Walmart Finds January 2010

Liv Alexis photo of doll and her dog. Poor, poor Alexis. She's drowned in a dowdy denim skirt and purple fur ... shrug? Only her poseable body would be useful. Don't see anything redeemable in this outfit.




Princess Tiana and her female friend, sold separate. Yet another bulbous headed doll. Do most kids really prefer big-headed dolls? As a child, I despised Ideal's Tammy for having a enormous head and exalted Barbie for having a "normal-sized" head. Or perhaps it's the Bratz influence? But I think that the Mattel Disney dolls have always had big heads.




At least half of my Kens sat down and cried when I showed them the above photo. Orange, purple and pink? Orange, purple and pink! What sadist designed these fashions? How can they hold up their heads as partner to Barbie wearing those colors? Too, too much cruelty in the world.

Paper or Pixel? What is Your DAF Information Preference?

A mini mountain of books, magazines, mooks, and figures tumbled from my IKEA Billy bookcase. Let's not mention what came from my mouth. Tsk. As I scrambled to pick up the surprisingly heavy stuff, I wondered: do I really need all of this? Aren't there enough online references available? Of course, I answered myself. My paper stuff is almost as important as my figures. Maybe a few items were no longer necessary, but mostly, oh, yes. Had to have my books. And magazines. And mooks - "mooks" being those fascinating Japanese magazine-book hybrids chock full of doll reviews and sewing and diorama projects.

Not that I dismiss online reference sites. I use them, too. But ... I can't curl up with my desktop computer the way I can with a book. And if the electricity fails - as long as I have a light source, I can read or browse a book. My eyes last better reading a book than they do reading a monitor screen. Books feel more intimate than the computer.

On the other hand, computers allow for faster searches. Computers allow for wider searches and serendipitous findings. Such a find as my discovering the Mixis while seeking information about the Rebelde dolls, that would not as likely happen with books. So I wouldn't want to give up my online references either.

Best of both worlds? Use them both. And microfiche when necessary for out of date references.

And speaking of books, what kinds do you have about dolls and/or action figures? I categorize mine as identification reference, identification reference WITH price guides, craft books (aka "how to"), social commentary, or combination books.

Is there a preference for one medium over the other? I'll post a poll so that we can see.

Meet Sharp, a Sonokong Doll from Korea

Sharp is one of the 1:6 scale articulated fashion dolls produced by Sonokong of Korea. Anyone remember the Takara Super Action Jennys from the 1980s? Sharp is that size, that build. Another doll in the same group as Sharp is Aeyin, who has half-open eyes. I could tell the difference between Sharp and Ayein by looking at the doll's eyes. Ayein has real eyelashes and half-opened eyes. Sharp has enormous pupils with scarcely any white in her eye and no eyelashes.

There may have been a third doll after I stopped actively following this series. Sharp was the doll I wanted. I bought her from doll collector/doll seller Ashley of Garden of Dolls; Sharp doesn't show on Ashley's website now, but you can write to Ashley to ask if any of the Aeyin/Sharp dolls remain. The Yahoo Group devoted to the Sonokong dolls still exists.

I like her huge eyes and "white" face against her slightly tanned neck. It's like she is wearing heavy make-up.

Listed on DollChat - PhillyCollector!

Giddy glad am I ... PhillyCollector, this blog, is now listed on DollChat.

Pause from bouncing about for a deep breath.

Hark! Hear the traffic coming?

Possible Interruption - Changes

I am cancelling service my current Internet provider so I might not be online for a day or a few days. So I might not get to any comments submitted promptly. Thanks for your patience in this time. I'll be back with more doll and action figure ramblings and photos.

Action Figure Line-up at StinkersStuff

Have you ever wondered how action figures stand against fashion dolls, particularly the taller Fashion Royalty dolls? Well, Johanna of Stinker's Stuff offers this fun visual aide plus review of several current action figures.

She also has an impressive line of fashion dolls here.

Sigh. That's how I want to collect once I have downsized.

Sale on Fashion Fever Barbies - $10 Thursday & Friday

Ah, January and the start of a new year. Time to review our collections and make those hard decisions. A collector has to do what a collector has to do.

In my case, that means move out duplicates and no longer wanteds. I have some items here:

For sale

Everything is from a smoke-free home. Postage NOT included in price.

All Mattel Fashion Fever dolls, tubed or boxed, $10 each if order is placed today or tomorrow, Friday, January 22, 2010.

I will post additional items over the weekend. Thanks for looking.

Majestic Studios Battlestar Galactica Guys to Go

Here are three Battlestar Galactica action figures I bought in 2008:



From left to right: Lieutenant Starbuck (Dirk Benedict), Captain Apollo (Richard Hatch), and Commander Adama (Lorne Green). Majestic Studios Inc. produced these figures to represent the original cast from the 1978-79 TV series, Battlestar Galactica. I was aware of the show, but I did not follow it. However, when I saw the figures online, I had to have them - non-Ken, non-Joe guys!




As I mentioned in an earlier post on these figures, after I received them, I favored Commander Adamo. He would make a perfect priest for my playscale settings. The others, I am going to put them up for sale. They are the Battlestar Galactica "Guys to Go" in the title of this post.

What can I say about them? Well, their bodies are shiny and their faces and hands are flat, matte. I do not like the way their arms fit into their shoulders or the way their upper legs fit into their hip area. But I do find them fun to pose. Here are two more photos of them posing:

Also Found in Walmart and Pathmark - Liv & Barbie

Walmart (Wyncote, PA) has all FOUR of the Liv Dolls with their pets:







Here are photos of Liv Sophie ...



My what big eyes you have, grandma. The better to see you with, dear. My what an odd stare you have, grandma. The better to mesmerize you, dear. Creepy eyes, I think. But then, I just want them for their bodies and their clothes. Cackle. And their pesky little dogs - ouch. Couldn't resist.




Maybe the prototype for this Sophie had bangs; the produced doll has a side part with no bangs.

I did not see any of the Barbie Basics OR the Rocawear crew at this Walmart; my guess is either they sold out or they may not have received them yet.


Pathmark (Wyncote, PA) has both Valentine Wishes Barbie



Good news for fans of the Adrian/Desiree face mold, hers is the chosen head for the 2010 supermarket Valentine Wishes Barbie doll.

Martin Luther King Day Links

I am almost like the Little Drummer Boy with no gift to bring or in this case, no on-target post to share. Rather than leave the holiday unaddressed, I share these Martin Luther King Day links:

Debbie B. Garrett's post from Black Doll Collecting blog

Terri Gold's post from Collecting Fashion Dolls blog

Kim's post from Lies Secrets Silence blog

New Liv Dolls by Spinmaster Dress Their Dogs!

Well, actually, the dolls' dogs are dressed. The dolls aren't animated to dress the dolls. No intent to deceive the doll and action figure collecting public.

Charles first wrote about these dolls on his doll website. When I saw Daniela and Katie today, I noticed that their dogs wore clothes, too. I think that Barbie only had leashes for her four-legged friends. Perhaps she didn't want to be upstaged by any of her pets? Hmmm ... more likely, she just didn't consider clothes necessary. (Have to say, that I side with Barbie on this one.)

Anyway, I laughed to see the poor doggies dressed so. Dogs really put up with a lot. Our cat Louie used to sneer at a neighbor's dressed dogs. You would never see this cat dressed in people clothes, I imagined Louie thinking. Louie is still here and refusing to stay "dressed" in any clothes put on him. The cute dogs formerly next door to us have since moved elsewhere with their owners.

Here are the photos of the two Liv dolls I saw at Target today:

Daniela and Pet




Katie and Pet

Integrity Playline Characters - Janay and Friends

Here is a list of the Integrity playline dolls that included Janay, Jade, Alysa and their friends:

The Women

• Janay
  
• Alysa
  
• Jade
  
• Giselle
  
• Nakia, African Legends only
  
• Adora, Ancient Legends only
  
• Malika, Embassy Ball only (My Favorite Dolls exclusive)
  
• Aria, Icon Club only (Dolls, Dreams, and Cuddly Things and Katy's Kollectibles exclusive)
  
• Sooki, Icon Club only, Dolls (Dreams, and Cuddly Things and Katy's Kollectibles exclusive)
  

The Men

• Jordan
  
• Keith
  
• Alejandro
  
• Tariq
  
• Justin, Giselle Wedding set only
  

Top Ten DAFs of 2009: Heartbreaker T.J. at 1

Manufacturer: Integrity
Series: Dynamite Girls
Character Name: Heartbreaker T.J.
Box Year, if Noted: 2009

Why is T.J. on the Top Ten list?

Well, she's pretty and pose-able. I like her side-glancing eyes -- having attractive side-glancing is no small feat. Her overall coloring pleases - whoo hoo for red pepper lips instead of pink or tomato red. The red pepper color looks more sophisticated. And add a plus for her pouty-shaped mouth ... it gives her a stubborn, aloof air.




Why is T.J. first on the Top Ten list?



Let's see, Mai has the best articulation; Luchia has the most glamour. How did T.J. shoot ahead to Number One? The two winning factors are the Pout and the Connection.

The Pout is easy: it gives T.J. "attitude." "Attitude" as in hands on her hips and taking a stand and NOT backing down. The fight is on. Mai has a little attitude, too, but she's younger. Think teenager flouncing out a petulant "whatever." Luchia has Attitude Galore, but her attitude comes from confidence, maturity, and a little ennui. Luchia has world-weary captured. Arched eyebrow and curled lip ... how bored she is. T.J. has that I'm-not-getting-my-way-and-somebody's-gonna-pay look.

What cinched T.J.'s place though is the Connection. Not T.J. being brown-skinned or dark-eyed or dark-haired. But T.J. having small breasts. Luchia and Mai are both bosomy. T.J., on the other hand, revives the teenaged me. Back when I was "tall, thin, with not too much up there" as one stranger informed me many years ago. Like I needed him to tell me that. Think narrowed eyes rolling. Head shake. Back to the present. So that feature sets T.J. apart from the other top three. Did anyone see that coming?

Both Integrity Toys dolls, Fashion Royalty W Club 2008 Bewitching Hour Luchia and Dynamite Girls Heartbreaker T.J. can be found on eBay and possibly in online shops. They can be in stock one day and gone the next so my suggestion would be for interested buyers to do a Google or a Bing search for the dolls to have the most current information.

For those interested in reading other Top Ten Dolls/Action Figures/Toys, see the post initiator, Shaun Wong's blog for incredible photography and interesting reviews. Other doll and action figure collectors participating in the Top 10 of 2009 Reviews include:

Corsetkitten
Mick
Smidge Girl

2010 and New DAF Resolutions

The time has come for me to review my collection as I have never reviewed it before. Reading other collectors' stories and viewing their photographs helped me realize that I could be having more fun with my 1:6 scale companions.

Elizabeth Allen of Love has Fangs fame sent me a link to this article by Maria Greene discussing how to reduce a large doll collection.

Reading the article, I realized that

1. I have too many dolls to fit in my available display space.

2. Some of them are still in their boxes.

3. I've forgotten about some dolls I have.

4. I'm not giving them enough attention.


Sooo ... something has to change. I have to evaluate, to make and to execute certain resolutions. Here's a starter list:


1. Reduce, reduce, reduce.

2. Diversify.

3. Learn camera settings and improve on photography techniques.

4. Photograph DAFs in settings.

5. Write DAF stories.

6. Participate in online DAF groups - again.

I've begun the Reduce step by selling some DAFs online here.

The article also has tips on avoiding DAF overpopulation and suggestions on how to reduce a large collection. While the article was written with larger dolls in mind, it has advice that I or any playscale collector can use.

Happy reading and best wishes for any collection "weeding" that occurs.

Top Ten DAFs of 2009: Bewitching Hour Luchia at 2

Manufacturer: Integrity
Series: Fashion Royalty, W Club 2008
Character Name: Bewitching Hour Luchia
Box Year, if Noted: 2008

Why is Luchia on the Top Ten list?

1. She is gorgeous.

2. She has attitude.

3. She reminds me of a blond Emma Peel.

4. She has better articulation than I am accustomed to (think basic Barbies).

When I showed a relative a photo of Bewitching Hour Luchia, I was told that I would not buy that doll because that doll was the sort that men buy. Cocked my head to the side and looked at the doll again. Bouffant blond hair, [her] flesh-colored mini dress, black slatted knee high boots ... I could almost understand why my relative had that thought. In some circles, Luchia might look like a high priced um call girl. Hmmm .... Well. Okay, she still reminds me of Emma Peel of the Avengers, only Luchia's back story came from an American Anglophile. She should be in action movies where she should know umpteen martial arts AND fencing and spy stuff.


Why is Luchia second on the Top Ten list?

The doll that placed first has two advantages over Luchia.

Help Dolls of Color Create Janay Database

Dolls of Color blogger Therese seeks photos and information about Integrity's playline Janay doll for a Janay database. Yay Therese!

While I have several Janay and friends dolls, my Janay dolls all have the last Janay head mold stamped ©Integrity 2001. I recall reading doll descriptions on the Dolls, Dreams, and Cuddly Things web site several years ago that noted whether certain Janay, Alysa, and Jade dolls had the old, big heads or the newer, smaller heads. I also recall seeing web sites showing two Janay head molds different from the head mold I have. Check the Janay shown at this link; note the size of her head and her features. This is an early Janay. Perhaps some PhillyCollector readers collect or used to collect the Janay playline. If you do or did, and if you would like to contribute to this database, please check Therese's blog for contact information.

Here's to a Janay and friends database in 2010.

Dolls shown in the photo are the Dealer version of Fashion Insider Janay, Color Rave Alysa (2nd Alysa head mold), and Fashion Fling Alysa (3rd Alysa head mold).

New Liv Dolls with Better Outfits

You can find photos of two of the new Liv dolls on Charles' Page.

I'd like to get these and pop Barbie heads on them. The outfits look neater than those on the original dolls.

Barbie Basics in Wikipedia

Congratulations to Simon Farnsworth for his Barbie Basics article in Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie_Basics

Great to read a doll-related article on Wikipedia.

Guess I need to upload my revised Mixis article.

Joan Jett at Walmart - January 2010

Stopped by Walmart and found these dolls on the first of January:

Ladies of the Eighties: Joan Jett



I like the doll's strong face. The hatchet hairstyle looks interesting, too. I love her outfit and red sneakers. Emaciated body, but then I can either re-body her or give her a background where she's ill. I associate Joan Jett with the song, "I Love Rock n Roll," but other than that, she wasn't on my Eighties playlist. I do like the doll though. Someday ....


The African American version of Barbie H20




The African American version of Potty Training Pup Barbie




Three of the Barbie Basics Line




Roca Wear So in Style Chandra and Grace



No Trichelle, Kara, or Darren. Between Trichelle's cool outfit and her rougher hair and Darren's cool outfit, I was not surprised to NOT see them.


Wizards of Waverly Place Alex Russo in a new outfit



Yawn. Reporting this because it is a change, but I wish that Mattel would either add another doll to this series - one of the other characters - for variety or create a playset for her. The outfits are not spectacular enough to warrant buying multiple versions of the same doll over and over again.

Integrity Janay Links to Click

Integrity Janay fans, I found some places to discuss and to view these dolls.

First, there is a Janay focused Yahoo Group. You will need to join the Group to view the photos and to read the messages. There are 22 photo albums in the Group as well as links to MORE Janay and friends photo albums outside the Group. No cost to join.

Second, a 2007 post about saving Janay.

Next, two links to beautiful photo albums by a collector:

Janay and Friends

Janay Tribute

Reference links

MC ToyFair 2002

MC ToyFair 2003

MC ToyFair 2004

ASM ToyFair 2004

ASM ToyFair 2005

ASM ToyFair 2006

Please note: Toy Fair items may not have ever appeared, especially the 2005 and 2006 lines, OR they might emerge under a different line title than what they are shown with in the Toy Fair photos.