Integrity 2010 Lines Unveiled - Link

Doll collector and photographer Shuga-Shug has photos and posts about the Integrity Toys 2010 line.

Click here

Love Staying Power Darius Reid - he has a warm brown complexion, attractive dark suit, and an antique looking leather bag that seems to have been shrunk to 1:6 scale. Fire Within Jordan looks great, too. Real leather dress gloves. Private Goddess Natalia Fatale is another stunner, only I have the 2008 Natalia so - pre-purchase downsizing in place ;-D - I won't try for her.

I.T.B.E. Luscious and Romantic look gorgeous as well. Dynamite Girls Sooki and Reese are on my wish list. Sooki has curly blonde hair while Reese seems to have a new face mold.

Sigh. Possible new Mixis, new Integrity, and as always, new Mattel dolls.

Mixis Connections: FaceBook, Twitter, and Blog

2010 and what is happening with the Mixis dolls and YNU Group, Inc.? One goal for YNU Group, Inc. is to promote the Mixis brand. Do you want to connect to the Mixis social sites to help the company reach their goal? Debbie Goodland, President and Founder of the YNU Group, Inc., sent these Mixis-related links:

Blog

Twitter

Facebook


Perhaps you have bought all the Mixis dolls that you wanted. No new dolls at the official web site ... no Toy Fair News. Lots of other dolls beckon. Ah, but what about the future? Click the link and ooohhh and ahhhhh. Surely spending a little time online with the social media is worth seeing those dolls in the vinyl.

Missed Cheetah Girls? Get Concert Dolls for $5.00 Each

Think you missed your last chance to own one of the PlayAlong In Concert Cheetah Girls? Philadelphia doll collectors, have no regrets on this point. You can find each of the In Concert Cheetah Girls by for $5.00 EACH doll. Head to the Best Deals Discount store at 20th and Oregon Avenue (South Philly) for these dolls. Note: I think that there is another Best Deals store at 40th and Market Streets (University City-West Philly), but I do not know that they have the same stock. Wouldn't hurt to check there if you shop nearby.

Now those who are crying in their teacups because you paid over $20 each doll, there, there. How could you know that the doll or dolls that you wanted would be reduced to that bargain price? I didn't know. I paid the $15-20 for the basic dolls when they came out. Sniff ... I need to salty-up some tea.

Mr. Sulu 2009 Now Here

I know I should be downsizing, BUT ... he was on sale. If I waited, I might have missed him. He was only $14.98 before tax. He's an Asian playscale male figure. (Hey, that's part of my defense. How many Asian playscale men can we collectors find? Uh huh. Understood, right? I formally forgive me.)

So what I won't be able to remove the boots. Omar from He's a Doll Yahoo Group and other doll and action figure sites notes that this Mr. Sulu can wear Ken clothes. (Defense argument number 3 - the price was argument number 2.)

Let's welcome Mr. Sulu from the Star Trek 2009 movie. Hey, where did he go?

Anyone think it was the Ken clothes comment?

Prince Barbie? Hmmm ... That's a New Occupation

Is anyone else raising an eyebrow about the title on this Toys R Us Barbie set, "Princess and Prince Barbie?"

The title makes me think I'm approaching John Waters' territory. Why? Dismantle the title -- "Princess Barbie" and "Prince Barbie." (Oh the slights poor Ken must endure. Tsk, tsk.)

Now if Barbie were the last name, that phrasing would be unconventional. Think "Mrs. and Mr. Jones." (In the U.S., we usually address or refer to married couples sharing the same last name by the male title and then the female title before the last name. Revise the phrase to "Mr. and Mrs. Jones."

Aside: if the title is the generic "Mr. and Mrs." Position titles would precede the generic ones.

Most toy buyers recognize "Barbie" as a first female name. But inside the window box are a female doll and a male doll. Not two female dolls. Puzzler? No. Mattel probably meant "Princess Barbie and Prince Ken." Sigh. I won't be buying this set because I have the Ken and the Barbie holds no interest for me, but I almost wish I could justify the purchase as an example of the deterioration of the [American] English language.

I am going to be good and NOT bring up the "We Girls Can Do Anything" motto. Nope, I didn't say it.

Downsizing: When a Collector Has to Do It

Downsizing usually evokes negative images: you think of employees unemployed, jobs lost, incomes reduced, people scrambling to meet bills. When it comes to collections though, downsizing can be a good thing. I let go stuff I no longer want; someone else finds a treasure. I have more space and time to devote to the stuff I LOVE. Sounds good, right? Yes! So what's the problem? Problem? Problems.

First, overcoming inertia. So many dolls, so many action figures, so many accessories. I'll look at them again tomorrow. Promise. Or I'll pull a few things from shelves. Okay, these will go. Then I get distracted or move on to something else. I need to set a timer and pull until I've separated all the TO GO stuff from the KEEPER stuff.

How to decide what goes and what stays?

Since I collect from Barbie to Fashion Royalty to action figures - as long as the doll or figure is playscale, I can't limit my collection by manufacturer. What about my variety? Hyperventilating, hands fluttering. Taking a deep breath. Okay, variety stays, but I have to reduce the duplicates. Multiples of dolls that look alike or ARE the same. Surely I can do that? Unless I plan to alter them ....

Sigh. So that's where I am at now. I will take these steps:

1. Set aside stuff that no longer interests me
   
2. Remove duplicates from stuff I like (except 1 or 2 I intend to alter)
   
3. Photograph stuff TO GO, duplicates I no longer want
   
4. Debox KEEPERS - might as well have fun with them
   
5. Find "homes" for the KEEPERS - where will I put them?
   

Reward for this labor? List new stuff I want - yes, sounds like I'm going backwards. But I am taking precautions I did not used to take. Like considering what I am purchasing BEFORE I purchase it.

Example: I saw the So in Style Rocawear Darren in a Walmart. Once I would have stomped a happy dance. This time though, I thought about the purchase. Did he resemble any other dolls in my collection. Oh yeah. I mean, YES. I have several Stevens he resembles. Is his outfit different enough to warrant the purchase? Not really. So I won't purchase him. At least not this version.

Example 2: I will get the Barbie Basics No. 1, Model #12. I like her face and LOVE the face screening. She's similar to my Fashion Fever Shannon only I prefer the Barbie Basics' face and haircut. I can then sell the FF Shannon.

Any thoughts or suggestions welcome.

My Three Toms or the Cosmic Tom in Vinyl - Link Added

Will the REAL Tom, please stand?

Please note, all three young men remain standing. They are all TOM.

From left to right, we have the Original Tom from 1992. He is the first Tom. In the middle, we have Totoco - Chinese Tom also from 1992. At the end, on our right, we have Licca Club 67 Tom again from 1992. One character, three different complexions. How can this be?

1992. Takara issued a new, handsome boyfriend for Jenny, and they named him Tom. Tom is from Los Angeles. He break dances and gets into trouble. On the back of his box, he is shown pushing Jeff, Jenny's "Ken," back. Ooohh Tom the Bad Boy. Eh, but he's cute and how many Black males would I find produced in Takara's Jenny line. So I bought the original Tom.

Then I found out about Chinese Tom from a Japanese store called Totoco. Oh, how did that happen now? In the United States, we don't "change" races. Sure, Barbies are sold in various complexions and various races. But ... well, everyone KNOWS that ethnic Barbies are for marketing purposes. Sell Black Barbies to the African American market. Sell Latina Barbies to the Latino market. During the occasional "Blue Moon," Asian Barbies are produced. For whom? Oh, yes, for the Asian market.

Tom differs though because he is Tom for the same market - Asian children who play with dolls and possibly for collectors. The "Black" Tom and the "White" Tom are NOT described as such. They are just Tom. How?

My understanding is that, his eye print defines him. You shall know Tom by his eye print. And if you look at the three Toms, look at their eyes, they are all the same. Different colors, but basically the same eyes.

I brought Tom or the Toms forth today because his/their race(s) seem(s) so ... fluid? They remind me of Zorah Neale Hurson's "I belong to no race nor time" from How It Feels to Be Colored Me. Perhaps he is a Cosmic Tom?

Note: the description I wrote about Tom is from memory from Barbie Bazaar and Doll Reader magazine articles and from messages in Yahoo Jenny Groups (Casual Jenny and Biscuit's Club). If anyone thinks that my description in the paragraph that starts "1992" borders on plagiarism, please send a comment or e-mail me so that I can alter the text.