Curly-haired Opal Review by Parent

I was on Facebook when I noticed that

a. the Mixis dolls have their OWN FB page called, Mixis Jr. that features the dolls. Hoo-ray, hoo-ray!

b. there is a new review for curly-haired Opal. This review is by a parent and shows a little girl’s reaction to Opal. Cute factor in 1:1 scale.

So glad to see the new FB page and the new review. Maybe the new dolls will be released. Fingers crossed as usual when I mention the Mixis dolls.

333 Views in 11/07/11

I'm pleased to learn that my eBay guide on the Mixis dolls has received three hundred and thirty-three views.

333

Yaaayyy! High fives all round.

Preview of Valentine's Day Barbie, Nikki, and Chelsea Dolls

What wears pink, red, and white and is "sweet" to the eye but spares the teeth?

I Love Valentines Barbie and Nikki. Or Valentine Chelsea and Friends.

This year's supermarket Valentines Barbie and Valentines Nikki appear in the photo above. Hmmm ... I have seen more interesting holiday dolls; these two seem fairly standard. So I can easily leave them on the shelf.

What about the corresponding Valentines Chelseas? Alas the little treats will be harder to resist. An online dealer presents the Valentines kiddies as a three doll set on eBay. Offline, you could probably find the dolls for less than the eBay amount AND be able to buy all or any of the favorites you want for under $10.00 each. But hey, eBay dealers have eBay and PayPal fees to pay as well as the dolls' cost. (Sometimes, you can search and search for the ethnic dolls and NEVER find them. Sigh.) Knowing that these Valentines kiddies will be out gives us enthusiasts time to search for them. Or to plan to buy when seen and then sell to our fellow enthusiasts.

Say, does anyone know under what circumstances the ethnic companion doll is the ethnic Barbie and when the not-white doll becomes Nikki? That question popped in my head when I saw these dolls.

Another Plane, A Gelato Truck, and a Mobile Home

Anyone seeking raw material for new playsets? How about an airplane with a cockpit AND passenger seating, or a gelato truck, or a mobile home? Got your attention? Good.

I was walking by a Toys R Us Express store when I saw three NEW fashion doll playsets. Yes, for 11.5 dolls. No, I'm NOT talking about Mattel playsets. Not talking about Hasbro stuff either. These playsets are from a generic toy company whose name might be "Sweet" although more likely, that is the brand name for their playscale toys. I have not bought any of these sets yet, but I did want to alert PhillyCollector readers to these roughly $39.95 each set. Let's start with the airliner ....

Next to the gelato truck - note, NOT "ice cream truck" - "gelato truck" ....

And here is the mobile home ....

Since I do not own any of these new toys, I found other links to provide additional reviews and photos about them:

Airliner review and photos

More airliner reviews here and here

Reviews for the mobile home, can be read here. Happy reading. Please share any projects - big smile.

More Photos of the Simba Mini Cooper

More photos of the Simba Mini Cooper can be found in my Webshots folder, Vehicles. Please stop there if you would like to see closer photos of the car.

A review of the Sindy Mini Cooper can be found at this link. If you would like to share any car photos you have, please leave a link with your comment. I'll revise this post to share them.

Yet Another Red Mini Cooper Anyone? Canada 2002

First, I see a cool car on Vanessa's blog. Then I see Suwi's got some cars on her blog. Whoa and among them, Suwi's got a Sindy car similar to one of mine. I'm oooohhhing and aaahhhhing then I think: hey, this is a mini surge here. So here is my contribution to the red Mini Cooper surge.

Look who will be at the wheel ... she's R&D's Susie. San Francisco Days Susie from March 2004.

That's Susie's portfolio on the car hood. (Note my car does NOT have the Union Jack flag on top.) Don't worry, she will put it inside the car. She has a matching black pebbled hide over nighter that she wants to put in the car first.

Susie shifts to adjust her seat belt. Had she left something in the seat? One of the other Susies seems to have left a sewing kit on the seat. That's no fun.

Susie sinks back for a few minutes. Wait til she sees the others. Sewing kit on the driver's seat of her car. Hrmph!

I'll post additional photos of the Canadian mini Cooper soon.

Selling DAFs at The Doll Page

am photographing and uploading stuff to put on The Doll Page Show and Sell website. I have had good luck there so that's where my things will go.

What am I putting out now? Nine Smartees books, Cordelia from BtVS and Angel fame, Nadja and Colette from NuFace (Integrity Fashion Royalty), loose furniture, heads and bodies (coming), various nude or boxed dolls, Halloween Kellys (coming), two Susies, Maxie's friend Kristen, nude Lucy and Ethel, etc.

Thanks for listening and for any future visits.

Seen at Target: Chelsea and Her Friends. Cute Overload

Run, don't walk to see the new Chelsea and friends dolls at Target. I expect lots of cute and adorable in this post's comments and elsewhere. Squeal of delight. My two favorites are Renee and Tamika so far. The box that held a set of the new dolls only had one Renee and one Tamika per that box.

At first, I thought that Renee and Tamika might have new ethnic facemolds. Then I realized that their faces are pretty much the same as Kitsie's. The illusion of difference is due to the complexions. Hmmm ... something to think about.

More little darlings ...

And the box back ....

Need Another Johnny Depp as a Pirate Figure?

Okay, this post is mainly to doll collectors, but there might be a few action figure collectors who would like to chime in or to comment. Your chiming and your comments are welcome - big smile on my part.

Hot Toys has a new Captain Jack Sparrow action figure. O - M - G - have they got a figure! Check this promotional review at MWC's website. Jeff Parker provides a delicious review with equally superb photos. Had I space and money to spare enough, I would soooo love to buy this action figure.

Okay, not even being able to afford the lovely Mattel version, I accept that I am even less likely to nab this one at this time. But ... I can dream, hey?

2012 Spinmaster Liv Neon Colors and a New Doll Blogger

I saw Spinmaster's new color-focused Liv dolls in a Philadelphia Target store: Liv for Color and Liv Brites. So I did some online investigating and discovered a new-to-me doll enthusiast's Flickr photo album. (Flickr seems to be the place to go for the latest in new doll discoveries.) Emily, the new-to-me blogger, reveals some unfortunate news about these new Liv line: less articulation than previous lines - please read her blog post about the vivid Liv dolls.

Liv for Color

Sophie with blue hair and blue dress, Alexis with pale pink hair and pale pink dress, and Katie with dark pink hair and dark pink dress shown in above photo.

Hayden with purple hair and purple dress and Daniela with red hair and red dress in photo below.

Target Exclusives Brites

Alexis (orange hair), Katie (purple), and Sophie (pink hair).

Sweet Sixteen Grace Gets a Car

Okay, it is Grace's sixteenth birthday, and what does she get? Think Mattel here, think tradition ... yes, you knowwhat she got. A car. Screaming much?

Have car, can travel. Grace's girlfriends, Trichelle and Kara, look on. Chandra is not in this photo. Maybe the photographer just grabbed the two available dolls. Maybe Chandra is tired of all the Grace-Grace-Grace stuff of the day. Maybe she didn't get there in time to ogle the new purple vehicle. Maybe next photo session, she'll return.

Dolls or Action Figures? A Sideshow (Collectibles) Quartet

Once upon a time, it was easy to differentiate a doll from an action figure. Dolls had limited articulation and usually rooted hair. They wore cloth clothes that could be put on and taken off. Action figures had molded plastic clothes that were part of their plastic bodies; they had molded hair or molded headgear. Action figures were articulated in several spots to allow them to move. So what are the four characters in this photo? Dolls or action figures?

Okay, if you recognize the manufacturer - Sideshow Collectibles - then you will have a good sense that these are action figures. Sorry to blow the suspense and the surprise for the doll collectors who may not be familiar with Sideshow Collectibles.

The four figures from left to right are

Odd Job from James Bond series

Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer series

Wai Lin from James Bond series

Tee Hee from James Bond series

So how can you tell that these are action figures?

1. The size of the eyes. Yes, action figures' eyes are usually smaller than fashion dolls' eyes. Action figure eyes tend to be more realistic than dolls' eyes although there are idealized, manga-styled action figures and character fashion dolls resembling (more or less) human characters.

2. The demeanor of the figure and expression of the eyes. Action figures look at you or look away, but their gaze usually is more remote than fashion dolls. Fashion dolls flirt. They are sooo happy to see you. Or they really, truly do NOT care, they are above you, they ... hey, do YOU notice THEM, NOT noticing YOU?! Fashion dolls are divas. They crave attention.

Action figures would rather you NOT notice them. They have all sorts of plans that may or may NOT involve you. And if you think that that grin on Tee Hee's face has any ingratiating inclination ... well, let me tell you that Grandma's teeth were never that long. No, action figures are not necessarily evil. They just aren't that into you.

See Odd Job's expression? Does he look as if he wants anything from you? Nope. Come or go, it's all the same to him. And the second Buffy there? (Sideshow's first 1:6 scale Buffy had molded hair.) Well, that Buffy doesn't seem comfortable in that white satin dress. She's thinking about staking the Master, the evil vampire who killed her. Wai Lin? Why is she here now? Why her, why here, why now? And what is Angel up to now?

I could continue, but I made my point. However we use them, dolls and action figures are NOT the same. Not just due to gender issues although here is an article about gender and our figures that takes a similar line to what I've written although it's written by an outsider, a NON-collector/enthusiast. I thought it was an interesting piece. But my ramblings emerge from the mind of a fervent collector/enthusiast. So I am not completely aligned with all of the author's ideas.

When I return to this theme, I'll either mention other action figures or start on the doll end.

Happy New Year!