i hope y’all enjoy!!

[@felixfeelstherock]

@@lulaloopseyWE DID WE WATCHED WITH OUR ZELFS

[@pi3.1415-y]

"Right before Zelfs even hit shelves" 🥇

[@luuvcatz]

DUDE I THOUGHT I MADE THESE UPPPP. I COULD NEVER FIND THEM WHEN LOOKING FOR THEM ONLINE BC I THOUGHT THEY WERE TROLLS😭

[@P01S0N42]

You eat every time with the looks! The hair, the makeup, the outfits! Perfect ❤

[@Psycul]

So true! I’m also so blown away by her makeup looks and styling, and I’m living for the vibrant hair

[@Betty_Baby_Alives]

Who else gets really happy when she posts?

[@nightcrawler8864]

OMG MEEEE

[@Betty_Baby_Alives]

OMG SHE HEARTED MY COMMENT IM FREAKING OUT YEEESSSSSS I WIN!!💕💕😱😱😱

[@Sakorathecreature]

Finallyyyyy! After watching so many deep dives lately on a lot of different toys from the past, I was so surprised nobody had done one on Zelfs yet. I still have all of mine from when I collected them years ago~ Thank you for the great video 💚

[@ghostscancrytoo]

oh my god i loved these so much as a kid i forgot what they were called and i need one now

[@aryelynet228]

As someone who converted the side of their wardrobe into a makeshift 'Zelf wall', this video was an absolute joy to watch

[@DSh1105]

YESSSS I HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR A ZELF VIDEO LET'S GOOOOO❤

[@bellablossomz]

I love zelfs so much I miss them dearly

[@Astrid_2016]

I keep not believing myself that these were real and I used to collect some of them (oh and you best BELIEVE I have a nostalgic connection to these)

[@dacoolestzzz]

when I was little I went to toys r us just to get these lol I remember saving up money to get them

[@ceazarsalad4414]

OH MY GOSH YES im so excited for this video. watching you and athena p's videos about trolls i was waiting for either of you to talk about the zelfs. I recently found some of my old zelfs. i have a really cute pink deer one.

[@jinsoulsbleachedhair]

Me and my cousins LOVED Zelfs so much, all of us had the clover limited edition zelf. This video genuinely reminded me that she was still in my closet. When I got her when I was a kid she was unboxed and almost immediately reboxed and covered in tape to make it look like she was still inbox. I have number 448 out of 10,000. I forgot how pretty she is, her wings are a four leaf clover and she has glittery skin!! Pretty sure I tried out the fly trap play set too, it was good fun but we often did have trouble with it only grabbing the ends of the hair but if I’m being honest it was still fun getting to spin them around in those chairs

[@kitschycadet4689]

trolls were one of my first special interests as a kid so when zelfs came out i was obsessed with them. the deco zelf was actually quite a bit larger than the super zelfs from what i remember, and it may have been different in the US but there were a couple more packaging variants for the lil zelfs in the later series that you didn't mention, but that's not super important anyway lol. i had the venus flytrap playset and remember it working like magic, i think the reviewers lack whimsy :/ awesome video!!

[@LePezzy66]

As a Selfs collector, you did an awesome job! Love this video! The first few series are most common where I live. This was very insightful, but now I am also sad bc there are so many more cute ones!

[@emmas7937]

LETS GOOOOOOO!!! I’m so glad you covered zelfs. I LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM!! Thank you🌷🌷🌷

[@purppurpyellow]

THANK YOU FOR FEEDING US LULA!!!!

[@SirStarKat]

I have such a nostalgic memory of getting the tiny potted plant blind 'bags' almost every time we went to the store and being so excited I'd open it the second we got out the store. I had the fly trap playset and I remember twisting the zelfs hair only to untwist it and do it allover again lol I still have the big glow in the dark vampire one in a storage box somewhere, safe to say a big part of my childhood💕

[@bathauss]

immediately subscribed as soon as i saw this in my recommended, i can't wait to binge the rest of your content 🫶

[@felixfeelstherock]

You won’t regret!!!

[@TheVoiceinTheDarkness]

This quite familiar. Either way I'm excited for another video of yours!

[@egg1614]

I didn't realize my connection with zelfs actually went so deep, seeing this vid made me so happy! I remembered these little goobers being my last few memories of being in toy r us, when I'd buy the little blind surprises if my mom wouldn't buy me shopkins lol. I watched their web series and visited their website often, yeah thanks for reminding me how much I used to love these little guys ❤❤

[@RazzleDazzleEntertainment-m6i]

I remembered watching a few videos from a toy channel called DCTC Toy Channel that featured them when I was younger. Oh the memories

[@mikuzillas]

21:31 OH MY GOD NOT THE MOOTHEW JUMPSCARE 😭 ZEROBASEONE IS EVERYWHERE

[@moony3041]

i've been waiting for you to cover zelfs!!! literally my favourite childhood toys, i still have all of mine :)

[@puzzkob]

I’m so happy you finally made a video about these… this specific toy is extremely nostalgic to me and I still even have some of them 😊

[@muppetsretrofan8873]

Aw man, I wish I had gotten some Zelfs when they first came out! I have a strong affection for the small colorful creature vibe, especially Trolls, Smurfs, and ESPECIALLY The Snorks. The whole Smurfs Vs Snorks thing reminds me of the Trolls vs Zelfs thing, except it's more complication. Originally The Snorks were from a comic book and called The Diskies, but were brought to America by a guy who couldn't get the rights to use The Smurfs, and were later adapted into a animated series by Hanna Barbera, who ironically also made the 1980s Smurfs cartoon. However, The Snorks are more diverse then Smurfs, having different colors and multiple females. They also aren't defined by their names for the most part. Fun fact, The Snorks and The Smurfs even share voice actors, most notably Micheal Bell [Allstar Seaworthy the Snork, Grouchy Smurf, Handy Smurf, Lazy Smurf, Johan from the Johan And Peewit segments of The Smurfs 1980s], and Frank "Megatron and Fred Jones" Welker [Hefty Smurf, Occy, Tooter]. As much as I love The Smurfs, I wish The Snorks also stuck around, as their underwater-based lore, taking place in modern [for the 1980s standards] times was incredibly interesting. On a different note, Pilchard from Bob The Builder spotted amongst the plushies! Huge nostalgia blast there.

[@paytonrose119]

I'm obsessed with these!!! I found 2 in my room a few weeks ago and I was so excited I thought I dreamt them or something

[@siriusylee]

The end of this video was SO UNHINGED. I loved it.

[@clownteeth24]

:0 I remember collecting a good chunk of both series 1 and 2 ,they hold such a nostalgic place in my heart.

[@luckyscats438]

I still collect zelfs! Seeing Lula make a video on these makes me so happy

[@1ceapaire990]

Yo a video on Liv Dolls would go hard

[@nev6131]

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO OMGGGGGGGG

[@NkCorykenshinsversion]

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH THANK THE LORD YOU POSTED!!!

[@cherryblossom3934]

I will never be over the the fact that I gave away all my Zelfs! It was like the only proper toy collection I had besides Littlest Pet shops.

[@shroomxox]

LOVED THIS VIDEO!! There is barley any coverage on zelfs so its soooo good to see a video like this 😭😭!! Sorry I may end up being the yapper here as zelfs are a huge interest of mine!! I use to play with zelfs as a kid but I only started my collection last year in April. It was only around July 2023 and I had already ended up with two massive shelves above my bed with my rapidly increasing collection 😭😭. It’s only gotten bigger since then but as I’ve got nearly all of them by now it’s been harder to find the ones I need so I picked up lalaloopsy collecting in the mean time. There are 154 zelfs in total (medium and large combined) so if anyone is interested in starting a collection I rlly suggest eBay and VINTED :))!! Also fun fact there’s also a rlly rare limited edition zelf called the rainbow manny!! It’s hard to get a lot of information about him but it says there was only 1000 made but I do know AliExpress use to have what seemed to be warehouse versions as they came in the packaging and everything!!

[@Hacksawslackjaw]

Would love to see you cover MyMeebas, they were one of my favorite toys from this era and feel like something you’d love. They were like tomagachi but with a plush toy at the end. They were a pretty fun toy from my memory and you’re the perfect person to cover them!

[@bee1501]

HII I HAVE THE PLAYSET! i also have the design your zelf doll! anyway, the spin hair salon playset really does have that issue, it doesn't twist the hair properly and the zelfs are slightly too short, However I really never cared much about that as a kid because i just used it as a cool decoration in my house and also stored my tiny zelf (polly roger pirate) inside of it or made stories that it was a giant plant monster trying to eat my toys :). I only have those three zelfs, and got the first one (design your zelf) for my 12th birthday, got the playset and matching zelf at a charity shop and idk where i got polly- but they're still super special to me and i hope to collect more now that I'm 20! Here in the UK, i mostly saw the zelfs being sold in ASDA which is like a supermarket here, but it may have been sold in other places as well, my memory is fuzzy since it was 8 or 9 years ago now that this was :) Thank you so much for making this video and helping me revisit that part of my youth + bring zelfs more recognition! they're really underrated toys in my opinion and have so much life and character :)

[@purppurpyellow]

ALSO OMG YOUR HAIR IS FABULOUS!!

[@myliubulves]

i may be 13 but i will FOREVER love novi stars monster high zelfs bratzs lalaloopsies and more

[@joeberryman3563]

I've got zelf stickers on my sock draw from when I took them home from work after a child had left them. They looked very interesting to me but I could never bring myself to get to the bottom of what they were. It's nice to finally have an explanation, and on the day before my birthday no less.

[@harleygeneannett6547]

OMGOMGOMG!!! This is the one video I requested!

[@hannahlamagna]

Zelfs are still cute and magical I watched videos on them as a kid and omg I love the Trolls movies also yes bins toy bin is one of my childhood KZbinrs from mlp to Other toys I still love their vids anything my little pony is still awesome

[@mantosaranti924]

Yes yes yes finally

[@batbambi]

i collected these for years into my adulthood! they’re so weird & cute ugh i miss them 🥲

[@idkJustKat]

Needed this to work on my nails tonight, tysm lylas ttfn 🖤

[@beattlecub]

FINALLY SOMEONE WHO REMEMBERS ZELFS OMG I HAD AN UNHEALTHY OBSESSION WITH THEM AS A KID

[@404otakucorner]

I WOULD DIE FOR YOU FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO

[@WeaponizedToyCar]

AGGGHH IM YELLING! I had two Zelfs and I loved them :3 I wish more people talked about them..

[@haniakrzysiek4572]

I loved zelfs so much when I was young! They were one if My favorites

[@Nell-i6j]

I remember people at primary school literally used to fight over Zelphs, they suddenly poofed out of existence after year five jsjajsjja

[@whatcanidooo]

I loved zelfs SO MUCH and will never get over them disappearing 😭

[@AJ-hm5qe]

Not me realising I had Zelfs and not trolls as a small child. I was so young I did not read the box, just saw the cute troll looking things. Very proud of my young self for my impeccable taste.

[@meganhannah9341]

Watched this once as a podcast to fall asleep to and a second time so i could actually see what everything looked like lol

[@FridayCanBeSadSometimes]

I had a million of the small ones (+ a few of the medium/big ones)! TYSM for talking abt this!!! Edit:😊 0:50 SCANDINAVIA MENTIONED!!!!!!💥💥💥💥💥💥 (honestly you could technically put elves and trolls together, since Scandinavia is Germanic in wider grouping)

[@Amanda-uc2ou]

omg i love zelfs from when i was younger i legit forgot abt these i honestly thought that these were like a dream

[@scouttyz]

my family was poor growing up so toys r us was a luxury and the first time i went i got a zelf😭 this js unlocked a hidden memory

[@unicornndolly]

I BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE!! TURN IT UP

[@abanana]

wait this unlocked a memory i LOVED zelfs!! i think i had a few

[@miloisadumb8887]

distinctly remember having tressa as a kid legitimately thought i made it up until this video 😭

[@brambleheart]

“Thank you Lula!” we all say in unison

[@X.lost.in.pacific.time.X]

Mount Rageous being in your top 20 most listened is so real lol

[@memlorm]

ohh man i loved these as a kid, i’m pretty sure i had almost the entire collection, excluding like two of the limited editions. almost certain i might have em somewhere

[@abeolivares7875]

I have about 6 of them. They’re so well made and beautiful my favorite one is the yellow stitched teddy bear 😊

[@K.pendragon]

omg i use to collect these 😢 every now and then i think about them and how much i regret loosing track of them as i moved to different states

[@nerdykitty69]

16:17 OMGG I FINALLY NOW HAVE SOME CONFIRMATION THAT THIS IS REAL !!! A lil story too: When I was little I went to a toys r us with my dad (my first time ever in one) and I searched around the aisles to find this exact pack, something in my brain wanted this. I asked my dad if I could get it, he said yes, then we left back to my house and I LOVEDDDD them so much !! I played with them but the main thing why I loved them was of their colorful hair, just so…eye candy. But sadly, I’m keen to believe my grandma threw them away because the zelfs were too “girly” for me. I really wish I somehow find a zelf she didn’t throw away..

[@Sillygoose1133]

Dude seeing this just reminded me of seeing them at the store/advertisements!!!

[@fromthesqurce]

i remember having the clover and the white tiger zelfs :) was so proud when i found them in kmart ( i also did have a bajillion tiny ones that fit on pencils which were really fun)

[@sophiehanssel2017]

I remember Zelfs! Never had one, but they should come back in the 4th Trolls movie if there ever is one. It would be called Trolls VS. Zelfs

[@bugsburrow]

YAYAYAY LETS GOOO!! I’ve been wanting to learn about Zelfs for so long!!! I always saw them on pinterest, and a few months ago I thrifted my first Zelf! Edit: The one I thrifted is Float!

[@artlly_]

Wow this is so interesting!! I loved this video definitely want to but one now! 33:01 hehe reminds me of the bride and ugly groom meme 😂

[@ajciccar3]

Merry Christmas Lula.

[@Juniperbugi3]

15:04 I actually did have this playset as a kid but I only really wanted it because the doll was so cute 😭 I used to pretend it was her salon and I’d have other zlefs get their hair done :3!!

[@hannachan3075]

I have one that is a chef that is double the size of a regular Zelf. It would have been good to see where the larger ones fit in.

[@Aniz100]

I am obsessed with the Zelfs, Im trying to grow my collection since theres 80 of them sitting on my shelf already... :,3

[@kayleighbrown459]

I never knew about these things until I found a little wolf one at a thrift store. Now I want 50.

[@muppetsretrofan8873]

The Zelfs Vs Trolls debate gives me Snorks vs Smurfs debate vibes. In this case I think both Zelfs and Snorks have things that make them more fun than their competition [Zelfs: more unique designs. Snorks: more diverse designs and more character development]. Also, Pilchard plush spotted and now I'm nostalgic for Bob The Builder.

[@Bernadette-hj8vo]

I had two of Pandala, he had the same birthday as me so i kept one in the box and still have him to this day

[@n_s6424]

omg i used to know someone who had that flytrap playset.They used to bring it to school to goof around with it when we were allowed to bring in our own toys.Tbh i don't remember a huge deal about it,but from what I can recall, most of their zelfs that they put into the flytrap either ended up with really knotted hair or ended up with clumps of hair being ripped out???Tho now that I think about it,the hair loss could have just been from very rough play,but idk. I think they also had the issue of some zelfs not having long enough hair for it too,but i think they were able to combat that by really jamming the hair into the flytrap's teeth and disregarding the little spinning seat; opting to spinning the zelfs themselves instead. I also remember being really jealous of said classmate for owning the playset cuz at the time I really wanted it,but I think I lost interest in it eventually cuz I got hyperfixated on lps .

[@bubbl3s_3at3r]

i had the venus flytrap set as a kid and i could never get the hair to work 😭 none of the other zelf’s hair would twist properly so i would just put the clips in and call it good. it made a cute decoration / house for my zelf’s and other toys :)

[@imbluedubbadee]

I used to looooove Moose's Smelly Bellies

[@somerat3421]

I used to have the venus fly trap playset when I was little, and I don't remember having any issues with it. Maybe it depends on where the toy was produced

[@moony3041]

i made so may zelfsonas back in the day omg and then i'd print them off and stick them on my walls. needless to say my parents weren't happy when they found out why our printer had run out of ink

[@charlesbennett7484]

Those Zelfs are actually kinda cute! I'm prob'ly gonna try to find me one later today. 💖 They kinda remind me of Plunderlings...

[@H3artCloud]

Thank you for this video! I totally forgot about these, lol

[@ellec7466]

I am SAT. I love these guys, despite only having one of them as a kid.

[@michaelpicklepants]

FINALLY SOMEONE TALKS ABOUT THESE I STILL HAVE MINE

[@twistedsharkie]

holy crap i had that venus flytrap playset when i was younger!! i honestly don't remember having the zelf itself but i remember loving the flytrap!! i think i used my lps with it lol

[@LadyL2121]

I remember seeing the ads for the toys but I never got one

[@PeanutsArt38]

We also can’t forget about the webisodes.

[@moony3041]

my scented zelfs still have some of their smell which is WILD

[@moomoopoopoo2696]

NOOO omg i adored the zelfsss i had a pearly one that I would litterally die for as a 6 year old

[@Princess-Daisy]

I actually have the series 1 rare zelf- miss clover (and I still have her!) I remember also hearing the limited to 10,000 when I first bought her in stores, although I think that information came in some pamphlet or certificate she had? I might be misremembering though. But I still have her! And she also came with this really cool gold four leaf clover emblem thingy that I would carry around at school 😋

[@doodlenoodled5174]

OMG I WANTED ZELFS SO BAD GROWING UP AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!

[@jadead]

I LOVEEEE ZELFS!!!! I am so excited to watch this vid

[@jadead]

Very scared for zelf prices tho😭😭😭😭