Halloween Contest 2012 Re-visited: Vote for Your Three Favorite Photos

"©Heather"

2012 was a rough year for me.

One of my biggest regrets was not presenting all of the entries for my Halloween Contest, "Come to My Window." All of the photos were winners in my opinion, but I'm asking you, my readers, to vote for your top three favorite photos so I can determine who wins Grand Prize, First Prize, Second Prize, or Third Prize.

You can vote from October 31, 2013 until November 8, 2013.

What are the prizes?

Grand Prize - I will tweet any 20 webpages - your blog or other website(s) AND your choice of TWO Halloween Kelly/Kelly Friends dolls

First Prize - I will tweet any 10 webpages - your blog or other website(s) AND your choice of any remaining Halloween Kelly/Kelly Friends dolls

Second Prize -  I will tweet any 8 webpages - your blog or other website(s) AND your choice of any remaining Halloween Kelly/Kelly Friends dolls


Third Prize  - I will tweet any 4 webpages - your blog or other website(s) AND your choice of any remaining Halloween Kelly/Kelly Friends dolls

Unofficial prize to Heather for her stunning exclusive graphic - tweets for any 20 of your webpages. Send me the list, Heather, and I'll start tweeting.

The entries are:

"TheMadDeboxer"

The Cat's View

"TheMadDeboxer"

Dracula and a Bride

"TheMadDeboxer"

Vampiress A-Gory

SuperCoolDollhouse

"I think I hear something."

DollDelusionsbyNiel

The Visitor

"Pattidolls"

BeWitch[ing] the Kiddies

Happy Halloween to Everyone Celebrating It.

Prettie Girls Soon to Ship - Thanks, Debbie

DBG of Black Doll Collecting blog shared the news that two of the One World Project Prettie Girls, Lena and Valencia, will be shipping soon. Price is $21.95 EACH - a sale price since the website, the regular cost will be $24.95. (That regular cost is a little higher than expected, but given that the dolls are articulated and the clothes look quality, not too extravagant.) So if you were interested in these dolls, check the updated photos and additional information at their website, The Prettie Girls! Dolls. Or check DBG's Black Doll Collecting blog and Roxanne's Dolls blog for coming photos.

Me, I want Valencia first. I know I had said Lena before, but that's before I fell in love with the pink Chucks Valencia has. Lena's shoes have heels. I hate heels - well, to wear them anyway. So I prefer to have my dolls wearing what I would wear. When I can that is - smile.

More posts about the Prettie Girls can be found on this blog (yes, some links outside this blog, smile) and more information can be found in my Pinterest board for the Prettie Girls. Happy reading and viewing.

Target-Exclusive Barbie Giftsets: Ballet and Wedding Play

Have a Target gift card that you want to use? Here are two Target-exclusives with perennial play themes. One is ballet-themed; the other, wedding-themed. Anyone remember Tomy’s Nina Ballerina? “The beautiful dancing doll?” Here's a photo of Nina on the box cover.

Fast forward to the first giftset called "Barbie Holiday Ballet," which reminds me of Nina and her pink star stage. These four dolls come packaged on a “performing stage” where they perform a ballet: they turn right, left, or spin around. Wheeee! The dance troop consists of

Barbie as Kristyn Farraday
Ken as Prince Siegfried
Poinsettia (ballerina wearing red)
Snowflake (ballerina wearing blue)

The second Barbie giftset uses the ever popular wedding theme. Stifle that yawn. In the Barbie Fairytale Wedding Party Doll Giftset, the wedding party includes

Bride Barbie
Groom Ken
Bridesmaid Stacey
Flower Girl Chelsea


Stacey swaps out for Skipper. That’s different, yes? Mmmmuh. If I were to create a Wedding Party Doll giftset, I would have

Bride Barbie
Groom Ken
Bridesmaid Female Barbie friend
Best Man Steven OR Ryan
Flower Girl Chelsea


Barbie’s younger siblings are cute, but I would think that the bridesmaid should be – well, around the bride’s age. Flower girls can be and should be young: the function is to look cute and to strew flowers along the bride’s path. (Note to self: if I ever marry, no flower girl – those cutesy flowers might cause me to fall. Hobbling about on crutches is not my idea of honeymoon fun. Do people ever think of that? What romance is there in trampling dead flowers?)

What and who would your doll wedding party include?

Janay Research - Pinterest Update

I submitted this query to MasterCollectors online contact:

Hi, I have followed your Toy Fair Reviews since 2002. May I pin your Integrity Toys Janay and Friends photos on Pinterest? Your photos have your logo and I would leave your link in my comment. It is difficult to find good photos of those dolls. The Pinterest board I would load them to is Integrity Janay & Friends.

Thanks for maintaining your Toy Fair archives and for your response, whatever you decide.
Sincerely,


And the result? Permission granted! Yay! So Janay and other Integrity playline doll fans, go check out my newly expanded Integrity Janay & Friends board. I have annotated the photos with doll identification when I recognized the dolls shown or other information gleaned over the years. Please let me know if any notes need correcting. Enjoy!

P.S. Debbie, this post is part 1 of the promised "sister" post to your Janay post.

Zica Toys' Action Jackson - No NOT Carl Weathers

First, no, we are NOT talking about Carl Weathers or the "Action Jackson" 80's movie.

No, I am talking about the re-issue of a classic action figure, Action Jackson, by a new toy company, Zica Toys. Action Jackson originally was an 8-inch tall jointed action figure created by Mego Corporation. Raise your hand if you remember Mego Corporation. Oh Mego ... producers of the Waltons, Cher, Diana Ross, Dinah-Mite, and many other 8-inch and over 12-inch action figures and dolls.
 
Aside: I still remember firmly grasping the Waltons' farmhouse in both hands while standing in the checkout line of a South Philly toy store. My Dad stood in line after me. He kept tapping his fingernails on my shoulder. He told me that I was not going to waste my money on "that junk." I was all the more determined to get it so I stood my ground. He went to wait for me in the car. Alas, the farmhouse was not only too short for my Barbies, it was 95% cardboard with plastic steps and porch posts. (Lesson for me a la caveat emptor; lesson for my Dad in that he ought to have gotten my glasses replaced. Sigh.)

Those were the golden days for Mego. But there may be life after cancellation for one Mego brand: Action Jackson. Today, Zica Toys shows some prototype head on this Facebook page. They will produce African American figures if the initial dolls sell. Maybe even a Carl Weathers' Action Jackson figure ;-)

P.S. Zica Toys also have a Yvonne action figure whose head sells on eBay. Additional reference? Check this article on The Joe Report,


* * * * *


Nostalgic about the original Mego figures? There is an online resource for you; it's called the Mego Museum. Enjoy!

Correction to Tanned Raquelle Post - She Ain't Raquelle!

In my last post, I wrote about a thrilling "discovery" - a tanned, purple-haired Raquelle. Well, first Jewel Snake asked about the identity of the doll. Was I sure that the new doll is Raquelle? I looked at the photo I took and  dolls with the other Barbie face mold. Back and forth, back and forth, I looked. But I couldn't see the Barbie in the purple-haired doll. Then an anonymous reader and Ms. Leo questioned the identification of the purple-haired doll as Raquelle. I felt a less certain about the identification I had made.

So I thought: check the head molds. Before I could ask that info though, I found myself in another Walmart store. (Yes, that easily, ha ha. Poof.) Once there, I could not resist the lure of the toy department and the Barbie aisle in particular. The Eureka moment occurred. This store had both an "In the Spotlight" Raquelle AND the new purple-haired Mariposa doll on the shelves.

Okay, I see now. Raquelle's nose is smaller; her mouth is wider with thinner and flatter lips. The Mariposa friend has larger eyes that tilt up more than Raquelle's.
Her smile is less toothy. Raquelle's face seems a little flatter. Hmmm ...

So - alas - no tanned Raquelle's yet. I apologize for any disappointment caused.

But good news for Muff - the purple-haired Mariposa doll seems to have a normal-sized head.

Let's thank Jewel Snake, Ms. Leo, and Anonymous for their keen eyes! Applause.

Tanned Mattel Raquelle Anyone?

Raquelle face doll fans, alert! There is a suntanned Raquelle doll available. Usually, Raquelle has light or fair complexion. But if you'd like to see her with a tawnier complexion - and you do not mind purple hair OR re-rooting fashion doll heads, this doll is for you. She's one of the Mariposa co-star or friend fairy dolls. Walmart calls this doll a "co-star," while Amazon calls her, "friend."


 

There is a close-up photograph and a full length photograph. What do you think of her? Happy searching!

Frozen Dolls

The movie will be out November 27, 2013, but you can find the dolls from the Disney movie Frozen in stores now. Frozen is about two sisters, Anna and Elsa and their adventures as they attempt to restore their kingdom of Arendelle from an eternal winter. Anyone thinking a modern, cheerier version of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen with siblings replacing Gerda and Kay and the Snow Queen?

Here are the two wide-eyed sisters: Elsa (left) and Anna (right). Elsa has the power to create snow and ice. She accidentally triggers the "eternal winter." Anna, the younger and optimistic sister, wants to reconnect with her sister and to restore the land to its former four season glory. Head nod. Maybe the commission of the story will be more exciting than the premise, but I see a definite pass on this one. I never liked the fairy tales where the younger siblings win out over the older ones. Why not? I AM the oldest sibling. Sigh.

And here is the back of the box for these dolls.

If any of you see this movie this Thanksgiving, do let me know how you found it. I thank you in advance for that favor.

Kenya's Male Friends Found in Philly

Hooray! Remember Kenya? What about her boyfriend, T.J. and his cousin Dwayne? Well, Kenya's male friends have finally reached the City of Brotherly Love.

Cousins Dwayne (left) and T.J. (right)

Here is Dwayne. He has painted, close-cropped hair. Medium brown complexion.

Here is T.J. He has a bald skull. Dark brown complexion. He and Dwayne both have straight arms and articulated knees as guessed by the angle of the bent knees.

I did not buy either of the guys. While I would like to try the fashions on my taller guys - Integrity Toys' Lukas Maverick and Mattel's Scottie Pippin - I'd like to wait until they are on sale. On the other hand, suppose they get bought up entirely? Suppose I cannot find them later? Male dolls appear and disappear so quickly. What to do? What to do?

P.S. Select Kenya dolls are for sale online. I am hoping that little sister Keyshia makes her appearance next.

More Hunger Games Dolls! Yay Again to Sandra and The Doll Cafe Facebook Team

I finally saw the first Hunger Games movie this year. Many of you may have seen the movie or read the book by Suzanne Collins. It was okay. Better story and characters than Stephanie Meyer's Twilight. Lovely scenery. So so story - entertaining enough for me to watch the whole thing, but nothing earth shattering. Shrug. But guess what? So far, I love all the new dolls Mattel made based on the trilogy. Thanks to L'ubo, Leo, Joel, and Sandra from The Doll Cafe Facebook page for my first alert about these upcoming dolls. Frannie and William have also posted about this Mattel Pop Culture series.

Mattel produced a Hunger Games Katniss doll last year. The 2012 Katniss doll uses the Goddess face sculpt. For this year, Mattel has created a new Katniss and added Peeta, the male love interest; Effie, the future fashionista guide; and Finnick, a male character to be introduced in the upcoming 2013 movie, Catching Fire based on the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy.


Katniss New Katniss face sculpt!

Peeta  New Peeta face sculpt! New broader male face, whoo hoo!

Effie  Barbie closed mouth sculpt (probably Mackie?)

Finnick  TRU Exclusive! (No face details yet, but he looks cute. Interesting hair style. Alas, no details about this doll on the TRU page OR on the Mattel page so I do not know whose face sculpt this doll uses.)

Entertainment Weekly offers a video showing designer Bill Greening discuss the new dolls that are expected to be released when the second Hunger Games movie launches November 2013. That's right: next month.

May the Odds be with you, should you decide to nab any of these dolls. (Aw, I could not resist.)

Power Team Donkey Prances While the Devil Was Beating His Wife

Today, we Philadelphians had several sunshowers. Sunshowers, you ask. Yes, sunshowers as in rain falling while the sun shines. Or, the devil is beating his wife. Yes, I am a born and bred Philadelphian, but I have some "country" or "Southern" roots in that my father was born and raised in Georgia before he moved to Philadelphia. What has this weather condition to do with a blog about sixth scale dolls and action figures? Well, this is the day that I took the M & C Toys Power Team donkey out for photos. Hence the post title.

Power Team Donkey waits for Farmer Miles.

Power Team Donkey lowers his rump ...

... then rises and stretches his front legs.

Here he stands, face forward. Just another odd sunshowery day for this industrious creature.

Note: I took these photos between sunshowers. The Power Team donkey is all hard plastic, but I did not want to rust his joints so there are no during-the-rain photographs. And yes, it is super cool that he can raise or lower his head and his rump and that his front "knees?" and "ankles?" can bend.

Scans From a Power Team Booklet (by M&C Toys

Time for something new, yes? Below are scans from an M & C Toy Centre Ltd. booklet for the 12" Power Team figures. Hope you enjoy seeing the figures and the accessories created for these doll and action figure favorites!

As much as I like the Power Team figures, I pass on their vehicles. I don't care for the quality - the vehicles seem a little cheesy. Great bargain, I do not doubt, but not particularly striking or amazing. And I would need to revamp them for civilian use.

One Power Team accessories stands out from the rest: the Battle Command Post. The Battle Command Post is a two-story house front/building that was intended to be a bombed out house. However, many diorama creators have revamped that playset into a variety of new structures. Unfortunately, I do not remember the original links to those dioramas or the original price. Possibly around $30-$69 before shipping. I wish I had bought one. Don't want to think what the cost for that structure would be today.

The Power Team Elite World Peacekeepers figures wearing various uniforms.

More accessories ... note the realism of the horse. Sigh. Now that is a real horse. No curly eyelashes or pastel colored eyes. No pink hair. I would have liked to have one of their horses. But I have their donkey instead, and I am happy with that creature - smile. (Aside: need to get my donkey photos up.)

I have larger photos on my Pinterest board, Playscale Dolls and Action Figures. Additional photos of the playscale Power Team items can be found here, here, and here.

Please note though that M & C Toys has another similar playset for their smaller figures. So if you see the Battle Command Post offered for a really low price, check that that playset is for the 12" figures or that it is for 1:6 scale figures.

Five Reasons to Join Facebook's Integrity Janay/Color Infusion Group

Okay, if you are not on Facebook, this news may not interest you. Then again, it might get you to open a Facebook account ... maybe. Time spent on social media sites takes time, yes. But for fans of Janay and her friends OR fans of the new Color Infusion, both by Integrity Toys, this Group will be worth the distraction.

There's a new Facebook Group called "Integrity Toys Janay & Color Infusion Dolls Fan Club" started by renown Integrity playline fan CjStarz (aka CjStarz on Flickr). Yes, that CjStarz, grin. So you can expect some fantastic photography and juicy information sharing. Here is what you get to do as a member:

1. See photos of Janay and friends dolls and prototypes

2. Identify your Janay and friends dolls or ones you've seen

3. Answer doll identification queries - you might know who that mystery doll is

4. Learn about and discuss these almost forgotten dolls

5. Learn about the Color Infusion dolls

To join the group submit a request to CjStarz or another member.