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