Spring Break 1961™ Barbie® and Ken® Giftset | Barbie Collector

Spring Break 1961™ Barbie® and Ken® Giftset | Barbie Collector

Okay, this set is from the 2011 National Barbie doll Collectors Convention. But look at that Ken! He reminds me of Johnny Mathis! Ohhhhh! Wish I had gone to that Barbie Convention! Wish I had bought this guy. The set was created by designers Matt Sutton and Matt Trujillo.

There is an European American version, too. I had typed "caucasian," then went to check the spelling. Came across this humorous definition. Now I feel awkward typing "White." Oh me oh my.

Hope you enjoy seeing the doll.

Big Chief Studios Pre-orders for Fourth Doctor Sold Out!

It's too late, Doctor Who fans, to place your pre-order for either the 50th Anniversary Signature edition or the Limited edition playscale Fourth Doctor aka Tom Baker at BigChiefStudios.

Here is what we missed:

• 1 x Fourth Doctor Head Portrait featuring an Authentic Likeness of Tom Baker
• 2 x Hairpieces (Hat and Hatless)
• 1 x Long Woollen Effect Scarf
• 1 x Velvet Effect Frock Coat
• 1 x Tartan Waistcoat
• 1 x Woollen Effect Trousers with Bracers (suspenders)
• 1 x White High-necked Shirt
• 1 x Cravat Neck Tie
• 1 x Pair of Brogue Shoes
• 1 x Pair of Socks Tubes (Partial)
• 8 x Interchangeable Hands
• 1 x Display Base with Illuminating Gallifreyan Symbol & Stand
• 1 x Signature Plaque Stand
• 1 x Autograph Plaque Hand-signed by Tom Baker

Accessories

• 1 x Fedora Style Hat
• 1 x Sonic Screwdriver
• 1 x Bag of Jelly Babies
• 1 x Yo-Yo
• 1 x Key to Time
• 1 x Time Tracer
• 1 x Hand of Fear
• 1 x TARDIS Control Room Printed Card Backdrop

The Signature edition would have come with these two additional items:

1 x Signature Plaque Stand 1 x Autograph Plaque Hand-signed by Tom Baker

The Signature edition's price : £189.99  (Ex Tax: £158.33)

The Limited edition's price : £169.99  (Ex Tax: £141.66)

Sigh. Did you notice that I did not convert the prices to U.S. dollars? Moot point. I won't be getting either although the Fourth Doctor was my Doctor Who, the one that I first saw in that role. Guess I am not the ultimate Doctor Who fan. I'll have to enjoy the online photos and stories of other Doctor Who fans. 

P.S. I couldn't resist. Here is the currency converter result.

189.99 GBP	=	286.923 USD
British Pound	↔	US Dollar
1 GBP = 1.51020 USD		1 USD = 0.662164 GBP

Head Swap for Articulated G.I. Joe for the Dr. Dolly-Frankensteins

Am I alone? I thought this video was fun AND a little funny. Something about how Hutt Wigley describes a G.I. Joe head as "wimpy" and how he fits the heads into the secret head opener device. (No, I am not gonna tell what; you have to click through to see it.) 



If you like this video, check out the others, especially the one with the articulated doll cycling. Neat.

Even More Asian Fashion Dolls and Action Figures

I did write that I had more Asian fashion dolls and action figures to show. You may recognize some of these figures.

Reclining Hasbro Special Response Team G.I. Joe. Standing left to right: Dragon Ekin Cheng, Dragon Michael Chan, arms stretching Spinmaster Bollywood Legends Hrithik Roshan, Mattel Amazing Nails Lea, M and C Toys StarRunner Hung, and Dragon My Story Jackie Chan. Kneeling Playmates Sulu (2009).

Closer photo of Hasbro Special Response Team Japanese-American G.I. Joe, Dragon Ekin Cheng, and Michael Chan.

Closer photo of Spinmaster Bollywood Legends Hrithik Roshan, Playmates Sulu (2009), Mattel Amazing Nails Lea, M and C Toys StarRunner Hung, and Dragon My Story Jackie Chan.

Face close-ups of Mattel Amazing Nails Lea, M and C Toys StarRunner Hung, and Dragon My Story Jackie Chan show varying degrees of realism. Dragon figures look the most life-like, but this Mattel doll and this M and C Toys action figure are more life-like than say Mattel's Asian Disney characters.

M and C Toys StarRunner Hung and Mattel Amazing Nails Lea call for another photo. They are attractive, but not necessarily a couple. Alas Hung has boxing gloves for hands so he's not "made for" romance.

Playmates Sulu (2009) and Mattel Amazing Nails Lea look a little more couple-like. Not that they are yet, but who's to say?

Spinmaster Bollywood Legends Hrithik Roshan strikes a dramatic pose to show off his long legs in groovy bell bottoms boot cut jeans. If Asian male dolls are hard to find in the U.S.A., Indian Asian male dolls are even more elusive. Mr. Roshan came from Great Britain by way of Amazon.co.uk . He's worth every extra bit of postage I paid for him.

Dragon's Michael Chan refused to take off his well-tailored gray suit. Well, he's allowing a peep at the inner construction of his jacket. The jacket has shoulder pads and his trousers have darts, center front and back creases, and belt loops. Like many action figures, he has a realistic face.  
 

Hasbro Special Response Team G.I. Joe wants everyone to know that unlike the Japanese Air Force Officer, he is a Japanese-American Joe. (Well, he has the new Japanese head sculpt.*) This distinction matters because the earlier Asian characters in the playscale G.I. Joe line were foreign soldiers. (I am curious about when the first Asian G.I. Joe appeared; the first Black American Joe appeared in 1965, a year after Joe broke the doll action figure scene. Need to find that out.)

Last photo for this set: close-up of Ekin Cheng.I will be posting photos of Mattel's Generation Girl Mari, R and D's Susie, Volks' Who's That Girl, and other Asian fashion dolls and action figures soon. Please stop by to see them.


*Unfortunately, the website showing the named Hasbro head sculpts has been removed. I will have to find another source to verify the Joe head names.

Yay, I'm Back!

I am sooo happy to announce: PhillyCollector is BACK. You may have noticed an interruption of this blog yesterday. Well, it has been restored. Yay!

Did I say I was happy. Okay. I did.

Should you ever "lose" your Blogger blog, visit Blogger's support page for help.

46 Manufacturers Who Produce(d) Asian Fashion Dolls or Action Figures

These manufacturers have produced Asian playscale fashion dolls or action figures. Some of the manufacturers are no longer in business, but armed with the names, you can find your Asian figures online.

If anyone knows of additional manufacturers of Asian playscale fashion dolls or action figures – not seeking other scales or statues – please submit those names. I’ll add them to this list.

 

46 Manufacturers Who Produce(d) Asian Fashion Dolls or Action Figures
 
Aoshima/Skynet

Azone Incorporated

Blue Box International Ltd. aka "BBi"

ChinaSprout

Dragon

Edation

Elite Brigade

Get Real Girl

Get Set Club

Hasbro

Headplay

Helene Hamilton

Hot Toys Limited

Integrity Toys

Jakks Pacific

Kumik

Kurhn

Lanard

Loading Toys

M and C Toys

Mattel

Medicom

MiKelman

MGA Entertainment

Obitsu

Petworks

Phicen

Playmates Toys Inc.

Pullip

R&D Dolls

Sears Holding Corporation

Sekiguchi

Sideshow Collectibles

Simplz Toys

Smartees

Soldier Story

Soldiers of the World

Sonokong

Spinmaster

Takara

Triad Toys

Ultimate Soldier (21st Century)

Varner Concepts

Volks

YNU Group Inc.

Yue-Sai Kan Holdings, Ltd.

Disclaimer/confession: I am not Asian American or Pacific American. To my knowledge, I have no Asian or Pacific American ancestors. However, I do appreciate racial variety in my collection. And I love a challenge. No Asian figures? Ha. 

Go seek and may you find,
D7ana

More Photos of Asian Diaspora Dolls and Action Figures

Back row, standing: Hasbro JEM Starlight Girl Banee, Asian everGirl, Mattel 1 Modern Circle Ken – Daytime, Get Real Girl Skylar Ron, Lanard I-Girl Asia, MGA Entertainment America's Next Top Model Sidney, and Hasbro Foreign Soldiers Collection Japanese Air Force Officer.

Front row, seated or kneeling: Playmates Toys Inc. Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, Azone Incorporated Original Doll Loco Island Minako, BBi Asian Body Builder, Bbi JASDF Ueda, and Azone Incorporated Original Doll Jelly Beans Generation Reimy.

Hasbro JEM Starlight Girl Banee, Playmates Toys Inc. Asian everGirl, Mattel 1 Modern Circle Ken – Daytime, Get Real Girl Skylar Ron, and Lanard I-Girl Asia.

Playmates Toys Inc. Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu and Mattel 1 Modern Circle Ken – Daytime.

Azone Incorporated Original Doll Loco Island Minako, BBi Asian Body Builder, and Bbi JASDF Ueda.

Whoa - did I get two of the same Bbi guys? No. Blue Box International made two similar figures: JASDF Ueda who came boxed with loads of accessories or "nude" and Body Builder Elite Force, Asian.

Query: how can you distinguish between BBi’s Asian Body Builder and BBi’s Ueda action figures?

Answer: the Body Builder figures have nude hands; Ueda has gloved hands.

Get Real Girl Skylar Ron and Lanard I-Girl Asia. Fun, poser bodies. Alas for the big heads and more cartoony look.

Lanard I-Girl Asia, MGA Entertainment America's Next Top Model Sidney, Hasbro Foreign Soldiers Collection Japanese Air Force Officer, and Azone Incorporated Original Doll Jelly Beans Generation Reimy.


And yes, I have more.