Monday, September 5, 2011

Update on Stardolls by Barbie - Mattel's New Winner

Okay it's a lazy holiday afternoon, and I'm online - yay, Clear account - when I notice an email message from Robin of Roville. Yes, I do associate with cool DAF people - you know who you are, no finger pointing here, lol. Anyway, she's curious about a potential doll line called "Stardolls by Barbie." Now that's what I think of as a call to action. So I pull up Google to search the terms, Barbie, 2012, and Stardolls. Initial link haul doesn't seem promising, but then I hit the mother lode of tips in a Flickr account. Wahh hoo!

Here we go:

Stardolls, self-described as "the world's largest online fashion and dress up games community for girls," has signed a deal with Mattel to produce a Stardolls by Barbie line. Now I see why Mattel is dropping the Basics - although I still LOVE some of the Basics - these new dolls look promising. Stardolls had done some promoting for other Barbie lines so this new Stardoll-Barbie collaboration is a natural progression.

Dancing, dancing, DANCING - sorry, that's me.

Thanks also to Tru_Fashionista_luv on Flickr, mighty Mattel, and Stardolls!

Come on 2012!

Additional news from Robin and Frannie about the Stardolls. Cheryl's Dolls and Collectibles will be carrying these dolls for $29.95. Thanks, Robin!

11 comments:

Frannie said...

Hi D7ana, This is what I found. They should be coming out in the Fall of 2011.
Cheryl's dolls has them for pre-order at 29.95
http://www.cherylsdolls.com/stbymabado202.html

My problem with them is they look like they are not articulated.

D7ana said...

Thanks, Frannie. I'll add your name with Robin's for providing this information. I received the information from you both around the same time.

I'm lucky to have such fab DAF people to stimulate and to help me. Go, us, go us!

Niel said...

OOOOOOOOHHHHH WOW!

I was partially sad to learn that the Barbie Basics were gonna take a final bow. But I realized, how much can you stretch the idea of "basic"?

The dolls are done being basic and they are ready to become stars! I just hope the actual dolls can.

D7ana said...

Hi Niel! Me, too - I mean I hope the new dolls will be Star-quality as well as by name ;-D

As for articulation, we enthusiasts/collectors will take care of that, lol. Come here, pretty Spinmaster Liv dolls, it's not gonna hurt ....

ModernWizard said...

This is exciting news. I think I see some new headsculpts in the promo pics for the Stardoll Barbies! I'm going to post on my blog about this...

D7ana said...

I think so, too, E.A. New face molds would be welcome, too. I thought I recognized some, but then again, the mouths on some of the new dolls seem wider than those on existing molds.

Here's my early "guess" based on viewing a copy of the Flickr promo picture enlarged:

* Brunette in yellow top = Carnaval * Silver blonde in pink = Loubotin

* Brunette in gray top = new face mold, wide mouth I don't recognize

* Titian-haired in white jacket = Lara/Ana?

* 2nd redhaired in red dress = Goddess or Kayla/Lea

* 3rd brunette w. bangs = Goddess or Kayla/Lea

Any other guesses welcome ;-D

Vanessa said...

Sorry to rain on your parade. I'm not impressed, yet. Sure, the clothes are better, but if I am going to pay $30 for a doll, and another $11+ to give her an articulated body, then I am going to take the money and put it towards an articulated doll with nice clothes. The good thing about this is that Stacy McBride-Irby's articulated ethnic dolls will probably do very well. That $17 for an articulated nicely dressed doll doesn't seem all that bad, especially since the Stardoll line has yet another nondescript, straight hair ethnice doll posing as the token AA/Hispanic/Latino. I know I won't be running around town trying to buy these dolls like I did the Basics. My wallet is jumping for joy.

D7ana said...

Hi Vanessa! I LOVE rain so rain away, lol. Especially when I have my 10 League Boots or Wellies as the British might say.

Seriously though, I rejoice when almost any new playline doll with adult colored fashions appear. I am looking forward to Stacey McBride-Irby's Prettie Girls - yes, yes, yes! - but a little piece of my heart will probably always be there for Mattel/Barbie in spite of some of the annoying things Mattel does. If they hadn't brought Barbie to this point, the other dolls might never have existed. Or not in the 1:6 scale.

Hope the Mixis bring out those dolls they had shown, too. Sigh. The more, the merrier if broke-er, I'll be.

Vanessa said...

I'm not leaving my Barbies. I am just not going to be buying this line of dolls.

Ms. Leo said...

I need some men! If they aren't adding men then what is to it. I purchase one doll from the first Basic line (19)three from the second line of which two were men.

I too agree with Vanessa. After purchasing fashionista and reboding dolls on Liv bodies, I can see that the articulated body is what people want and the future. You can get out in front of it or you are left behind. Would I buy a pretty doll without an articulated body for 30.00 or would I purchase a DG for just a little more? And at the point a Darius type doll is under 75.00... it is Ken who???

D7ana said...

Yeah, there's something about Barbie, Vanessa. Shrug. I'll be buying Barbies too.

Ms. Leo, I agree that some guys would be a GREAT addition to the Stardolls line. The three guys got added in a later wave for the Barbie Basics line; perhaps history will repeat itself with this line.

Ah, Ken ... I dislike this current face sculpt - too smarmy by me - and I'm just waiting for either a return to one of the older face sculpts OR a new face sculpt that is less smarmy-looking. Sigh ... poor Ken.