Mattel Barbie Bond 007 Girls - Photo Link

George of Angelic Dreamz has photos of the Black Label Barbie Bond Girls at Angelic Dreamz. These three dolls will be available this December - and for $34.95 EACH:


* Bond Girl Dr. No Honey Ryder (actress, Ursula Andress)

* Bond Girl Goldfinger Pussy Galore (actress, Honor Blackman)

* Bond Girl Die Another Day Jinx (actress, Halle Berry)

I'm not a Bond fan - the Bond movies are fun and pleasantly ridiculous, ranking as a B or a C movie choice - so I could take or leave dolls based on the Bond franchise. However, the strong resemblances of the dolls to the actresses might prove the "take" for me. Sometimes Mattel gets a good likeness.

Check this link for more information about Bond girls.

Wonder if a series of Bond Kens is in the works. Now that would be exciting. Too ;-D.

Inexpensive DAF Furniture

The Jonathan Adler Happy Chic Set couch sells for $49.95 - from the BarbieCollector.com site. I have nothing against Wintergreen Canada mint pink or Jonathan Adler or Barbie, but I prefer my doll and action figure (DAF) furniture in neutral colors. However, realistic DAF furniture tends to be pricey. Had I money enough, sure I'd happily buy it. But at this time I am scrambling for DAF funds let alone DAF accessory funds. What can I do? Shop the jewelry and gift departments of Ross, Burlington Coat Factory, A.J. Wright, and similar discount stores for soft-sided jewelry boxes in couch, love seat, chair and chaise boxes.

As you can see in these two examples, the colors are bright, vivid, but neutral. Bye bye Day Glo glare. The proportions suit playscale figures. The pieces are sounder than the flimsy pieces packaged with dolls and action figures. AND they have wood components and hardware. Moreover, the cost per piece is usually under $20, if not under $10. Half the cost of the designer couch.

Below I show two examples of jewelry box-turned-DAF-furniture I own.



Hasbro G.I. Joe on red




Momoko and Hasbro Star Wars Lando on wine

Dr. Who Fan Alert! Playscale Tardis and Tardis Console

For the Dr. Who fans, a British company is working on a Dr. Who Tardis and a Dr. Who Tardis Console in PLAYSCALE.

Eeekk! (Translation - I shriek and jump up and down for a bit.)

I wouldn't describe myself as a big Dr. Who fan - I only followed one of the Doctors after all - but I thought the Tom Baker Dr. Who episodes were fun. Sarah Jane was a drip, but Leela was cool. Leela was the warrior woman. Sarah Jane would be considered smarter, I suppose, but Leela could kick butt. And she was brave. She tried to rescue the Doctor. Mostly though, I watched to see Tom Baker loom over the set. He seemed larger than life in height and eye rolling and with gorgeous, bouncy, big curls. Not conventionally handsome or subtly sexy, the Tom Baker Dr. Who was enthusiastic. Fun.

The only Dr. Who figures I have is Martha Jones by Character Options. Alas, I missed getting the David Tennant Dr. Who action figure. Shrug. Possibly someday ....

But let me provide the link for the playscale Tardis. No price is mentioned so I imagine that it will be expensive. Sigh. Eh well, it will be fun to see and to imagine.

Playscale Samsons: Long-haired Males

My guys - dolls and action figures alike - felt left out. So I offer this post as sop to them and as a photo theme contrast to my recent photos of female dolls and action figures. I gathered my long-haired guys and aimed the camera at them. For your viewing, the Samsons of East Philly:



Back row: customized Mattel Blaine, Toy Biz Gandalf, Bbi Tyr, Jakks Pacific Oliver, Jakks Pacific Van Helsing

Second row: Mattel John Smith, Dragon Ekin Cheng, Jakks Pacific Chris Jericho, Takara Chinese Tom, and Mattel Kocoum

Front row: Mattel Harley Davidson Ken 1, Mattel Legolas, Mattel Li Shang, and Hasbro Prince Moses

More Decisions ... Asha Head Mold

As seen in previous posts, I have Shani's friend Asha as well as swimsuit dolls and a ballerina produced from that head mold. I should be tired of the Asha face by now, right?

Wrong. Okay, I won't be keeping the AA Holiday Joy Barbie. There's no click, no story generation. (See, some of them really will be leaving ;-D) Here she is along with a Chilean Barbie, also to go, go, go.



But. Such a weighty word in the English language. Looking at these five dolls created with the Asha head mold, I realize, I don't want to give up any of them. It's some magical voodoo that Mattel artists do to take one head mold and give it different looks that cause a reasonably sane adult to plunk down money time after time. Let's pause to applaud the Mattel artists and painters for making us collectors feel richer even as our wallets grow slimmer.

Behold these beauties and tell me, could you turn aside even one of them? Alas, I cannot.



Holiday Party Nikki, the first doll from the left, has lovely coloring and a beautiful face paint job. The dress is cute, and the tiny gold plastic purse fits the occasion and the outfit. Traditional, understated chic.

Next Rocker Nikki beside Holiday Party has pink hair streaks, bending arms, and a black tulle mini skirt. What in that description should I want to miss? Throw in another lovely face paint job and the gavel pounds, "She stays."

Glam Nikki in the center was a surprise choice for the "Stay" group; true, her outfit is bright and attractive. But why keep her when I have sooo many other Asha-faced dolls? What's my refrain? Beautiful face paint job. Lovely complexion, too.

Really Rosy Christie is next. Check that creamy complexion, the light brown eyes, and that streaked hair. Streaked hair! On a Barbie, no, on a Christie? Definitely a KEEPER. How often does Mattel do natural-toned streaking on doll hair? Got to keep her since I can.

Last but certainly not least is Purple Panic Christie. I wasn't a 100% sold on this doll when I first got her. Why did I buy her then? I liked her coloring and her pose-ability. I didn't have a story for her then, but that happens a lot. Something makes me buy the doll or action figure and then, years later, the story unfolds. Shrug.

Quick story threads: well, Holiday Party Nikki is an administrative assistant. Rocker Nikki is a rock singer in need of a guitar and a group. Glam Nikki is a model. Really Rosy Christie is a journalist, and Purple Panic Christie is a kindergarden teacher.

Other Asha headed dolls remaining: AA Ballerina Barbie, Harley Davidson AA Barbie, 2 Cali Girl Christies, Generation Girl Nichelle, and possibly, the Fashion Fever Christie doll wearing the Barbie tee shirt.

Decisions: Shall They Stay or Should They Go? Part 2

I wanted to include the photo that shifted my thinking from "this one is going" to "oh, I have to keep these two."



Don't these two look related? Single parent, lingerie model Mom and her confident-in-my-body, free-spirited daughter. (Remember, pictures speak 1000s of words to me ;-D) How could I separate them once I knew their relationship. No such monster am I.

Gavel pounds once. Decision: they stay.

Decisions: Shall They Stay or Should They Go?

There are dolls that I look at and instantly note: that one is NOT going anywhere.

Then there are dolls that make me wonder why I got them in the first place. Sale? Temporary insanity? Safe passage out of a dangerous story?

More though are the puzzlers - dolls and action figures that I am not sure I want to keep. Should they stay or should they go? Here are some dolls that fall under that category and here's the reasoning I used to reach a decision.

I thought that these 3 Summer-face mold dolls would be easy. Check them here:



Okay, the first from the left is a Fashion Fever Raquelle doll. Surely I would let her go. She's on the dreaded Hobbit body for starters. The middle doll, Courtney, I like her eye screening. Keeper. Even if her head is a little big. But she's on a standard Barbie body. Finally, the Fashion Fever pajama doll ... lovely. Keeper.

Then, I shifted the dolls around. The Fashion Fever pajama doll was first in the new lineup. Next to her was the newer Fashion Fever Raquelle and to the far right, Courtney. Uh oh. I could see a relationship between the two Fashion Fever dolls ... mother in lilac nightie and teen daughter in black denim mini skirt.

I decided to keep all three.