Happy Veterans Day

Thanks to all veterans for their services to the United States of America. 

Some of the Power Team members gather to support 1:1 scale veterans.

Gathering of M&C Toys, Inc. Power Team members

Disney Snow White Rebodied Shows Marx Sindy Wardrobe

A few months ago, I got this Disney Snow White in a trade with Ms. Leo. The Philly Fashion Doll Club members were making over a Disney Snow White doll. I had not found "the right" body then. Mattel Flavas P Bo's complexion almost matched, but the funky vibe did not suit this doll's face. The Mattel Frank Sinatra Barbie body seemed too thin. Mattel High School Musical bodies were too small. Mattel My Scene My Vespa Chelsea body had too long a neck. My more substantial action figure bodies were all used with heads I wanted for those bodies. Not a single spare body. So I set Snow aside to be rebodied in the future.

Then I came across a query in the comments of The Toy Box Philosopher. What about a Liv body for a Disney doll?  


 

Snow: Behold! The Marx Sindy Wardrobe #1232 from 1978.

 D7ana: Snow, can you get in the picture with the wardrobe? Thanks.

 Snow: Sure. Here I go.

 

Snow: Howdy, folks! I'm Snow White.

 

Snow: Okay, let us open this wardrobe.

 

Snow: Aaaiieee! Scared myself.

 

Snow: The wardrobe interior. Yes, it has some yellow age spots.

 

Snow: Shelf space for hats or bags.

 

Snow: Some shoes can fit here.

 

Snow: "Snow-in-a-closet?" Ha ha. No. Three drawers.

 

Snow: Well, I'm done here.

 

Snow: Oh and the back is plastic like the rest of the wardrobe.

D7ana:  Thanks, Snow. You did a good job.

I think the Spin Master Liv body works well with this Disney face. I had ruled it out before because I thought the Liv body was too jeune fille. It has enough weight to balance the larger Disney head. What do you think?

Note:
Pullover by M&C Toys, Kari Mitchell
Skinny jeans by Jakks Pacific, Cheetah Girls
White sneakers by Mattel, Flavas

November Means Native American Heritage, Holidays and Sales!

• Native American Heritage Month
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving
• Black Friday
• SALES, SALES, SALES!
  
  
  Above I list possible topics to be covered this month. Something new I'd like to add is a theme word for the month: abundance. And how about manufacturer of the month? Integrity Toys. Think Alysa, Jade, Janay, Candi, Adele, Lukas, and T.J. for feature posts.
  

Happy Halloween - Mattel Flavas P Bo Query

Happy Halloween!

Mattel Flavas P Bo (Street wave) is dressed as a space opera starlet. Notice the improved head-body proportion? She's on a Blue Box Toys (aka Bbi) Joanna Dark body.

Her hair is a little wild - she's mussed it, she's that frazzled. She'd like to know: does anyone recall her being designated the Hispanic Flavas character? By Mattel, on any of Mattel's literature.

She thanks you in advance for any feedback.

Halloween U.K. Style: Playscale Weeping Angel Tutorials

Psst … want a new monster for Halloween 2014? Maybe you are tired of vampires and zombies. What about the Weeping Angels? The Weeping Angels are life-sucking villains who appeared in the revamped Doctor Who. If a Weeping Angel appears, you have to keep your eyes on it because if you break eye contact, it can touch you and then feed on your life-force. Shudder. Not a creature I would like to encounter, but good for scares. Another collector had shared the first tutorial for creating playscale Weeping Angels on her Facebook page earlier this year. This seems a good time to  convert one or more of your disposable Barbie clones into these dangerous creatures.

Tutorial 1 has more photos, but I like how


Tutorial 2 suggests using the "sand" textured paint instead of the "stone" textured paint.


P.S. I will not be making any of these Weeping Angels anytime soon - and no, I'm not afraid that the playscale figures will trigger the creatures. I am terribly busy. That is the story I am sticking to. May you enjoy the tutorials and do keep a mirror opposite whatever creature you create. Just in case.

Polish American Heritage Month in Playscale

October is Polish American Heritage Month. (Among other ethnic groups, but this post is about Polish American dolls.) Time to bring out the Polish and/or Polish-American dolls. Right. Cough. I have a small problem: Mattel only produced ONE Polish Barbie.

Mattel Polish Barbie 1998

Close up of Mattel Polish Barbie 1998

Yes as in o-n-e. One. Amid the many Irish, Italian, French, and British dolls. Then again, if you had asked me about Poland before I wrote this post, I would have been hard pressed to comment about Polish America. I have eaten kielbasa and pierogi. A Polish American teacher told my class that surnames ending in "ski" or "sky" were Polish. I remember being told that there was a Polish resistance movement during World War II. Oh and we have a Polish American Cultural Center in Philadelphia! No, I have never been there, but I know it exists and where it is. More importantly, for this post, though is finding playscale Polish American dolls or action figures. Where can we find them?



1. We could "borrow" dolls from Mattel's Dolls of the World Europe line from neighboring countries like Germany, the Czech Republic, or the Russian Federation.

2. Find celebrity dolls who are Polish American. Ding, ding! A few hits!

Hot Toys
Silken Floss; Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson)


Mattel
Lord of the Rings Arwen (Liv Tyler)
High School Musical Troy (Zac Efron) - more than 1 version; I like the grin-faced one best


Play Along, Ltd. 
Hairspray Link Larkin (Zac Efron)


Toy Biz
Lord of the Rings Arwen (Liv Tyler)


3. Or we can find dolls or action figures from different backgrounds. Here are some figures I considered. Let me know which ones you think "work."

Mattel Scooby Doo Skipper (as Velma)

I suggest Scooby Doo Skipper (Mattel) for her fair complexion, auburn hair, and blue eyes. 

YNU Group, Inc. Mixis doll Houda

Houda? Yes, her stated ethnic mix is French/Lebanese. How about her profile? 

What about these two action figures? They are Revell GmbH& Co. KG Benjamin Lauth (left) and Jakks Pacific Van Helsing (right). Would you use them in playscale roles for Polish Americans? Let me know in a comment. (As always, thanks for your comments.)

Revell GmbH& Co. KG Benjamin Lauth (left) and Jakks Pacific Van Helsing (right)

Revell GmbH& Co. KG Benjamin Lauth (left) and Jakks Pacific Van Helsing (right)

Additional subject reading wanted? Try this article by Matt Soniak or this article by Matt Kiebus. My favorite Polish American contributions are Häagen-Dazs frozen treats and sound in film. 

P.S. Bonus link to a Barbie-clone named Joanna produced by Polish company Krawal shown on here and here.

So Mattel's Polish Barbie need not stand alone in your Polish American display.

Target 7-Doll Ultimate Disney Princess Collection 2014

Target's 7-Doll Ultimate Disney Princess Collection is in stores now.  Guess who is in the set? This year's Princess Anna and Princess Elsa - the royal sisters from Disney's Frozen - join Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Merida and Rapunzel. Now Cinderella, Belle, and Ariel tend to be "regulars" for this series; the other four dolls are the most recent of the princesses. Any comments on the line-up?

Target's 7-Doll Ultimate Disney Princess Collection 2014

Box back Target's 7-Doll Ultimate Disney Princess Collection 2014