Window Shopping Inside Target:

Recently, I did some window shopping at two Target stores. Here are photos of some playscale items I saw and the comments I made to myself:

Oh, the same old, same old: Mattel/Disney reissuing the same dolls. Like this Cinderella and Prince [Eric?] set. What's new? The longer package with nothing to warrant the package length. Cute posing, but the straight-armed stiffness detracts from the fluidity I would imagine as part of the dance pose. Still it is nice that children have access to fairy tales, even if they are bowdlerized Disney versions. (Me, I read the gory Grimms' versions. Toes and heels chopped off for marital profit. What a world?!)

This one surprised me: Miss Dorothy Gale by Mattel. Mackie face on a Model Muse body. The Mackie face, I can take or leave, depending on the face screening. The Model Muse body, I could live without. Too thin and limited articulation. And much as I loved L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz as a CHILD, my usual response to another Mattel WoO doll is "Can we find another classic?" BUT, I rather like this sultry, over-made up teenaged Dorothy. If I see her on sale, I might get her. Provided I like the face screening ... i.e., no wonky eyes ...

No, I have NOT succumbed to Monster High Fever. Yes, Ghoulia has the cutest red-framed eye glasses. Yes, Cleo has pretty skin color. The big heads and insect-like limbs lose me. Looking at these dolls - so clever how Mattel repackages a current wave, Gloom Beach, by putting the dolls together in one box - I wonder if Mattel imagines a future where the earth is ruled not by roaches but by hybrid insect-humans. That's what the Monster High dolls seem to me.

Justin Bieber fashions for the 12" guys in your life. I like the purple Chucks (cloth upper, rubber soled sneakers), but I am waiting for a sale on these. There seem to be three outfits - I photographed the two that I saw. The outfits consist of a pullover and/or a hoodie, skinny jeans, and footwear.

(One of my Kens would like to know: do the Justin Bieber footwear fit any Kens? Fashionista Ken feels he could use the sneakers and the skinny jeans.)

Finally, MGA Enterprises aka "The Bratz People" offer these two dolls that fall under the "aw, they're soooo cute" category. Moxie Girlz Lexa and Moxie Boyz Jaxson don complimentary masquerade party pirate gear here, but they are sold separate.

I've also seen the Target Barbie Basics in Red No. 2. (Couldn't take a photo because my camera had run out of "internal memory.") But yes, although I have several Lara/Drew faces already, I intend to get this one. Might need to sell some older Lara/Drew faces, but that's the Collector's Way, lol. So that's a post about my recent Target visits. If you'd like to share links for photos from your recent Target visits, let me know. If I receive more than 3 links, I'll set up a fresh post with the list of Target-visit links.