Saturday, December 31, 2011

For Sale: Fashion Royalty Nadja, Bratz Sanity Vanity, Others

My For Sale entries over at TheDollPage are not complete yet, but if you are curious, check what I have on that site.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Two Faces of Justin Bieber (Doll)



Visited Walmarts - for inexpensive cat food. Yes, the cat has to eat, and either Walmarts or Target have the best prices for his food. Target is usually more tempting - for non-cat food things - so I sacrificed and went to Walmarts instead. Halo intact, I ventured over to the toy section - just to "look see." Found something unexpected: new Justin Beiber faces: one open-mouth (grinny); the other closed-mouth. The Bridge Direct, Inc. - the company who bring the playscale Justin Bieber dolls to vinyl - now offer combable aka rooted hair and talking Justin Bieber dolls.

The open-mouthed doll is called "Talking Justin Bieber"; other JB dolls are called JB Performance Collection dolls OR JB Style Collection dolls. The talking doll amused me because he has such tiny teeth. He has a smidge more personality than the closed-mouth dolls. He reminds me of Mattel's "Sweet Talking Ken." Weird, hmmm? Mattel's Ken resembles Justin Bieber whose doll in turn pulls a Ken act. Justin, however, has 12 set mushy phrases like "I heart?love? my fans." Sigh. Poor Ken. Your fiftieth anniversary and NO VOCABULARY of your own.

Snore. Oh, sorry. How rude to fall asleep over my own blog post. Can you imagine having a friend so vapid that he only repeats what you tell him to say? Who couldn't speak his own lines? I mean, you might as well date a tape recorder with voice distortion replay, lol. But the new Beiber doll has hair you can comb. Head falls forward. Yes, I am TOO awake still.

For additional photos of the Basic or the Style Collection dolls or outfits or playsets? You can find them at the company's website for Justin Bieber toys. Related news briefs can be found here as well.

In the meantime, here is the special set that I saw:





The Concert set looks cute ... nice looking musical instruments. Guitar, keyboard, and DRUMS.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas


First sighting of a pink flamingo wearing a Santa suit.

Merry Christmas Eve.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Links to WishBooks Past

When we were younger, my sisters and I used to peruse the Sears Wish Book and Spiegel's Christmas catalogs every fall.  We would check off the dolls that we wanted and imagine how we would play with them. If you have similar memories of sitting or want to investigate vintage dolls, click this a link to online catalogs.


Happy viewing! Link courtesy of Maynard G from the Power-Team Yahoo Group.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Beastie Boys, Childhood Cancer and $750.00

Beastie Boys fan, anyone? And is childhood cancer a cause you would contribute to? If you answered yes to both questions, then you can have playscale Beastie Boys action figures for $750.00 USD. You can find additional information and photos of the action figures at the official store. There also is a video link showing a cute but VIOLENT video where several G.I. Joe action figures are "killed" by gunshots and fire.





Thursday, December 15, 2011

eBay Mixis Guide Update and eBay Photo RSS

1. I have added a few photos to my eBay Mixis Guide.


2. I have started an eBay photo album under the Barbie Group. You can subscribe to that group there if you'd like.






Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Pajama Bria at Dollar General





She's cute ... well, all of the Moxie Girls are cute. They are like the anti-Bratz. Sure, they all have the same face - as far as I can tell - like the Bratz do. But the Moxie Girlz do fall straight into the "cute" category. Big eyes, little nose, and small mouth. Oh and big hair. And BIG head. Sigh. It's the big head that helps me NOT buy them.

I had not realized that there were any Black Moxie Girlz included in the Pajama Moxie Girlz sold at Dollar General stores. I had just seen the other girls: Avery, Lexa, and Sophina. No Bria for this wave, or so I thought.

So, check different neighborhoods for your Moxie Girlz Bria. Good luck finding here!




Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Hot Australian Pop Star in Playscale - TRU Exclusive

He's the thirteenth on the Billboard 21 Under 21 list for 2011, but this Australian pop singer is far from unlucky. Cody Simpson, from Gold Coast, Queensland, is now available as a TRU Exclusive. He's from a new toy company, The Wish Factory


You can find a YouTube video on young Mr. Simpson here. Please note: his height is down as 11.5" so he will be shorter than Kens but taller than the High School Musical boys who are 11" tall. Still, he's a new play scale male ... available from Toys R Us stores or at toysrus.com .







Vivid Imaginations and One Direction - More British Boys

How many of you want more male teenagers in your collection? Possibly Niel? Vanessa? Anyway, we have the JLS guys overseas representing male teenagers. And through the bounty of Vivid Imaginations we have MORE, yes MORE male teens. Who this time? Another boy band created from the British tv show, X-Factor ... One Direction.

Here are the five boy dolls - from the British-Irish boy band - Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson - shown in play scale at Amazon in the United Kingdom.

Still not enough? Well, hold on until January 2012 for another British-Irish boy band, this time, The Wanted.

Friday, December 9, 2011

I Have Seen StarDolls

StarDolls have landed in Philadelphia! Hooray! I have seen them. Cheers!

Where? Walmart? Which ones? Bonjour Bisou 1 and 2, and Doll Space 1 and 2. How many from these sets do I want? Three. Which three: Bonjour Bisou 1 and 2, and Doll Space 2. Anything I want to add to the conversations about these dolls?

1. See the doll and then choose the one you want. Some of the facial screening looks off. The eyes are painted higher than the intended eye place.

2. Arrrgggggghhh! That's the sound that surprisingly did NOT emit from my lips when I noticed that the handbag for Bonjour Bisou 1 was PLASTIC! All the handbags are plastic in these sets.

3. I like their head-body-foot look so much, I might keep them on their original bodies. Might ... no, they need new bodies. Shame I might have to lose their big feet. I like big-footed female dolls.

Bonjour Bisou 1 and Doll Space 1




Doll Space 2 and Bonjour Bisou 2


Thursday, December 8, 2011

A Vampire Diary: Enduring Michelle and a Sideshow Poll



"Are you sure you don't want any popcorn?"

"Yes, Michelle, I AM sure. Ask all night, I still won't want any."

"No need to be grumpy. I agree to help you find your annoying girlfriend ..."

"TJ is NOT my girlfriend. She's my gal-pal."

"... and you won't even make nice for me while I watch my show."

"Why this show though? America's Next Top Model - why don't you just stake me?" [No]Angelus adds sotto voce, "Not like you could use this stuff - "

"I heard that!"

"Sideshow chicks are almost as dumb as teenagers. Almost ... say, we've got company, Me-shell. And guess what folks? You don't have to watch this drippy show. You can take this poll where you can give Sideshow Collectibles feedback."

"Somebody ought to have fun tonight."

"Say, [No]Angelus ... are you sure about the popcorn?"

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Vivid Imaginations - Brown British are Coming!

Ladies and gents, folks of all ages, this tip is from SuperCoolDollhouse. SuperCoolDollhouse, you are the MAN! Scoop King! Let's give him both hands. Applause.

Behold, Britain's Boy Band, JLS, who reached second place on The X Factor in 2008. The X Factor is a musical talent reality show that I would not watch unless I had to choose between watching that show and being torn limb-to-limb. Shudder. "JLS" is an initialism for - Jack the Lad Swing. However, in spite of the reality show source, something "good" came from that television: four new ethnic male dolls! Squeak!

1. Vivid Imaginations brings JLS members to vinyl life.
Aston Merrygold
Marvin Humes
JB Gill and
Oritse Williams


2. The JLS dolls are PLAYSCALE - 30 cm! Their arms and legs seem to be straight, not jointed. Shame that. It's tricky finding poseable young male bodies. Word association? Cute. I can appreciate cute young guys as well as cute older men - wink. Especially in playscale drama.

There seem to be three versions of the dolls: original set with each group member packaged separately, a 4-doll set of the original group members, and a third set with doll wearing their Outta This World exclusive outfits.

3. Price, postage, PRICE. At one website, the sale price for the JLS members is 14.99 GBP for one doll which today translates to $23.39 USD. So the JLS guys will cost a little more than most Mattel pink box dolls. Given that each doll has a complete outfit - top, pants, shoes, and other small accessories, that is not a steep price. Postage from the U.K. or from Australia, I don't want to think about. although I could remind myself that these are once in a blue moon figures ... so they might be worth it. Whether Amazon.co.uk will sell them to the U.S. or outside of Britain, I have to find out.

Thanks again for the scoop, SuperCoolDollhouse.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Price Query: My Scene Madison, Sutton, and a Little Black Convertible

I could use a little help from my friends.

I have a My Scene Cruisin' in My Ride gift set that includes Madison, Sutton, and a black convertible with leopard-patterned seat covers. Cool, huh? Yes, I think so. At last, a Barbie car in a color one might actually have - aside from the many red vehicles she has had. Since I have two red cars already, this black one was a welcome change.

My dilemma? Setting a price to this gift set and deciding whether I should sell this item. So I check to find out what price for this gift set. No reports on this gift set. So I look up the Barbie-Ellis Convertible gift set on Amazon.com - and you might be surprised to find that set at $142.29 . Whoa! Price inflation is common among collectibles on Amazon - and I am NOT criticizing that pricing. Sellers can set any price they want. Whether the item is bought, well, that is another story. Usually, I set "fair" prices. Either the market value when I bought the item or something more to consider the current demand. prices. And if you really want something, well, you might pay that price. But Amazon also has an exclusive Delancey-Hudson-silver car for $99.99. It seems to be that the prices should be reversed. I have NEVER seen the Delancey-Hudson set


I saw TONS of Barbie-Ellis-convertible sets back in those early My Scene years. Tons of them. But I only found ONE Madison-Sutton-convertible set. At a Kmart in southwest Philly, in a neighborhood called Eastwick. I fell in love with the car. Sutton and Madison looked the same as they did usually. So what should I charge for mine? Mine that I cannot find on the Internet when I checked for it.


Here are some photos so you can help me decide.





These accessories include: a drugged puppy that floats under Madison's arm, a molded plastic purse, his (blue) and hers (rose) sunglasses, a camera, a cell phone, and a few other things. Something I find odd is that while the box illustrations have Madison and Sutton drawn in instead of Barbie and Ellis, the overlarge fake foot/shoe that Madison wears seems to be the fake foot/shoe for Barbie - it looks pinkish instead of pinky-brown like Madison's complexion.



Another thing to consider: the shipping. I know that will be expensive. Finding a box to fit this will be trying, too. So I'll wait to hear from my online friends.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Wee Roddy Wrestler ... Love His Bagpipes


He's not playscale but I'm sharing his photo here - taken at a Family Dollar store - because the bagpipes look so adorable.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

So in Style Alert! Hispanic Marisa Joins the Group

Please see what the latest So in Style friend looks like. Her name is Marisa, and she is Grace's Hispanic friend. I believe that she will be part of the next Rocawear wave. Has anyone seen her yet? I haven't but then I have been avoiding toy departments and toy stores. I've got to reduce BEFORE I allow myself to bring more dolls in.



But Marisa does look lovely. Beautiful screening. Even if she is the SAME face. Trying to dissuade myself from even window shopping. Sigh.


Monday, November 28, 2011

DAFs Must GO! Accessories Going, Too!

My downsizing might enrich your collection - wink.

This sale has been prompted by Cat of A Doll Affinity's last three posts. Cat posted photos of her friend Julie's doll collection. Okay, we've seen doll collections before, right? Well ... not so many like this. The dolls are set in dioramas that cover most of the walls of an entire room, The Dream Doll Room. Sigh.

I have been feeling a little overwhelmed by the size and makeup of my doll collection. I have too many for the space I have. There are new dolls and action figures I want to add to my collection. Sooooo ... it's time to do some serious exporting. Exiting are a LOT of blond Mackie-faced Fashion Fever Barbies, some duplicate dolls that I have, action figures that I can live without.

(Shoooosshhh! No need to tell anyone that, is there? No, of course not.)

Here is a link to my The DollPage background with a link to my ads including one for the NRFB Integrity Janay/Alysa dolls that I am selling for $15.00 each. Those blond Mackie-faced Fashion Fever dolls are shown here. I will be adding additional dolls, action figures, and accessories.

Note: I will NOT be selling any Hot Toys guys (they're HOT, lol) or my Power Team guys or my Flavas and lots of others. Next to go up are some My Scene playsets, loose furniture in lots, DAF clothes I don't want.

Note 2: I have another set of photos up under Doll Page Album One. Most of the items in that photo album are no longer available. I have to update the album so that the photos remain without the sales info.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Choice Awards Tawny of the Flavas - The Accessories

My post about Choice Awards Tawny would be incomplete without a look at her clothes and accessories. And Tawny came with nice quality accessories. Let's see them.

Open her box and you would see Tawny, her microphone, her jewelry, her second outfit, her wig, and her wig box.



Before we look at her outfits and accessories, Tawny needs to take off her heavy coat. Shake herself out a little. Whew! That's a little better.



Okay, let's start with her jewelry which consists of 2 silver necklaces, a silver bracelet, and two pairs of earrings. Nice, hmmm?



She also has a pair of top-stitched loafers that she wears and a pair of silver sneaker-boots that she has to round out her second outfit. The loafers tickle me. I usually think of loafers as "nerdy shoes." I have worn them, but I would not consider them footwear for a hip hop or street artist. Then again, I have about as much knowledge of "cool circa 2003" fashions as Mattel did. Ha.



Her first outfit includes a plushy tan mid-calf coat with a "fur" collar, a white knit halter top, her Choice Awards badge, bronze knickers and the loafers; the second outfit consists of a silver short-sleeved top, denim mini-skirt, and the silver boots. Her Choice Awards plaque is also in this photo. You can see her clothes on the Barbie mannequins below:



Then there are her hair accessories. The auburn wig , her wig case, the clear wig holder, her golden barrettes, and her silver brush. Oh and her red-black graphic sunglasses.




Let's close that box and put it aside.



Can we see you wearing the sunglasses, Tawny? Thanks!



Finally, here is a look at her Choice Awards Night backdrop.



But where is Tawny now? I suppose she got tired and left to take a nap. Even the brightest of starlets get tired at night. So do I. Good night everyone. Hope you've all had a safe Black Friday.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Awards Night Tawny of the Flavas 2003

Quick: How many waves of the Flavas did Mattel create between 2002-2003?

Answer: Six. Street, Sport, Bike, Denim and Diamonds, Party, and Choice Awards.

How many answered five, not including the Choice Awards dolls? I might have answered so 7-8 years ago. The Flavas dolls seemed to have ended with the Party wave of dolls. For years, I did not realize that the Choice Awards dolls existed. Then I came across the Choice Awards Liam and Tre in a local Value City store. and I knew I HAD to have Tawny. Want-funds-determination all worked to bring a kind fellow collector with an extra Tawny to me. My once Grail doll became a new doll in my collection.

If you are familiar with the Flavas line-up, you will know that the six teenagers are Happy D, Kiyoni Brown, Tika, P Bo, Tre, and Liam. For all the waves except Choice Awards, those are the names of the Flavas crew. Choice Awards has the regular Flavas crew EXCEPT Kiyoni Brown. Instead, there is a new character, Tawny.

I think that Tawny is Kiyoni Brown with a lighter complexion. I offer the following photos as my visual evidence. The first photo shows Denim and Diamonds Kiyoni Brown on the left and Choice Awards Tawny on the right. The second photo shows from left to right: Choice Awards Tawny, Street Kiyoni Brown (on replacement body - AA Birthstone Barbie, Cancer), and Denim and Diamonds Kiyoni Brown. See the resemblance?





Later this week, I'll submit photos of the deboxing of Tawny. Her wig merits a raspberry, but her loafers and sunglasses are adorable.

In the Luxury Market: H. R. Giger Bar in Sixth Scale

Okay, I can barely get the dolls I want at this time. So this link might make you think that D7ana has flown completely over the cuckoo's nest. I haven't. I encountered something interesting on LinkedIn that I wanted to share. You might even find the photos inspiring ;-D

Where can we find a beautiful, stunning recreation of the H.R. Giger Bar in playscale? On the Scales and Models website, look under the Portfolio section in the far left column and click on the third link that reads, "H.R. Giger Bar".

I think I hear the sighs and ohs.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

New Liv Fashions at Target

I noticed some new Liv fashions today. Here is the Liv for Hair set for the girls and the guy.





Likes for me: Alexis' red shoes, Daniela's violet tunic top, Jake's black falcons on gray background tee shirt and black boots, Katie's red flippy skirt and tennis rack, Hayden's multi-tiered dress, denim vest, and brown riding boots, and Sophie's blue jeans.

Anyone else see these? Have any favorites among them?

Friday, November 18, 2011

eBay Mixis Guide and Query

I wrote an eBay guide for YNU Group's Mixis fashion doll. Thirty-three people have seen it before this announcement. No one has clicked on it so far - brows furrow and head tilts in amazement. So I ask for suggestions on how I can improve that guide so that I can get clicks there.

Thanking in advance.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Target Christmas Exclusives 2011

Below are the 2011 Christmas Target Exclusive Barbies under the group A Perfect Christmas I have seen to date:











Happy Hunting.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Oh, No - New Joes!

Yes, just when you think your shopping cart is full or layaway order is complete, here's some additional news: new G.I. Joes are OUT. Yes, the 12" kind. (I ignore the smaller ones. Too small.) Here is a photo of three playscale Joes:



The first from the left, I could ignore. He is a Heavy Gunner. Cute but nothing special going aside from him being a Joe. The big gun doesn't interest me. I have a shoebox full of Power Team and Joe guns. Yawn. Necessary, but not high on the fun factor for me. But the second Joe comes with an extra WOW factor. Behold a Police K-9 Unit - Joe and an incredibly realistic German Shepherd dog. Uh huh. A really cool dog, done better than any by Muh - oops, rude of me to comment on that. Let's just say that this dog looks like a dog and not a fantastical rendering of a drugged creature. Then there is the third from the left Joe. OOooooohhhhh. He is a First Responder Firefighter. He has a hatchet and a firefighter outfit. Imagine the drama possibilities of that. Joe and the hatchet rushing to break down a door to save someone.

Of the three Joes shown here, I put the Police K-9 Unit top on my want list. I mean, look at that dog. Here's a closer shot of the dog.



Need to pass this information on to another collector who likes dogs. (Actually, I am partial to cats, but realistic playscale cats are hard to find. Sigh. But having the dog, well, that would be fun, too.)

Ken Updates: New Fashions and Ice Skating



Whoa! Can those be Ken fashions I like? Let's look again. Darker colors, yes. Murky teal and brown top with teal-brown camouflage pants. A traditional pullover and slacks. Oh and what about that little "straw" hat with the sleeveless striped tank. (Aside: getting a little cool here in Philly for that kind of outfit ... in spite of this brief warm-up. But hey, he's Ken and dazzling wherever he stands.)

Speaking of "dazzling," have you seen smarmy Ken's return as an Ice Skater. This year though, he is in a gift set with Barbie. What more could he ask for for his 50th anniversary? Let's see ... a car, an apartment, furniture, etc. Maybe other guys would. But not Ken.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

More Stardolls News

Stardolls have landed on Toysrus.com online!

Unfortunately, they seem to be out of stock. Pout. But you can see photos of several dolls in this new Barbie line. Grin.

Okay, I have GOT to do some selling and purging. Must, must, must!

Sixth scale Sneaker Photo Inspired by Alex's Posts



Sneakers are popular footwear for my playscale crew. Whether plastic or cloth, sneakers come in all sizes and different colors. See the photo above ... sneakers, sneakers, and MORE sneakers.

Toy blogger and toy collector, Alex aka @lex of Toyhaven wrote two posts about some incredible playscale sneakers. Footwear so well-crafted, you might think that they were created for full scale humans. You can check that footwear out here on canvas shoe and adidas links.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Nickelodeon's Victorious by Spin Master

Looking for variety in your articulated fashion doll body? March over to the toy section where the Spin Master dolls are and check out their newest doll offering, Victorius. Victorius is a relatively new teen sitcom about a high school girl, Tori, who attends an arts high school. (Anyone else thinking, Fame?)

Here are two Atamaii doll reviews about the Tori doll.

Friday, November 11, 2011

French Article on Earring Magic Ken

Yes, I know A Philly Collector of Playscale Dolls and Action Figures is written in English. English is my native language. I LOVE English. But a journalist wrote to me last week about using my Flickr photo of Earring Magic Ken to illustrate an article about marketing flops. Alas, my photo was not used - a clearer one was found. Still I found the article, "read" it using my rusty French reading skills, and then used Babelfish to translate the article for a cough "more accurate" read. I am providing the link here for the Ken page of that article; you can read the original French Lacutalite article OR the Babelfish version for an eyebrow raising translation you won't soon forget.

By the way, do you think that Earring Ken was a marketing flop?

Veterans Day Salute

I thank the military veterans for their sacrifices and their dedication to keeping the American people safe.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

African American Stardoll - Nevraforever ROCKS!

Doll enthusiast, Nevraforever, has photos of some of the new Stardolls including one that I think is an African American doll. No, I don't mean the one shown wearing the yellow blouse and navy pants. Per Nevraforever, the AA doll's name is Pret-A-Purple. I had mentioned seeing Pret-A-Purple (described by her outfit color ;-P) in an earlier post.

Thanks to LauraLA also for sharing this link and for mentioning that she saw these dolls at a Toys R Us store. I did not see them in one of the Philly Toys R Us stores I visited earlier today.

This Fall/Winter of 2011 promises lots of exciting new doll series.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Ken's Jacket of Bright Colors

For Ken fans or Ken foes, check this new outfit available at Target. My Kens AND my Joes AND my Power Team guys all fell down and laughed for about 15 minutes after they saw it. Poor Smarmy Ken. I must remember to be kinder to him when I speak to or about him.

Friday, November 4, 2011

I Recant ... He Can Be Cute

Remember, I wrote that I did NOT like the new Ken face sculpt? The one I have been calling Smarmy Ken, when I recognize him at all? Cough. Well, maybe I spoke and wrote too soon. I happened to be at a Walmart store today. My feet happened to wander over to the toy department ... Walmart's Super Saturday is this Saturday, November 5th starting at 11 a.m. ... I just wondered if they had anything that I could see before the big (cough, crowded) event. Nothing new to me. There seemed to be fewer things than I would have thought unless they were holding off on restocking and putting out new stuff. Then it happened. I saw him.

The Beatles "saw her standing there," but me, I saw him hanging there. On the Barbie pink pegboard. Hunky twelve-inch guy. Smarmy Ken with black hair brushed down. Oh my my. Come to momma. Picked him up - still intact in his clear plastic box. Lookee here. The Chiffons' "He's So Fine" starts up. (Okay, that is on the soundtrack of my mind - the story had started their annual ear torment of holiday ditties to force a buying mood on patrons - or to drive patrons running and screaming from the store?) Our eyes met and locked. (BTW, his are blue.) Oh he was smooth ... until he began singing Eddie Money's. "Take Me Home". Well, that was a fun song, but it snapped the spell. Maybe. Someday. But not today. But I did take his picture to share.



Nice, huh? Sigh.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Hot Links to New Mattel Doll Photos

Much gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair - kidding, joking, but darn there are photos of new dolls popping up. Bam, bam, bam! Here are links to some of them. Remember, don't shoot the messenger?

I glanced at a few pages on eBay. I had to see this beauty, the Brunette Stardoll in an actual photo. Can't wait to see an actual doll to the Black doll in the purple dress. Sigh.

From Facebook member Sandra B, frequent contributor to doll news, especially at The Doll Cafe. Two Barbie I Can Be doll sets that include KEN as part of the series. What? I While I want to ignore these sets because they have Barbie with Smarmy Ken, I am torn about them. So far, I have avoided buying Smarmy Ken. But these sets are too cute. Firefighter Ken and Police Barbie. Doctors Ken and Barbie in ONE set. Yes, for Ken's 50th birthday, Barbie is allowing him to work alongside her as either a firefighter OR as a doctor. Hmmm ... what do you think about that?

Moving along, let's see photos of the upcoming Dancing with Stars Barbies on Red Carpet Dolls blog.

New S.i.S. Marisa. As Tiffany Tran notes in the comments, this adult Marisa resembles the AKA Centennial Barbie. (My one who got away, lol.)

Just to keep you glued to your computer chairs. I know - wicked, wicked enabler am I!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

November Notes

Thanksgiving, Native American Indian Heritage Month, new doll series Prettie Girls, etc. And SALES, SALES, SALES!

Where is T.J.?

October snow. Come on - when does it snow in PHILADELPHIA in October? Halloween's come and gone. No holiday fun with T.J. Where is T.J.?

We haven't had a row so she's not avoiding me on that count. No one else can recall when the last time they spoke to her. I shouldn't be worried about her. It's just not right that she's gone. What is she up to? Guess I'll have to find out.

[No]Angelus

Monday, October 31, 2011

Halloween Happenings 2011

T.J. did not oversee the Halloween party this year. Some of the East Philadelphians decided to hold a Best Costume Competition. Here are the photos ...









The Other N Word

The word I am about to type may send shock waves through the North American continent. But let us face the reality: some dolls have them. Some action figures have them. Others do not. Approve or disapprove, you may want to know where your next doll or action figure stands on this count. For those who wish to add this feature to your playscale people, I have a link to show you how one doll artist adjusts hers. Here is the word:


nipple


There, I typed the word. How many of you are reeling? No one? Good. I was worried about reader reactions because in the United States and possibly Canada and Mexico, nipples are NOT to be SEEN. Does anyone recall the cacophony of horror that erupted about the event 38th Super Bowl game or the more recent event on a reality dance show? Fortunately, I do not watch football games or dance programs so my sight was never impaired by those glimpses of the human female anatomy.



Sometimes, I expose my dolls' and action figures' nipples. Sometimes, I just want to show the doll's or action figure's body stripped so that you can see the proportions without distortion from clothes. I forget that some of the Asian fashion dolls (Ladies Mission and Girl's Mission especially) and action figures (oh, those Power Team guys!) have some breast detailing. Other times, I notice the doll's um definition and I COVER them up. The - you know, other N word. Either with a towel or heavy top. Face red, I think, I cannot show nasty, naughty nipples. Oh, I typed that word again. Tsk.

Back and forth. Nipples are there and should not be considered worse than any other body part; on the other hand, I have to overcome some reluctance to see or to mention them.

For additional reading, please check these websites:


Barbie nipple tutorial

Breast feeding baby

Facebook censor


Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Stalker Review at Silent G's Onesixthophrenia

Hello ... any G.I. Joe fans out there? Sure there are. And you are all far more knowledgeable about Sideshow Toy's G.I. Joe line than I am. (My last Sideshow figures were from Buffy, James Bond, and Planet of the Apes. Oh, dating myself there, hmm?)

Yes, Sideshow Collectibles has a G.I. Joe line. Mighty fine figures they are, those Sideshow Joes. A good example is their Stalker character. Read Silent G's Stalker review. Then head over to the Sideshow site. Beyond "doll" and veering closely to art.

Happy viewing - I mean, reading.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Jo, Winner of the Sinatra (Barbie) Body

Jo reading Halloween stories to Tawny Tommy, So in Style Kianna, and a few of the other children.

Voila, Jo, formerly from Mattel's Timeless Treasures, When I Read, I Dream line. She won the most votes - 5 out of 6 (Takara's School Girl Kisara took the remaining vote). Jo has removed the black-white check suit - I didn't think that the suit suited her character - and now wears a Spin Master Liv fashion. The Sinatra body gives her a long-legged, teenager look that I find a better fit for her face than the child-body she originally had.

For anyone curious to see Blossom and Kisara with the Sinatra body, here are their photos:

Blossom Unbound


Kisara Jams

Notes: the Sinatra Barbie body feet are longer than the old-style high-heeled Barbie feet, but they are not flat like the Poser feet or large as the BigFoot Barbie feet.

Does anyone else think that Jo looks like a younger sister of Gillian from the Fashion Fever line? I think that I will have mine share that connection.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Links to New DOTW Promo Photos

Recent online visits to Angelic Dreamz and Pink Ponytail Presents made me wonder:

Is it possible for any DOTW Barbie from Ireland to have ANY other hair color BUT red? Are there no blond or brunette Irish lasses? And is "lasses" an offensive term nowadays?



Can DOTW from China wear any other color but RED? Yes, the Mattel dolls from China look lovely in red, but would it KILL them to dress in another color. Just once ...



Do the dolls from Australia HAVE to be blond? Although this one looks interesting - she's not grinning for a change. Please no more Mackies though. I am overrun by Mackies. Especially blond ones.



Suggestion: grab up the Shoe Obsession Barbie ASAP - looks like she actually eats. Or has eaten. She looks as though she has a bit of substance to her. Imagine a fed-looking, healthy Barbie. We'll forgive the fishnet stockings. Okay, I will. Speak for myself, right? Wink.


DOTW Argentina breaks the mold on TWO counts. Can you guess what they are?








Sunday, October 16, 2011

Hispanic Heritage Month Blog Posts

Just a notice to playscale and ethnic doll fans, our blogging buddy at Male Doll World has a series of posts showing Hispanic and Latino MALES. That's right Hispanic/Latino dolls and action figures. Please see the start of that series here. My favorite is this guy - although I do think his legs are ssooooo large. (My Kens shudder at the thought of fitting that gentleman in dress pants.)

Friday, October 14, 2011

Update: Who Should Get the Sinatra Body ... and Why?

Now you knew that the new articulated Sinatra Barbie body would receive another head, right? Lifts hand up to stop the rush of oh, nos!, how could you do that? Yes, the face is pretty. However, from the LARGE assortment of pale and tanned faced blond Mackies with similar eye make up, I prefer the Festival of the World: Oktoberfest Barbie. I don't need so many similar faces. And no, Oktoberfest Barbie will NOT be receiving the Sinatra Barbie body at this time. OB prefers her rounded look, And I have other plans for that body.

... however, those plans aren't solid yet. Perhaps I can get some help from my fellow enthusiasts? There are three dolls that need articulated bodies who could match this doll body. They are Jo, Blossom, and Kisara. Here are the ladies themselves:


MiladyBlue reminds me that I have NOT introduced these ladies so that everyone can know who is who. From left to right, we have Jo in the pink pullover, grinning Blossom, and finally. School girl Kisara in her original schoolgirl uniform - black jacket, white blouse, tie, and black plaid skirt.

Jo (nickname for Josephine March) of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is part of the When I Read, I Dream collection by Mattel. Other dolls in that series include Fern (E. B. White's Charlotte's Web), Anne of Green Gables (Lucy M. Montgomery), and Heidi (Johanna Spyri's Heidi). Jo is not shown on her original body; her head is on a Mystery Squad Kenzie body. The original When I Read dolls were on Stacie-sized bodies, about 8" tall.

Blossom by Tyco is from the 1980s television show, Blossom. Blossom is on her original body that makes her a little over 9". Other dolls in the Blossom group include her brother Joey and friend Six. Fellow doll enthusiast and blogger, Ms. Leo has several photos of Joey out of his box. I've heard about the existence of a fourth doll in this series, Vinnie, but I am waiting to see photos. (Color me curious ;-D)

Kisara is a Takara Jenny friend.

For this body replacement, I am sometimes partial to Kisara, sometimes partial to Jo. And Blossom clearly could use a larger body for her um larger head. Anyone want to submit a vote on which of these three heads you think should inherit the Sinatra Barbie body? I'm posting a poll to gather your responses.

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

Monday, October 10, 2011

More StarDolls Information Plus Link to Actual Doll

Uncanny how one day I am photographing Jakks Pacific G.I.R.L. Force dolls and later, I find nude photos of the new blonde Stardoll. This is the blonde Stardoll shown wearing a pink tweed jacket and black-white herringbone skirt. She is shown next to a nude Barbie Basics No. 14.

Here is some additional information and speculation from Gatorgirrl, E.A., and FashionistaBoy.

1). They will have "real" eyelashes per the eBay seller.

2.) They have the standard paper doll pose - arms slightly away from the body and legs in a wide stance.

3.) Arms jointed at shoulder and head seems moveable on the neck, but otherwise, the new body resembles the Jakks Pacific G.I.R.L. Force dolls and the Integrity Toys ITBE dolls.

4.) Cool fashions and accessories - please see photograph at Blog of Stench's site. Thanks, E.A. for the larger photo.

5.) Dolls seem to be available in FLORIDA.

6.) There will be an AA doll. Please check the third photo under FashionistaBoy's site. She is wearing a lilac dress and a white jacket. She has long curly hair and a medium brown complexion.

Okay, who else is jumping up and down like me? Got Florida contacts? Time to contact them, ASAP.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

What I Got When I Went to Toys R Us Yesterday

Frannie and Vanessa, I guess you know me, lol. One of the dolls I got is the Sinatra Barbie doll; the other is Dolls of the World, Ken from Japan. Why? Well, first I was going to get the Rock Hudson set. I mean a good looking guy with a NOSE ... how could I resist? Hmmm .... $79.99 being too steep is how I resisted. The only other $79.99 set was Lucy and Desi. I would have bought them, but I'd only want Desi. And I don't like the way Mattel paints Desi's pupils to the far edge of his eye.

In my dream world, I would have bought the new Johnny Depp doll, but he was not among the available choices. (See how that Angelica choice, Vanessa, was a near miss?) Harley Davidson Ken was likewise, not available. And I had wanted the DOTW Ken anyway so I got him. He's getting out of his cartoony outfit as soon as I can decide what he should and can wear. Also DOTW Ken from Japan has these dreamy cheekbones. His features are different from other Kens.

Sinatra Barbie? Okay, I confess. The suit did it. Yes, I bought her for her black-white checked suit. And that gray plastic fedora hat. Sigh. Love the V-neck white shirt too.And the long black tie. I could work those pieces for my other dolls. And use that pale, poser body for one of my very fair dolls. Which one? You'll learn more in a future post.

For now, let's have the Buff Guy and the Gal-in-the-Suit.