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!

eBay Listings Teen Niki.

I have a Teen Nikki for sale on eBay. Her eBay ID is 320973812085. I will put up some other items over this weekend, there on eBay, on TheDollPage, and here on PhillyCollector. Please check for items you might want or that a friend might like.

More Twilight Dolls Coming - Thanks, Lubo!

Lubo posted this information on FaceBook. So he's the Scoop King today. Thanks, Lubo!

Mattel sure knows how to work a license, don't they? Guess what they have coming out in 2013? MORE Twilight dolls! Yes! I have only seen photos of two of the dolls - Jasper and Rosalie. Jasper has rooted, curly hair - okay, he's on my list. Rosalie, meh ... wiggles fingers ... I don't know. She's got the chalky complexion and red eyes so she's probably one of the vampire characters.

The others listed are Emmett, Esme, and Carlisle. I think there is one Twilight character who is supposed to have dreadlocks ... is he Emmett? I might get him then. Oh, wouldn't it be grand if Mattel did dreadlocks? I mean they have done their style cornrow, but the locks would have to be thicker and rougher textured. I am all for thicker hair, lol.

I should check on these characters. Maybe tomorrow. But it's fun to share a scoop from FB here in the blogzone.  

Sigh. No Emmett is a Cullen. So he's related to Edward. Sigh. Okay, the Twilight fans can have a big laugh at my expense. Screwing up the characters. Sigh. Okay, I am still a little sore that I recognize the names "Edward" and "Bella" in association with that movie. The one with dreadlocks might be "Laurent."

Time I settled down. I might have terrible nightmares of listening to Bella whine and/or Edward sprout insipid rot. Shudder, shudder.

Retro Plastic Rainwear Play

Rainy day Monday was followed by Overcast Tuesday. Nikki and Tamaki found two older rain garments and decided to show off the fashions. Imagine someone actually thinking these fashions were cool? Ha, ha, ha. Nikki wears the red and yellow plastic raincoat while Tamaki wears the blue rain cape with green collar. Nothing says classy like plastic rain wear!

Melody overhears their plans and quickly dons her old raincoat and boots. Her hair looks unruly because - in her haste to catch up with the teenagers - she ran out before her Mummy could finish brushing her hair. Mummy will not be pleased with that.

The girls hear Melody behind them and wait for her to catch up. What's such a little girl doing out alone in the park? Why are her pigtails hanging like that? Melody wants to take a picture in her old raincoat. Nikki pauses to consider. Would Melody prefer to return - after her Mummy does her hair - and have her photo taken then? No, no, no. Melody wants her photo taken here and now. (Mummy might not let Melody back out again or it might rain or anything could happen to stop her having a photo taken in the park.) Tamaki agrees that Melody's mother would not likely allow Melody out again. So they allow Melody one photo before they take her home. Here are their photos below:







The plastic rain wear worn by Nikki and Tamaki are generic fashions from the 1970-80s. They are NOT Mattel fashions ... at least, I doubt that they are. Melody's raincoat, dress, hat, and boots are Mattel fashions though ... they are part of a rainy day set from 2005.