The South Asian American DAF Heritage Post

Possible Bollywood Extras shown in photo above: top, Mattel Juliet; right, Mattel Amazing Nails Kayla; bottom, Mattel Flavas Party Tika; and left, Lanard I-Girl Sahara.

Isn't May "Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month," period? With the adjective Asian referring to people from both South and East Asian countries? In the U.S.A., yes. So why am I breaking the list into two sections? To see what I can see. I assume that because I have more East Asian dolls that possibly, there are more East Asian dolls available. Let's start with the South Asian list - as listed - to test that assumption. Note: please share any South Asian heritage, playscale dolls or action figures that I have missed here. (Thanks in advance ;-D)

Countries falling under "South Asia" include India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka: for a complete list, see the World Bank website. Dolls in this post lists have heritage from those areas.

Aside: I need to ask your indulgence on a small matter. I have cheated: some dolls listed are not ALL based on American citizens. I confess to stealing English, Irish, and other citizens to provide greater representation. Why does that matter? Well, this is an American ethnic heritage month, but here I am bogarting dolls and characters outside of the United States. Sigh. I warn you in advance though.

INDIA

Funskool 

Miss India Sindy 1996-2005        
Additional Sindy



Integrity Toys

Isha
Malika
Poppy Parker 




Leo Company (with Mattel)


Expressions of Barbie 
Barbie / Ken / Skipper sets




Mattel


Barbie I Can Be [a] Movie Star - Katrina Kaif 2010
Dhoom Barbie 2014
Dhoom Ken 2014

Diwali Barbie 2006
India Barbie 1982       

India Barbie 1996       

India Barbie 2012       

Princess of India Barbie 2000



MGA Entertainment

Bratzillaz Back To Magic Illiana Honesty


One World Doll Project, Inc.

Dahlia (to be released Fall 2014)


SpinMaster

Priyanka Chopra 2006
Kajol 2006
Hrithik Roshan 2006
Shah Rukh Khan 2006
(None of these actors are American.)



YNU Group

Mixis Bollywood Outfit - Bright colored tunic, palazzo pants, and tailored dupioni shoes
2 Mixis dolls not yet on the market have Indian heritage. Bios and photos on FB Mixis Jr.

PAKISTAN

Hasbro

Zayn Malik 
(Mr. Malik has English-Pakistani heritage.)

SRI LANKA 

Vivid Imagination


Siva Kaneswaran 
(Mr. Kaneswaran has Irish-Sri Lankan heritage.)

Additional Reading

South Asian Dolls (larger scale)  

For Dennis Rodman Fans ...

This past Saturday, I would have attended the International Black Doll Show and Sale, but it did not happen this year. Sigh. I mention that Show because that was the first and the only time that I saw a Dennis Rodman doll. That Dennis Rodman wore a wedding gown. Moving on - to avoid offending any DR fans out there who read here - there is a new Dennis Rodman figure by Storm Toy Collectibles. 

Storm Toy Collectibles makes collector quality action figures. You can read about them on their website or like them on their Facebook page.

This figure is bigger and articulated unlike the doll Dennis. Even if you have no interest in Dennis Rodman, you might want to check this figure out. The approximately 35 mm figure has 10 different hair sculpts, 11 interchangeable palms, a long fur vest, gold pants, flag briefs, a muscular body build, sunglasses, and other incredible, well-made accessories. The price is as you would imagine - "up there," lol. His pre-order cost is $214.99. Postage is $43.00 (not included in the pre-order/sale price). But you would have an extraordinary figure and accessories for that cost. 

Me, I am NOT a fan - I am not/was never a sports enthusiast. Sports interrupted my soap operas back when I watched them. Hurray and enjoy to those who are sports or Dennis Rodman fans!

Takara Jenny Friends Who Are Staying

I am late on sharing my ethnic American doll posts. I don't want to re-hash the same lists so I am trying something different this year. You'll see the results soon. In the mean time, here are some Takara Jenny friends who represent some of my Asian fashion dolls. Many of you will recognize Takara as one of the Japanese toy manufacturers who worked with Mattel to promote the sale of Barbie in Japan. These are some of the Takara girls I want to keep and why.

I have below one Kisara, two Linas, and one Meiren who fall in this category. Let's start with Firefighter Kisara from the Calendar Girl: The Uniforms of History series from 2002.

Takara Calendar Girl Kisara

Kisara is one of my favorite Jenny friends. So although I was tempted to NOT open her box, I opened her box. (Insert wry face.) The plastic around her head is intact. She has not yet been removed from the box. I wanted you to see here as close to NRFB as possible minus the glare on the box.

Takara Calendar Girl Kisara close up

I love the coloring of this Kisara. She's got an ivory complexion against chocolate brown hair, brown eyes, and a dark rose lip color. I like the costume, too. It is an antique fireman's uniform. I would feel anxious if I were putting out fires while wearing something that billowy, but I like the colors, the way the fabric drapes, and the smooth texture. That's why - unfortunately for her - I still have her in that outfit although I *know* that it has stained her body. All that dark cotton. Yes, we *know* without looking. Sigh. But I really like this doll, her outfit, and the overall look.

Next up: Lina, another of my favorite Jenny friends.

Takara Chinese Lina, Jenny's older friend

Takara Licca Club 67 Lina

Two wise Lina dolls. Lina is an older friend of Jenny. Don't you think that she looks as though she understands how and why people act the way they do? My Linas both have Jenny 18 bodies. (Jenny 18 bodies are a little taller and more buxom than the basic Jenny 17 bodies.) 

The first doll with glossy black Princess Leia-style braids is called "Chinese" Lina. No, I did not give "Chinese" Lina that title: that is her description. She wears her original fashion, a pink brocade qi pao gown. It looks great on her - so I have been reluctant to find something else for her to wear. 

The ash blond Lina doll is from the Licca Club 67 series. Licca Club 67 are/were special order dolls: I contacted a dealer and let that person know that I wanted that doll. This Lina wears a My Scene Barbie outfit that I thought looks great against her dusty pale coloring. What I like about her coloring is that it looks as though she were a brunette who dyed her hair a blond color that does not exist in nature. Takes moxie to dye your hair that kind of color. I redressed her in that outfit years ago and re-boxed her to protect her from dust. Her original outfit was a white, one-piece knit swimsuit.

The last doll to be discussed today is Meiren.

Takara Brown Box Meiren

She's got a lovely red-brown hair color, warm brown eyes, and a pink-peach complexion. When I first saw her, I did not like this doll. She looked like a snoopy Chatty Cathy. Notice those big, round, all-seeing eyes? Then I realized she didn't look malicious. She looks curious and eager to share whatever she has learned whenever that's convenient. Like now, ha ha. Meiren has become one of my favorite Jenny friends. The Kisaras and the Linas have quieter looks, but for liveliness, you can't beat Meiren.

Barbie De-Boxed: Escada Barbie and Other De-Boxed Dolls

Barbie De-Boxed: Escada Barbie: I remember admiring the Escada Barbie at Myer Melbourne when I first started collecting, but couldn’t afford the steep A$150 price tag o...



Want to see some de-boxed Barbie dolls and read comments about them? While this blog has not been updated, it popped up while I was doing doll research. Title: Barbie De-Boxed. I clicked through the pages. Had fun. Thought, hey, I need to share this with others. The photos are clear and well-done. Nice to see some dolls out of the box; it's tempting me to de-box some of mine.

Two More Flavas: Denim & Diamonds Happy D and Sporty Liam

Second post in one month about Mattel's Flavas dolls. Here are my last two boxed Flavas dolls. The others have been removed from their original boxes. 

Close-ups of Flavas Still Boxed

Denim & Diamonds Happy D close up

I love this Happy D's coppery hair, her brown eyes, and her tanned complexion. I will re-body her onto a heavier and taller figure when I open up her box. Her original body might go to one of my Rebelde doll heads. (My Street Happy D with the blond braids now lives on a My Scene Barbie poser body. That Happy D is Delilah; this one is Serena.)

Sporty Liam close up

I consider the Sporty Liam the Hispanic Liam. Something about his eye screening looks Hispanic to me. So his new name is Luis. (Choice Awards Liam kept his original name; Denim & Diamonds Liam has been renamed Luigi.)

Full length Flavas dolls in boxes

Denim & Diamonds Happy D in original box

Sporty Liam in original box

After I sell the deboxed dolls destined to gladden other hearts, I will allow myself to open these boxes. Yes, I am bribing myself to get sales going.

Mattel's Tika of the Flavas Rebodied

Tika of the Flavas

Going through my collection, I came across my Mattel Flavas dolls. I have previously featured the Choice Awards dolls, but I have more Flavas to share. For example, Tika, another Happy D and another Liam. (Yes, I have three Liams: they do have distinct face screenings.)  I am focusing on Tika for this post. I've wondered if she might  have been intended to represent someone with South Asian ancestry. The heavy eyebrows and the long eyes - even though her eyes are blue for this style - suggest so to me. Then again, with her light-brown complexion and textured dark brown hair, she could also be Black American, Hispanic/Latino, or Native American. Her name origin could be Sioux or Hungarian.

P Bo is the tallest of the Flavas girls. Tika is not quite as tall as P Bo who is 11.5 inches - but she is taller Happy D, Kiyoni Brown, and Tawny who are 10 inches tall. I am not sure if Tika has the same face mold as Kiyoni Brown/Tawny. The difference could be that her eyes are painted longer. Her face doesn't have the same smirk as Happy D though. (Happy D's lips curl up on her right side.) Tika's head is not as long as P Bo's.

My biggest problem with the Flavas dolls was not whether they represented "hoodlums" or whether they weren't tough enough to be real thugs. My problem was the huge heads. I transferred my Street Kiyoni Brown head onto a Birthstone Barbie body, my Street Happy D onto a My Scene Vespa Barbie,  and my Party Tika onto a My Scene Vespa Madison body. Why? Because the Barbie Vespa bodies are jointed.

First, I show Tika on her "forever" body - a My Scene Madison Vespa body. Then you can see Tika next to her original body. Improvement, yes? I think so.

Tika Striking Poses

Flavas Waves

Mattel created six waves of the Flavas: Street, Sport, Bike, Denim and Diamonds, Party, and Choice Award. I have these Flavas dolls:

Street Style
Happy D
Kiyoni Brown
P Bo


Sport Style
Happy D  Oops, don't have a Sporty Happy D

Liam
P Bo


Bike
I have no dolls from this wave 


Denim and Diamonds
Happy D
Kiyoni Brown 
Liam


Party
Tika


Choice Award
Liam
Tawny
Tre

Do you collect any of the Flavas dolls? Is your decision to do so - or not to - based on how Mattel marketed the dolls? On media response to them?

Happy Mother's Day

 

Crystal and her adopted son, Tom

It's that day again. All together now: 

Happy Mother's Day!

Whhooooo hoooo!!!! Toot, toot! Yaaaaayyyyy! Mmmmmmuuuuhhhhh!

Okay, cheering and fanfare aside, I hope that all the mothers out there - biological or other - have had a grand day. Most of you deserve it. (Hey, there are bad mothers.) Cheers to you for all that you do every day and night. I should have posted this sooner, but I was with my family celebrating Mother's Day. Still, I wanted to wish you Mothers joy in or out of the bosom of your family. (Sometimes, families aren't so great either.)

Yes, I am tardy this year. However, I will share my favorite and best past Mother's Day post. Some, possibly many of you, may not have read it. Or maybe you won't mind re-visiting it?

Last Mother's Day, I had intended to share a list of playscale doll and action figure mothers. That topic will appear sometime this month. I'll put "Mothers" in the title so you can find it.

My Mom had a happy mother's day. All her kids and her grandson were together. No one fought - whew! And she got some shopping in. Yay, Mom. Thanks for putting up with us, siblings and me. Thanks for being the one immediate family member who has always supported my doll enthusiasm. She doesn't read my blog, but she's the best Mom. 

Happy Mother's Day!

Inspired by Muff's Spring Cleaning? More on Doll Collection Organizing

After reading Muff's post showing her Spring-cleaned doll collection, you may be gazing dreamily into the horizon. The mix of storage and display is a visual treat. Do you wonder what that would be like for your collection? Where to begin to make a dent in the piles of dolls, clothes, accessories, etc.? Then again, where does not matter. What matters is starting. Starting someplace and continuing until the collection is manageable and "right-sized." The reward will be in rediscovering your collection, in the tidy space, and in introducing new things. 

(Because collecting is active and cyclical. Stuff leaves; stuff enters. And so on and so on ....)

Anyway, I did some checking for more inspiration. 

(That checking might seem like an excuse to not work on my stuff now. Truly, it was not an excuse. Not only did I get additional ideas for organizing, I found stuff for my readers as well. See. Bet you forgot how generous I can be. LOL Riiiight.)

Ahem. Back to additional inspiration. Let's see, there is Andrea's post about maintaining balance in collecting. Longtime enthusiasts of playscale dolls and action figures may remember Andrea from the MenWithDolls board. Then SuperCoolDollHouse shares tips on reducing by removing the "not fabulous." And I even moved onto an interior decorating site, Apartment Therapy, that I noticed SuperCoolDollHouse had mentioned before. 

My favorite posts on that site are

Doll Collection Display - the comments may leave you laughing and retorting "My home, my castle"

Toys in the Home - see how others display their collections

Organizing How To - 10 ways to organize your collection

and there are many more relevant articles on that site. However, you - like I - we should not spend too much time ogling those photos. Noooo. Some of us still have some purging and selling to do. Wagging a reproachful finger at myself. (Never came across a "reproachful finger" - lucky you, ha ha.) 

Maybe I will start at the computer desk? Sigh. Bye bye.

DID Corporation 1:6 Martin Luther King Doll

While investigating Asian dolls and action figures available from Hobby Search, I came across a new-to-me action figure - the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in PLAYSCALE! DiD Corporation produces him. (You may remember me mentioning DiD aka Hong Kong based Dragon in Dream Corporation as the producers of other action figures.) Eeek! 

Okay, vented that excitement. Now a closer look and follow-up response. Well, the likeness is a little off, but kitbashers could probably tweak his face to perfection. I am not sure where they just missed the likeness. I mean, perfection of the likeness. The doll does resemble the late Dr. King. (And a current American Black actor whose name eludes me.) The figure has multiple hands to swap. Oh and a beautiful mini Bible with red-edged pages. A podium with multiple mics is also included. All for the modest sum of $178.29 USD - before postage from Japan.

The only problem is ... he's sold out at Hobby Search. So you'll have to find him someplace else. Still ... if you ever had a dream to own the man who had a dream in playscale, know that he exists. I wish you luck finding him.

Philadelphia's Franklin Flea Market Anyone?

I have not been to a flea market in years. But I was curious about them when I saw this sign posted in Center City. The sign announces the Spring 2014 Saturday openings of the Franklin Flea Market located at 8th and Market Streets in the Strawbridge & Clothier store. Dates are April 19th until May 24th from 10 am til 5 pm. They mention COLLECTIBLES so I wondered if that meant - oh, playscale fashion dolls and/or action figures? Alas, none of the reviews I have read online - Yelp, Uwishunu, and Racked - Philly - mention dolls and/or action figures.

So here I go. Has anyone - local or visiting - been to this place? How would you rate it?

May Month: Bikes, Pets, and Heritage Celebrations

May first and such a lovely day. Here is a short list of some topics I might cover this month:

• National Bike Month
• South Asian American Heritage Month
• Haitian American Heritage Month
• [East] Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
• National Pet Month
• Jewish American Heritage Month

There are four ethnic groups to be featured this month: South Asian American, Haitian American, [East] Asian Pacific American, and Jewish American. What that means here is that I find dolls or action figures that I have that match those groups. Why? Because it's fun to see how extensive my collection is. And I get to see where I have gaps. And I get to do a search online to find the missing ethnic figures in playscale. Why again? Because ... because I can. Grin. I can do this for a long time. 

Moving on, this is also our national Bike month AND our national PET month. So I get to pull out my doll and action figure bikes and playscale pets. I have single bikes and one bicycle-for-two, but alas no unicycles. And I might not have any tricycles for the kiddies. Might not ... I have more stuff for the kiddies than I realize.

For a preview, I have photos of two Integrity Toys fashion dolls:

2001 InStyle Jade  #53250 30036 and

2002 Fashion Forward: Subtle Elegance Israeli Candi  #90024 

Integrity Toys' Jade

Integrity Toys' Candi