Group Photo of All Dolls Received in January 2009

Here's the group photo of all thirteen dolls and action figures received in January 2009:



Happy viewing!

Olga Tanon Doll - Last Doll Received in January 2009

Olga Tanon is a Puerto Rican singer. In 2000, Haschel Toys created this doll of her. I first saw the Olga Tanon doll on another collector's website, Madeboxer, and the link is http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/1330796646031176672hAZfTV

Here is my Olga's photograph:



I like how the doll resembles the singer.

I purchased Olga from an antique shop called "Beautiful Dolls for Sale." The link to the Olga doll is

http://www.collectoronline.com/10077/PictPage/1921832139.html

Happy Hunting!

Fashion Royalty Luchia Z Arrives!

W Club Bewitching Hour Luchia Z has arrived.

She's every bit as lovely as described by other collectors. Jason Wu and the Integrity staff have done a wonderful job. She has a French manicure - where the tips of the nails, both fingernails and toenails, have white tips and "sheer" polish. Her lipstick is the faintest pink bisque, and her eyes have real lashes. Her black trench coat and the black corset belt ... wow. The mini dress is like dusty pink champagne.

Deboxing Hrithik Roshan (SpinMaster)

Last night, I was removing Hrithik Roshan from his box when I discovered that his head was stapled to the cardboard backing of his plastic box. Ellen Smith - formerly Grandma Walton - discovered him face down and helped detach him.









Grandma's new outfit is from the Only Hearts Horse & Pony outfit line.

U.S. Source for Girl's Mission and Lady's Mission

If you do not want to place an international order, you can find the Girl's Missions figures and some of the Lady's Mission figures at Nouveau Toys. The link to that online store is

http://www.nouveautoys.com/index.html

I recommend Nouveau Toys because I had placed two orders with them last year. I received prompt and courteous replies to my e-mail queries, well and neatly packaged boxes, items received as expected (NRFB) and items received when expected. Funds permitting, I would order from them again.

My first orders with Nouveau Toys were for Lady's Mission dolls no longer carried by HobbyLink Japan. I ordered the Lady's Mission No.24 described as "Woman doctor(obstetrician)" - Tanaka Miina and Lady's Mission #22 described as a "resistant covert agent" who also works as a nun - Sister Kyoko Tenryu. Please note: Sister Tenryu comes with a standard black and white nun's habit and a black pleather habit that laces up the sides. I then ordered the Lady's Mission #21 Street Princess - Madam Ryu Reika.

Welcome Girl's Mission Mai and Soccer Player Benjamin Lauth

I picked up my HobbyLink Japan order that included Girl's Mission Mai and Kick-o-mania soccer player Benjamin Lauth. The Girl's Mission dolls are collectible action figures from Aoshima's Skynet; Benjamin Lauth is a collectible action figure produced by Revell GmbH & Co. KG of Germany that was distributed in Japan.













HobbyLink Japan (www.hlj.com) also has on sale the other five Girls' Mission action dolls and another 12" soccer player, Roy Makaay. You would type in the main page and then choose either the 70% clearance button OR search for 1/6 scale action figures. I've placed orders with HobbyLink Japan for years now: they provide excellent services. I am so glad that they ship to the United States.

Happy viewing!

Video Link of Missing Bollywood Legend Doll

I found these video links of the Shahrukh Khan action figure that I do NOT have now:

Breaking Free of the Box--With Magnifying Glass

Breaking Free of the Box--A Birthday Gift for SRK

He's borrowed some Ken shirts and an Elvis gold jacket in some of the photos.

Bollywood Legend: Priyanka Chopra Arrives!

Today, I picked up the third and last - for this order - Bollywood Legend doll, Priyanka Chopra. I had missed yesterday's delivery so I had to pick her up at the post office.

These dolls are so well packaged, I am almost tempted to leave them in their boxes. Spin Master uses the same clear plastic box construction that Mattel uses on the Jazz Diva Barbie and the Red Queen Barbie only instead of constructing a setting, Spin Master has a reel-strip layout of photos of the actor or the actress alongside the doll. My eyes run from the actor's photo to the doll; the likeness is amazing.

In the package, the dolls and the outfits look like better Barbie quality figures. At this time, I am enamoured of the boxed look; once I get beyond that stage, I will remove the figures and examine the figures and the clothes.

Behold, three of the Bollywood Legends!

Two Bollywood Dolls Here! Kajol and Hrithik Roshan

Two of the three Bollywood dolls, distributed by Spin Master Toys in the UK, have arrived: Kajol and Hrithik Roshan.

I won't post photos of them today, but I will this weekend. Here are links to the toys AND to an article about the launch of these figures:


http://desibbrg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=300904

http://www.ethnicnow.com/channels/film/press-release/3/516/bollywood-comes-to-harrods.html


I LOVE the faces. I'll have to get the last one from the series, Shah Rukh Khan. The figures resemble the actors. The packaging is a clear plastic box with each doll set against photos of the actor. I believe that the third doll - Priyanka Chopra - will reach me tomorrow. When I have the three together, I will photograph them.

Thus far I have NO complaints.

Why I Will Miss KB Toys

I bought these Ken fashions for $1.99 each from KB Toys. Sigh. Those were good days. Good bargains.

The 44th President in 1:6 Scale

DiD produced the above Obama collectible figure. Jason Wu created the white chiffon gown worn by Michelle Obama. Are my fingers the only ones crossed for a 12" Michelle Obama fashion doll?

Organizing the Doll and Action Figure Collection, Part 3B

Okay, I really want to break down those boxes. Open them up and separate the clothes by size into boxes. So let's get the preliminary analysis work out and done. Then I can dig in with no anxieties that I am jinxing myself.


What works?

The enthusiasm that I still have for this hobby. That I have a room and some additional space to place stuff.


What doesn't work?

While I have a doll and action figure collection, much of it is either boxed up or spread throughout the apartment now.


Essential needs?

Access to collection and maintaining the collection so that I enjoy it now and others can enjoy it when I no longer can.


Why get organized?

To better enjoy my collection.


What's stopping me from having an accessible/organized collection?

* I have items I no longer want to keep

* I have lots of boxed items that I cannot enjoy fully because they are boxed.

* I am not using the space that I have as well as I should/could

* * * * NOTE: NOT SAYING THAT I HAVE TOO MANY ITEMS * * * *

* I may need additional storage units

* I definitely need more shelves and possibly glass cabinets

* I don't have funds for new shelves, storage units, etc. now


What is my goal now?

My goal used to be to amass a huge and varied doll and action figure collection. Now I want to have a varied collection only I want it to be accessible and to be well maintained. Boxes are not as important as they used to be. In fact, I want to "play" more with the figures.

Step One: Analysis done.

Organizing the Doll and Action Figure Collection Pt. 3

After I completed my last post about organizing the doll and action figure room, I noticed that unopened clothes take up a lot of space. Here are four photos of unopened clothes:









Yes, I am jumping steps ahead of my organizing project. Deboxing comes further along, after I have written the action plan. Then I schedule actions. On the other hand, I would have more space AFTER I have opened some of those outfits up and deboxed them.

Maybe I'll start with the Ken and action figure clothes. Sort by size. I've got two tall guys (Lukas and Scottie), three husky guys (Sulu, Pavel, and Noah), about ten male teenagers (Mattel HSM and other teens; Takara Jenny's beaus), and a bunch of "regular" sized guys. Lukas, Scott, and the husky guys can have their clothes in one box, Tall and Big. The teenagers can have their clothes in another box, Youth. The other men will have a third box, Regular. When I have a chance, I would like to sort the Regular size clothes into Fall-Winter and Spring-Summer boxes so that I can go to one or the other box by season. I'll separate the shoes as well: Small, Ken, X-Large.

I also have loose clothes (male, female, children) and boxed clothes from the Mattel Mary Kate and Ashley size, Lollipop outfits, and Kelly/Shelly clothes. There is a broader range in female sizes so I would separate those outfits later. Women's sizes go from 8" Grandma Walton (Petite) to 11 1/2" Tracy and 12" Esther (Plus).

New Year Project - Organizing the Doll and Action Figure Room Pt. 2

In Part 1 of Organizing the Doll and Action Figure Room, I gave the room size and that the room would be shared with pets, one cat and three turtles (contained). In Part 2, I will start with my resources because they will help me form my action plan and describe the results. There are two books and one web source.

The books are Don Aslett's Clutter's Last Stand and Julie Morgenstern's Organizing from the Inside Out.

The web source is some pages titled "Strategies for Organizing Your Doll Collection" by Denise Van Patten of CollectDolls.About.com. That web page is found here:

http://collectdolls.about.com/library/weekly/aa010401a.htm

Don Aslett's statement that a collection should be used or lost reminds me that collections deserve to displayed and appreciated. As my collection has grown, I have seen less and less of the individual pieces that thrilled me when I first discovered them. I miss knowing where items are and setting them up.

Julie Morgenstern's system calls for these acts: analyze, strategize, and attack. What's the current situation and why do I want to organize my collection? What do I need to do next and when do I do those things? And finally, I execute the plan and share the results.

Denise Van Patten's articles provide hobby specific organizing tasks including display tips and storage tips for overflow dolls and action figures.

The storage units I have now, the collection size, and additional steps will be posted under the Organizing the Doll and Action Figure Collection header.

Integrity Dynamite Girl Heartbreaker TJ Arrives

Integrity Toys' Dynamite Girl Heartbreaker TJ arrived today. She's a lovely, elegant-looking doll as those familiar with these dolls would expect. TJ wears a red blouse and pink with white lace overlay hot pants. She has a small white teddy bear with her -- possibly the gift of one of her suitors?




Here's a photo of the back of her box:



Somewhere out in the doll collecting communities, there are people shaking their heads. Oh, she's not a real black doll. No, she's just a chocolate-dipped white doll. I recognize that there are Black women with keen features. There are Black women with fuller features. There is room enough in my crowded doll and action figure collection for both.

Back in the '60s and the 70's when some people found chocolate-dipped dolls offensive, I wondered how people who looked like those dolls felt. Unauthentic? Not Black enough? That didn't seem fair. People's looks -- barring surgery -- stem from a chance arrangement of their parents' genes. Sure, I could understand wanting Black dolls with fuller features and coarser hair, but the keener featured dolls were or could be representative, too.

Today, my take is this: a toy company wants to reach more audiences WITHOUT the added expense of creating a new head mold. No evil plan. Just economics.

Beefcake: Hot Toys True Type Caucasian

Here are some photos of one of my Hot Toys True Type action figures.


Hot Toys True Type Caucasian Headshot




Striking a Martial Arts Pose




Back view -- yes, he does have fuller buttocks than most action figures




Contemplative side view




Dancing with the lovely Houda

New Year Project - Organizing the Doll and Action Figure Room Pt. 1

A recent thread on DollyDaily.com , Do You Have a Dolly Room, http://www.dollydaily.com/community/showthread.php?p=45280#post45280 and some additional photos of a British doll collector's rooms -- Jody at http://www.britishbarbie.co.uk/ inspired me to look at my Doll and Action Figure room for improvements.

Space. My collection needs more space. More storage units, too.

I can't afford new storage units at this time. So I'll work on the space issue for now. I have a room that's roughly 15 feet wide by 10 feet 5 inches deep. There is a door at each end of the first wall and a large window case in the center of the opposing wall. There's a smaller window case in the wall on the right (when entering the room), but that window case is shorter and higher up. The fourth wall is all wall with no interruptions.

This room is shared with one cat and three boxer turtles so I will need to keep them in mind as I make plans. The cat needs one or two window spots; the turtles are less demanding, but they would be better near the door. (Have to change their water regularly so they shouldn't be across the room.)

I've also got two computers here. One works; the other has old photos and documents that I hope to recover. There are also two printers and a 4-drawer vertical file cabinet. A round wastebasket and two boxes of old journals complete the non-doll stuff.

I'll post photos tomorrow and steps to take and maybe a calendar.

I'd like to know what I have and to be able to get things when I want them.

New Terrority - Amazon.co.uk and Bollywood Dolls

I have discovered Amazon.co.uk .

No, I am not claiming I found land or created a website. I realized that I as an
American could purchase some items from Amazon.co.uk .

WWWWWWHHHHHAAAAAA-HHHHHHOOOOOOO!

Okay perhaps every other doll and action figure collector has made this discovery a long time ago. This is great news to me though because now I can get more dolls than I used to. Some things not available here like 12" Bollywood dolls ... now, I MIGHT be able to get them. Might. All dolls and action figures and other items presumably are NOT available. Licensing conflicts. Sigh. But oh the figures I can get.

The Bollywood Legends dolls are by Spinmaster. I see four dolls on Amazon.co.uk through a store called "Fairy Dust Dolls Ltd." The ones I will be getting are Mr. Hrithik Roshan, Ms. Kajol, and Ms. Priyanka Chopra. The fourth doll is named Shah Rukh Khan (male). Photos will be posted after the dolls arrive.

So ... dolls from Japan, from Taiwan, from Canada, and now ... the United Kingdom.

Here is a link for those willing to view new temptations:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spinmaster-Bollywood-Legends-Hrithik-Roshan/dp/B000GWUPTI/ref=pd_sim_k_h_b_cs_3

Lady' Mission Slim Body B aka Kelly Jackson Pics

DirtyDawg from Men With Dolls asked about photos of my new Lady's Mission Slim Body figure from Aoshima/Skynet. Here are a few that Kelly graciously allowed.

Intoducing Lady's Mission Slim Body B aka No. 4 aka Kelly Jackson!




Getting Kelly's "good side."




Kelly prepares to unleash a front thrust kick.




Hair woes ... cut it?

Unexpected Toy Run or What's New at Walmart?

Usually, after Christmas, there is a doll and action figure slump. No new dolls. No new action figures in stores. Collectors wait until February for Toy Fair previews. So when I went to the Wyncote Walmart, I was surprised to find these dolls OUT on the shelves. Dolls in Philly in January? Wow!

I saw these dolls:

Barbie Sea World Trainer
Think Pink Barbie with Bunny
Think Pink Barbie with Dress Form
Think Pink Barbie with Mirror
Dolls of the World: France
Dolls of the World: Scotland
Totally Stylin' Tatoos Barbie

I want the Bunny. It's smooth white plastic and elongated. Odd looking bunny. Sigh.

From those dolls, the Dolls of the World: Scotland -- aside from the Barbie with Bunny -- would be the only one I would buy. She's got a fierce expression and an interesting wine-red hair color. Only problem with the Dolls of the World is that it looks like Scotland might have straight legs. Hmmm ...

For High School Musical 3 Fans, there was a new set with Sharpay Evans and Tiara Wilmont dolls.

The new Think Pink dining room looks better than I would have expected. Might get that piece when/if I can find it on sale.

Oh, I succumbed and bought an ethnic Ballerina Barbie and a Beach Party Nikki. Why? Because I liked their facial screening. And I found dolls that had straight, not wonky eyes. The ethnic Barbie has sky blue legs (shudder ... WHY Mattel?) and part of her torso is molded blue plastic. Clearly a kitbashing candidate, once I find a matching complexion. Beach Party Nikki has one of the stunted Barbie bodies - she's NOT a full 11.5 inches, but I like her face soooo ....

Esther, Lindsay, and Noah in Photographs

Here are photos of the first January 2009 dolls, Esther, Lindsay, and Noah:









The Biblical figures have inset eyes. Their heads are larger and their bodies are broader than most of my figures. When/if I debox them, I will be able to see if they fit in with the others.

First Dolls of the Year -- California Products

The first new dolls of 2009 arrived Friday, January 2, 2009. Esther and Noah from the Tales of Glory Messengers series by One2Believe and Lindsay Lohan from the My Scene Goes Hollywood series by Mattel rode in a box from K B Toys. They were on sale for $9.99 each.

I wanted the accessories included with Ms. Lohan. I'm not a fan, but I don't hate the actress. Some of the reviews on the K B website left me shaking my head. They seemed pretty harsh. But that's not a reason to take against the doll. Shrug.

Esther and Noah are novel to me. I had never seen or known of any Biblical characters that were Barbie scale. Another collector mentioned having a 12" Jesus. Other dolls in this series were Mary, Samson, and David. Those were dolls that K B Toys had for sale. (I missed out on Mary -- I didn't put my order through soon enough to get her.) I'm not sure how they will fit in -- partly because they are slightly larger scaled than Barbie and my usual 1:6 figures -- but they are now East Philadelphians.

Guess with a donkey and a goat in my collection, Biblical figures were bound to follow. I don't know why I made that connection ....

For those interested in the Biblical dolls, there is a website for the company that produced them:

http://www.one2believe.com/

And both Mattel and One2Believe are California companies.

Photos to be posted later today or tomorrow.

January 1, 2009 -- Blog Resolutions

It's the time for New Year's resolutions. Here are mine for this blog:

1. Schedule blog updates for Saturday or Sunday morning.

2. Re-define the blog's scope and topic.

3. Improve my photography.

4. Add links to sites of interest to other 1:6 scale collectors.

5. Consider adding an income generating link.