Query About Other Halloween Photos by The Mad Deboxer

Here are the photos.


Night Creatures in a Graveyard
(This is the unaltered view behind the entry photo "The Cat's View.") A foggy dark night in a graveyard. A two-headed, gray-faced crone, a headless man in a business suit, a gnarling dog, and a girl - vampire? - wander among the tombstones and a few skeletal trees. Brrrr ...did I lock that window?



Dracula and a Bride
Integrity Toy's brunette Dracula fashion doll and his blonde bride stand in a warm brown-toned room with a blazing fireplace behind them. Who's to say, vampires don't want a little warmth in their rooms?



Frenzied Female Vampire
Okay, I do not recognize the doll who became this female vampire, but with her chalky complexion and wild, teased gray-white-black hair, she dominates this photo. Those reddened eyes, bloody teeth, and blood splattered body are alarming. Scary. Tell her she looks great in her flashy, form-fitting black v-neck gown with a burgundy red stole. Because she does have a bloody heart in her left hand while brandishing a knife in her right hand as she straddles some white shirted victim.

Don't you feel better for having seen these three photos? Maybe not at night? Oh well ... I did mention that they are Halloween photos. Shrug. Wink.

Those are the original photos The Mad Deboxer submitted. Stunning, yes? Okay, I state the obvious. However, they did not have a glaring window sooo ... yes, I asked for a photo with a border to represent a window. (Squeezes eyes shut and raises arm to ward off rain of rotten fruit.) However, the photographer gave something better - a multi-paned window with a cat as seen in the previous post. What photo is not improved by the addition of a cat and a black cat at that? Ummm ... rhetorical question that was. Okay, okay, the original photo is great. Could I be a total meanie and deprive you of it? No.

Me, I could interpret these as the window is implied ... they are window on a life - or death - scene. But I thought, someone will cry "Foul, no window." And they will send me a photo of Tinkerbell hugging a Care Bear. (Shudder. No Care Bears please.) So I await your decision.

If 10 viewers vote "save," I will allow photos that show either a vampire OR a window in a Halloween setting. My preference would be for both, but I can accept a broader range. In your comment, leave a vote to "save" if you are okay with a broader interpretation of the contest guidelines.

Come to My Window, First Entry by The Mad Deboxer!

"©Heather"

Drums roll ....

"TheMadDeboxer"

The Cat's View

Stroke of midnight or any hazy, haunted hour. A black cat sits to the far right before a 15 pane window (3 rows of 5 panes). Behind the window, spectral beings emerge from a foggy graveyard. Are they coming for the cat? No, no, no! Run Cat, run! Shouldn't the cat run?

Let's thank The Mad Deboxer for this scary scene.

Yes, let's give her a hand ... er, a round of applause. Or some nice comments.

Come to My Window - First Photos Submitted!

"©Heather"

The Come to My Window photo contest for Halloween 2012 is off to a GRAND start.

We have a super cool banner courtesy of Heather. Let's give her a round of applause. Thanks for setting the tone, Heather.

Next, the first photo entries have arrived. Did this photographer do an outstanding job? You bet. Wow, wow, wow. I have to verify what name the photographer wants used. So do check back tomorrow or Saturday to see those entries.

Thanks for your generosity and for your time.

Sincerely,
D7ana aka Dana

Mattel Doll Sale - September 2012

Hi! Curious about which dolls I am selling from my Mattel collection? Here's a link to that list. There are 61 dolls available most of them NRFB, but a few mint in an opened box. Please ask about that status, if it matters to you.


Now I have good news about this sale, and I have bad news. Let's start with the good news: there is NO minimum order. That's right. No minimum. HOWEVER, payment has to be cash or U.S. postal service money orders. Ah, you knew there had to be a catch somewhere. I cannot take PayPal now. So any overseas or orders outside this area need to have a local person intercede for that order to get picked up and sent off. I would rather not take cash via the mail; if it is lost, it will not be recoverable.


Postage is not included. I will get the wanted items together and get the items weighed for exact postage. Thanks for your attention. Happy shopping!

How Many Kelly/Chelsea-Sized Dolls Do I Have?

Muff had asked how many Kelly-sized dolls I had. As we all know, Kelly/Chelsea dolls are like the doll equivalents of Tribbles. Kelly/Chelsea dolls multiply the minute you turn away. Impossible, you say? Ha, I reply. Yes, I would actually say something like that. So counts of these notoriously tricky dolls can be off at times. When I counted the Kelly/Chelsea dolls seen in the DAF Room and in my bedroom, I found 33 of them.

I will be selling an additional 18 boxed Kelly/Chelsea dolls and 9 "loose" Kelly/Chelsea dolls. (Loose = out of their boxes; I am not discussing doll morals.) So there are presently at least 60 Kelly/Chelsea dolls in East Philly. How does that compare to my Barbie Barbies? Last count: 38 keeper Barbies, 25 boxed Barbies up for sale, and 9 loose Barbies for sale. So that's 60 Kelly/Chelsea to 72 Barbie Barbies. Sigh. Okay, I'll say it - no body out numbers Barbie Barbies.

Yes, I have some serious selling to do. And that's just the Mattel dolls. My other manufacturers will be next. They might be easier than the Barbies though. Or maybe that is just wishful thinking on my part.

Note: after checking some of the completed listings on eBay, some of the boxed dolls might get opened and sold separate from their outfits. In some cases, I the seller would get more for doing that. Who would have thought the outfits would be worth more? Oh wait, those comparing the current fashions with the fashions from the Fashion Fever period. Shrug.

New Cinderella and New Prince - Looking Good

Yes, this is a shallow post. Oh the looks factor. Well ... aesthetics ....

Has anyone seen the new Mattel Disney Fairytale Wedding Cinderella and Prince Charming? Hubba hubba ... they look good. Both their heads are SMALLER than the usual playscale Disney heads. Their eyes are in good proportion to their faces. I am picky about which Disney figures I buy because usually their heads are soooo big. Thumbs up on the head/face size for this pair though. Normal-sized heads make them look more attractive. Plus this Prince Charming has lost the smarm factor of previous "Charmings." See the photos below:



What about that gown, hmm? Looking good, folks.




Close up of their faces.




Back of their box.

This handsome couple was seen in a local Walmart store. Price: $26.97. Sigh. You knew there had to be a fly in that ointment.

Come to My Window ... Halloween Photo Contest

"©Heather"

RULES:

A PhillyCollector invites playscale doll and action figure photographers to enter the first Come to My Window Halloween Photo Contest. Please keep these requirements in mind:

We need to see a window and a vampire as the subjects of the photo. They can be at the top, the bottom, or on either side of the photo. The vampire does not have to bear fangs, but it should be recognizable as a vampire.

At least one figure MUST be playscale. Other sized figures can be included.

Please submit original material that you maintain the right to grant PhillyCollector permission to use. Please disclose when and where the photo appeared previously if it was published before this contest.

Limit of 3 entries per photographer.

There is a limit of one vote per person.


DEADLINES:

Entries can be sent to d7ana AT yahoo.com starting 12:01 pm Eastern Standard Time on September 22, 2012. Deadline for entry submissions is 12:01 pm Eastern Standard Time on October 20, 2012.


PRIZES:

Vampyr book only from Sideshow Collectibles' Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and other Halloween-themed items to be announced.


JUDGES:

Fellow contest participants and readers will vote for a Grand Prize Winner and three other winners - an honorable mention, a finalist, and a runner up - from 12:02 pm Eastern Standard Time on October 20, 2001 until 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time on October 26, 2012.


YOUR RIGHTS:

You will retain all rights to any photographs you submit. You only grant PhillyCollector a royalty-free, nonexclusive right, in perpetuity, to:

Use, in connection with the 2012 Halloween Photo Contest, your name and country of residence.

Keep the files provided on this blog, so that your photos can be seen for the life of the blog.

As conditions of this permission, PhillyCollector shall credit all photographs with the caption "© Person's Name" when the full name is available, or by the participant's username when the participant’s full name is unavailable.


QUESTIONS:

Questions and inquiries about contest rules can be emailed to d7ana AT yahoo.com

Pending Projects

I am working on the wording of the photo contest, September Super Sale Lists, and updating additional Webshots folders. I'll probably have them done tomorrow, if not all at once. Definitely want to have the contest information in place. Thanks for your patience.


 Update:

The Webshots folder Etsy is for active PhillyCollector followers who have an open Etsy shop and send at least one free item to me. The free, passive promotion is my thanks for your participation.  The photos currently there have received 92 views since September 14, 2012.

Webshots Update

I've added a new folder to my Webshots albums: Etsy Craft People. I've also added a few photos to my Fashion Fever album.

Thanks for stopping by!

Ken Goes to Disney Too!

Look who else Barbie is taking to Disney - yes, that's Ken!

I saw this set in Walmart's clearance section at the "reduced" price of $29.97. So Ken got to go, too. Applause. Sooo sweet.

Monster High's Steampunk Robecca

Mattel new Monster High character Robecca Steam is described as wearing Steampunk style. I had seen a "steampunk" Wonder Woman and seen references to Lewis Carroll's Alice books, but what does steampunk mean? What is Steampunk style?

I read the wikipedia entry on steampunk. My short version of "steampunk" is a mashup of Victorian-19th Century fashion, style, and thinking set in an alternate universe where steam is used instead of electricity. What does that mean for fashion? Select pieces recognizable as 19th century like corsets, pocket watches, monocles or goggles, waistcoats, petticoats, and full skirts.

Here is the back of Robecca's box. Do you think that her outfit looks steampunk?



There doesn't seem to be a lot of material to her outfit and her companion, but what is there could be considered "steampunk" - bronze goggles, blue stopwatch bag, tall Victorian boots, companion mechanical owl.

For those of you planning on getting a Robecca doll, do you intend to maintain her steampunk fashion style? If you are interested in creating additional steampunk fashions for your Robecca Steam, you can visit these websites for tips:

Steampunk Aesthetics

Steampunk Wiki

Steampunk blogger

More Victorious Dolls ... Three More Girls!

Okay, how many of you, like me, thought that there was just 1 character made by Spinmaster for the Nickelodeon Victorious show? Victoria aka Tori.

Guess what? There are THREE other dolls in the series: Trina, Jade, and Rose. Nickelodeon made this announcement in March. I have only seen Tori here in Philadelphia. Has anyone else seen any of these other dolls in stores? Online they are expensive - check them on eBay. I am going to wait to see if they reach the Philadelphia market before placing any online orders.

Okay, I  will say it: they have NOTHING on the Liv dolls. Well, the knees bend well, but no arm joints. Sigh. All but one has an open-mouth smile (grin). I like the closed mouth doll best although her head - like the others - looks a little big. Still, they are new playscale figures, and I would like to have at least two of them - closed mouth Jade and possibly Cat and/or Tori.

Curious about the Victorious doll world? Check out this wiki devoted to them:

Victorious wiki

Happy hunting! 

Mystery of a 2012 Target Halloween Chelsea

Want to see the Halloween Chelseas for this year? First, there is a blonde Chelsea, dressed as a ghost this year. Then there is this red-haired Chelsea who resembles Kitsie. She's dressed as a witch. Now the third Chelsea in this group ... whoa ... she has black hair. Hey, she looks like Ms. Leo's newest dolly Delia. This cutie is dressed as a spider. But wait - she looks Asian American! Is 2012 the year that Mattel issues their first Asian American Chelsea?

Okay, I clapped, too. I wonder if an Asian American Halloween Barbie will follow? Yay, Mattel! Go Mattel .... Or maybe this Chelsea is Barbie's biracial half-sister? Or is this Chelsea an adopted sibling? What do you think?

Come to My Window ... Halloween Photo Idea

What does September mean? October is coming. Yes, September is the unofficial start of the year for me. Why? Because it heralds Fall TV previews, Halloween, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas! Whooo hooo! Yes - the Fall and Winter fun times. And what among these dates is the most fun? All together - Halloween!

This Halloween, the DOLLS and the ACTION FIGURES will get dressed up. Dress up to what end? Party time? Partly. We usually have an East Philly DAF Zone party around Halloween. Nothing big - oops, don't let T.J. know I said that. Gulp. Party, partly. Remember, Vanessa of Van's Doll Treasures is throwing a parrrr-tayyyyy. But beyond the parties, my playscale folk are going to dress up for a photo shoot, Come to My Window.

It's an iconic scene, isn't it - the dangerous vampire at the window. You know that he or she is going to get in. Whether the human inside lets him or her in willingly or as a result of being mesmerized, the vampire reaches the window. But what happens next, well, that's a whole different story. I figured, let's do a vampire-themed photo session/contest. Let's have a window and a vampire in the center of the photo. See what happens next.

So, what do you think? If you'd like to share photos with this theme at your blog, I would be happy to see them. Let me know by September 30th and I'll add your name to my list. Or you are invited to share your photos here - provided the photos pass my PG rating.

Awwwwww - the Cutest Skipper-Chelsea Set

Ada from Romania wrote about these dolls. I had also seen them on Walmart.com, so I include those links below:

Barbie Loves Disney Barbie and Stacie Dolls

and

Barbie Loves Disney Skipper and Chelsea Dolls

I am not a big Disney fan - as far as going to Disneyland or Disneyworld, that sort of thing. But ... I want that Disney Skipper and that Disney Chelsea. First, I love the burgundy red of this Skipper's hair. The platinum haired Chelsea looks adorable. Nice face screening for both dolls. And aside from the denim skirted Skipper in another set, this has to be the most attractive Skipper outfit. And the black leggings can go with other tops. Sigh. So even though I feel that the price is much for the set - $25 - I am going to look for this set.

The Barbie and Stacie set though is a definite PASS for me. I see one word: skanks when I look at them. Sorry. The mini skirt is too mini. And those shorts on Chelsea ... did her PARENTS see her leave the house dressed like that? Tsk, tsk.

Kelly Kids for Sale, Part 1

I removed a Melody from the original set of 10 deboxed dolls. Others that I will sell that are still NRFB are

Nurse Kelly

Teacher and Rock Star Kelly

Checkup Times Kelly

and some Halloween dolls I have not yet photographed separately. If you are looking for something specific, write and I'll let you know if I have it and am willing to sell it.

Thanks for looking ;-D

Fashion Fever Dolls to be Sold

Here are some Mattel Fashion Fever dolls that I no longer want. Between 2004-2008, I avidly followed news of each and every Fashion Fever "Wave" produced, including the Girls Aloud dolls that I never got because they were overseas exclusives. Shrug. I had fun. My best find was when I nabbed a NRFB Desiree at a Rite Aid store on Aramingo Avenue. Score! Now I am selling some of them. Shrug again. That's the nature of collecting for you.

Some of you might have fond memories of these dolls? Maybe you missed getting some of them. I will also post a link to nude Fashion Fever dolls that I am selling through The Doll Page. Please check that site later tonight and tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some NRFB dolls for you to look at and to buy if you are interested.


Barbie Fashion Fever Wave N - Styled by Me
27084 34555 H0644
Pink-taupe-white-black print shirt; tan miniskirt; black suede belt; denim sparkled cap; dusty pink wedge-heeled boots. $15.00



Barbie Fashion Fever Wave R - Modern Trends
27084 29702 H0644 J1326
Purple spangly top; pinstriped faded jeans w. floral cornucopia on upper left leg; silver chain belt w. heart lock; silver dagger earrings; purple sheer w. iridescent sprinkle plastic handbag; purple platform sandals. $15.00



Barbie Wave R - Modern Trends
27084 33808
Gray-taupe-pink tweed on white jacket; white name midriff tee; navy jeans w. pink floral applique on left thigh; pink boots. $15.00



Barbie Fashion Fever Holiday
27084 40589 K0841
Red net over silver dress; silver fox "fur"; red platform heeled sandals; tiny red plastic bag. $20.00




Barbie Fashion Fever 2006
27084 44745
Tiered pink knit mini dress; white purse. $15.00

Barbie Fashion Fever 2007
27084 48621
Black bolero jacket w. puff sleeves; pink w. black dots blouse; black capris w. pink polka dots; pink flats w. black polka dots. $15.00

Thanks for looking.

Ken's New Fashionista Closet Pieces

Seen at Walmart today:

Casual closet includes: charcoal and light gray hoodie, mesh turquoise blue basketball tank and shorts, gray pants to match hoodie. turquoise sneakers, white sneakers with chartreuse trim.

Formal closet includes: dark blue pinstripe suit with PINK topstitching, blue floral short sleeved shirt with pink satiny ribbon tie, red plastic roses, dark lace-up shoes, gray vest, and small dark blue plastic box (gift for Barbie?).


The photo below shows the back of both packages and how three complete outfits emerge from these two packages.

Thoughts/reactions: The casual closet looks okay. I cannot say that I am eager for my Kens to have a basketball outfit, but this one is okay. I like the vest in the formal closet and the idea of the suit and the floral shirt. The David Tennant Doctor Who wore a suit similar to this one. But this suit fabric looks cheesy while the shirt looks like the minimum of fabric possible was used. The sleeves almost looked clipped. (Siren shrieks "cheat" or "cheap" ... your guess which.) There are no cool accessories or complex pieces here to enhance the clothes.

If I hated to sew menswear, I would snatch these sets up as being half-decent Kenwear. Since I used to sew for my dolls many years ago, I am thinking I might skip on these closets and set aside time to create my own Kenwear. Yes, the looks would likely be dated - lol- but they would fit better in my sense of what my Kens and male figures should wear. Because the Kens in my world live under my fashion preferences. And this D is stronger than any B - wink.

Happy Labor's Day to Us, One and All!

Happy Labor's Day to those who work so hard at our play - the doll and action figure storytellers and bloggers and photographers and artists and miniaturists and sewers and readers. You know who you are! Thanks for your time and efforts in making the world a brighter and happier place. Your diligence eases my brow and uplifts the corners of my mouth. I appreciate your industry.

Sincerely,
D7ana aka Dana Cooper
A PhillyCollector of Playscale Dolls & Action Figures.

New Mystixx Vampire Teens A-Prowling

"Creatures crawl in search of blood ... "

Thriller lyrics by Michael Jackson

I have not seen them yet. But they are out there - now - possibly in a Target or a Toys R Us near you. They are the new vampire girls in Toyland. They are called "Mystixx." Playhut manufactures them.

The Mystixx Vampires - Azra, Kalani, Siva, and Talin - join Mattel's Monster High Draculaura and MGA Entertainment's Bratz vampires Kirana and Penn as hip, teen vampires. These dolls switch from "girl face" to "vampire face" by turning the doll's head. One doll enthusiast photographer shows the Janus-headed doll without the wig that covers the second face. Yes, this is an update on the antique two-faced dolls.

(Aside: yes, I would have found this doll terrifying when I was a child. As an adult, I merely winced. Child me would have had nightmares for weeks. I suppose they tested the dolls for the target market though.)

Now you might wonder if these dolls could be used as replacement Barbie bodies. They are roughly the size of the Monster High dolls per another doll enthusiast's report. Unfortunately, these dolls have limited articulation ... rather like the Stardolls.

Additional out-of-box photos of the Mystixx Vampire dolls are available in the Flickr Group, Mystixx Vampires.

If you seek Azra or Kalani, they are available now at

Toysrus.com

eBay

Amazon

Siva and Talin do not seem to have hit the market yet. None of the collectors from the Flickr Group or any of the sources advertising these dolls has links to those dolls. The company website mentions them, but it does not show "in real life" photos of those two characters. Possibly the company is holding off to see if the first two dolls sell or to see if Mattel initiates any legal action.

I am curious to see these dolls although - partly due to the over-sized heads and partly due to the double-headedness - I doubt that I would buy them. Maybe the Kalani - if she were on deep sale reduction. Maybe. I do like her green hair.

What do you think?

Two More Sites Identifying Barbie (& Friends) Faces

I have two, yes TWO links to websites that identify Barbie fashion dolls. So if you have some "mystery Barbies" scattered around, grab those dollies and head for your computer. Online identification awaits. Some of you might recognize Michelle's Barbie page site as an old favorite; others might recognize the newer website generated by the ABC Doll Club. But if either or both are new to you, welcome to these wonder doll sites.


Michelle's Barbie page shows several Barbie and other fashion dolls. She also has pages about ethnic fashion dolls. Did anyone know that Mattel had created Barbie dolls of the world from Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway? I didn't recall DotW dolls from those countries.


The ABC Doll Club has a Barbie doll Wiki that identifies Barbies by face mold. Want to see the recent dolls made with the Tango face mold? There is a link for that. What about the Mbili or the Mackie head molds. More links. If you would like to investigate Barbie family fashion dolls by this criteria, try their website for some answers. There are also links and details about Integrity Toys' dolls, it is another source for identifying fashion dolls.

 
Happy researching!