Introducing Everyday People and A Different Perspective on Collecting

 As a blogger and blog reader, I feel fortunate to have access to what I consider some of the best and the brightest of writers and writer-artisans. Yes, that's YOU. Aw, don't blush. I thank you for reading here and for sharing this hobby with me. I can count on my right hand, the number of people I can talk dolls and action figures to in my offline world. Right hand .... right index finger, lol. But hey, I turn on the computer, plug in the Clear modem, and bam! Kindred spirits galore.

I have added a new blog to my list, Everyday People that I hope you will visit and enjoy. The blogger there offers a different perspective on collecting dolls. To avoid prejudicing the audience in any way, I will not comment further. I have only one comment up so far - I confess, I am a little behind on blog reading as well as blog posting. That is, I read these posts - links provided below - but I have yet to comment on them. I DID get permission BEFORE adding these links.

Here's to yet another interesting, new blogger!


Buying Dolls


Dolls as Distractions


Favorite Barbie Dolls

Et Tu, Dana? Walmart's Sophie Nabs Another Collector

Okay, yes. I confess. It is another case of collector see, collector do. Collector will get broke, too. Sigh.

I am referring to my finding and buying the Liv It's My Nature Sophie on sale at Walmart. Sophie cost $5.00 before sales tax. Sigh. This Walmart Sophie has landed herself in many collectors' homes. How did she manage to get into my cart and in my house? A geas, I think. Here's how the spell unfolded:

1. I went to Walmart for some groceries. (What, you don't go to Walmarts for groceries? I guess you like paying full price for Jalapeno Pringles and Archway Ginger Snaps. Huff. Okay, I wasn't getting the veggies or the meats part of groceries. Just the FUN part. Besides, Walmarts carries turtle food and the markets don't. Not the kind Fakir and Big Guy - the turtles - like anyway. Turtles have so little to occupy themselves; they deserve to have the ReptoMin sticks they prefer.)

2. I just happened to wander into the Clearance section. (Yes, danger zone for us collectors. But my boots moved me that way. I just walked into the space most damaging to my wallet.)

3. I saw the tiny scissors. I saw the adorable boots. I scanned the box once. Five dollars. I scanned the box again. Still five dollars. I reasoned that it would be a sin to NOT get a poseable doll body, fine silvery scissors, and kicky brown boots for the bargain of five dollars. She was the last Sophie there. All the forces aligned: me, the doll, the sale, and enough money in my wallet to get her. God MEANT for me to have her. Roll of thunder.

So, Sophie entered my cart. She got blipped out along with White Castle hamburgers and 8 mini Mounds candy bars (only a dollar!). I did NOT get the Ghirardelli's 60% Cacao Dark Chocolate for about $4.00. I feel pretty virtuous.

Liv Fashions Worn by Other Dolls

Here are three photos showing Spinmaster's Liv fashions on dolls other than Liv. Most of us have Mattel fashion dolls so Nikki, friend of Teen Skipper, HSM Sharpay, and Flavas Kiyoni Brown model a few of the Liv jacket separates. The Liv sleeves are long for Teen Skippers and HSM Sharpay. Jointed at her elbows, Kiyoni might have been a better match for the black leather jacket or the orange-red jacket, but who could resist that bright turquoise jacket against Kiyoni's rich brown complexion? Not I.

The next two dolls are less commonplace: Who's That Girl Kana and Takara's Mitsuki model Liv jackets, too. Again, the sleeves on the long-sleeved jackets are too long. I probably could have swapped these jackets - had Mitsuki wear the yellow-black herringbone jacket and Kana the gray-pink camo one, but the selected styles suited the dolls better. I'd rather the outfit "fit" the doll's character than that it fit the doll's body. Although it is best when both size and style fit.

Me, I will overlook the over-sized hood. Kana tried to "work it" by stuffing her long hair in that cavity. Kana has a small head anyway. The hood is deep. I don't think that it ruins the outfit.

Here the five teen dolls pose for a group photo

That will "wrap" this post ... but wait, Belinda has an offering. Belinda chose the Liv boy shirt for her photo.

Belinda had to go there. Sigh.

I have some other Liv outfits that I will show on Momokos and other dolls in a future post. These four photos will allow you to see Liv fashions on other dolls. And you can see Liv fashion quality. How do these doll clothes compare with others? Well, these are playline fashions. Liv fashions use velcro and have unfinished hems. I would rate them as better than the current Barbie playline fashions, but no where near the exquisite tailoring in Integrity's Fashion Royalty clothing line. Spinmaster has their pulse on current fashions - as far as I can tell - I have seen the open-toe boot in trendy fashion stores in Philadelphia. These outfits are affordable, trendy, and now part of my doll wardrobe.

Momoko's 10th Anniversary: 2001-2011

Guess who is celebrating her 10th anniversary this year? None other than the inimitable Momoko!
Round applause. Now for us, Momoko-fans, here are some important links.

Petworks blog Go and see new dolls and prototypes, etc.

Momoko on Facebook

Momoko on Twitter

Thanks, Lorraine, for these updates!

Larger Photo of Two Stardolls ... See Link

EW of BlogofStench fame found a larger photo showing two of the Stardolls by Barbie. Oh, I gotta have that brunette. Check that smile. Must have. Must have. Has the larger photo brought any converts to the Stardolls line? Snoopy dancing my way to bed and dreams of dolls to come.

A-Z, A-Z ... Azone Original Dolls

Tired of me going on about Barbie and Ken and Skipper, hmm? Want to see something different? Would some Azone Original Dolls do? Okay, I only have four of them, but they're a cute set. And maybe a little storytelling about the "characters" assigned to those figures a la my fellow collector Niel's recent family post?

Azone International or Azone Green International PTE Ltd. is located in the Republic of Singapore. Azone International sells dolls of various sizes as well as detailed fashion doll clothes and realistic accessories. They distribute Integrity Toys' exclusive FR Nippon line. Most of the Azone fashion dolls have a strong Anime aka cartoony cast to their face sculpts and facial screening. Usually, I am not a big Anime doll fan. Sure, I grew up watching several Japanese cartoons: Astro Boy, Marine Boy, Kimba the White Lion, 8th Man, etc. But I prefer more realistic looking faces and heads in "normal" proportions. My Anime-styled Jenny friends are my least favorite from the Takara line. [Mitsuki and Kisara from Takara's Jenny line do not fall in that category.]

The Azone Original dolls that I have are Loco Island Minako, Jelly Beans Generation Reimy, Sarafan a la Mode Reina, and Tangerine Cat Belinda: Pluses: these are poseable dolls, they have adorable faces, and outfits and footwear with real-life detailing like LimbeDolls footwear. Minuses: Anime faces, biggish heads, tiny feet, and delicate bodies like Momokos. Azone dolls are NOT Tonka truck dolls.

Wait ... that's only THREE dolls - Minako standing, Reimy about to put on her right sneaker, and Reina undecided about what to do with her hands .... where is Belinda?

Ta da, here she is, ducks! Belinda, the one and only Tangerine Cat! Fresh from the Liv Fashions shoot. (More on that later ....)

Tanned Minako and pale Reimy are "sisters." Do you think that their heads and faces seem similar? I did so they became "sisters" to account for that likeness. (Note: Azone did not connect these two dolls as far as I can tell.)

And what do these ladies do? Minako and Belinda are actors - Minako plays romantic comedies while Belinda does period horror flicks. College student Reimy is a photographer. She did not take these photos. Izzy is the - cough - genius behind the camera.

Reimy appears again in this photograph with the ever shy, ever pensive Reina. Reina is a part-time secretary for Reverend Hadley of Sin No More church and the unwed mother of Vampire Tommy. (Vampire Tommy is the little Tommy who wore the vampire costume in a Halloween post, NOT Tawny Tommy who swiped the pizza from the Joes.) Vampire Tommy isn't really a vampire - he has "delicate health," but his deadbeat Dad had called him a vampire so Tommy believes he is one.


For additional information about Asian fashion dolls, please read this Wikipedia entry, Bobagirl Pam's website, or any of the sites included in the International Jenny and Licca Webring. I bought the dolls mentioned here from 2002 -2006 so the secondary market, particularly other doll collectors might be your best bet for finding them at decent prices. Admirers of the anime doll style can find current Azone dolls and accessories online at Hobby Search, HobbyLink Japan, or possibly Azone International themselves.

Aside: I have bought from Hobby Search and HobbyLink Japan so I can vouch for their excellent services. It helped that I ordered the dolls sent by EMS, an express mail service, so I had tracking for my packages. EMS packages get handled by the United States Postal Service once they reach this country. (That was my experience; if anyone else received their overseas package through another shipper, please let us know. I'll pop that answer in a separate post.)

So there we go .... Azone International Original Dolls. Because I do collect other dolls than Barbie ;-D

Update on Stardolls by Barbie - Mattel's New Winner

Okay it's a lazy holiday afternoon, and I'm online - yay, Clear account - when I notice an email message from Robin of Roville. Yes, I do associate with cool DAF people - you know who you are, no finger pointing here, lol. Anyway, she's curious about a potential doll line called "Stardolls by Barbie." Now that's what I think of as a call to action. So I pull up Google to search the terms, Barbie, 2012, and Stardolls. Initial link haul doesn't seem promising, but then I hit the mother lode of tips in a Flickr account. Wahh hoo!

Here we go:

Stardolls, self-described as "the world's largest online fashion and dress up games community for girls," has signed a deal with Mattel to produce a Stardolls by Barbie line. Now I see why Mattel is dropping the Basics - although I still LOVE some of the Basics - these new dolls look promising. Stardolls had done some promoting for other Barbie lines so this new Stardoll-Barbie collaboration is a natural progression.

Dancing, dancing, DANCING - sorry, that's me.

Thanks also to Tru_Fashionista_luv on Flickr, mighty Mattel, and Stardolls!

Come on 2012!

Additional news from Robin and Frannie about the Stardolls. Cheryl's Dolls and Collectibles will be carrying these dolls for $29.95. Thanks, Robin!