Top Ten DAFs of 2009: Tiara Gold at 6

Manufacturer: Mattel
Series: High School Musical III
Character Name: Tiara Gold
Box Year, if Noted: 200? - I threw out the box; will check in stores


Why is Tiara on the Top Ten List?

Note: Tiara is only available with Sharpay Evans in a double doll set.

Here is a variation on my usual answer that the doll or action figure is good looking. I mean the Tiara doll is pretty. But she made the Top Ten DAFs of 2009 List because she has one of the brightest smiles of all the dolls I have bought this year. I consider her my "Sunshine Girl."

Having collected Barbies and other fashion dolls and action figures, I have many teeth-exposed smiles/grins and many blonds. (That's why I become delighted when I find a like-able doll who is not blond. Sigh.) Not one of them though, seemed as effervescent and lit as Tiara. There is something in her smile that pulls her out of the ordinary.


Why is Tiara sixth on the Top Ten List?

Mostly, Tiara is at the sixth spot because five other dolls had a little something more to offer than she did. To a lesser degree, her arm positioning is stuck in welcome mode if lifted up or as coy-maidenly if set down. That quirky feature doesn't completely detract from her charm, but it keeps her in the bottom of the Top Ten DAFs List.

Tiara Gold can be found at Walmarts or at discount stores like Ross. I bought mine for about $7.00 at a Ross store. You might also find her elsewhere, but Walmarts and Ross were the last places I saw her. I've seen the Tiara-Sharpay set described as "rare" in a recent search, but I have seen several at Walmarts and at Ross.

Top Ten DAFs of 2009: Power Team Combat Engineer at 7

Manufacturer: M & C Toys
Series: Power Team Elite
Character Name: Combat Engineer (actually, his job title)
Box Year, if Noted: No Date


Why is Power Team Combat Engineer on the Top Ten List?

Another easy reply: he is a good looking guy. Good looking AND intelligent-looking. Piercing black eyes. Serious mien. Furrowed eyebrows - see the vertical lines between his eyebrows. Furrowed they are. This guy does a lot of thinking. Or so I imagine, LOL. Look at his beautiful high cheekbones and the refined flare of his nostrils. Sigh. And the slightly dry lips - note the textured lip surface. M & C Toys knows how to sculpt a dreamy male head.

Granted his body is not quite as gorgeous as his face. The arm muscles look as though they were drawn by a heavy handed artist. Alas, he has glove hands - no bare hands but permanently gloved hands. Guess they did not want him to lose the gloves, given his drilling work, etc. The Combat Engineer has a sturdy build and weight. He can be posed; he can stand alone.


Why is Power Team Combat Engineer seventh on the Top Ten List?



Spots seven and eight could have gone to either Hrithik or to the Engineer. However, the Engineer had the edge and the higher rank because his body is sturdier, he's got those high cheekbones, and his clothes and accessories are better than Hrithik's. In spite of his having a longer and bigger head, the Engineer wins.

Once upon a time, you could find M & C Power Team action figures at K B Toys stores. Sigh. Now you can check Big Lots! stores, eBay, and other collectors for Power Team figures.

Happy Kwanzaa from Keeya and Deidre

Keeya (left, curly haired) and Deidre (right, straight haired) are the only Kwanzaa Kelly friends that I know. Does anyone know if additional Kwanzaa Kellys or Kelly friends exist?

G.I. Joe Heads and Kilt Pattern Online

The universe must have decided I've been neglecting my action figures: while seeking old print outs for Integrity Janay dolls for Dolls of Color, I came across two articles I had printed about G.I. Joe. Checked to see if the web sites were still there; they were. So, I have to share them with any new Joe fans OR old Joe fans who had seen them but lost the link.

Joe Heads

First, if you want to read interesting articles about G.I. Joe, MasterCollector is a site you need to see. The Hasbro Heads article only dips your foot into the quicksand of Joe's World. Tread carefully because these articles are like Lay's potato chips: you can't read just one. Reading leads to awareness of new playscale guys.

The extremely sales resistant OR utterly broke may dare investigate G.I. Joe Club. Warning, you will find dolls um action figures like the Man of Asia or the G.I. Joe 2009 Club exclusive action figure, a reproduction of the Black Talking Commander who wears the cutest Adventure Team logoed boxers imaginable. Squeal. Oops ... sorry, Joe fans. I recognize that "cute" is NOT a suitable adjective for this worthy figure. Ahem.


Joe Kilt Pattern

Anyone sewing? How about a classic Scottish kilt for your 12" Joes? R. Scott Roger's MacJoe site provides a pattern and instructions on how your Joe can wear his kilt. Notice the omission of the word, "cute." I am trying.

Happy viewing and happy sewing!

What's That about Barbie's Sales?

Behold the Barbie aisle in the South Philadelphia Target. Hallo! Where are the Barbies?

Top Ten DAFs of 2009: Hrithik at 8

Manufacturer: Spin Master Ltd.
Series: Bollywood Legends
Character Name: Hrithik Roshan
Box Year, if Noted: 2006


Why is Hrithik Roshan on the Top Ten List?

This won't be difficult: Hrithik Roshan is on the Top Ten List because he is a good looking action figure. Oops, did I write action figure? I did. Hrithik is poseable therefore he is an action figure. Or is he a poseable doll? He did come with an extra outfit as shown in the photo above. The doll or action figure discussion can wait for another post .... You can see boxed Hrithik and Hrithik in his original clothes here.


Why is Hrithik eighth on the Top Ten List?



He's cute, poseable, AND an ethnic male. Attractive ethnic males are hard to find [at this scale] LOL. However, he's a little frail. I can pose him, but I do so carefully. My Hot Toys and Power Team guys have more substance to their bodies. Hrithik doesn't have odd proportion problems. His two outfits scream cheap: the gauzy shirt is the worst, but as long as I am happy with the figure, the clothes can be given away or sold. With Esther and Priyanka, I had definite "problems" with their doll bodies. With Hrithik, it's more that other dolls and action figures outranked him points-wise than that he has serious detractions.


I bought my Bollywood Legend dolls from Fairy Dust Dolls Ltd. through Amazon.co.uk. Postage to the United States from the United Kingdom was costly, but that was the only way that I knew to get these dolls. If anyone knows of a closer to the U.S. source for these dolls, please send that information in a comment.

Top Ten DAFs of 2009: Priyanka at 9

Manufacturer: Spin Master Ltd.
Series: Bollywood Legends
Character Name: Priyanka Chopra
Box Year, if Noted: 2006


Why is Priyanka Chopra on the Top Ten List?



Priyanka has not only a pretty face, but a pretty ethnic face. She has a discernible nose, wide mouth, and full lips. Her eyebrows are heavier than usual; her face is broader than usual. Notice her warm complexion and red streaked black hair. Bye bye Steffie and Teresa faces for this Indian doll. Long live la difference!

Also, check the beautiful red scarf and the navy velvety bodice and the vivid red full skirt. I love this colorful outfit. The earrings and bracelets add to the festive air of her outfit. She should dance. I expect the extras from a Bollywood movie to spring from the shelves and to gyrate around her. Music and pagentry wherever she roams.


Why is Priyanka the ninth doll on the List?



Proportions again. Her head is a little large. Surprisingly, her feet are smaller than the current high-heeled Barbie's feet. Her feet are the same size as the Smartees dolls' feet: tiny. Then her limited articulation keeps Priyanka on the lower end of this List. Her knees do NOT bend. Her arms can move up and down from her shoulders, but the inability to bend her knees disappoints me. Straight-legged dolls are tricky to pose seated.

Also, the glitter on the outfit sheds easily. The left earring breaking off, I'll excuse as my clumsiness.

I bought my Bollywood Legend dolls from Fairy Dust Dolls Ltd. through Amazon.co.uk. Postage to the United States from the United Kingdom was costly, but that was the only way that I knew to get these dolls. If anyone knows of a closer to the U.S. source for these dolls, please send that information in a comment.