Happy Birthday Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling is 50 years old today.

Harry Potter is 35 years old per this article.

Shocked? Why? People grow older. Fortunately, our playscale figures don't except when we want them to. Here are some Harry figures that will not grow on you. Granted, the price is ... steep. I'm glad that I got my Harry (now Julian) years ago, for less than $20.00. 

Behold! The birthday boy is boogying. Go on, dude. That laughter? The girls are happy and excited for you. 

Harry (Julian) boogying

Any Harry Potter and/or J.K. Rowling fans celebrating? How?

Playscale Wonder Woman List

Xena: Yo, D!

PhilyCollector: Hey, Xena. What's up?

Xena: Rumor has it, you want a Wonder Woman character so bad, you're getting a Barbie for the part.

PhilyCollector: Rumor is wrong. I like Mattel's newest Wonder Woman doll* shown at the San Diego Comic Con. Her face is longer than most Barbies; she's got personality. She won't stay Wonder Woman once she's here. She'll be an interesting new friend for you.

Xena: Hrmph! Too many Barbies here already .... I could be Wonder Woman. See.

Xena: I have black hair, blue eyes, and an Amazonian build

PhilyCollector: You're already a Warrior-Princess.  Why go off-brand?

Xena: "Versatile" is my middle name: I can twirl around in my underwear just as easily as any Barbie.

PhilyCollector: The Wonder Woman role may be more difficult than you think: not including the unreleased Comic Con Barbie, there have only been four playscale Wonder Woman dolls and one playscale action figure.

History of Playscale Wonder Woman dolls

1967 Ideal Super Queens series included a Wonder Woman doll. She has Tammy's Grown Up friend, Misty's head on the adult "poser" body. Doll Reference site shows the doll out of her box.

1978 Mego Wonder Woman doll based on the American television show. This doll seems to be on the same body as Mego's 12.5" celebrity body.
  

2000 Mattel launched their first Barbie doll as Wonder Woman for the Collector Edition. She has the Mackie face.


2008 Mattel Wonder Woman Barbie doll in the Barbie Loves Pop Culture line. This Barbie has the Lara face, articulated elbows, and click bend knees. She was designed by Bill Greening.


2009 DC Direct Wonder Woman 1:6 Scale Figure. Fuller articulation aside, what makes this one an action figure, rather than a doll? Molded plastic hair. Goliath Angelus reviewed this action figure on YouTube.

Related Wonder Woman Links

Wonder Woman Museum

Create a Wonder Woman Doll from a Barbie doll.

Upcoming Releases in Other Scales


* Mattel modeled this doll after actress Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman in the upcoming, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie. I am glad to see that the doll has full legs and feet - unlike the Athena Barbie from a few years ago that had boot feet. 

Online Again ... Denise Van Patten

Back in 2013, I reported that Denise Van Patten was retiring from being the Doll Collecting Guide at About.com after 14 years. (Ellen Tsagaris has covered the doll collecting topic at About.com since.) Well, I am happy to share that Denise has returned to the online doll scene. You can read her blog, Dolls with Denise Van Patten, where she writes about "Dolls from Bru to Barbie … and Beyond!"

Welcome back, Denise! Happy Collecting - and chatting! I'll look forward to reading your modern doll posts.

DC Comics, Alert Reader, and Comic Book Dolls

PhillyCollector: Guess who has added a Wonder Woman doll to her Wish List? Me.

Surprised? So am I. First, I was a "Make Mine Marvel" kid. I did not follow DC characters. Superman bored me ...

Alert Reader pops up: Wait a minute, I saw a Superman Ken sometime ago here ...

PhillyCollector: Yes, you did. Back in 2009. He is still here. Hey, Super Ken ...

Mattel Superman Ken: Me, boring?

Alert Reader: So you do collect DC Comics dolls. You mentioned the Mattel Batgirl on her Batcycle in a previous post.

PhillyCollector: Whoa - Batman is different. Batman is classic cool - a human who uses his wits, his wealth, and his unquenchable lust for vengeance to fight criminals. Batman is deep, complex. You can not talk Batman and Superman in the same discussion. Sure, he is more moody than my favorite Spider-Man, but Batman has NO super powers so he's bound to get aches that Spidey and Superman don't.

Besides, who doesn't LOVE the campy American television show? Let's sing the theme -

Alert Reader: Let's NOT. Sing. Ever.
 
PhillyCollector: Okay, back to DC characters. Batgirl is boring, but the doll has a Poser body AND she came with that Batcycle. Neat, huh?

Mattel Batgirl Batcycle

PhillyCollector: And see the side. Nice, right?

Want to ride?

Alert Reader: You also have the Tommy and Kelly Batman and Catwoman Giftset.

PhillyCollector: ... and I had the Collector Edition of Barbie as Catwoman. Although I sold her and the Takara Catwoman that I had. Nice to have had them.


Alert Reader: So, it's not surprising that you want a DC character. You have them. What's different about Wonder Woman?


PhillyCollector: I have never had a Wonder Woman doll before.


Superman Ken: Can we discuss how I am boring?


Alert Reader and PhillyCollector: No.

Feliz Cumpleaños a Barbie Hispana Amigo, Teresa

Today is Barbie's Hispanic friend Teresa Rivera's birthday. Let's wish her a Happy Birthday. Feliz Cumpleaños!

My first Teresa was the Wet'N Wild Teresa #4136 from 1990. She has the Steffie face mold. She also has those over-large 90's style eyes. I'm not a fan of that combination so she'll be on the dolls for sale list along with some Teresa face mold dolls from the Fashion Fever line. 

Here are my keeper Teresas:

Butterly Art Teresa #20361 from 1999

Once, I thought I would sell this Teresa. But I like her crimped hair texture, her green-hazel eyes, and deep tan. I will eventually give her darker eyebrows. Rebody her? Maybe. If I find a suitable size and complexion body.


Fashion Fever Teresa (striped pants) #H0666 from 2004

PhillyCollector regulars may recall seeing this Teresa. I like her shorter, two-toned chestnut hair and how her face screening is done. She's much lighter complected than my early Teresas, but variety is nice.



Fashion Fever Teresa (Make-up Chic) #33527 from 2005

I'm using this photo again because the doll has been packed away. She's got side glancing eyes and "real" eyelashes. She's the fairest Teresa I am keeping.


I'm also going to keep the Totally Hair Wave It! Teresa shown in an earlier Teresa post. She has dark brown hair and a dark tan like the early Teresas. After I move, I'll debox the boxed dolls. I look forward to doing that.

Here are additional links for more information about Teresa:

Vivian's Teresa Timeline, 1988 - 2008
Barbie Dream Wiki Teresa entry,
Wikipedia Teresa entry
Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse Wiki Teresa entry
Katti's Dolls Head Molds Used for Teresa page
A writer mentions her childhood Teresa

Do you have one or more favorite Teresa dolls? Feel free to share links to photos or other sites about Barbie's Hispanic friend Teresa. Thanks!

Happy Independence Day - Free Doll Feet

Happy Fourth of July!

Yes, it's Independence Day in the United States of America. We celebrate "the publication of the declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1776." Officially. Unofficially, we celebrate summer. Think sun and beaches and outdoor eating (cookouts) and fireworks. Summer fashions are lighter weight and brighter colored. Footwear changes at this time. What's the "official" footwear of summer? Sandals! 

jSarie commented about Lukas having "sandal-friendly feet." I think she meant sculpted feet where the big toe is slightly separated from the smaller toes, allowing the doll to wear flip-flops or thongs (a kind of sandal). "Sandal-friendly feet" is a feature of some doll lines by these doll manufacturers: Integrity Toys and MGA Entertainment. Here are some examples of this foot type:

Integrity Toys Fashion Royalty Paparazzi Bait Adele's feet

Monsieur Z Summer Babe Wild's feet

 America's Next Top Model (ANTM) Sidney's feet

Most fashion dolls have some variation of the early Barbie's high heel-molded foot like the Eskimo Barbie feet (left) and Integrity Toys Queen Adora feet (right) shown here.

Mattel Eskimo Barbie feet (left); Integrity Toys Adora feet (right)

Integrity Toys has improved their playscale doll feet since the days when the Janay and female friends playline dolls had "Sharpie" feet. (Nickname came from the foot's resemblance to
"Sharpie" band magic markers.) The male dolls from the Integrity Toys playline had a more basic flat foot, I think of as "sock feet." I call these feet "sock feet" because they look like the doll wears an invisible sock. The feet have a "foot-like" shape, but they usually lack the detail of the "sandal-friendly feet."

Get Set Fiona's "sock-like" feet with the original pedicure

On the plus side, these feet usually allow dolls to stand unassisted. They are easy to put shoes on, too, as long as you have shoes to fit.

A few dolls and many action figures have articulated feet, but that's material for another post.

Do your dolls have "sandal-friendly feet?" Please share their original names and manufacturers..



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For these photos, I used my computer monitor for the background. These are the sites I used:

backdrop for Integrity Toys Monsieur Z Summer Babe Wild, MGA Entertainment America's Next Top Model (ANTM) Sidney, Mattel Eskimo Barbie, Integrity Toys Queen Adora, and Get Set Fiona

backdrop for Integrity Toys Fashion Royalty Adele

Happy Canada Day!

A PhillyCollector (D7ana) and the citizens of East Philadelphia (the dolls and action figures) wish our Canadian neighbors a Happy Canada Day. While we will not be having poutine or any other Canadian delicacies, we do want to acknowledge this day because Canada brings us the Mixis dolls by YNU Group Incorporated and brought us the ever popular Liv dolls by Spin Master.

Other events in July include


July 4 - Independence Day (I'm including a link to guide for 1:1 scale events for those planning to be here)

July 6 - my birthday

July 19 - Mattel Barbie's Hispanic friend Teresa's birthday


D7ana: Rock Ringmaster Lukas M wants to share photos. I'll leave the uploading to him because I am so tired. Night all.

Lukas M.: How many of you are tired of girl pictures? Here are some photos of me instead. Happy Canada Day!

Feet of a Rock Ringmaster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put your hands together now.

Chilling.

Lukas Rising

Too hot