Happy Labor Day and September Topics

Yay, September is here! Happy Labor Day to those celebrating it.

Summer is winding down. Temperature is in the 80s. Most days are sunny. Here we have Integrity Toys' "Wild" from the Monsieur Z Summer Babes wave stretched on a bench.

Monsieur Z Summer Babes Wild

Monsieur Z Summer Babes Wild stands

September Topics include: 

Back to School dolls, action figures, and playsets

Doll and Action Figure Sale - I'm at a now or never point.

September 13 - International Chocolate Day. Short and possibly sweet: eat chocolate.

September 15 - October 15 - National Hispanic Heritage Month                                                                 
September 27 - World Tourism Day.  This year, Burkina Faso hosts World Tourism Day. Burkina Faso is a West African country formerly known as Upper Volta. Lonely Planet has a rich tourism page about Burkina Faso.   

Swimwear in September. As in sales, you ask. No, as in, I haven't covered swimwear earlier this summer so I mean to squeeze it in now. What are dolls and action figures wearing and what have dolls and action figures worn?

The Liebstar Award, moving, and organizing are other topics I intend to cover. What's coming up for your blogs?

                         

Part 2: Pinterest Post Promotion - #NoMoreGlueHeads

Okay, who guessed that when I asked for "glue head doll" links, I was thinking "Pinterest board?"

Much as I "love" Mattel for their creativity and their 50+ years of playscale fashion doll production, even I say, "Enough is enough." Dolls should NOT ooze greasy goo. We do not want gluehead dolls; we should not have them. They are a greater threat to Mattel's customer relations than the Bratz, Lammily, or any doll to come. With that mindset, I wondered: how to draw Mattel's attention to this problem? A start would be to gather every website mentioning it under one (or more) Pinterest boards. Ta da. Let me introduce my latest Pinterest board ...

  #NoMoreGlueHeads     

What do you think of Part 2? I'm curious. Feedback, comments are always welcome. (Relevant comments.)
  

Part 1: Request for Links - #NoMoreGlueHeads

I owe this idea to Mrs. Anderson's recent post Everybody loves Mattel's greasy glue. Thanks, "Mrs. A," for contributing to this topic. Four words: glue in dolls' heads. Yes, it seems that glue heads aka fashion dolls with glue-filled heads remain a problem. Sigh. Many of you may have encountered this problem with your Mattel - and possibly other manufacturers' - dolls. If you have written any posts on this subject or you know of relevant articles, would you please share that information in a comment?

Why? Ah ... that's for Part 2.

Here are some of the results from my search for "Mattel glue head dolls:"

Charles' post from 2009 about the puzzling presence of glue in late 2008 - forward Mattel dolls.

Two collectors' findings among their Indonesia-produced Monster High dolls (mature language and content).

Mike's original 2012 video and updated 2013 one.       

Sandy Neeson's Change.org petition from 3 years ago that netted 637 supporters before the petition closed.

BlackKitty's fixes for "g(l)oohaired dolls" 2013    

Mrs. Anderson 2014 post on Mattel's greasy hair problem.


Here are some dolls I have happily re-bodied. They had NO glue in their heads. 

Updating and Branding A PhillyCollector Blog

Okay, I am overdue a makeover. Well, A PhillyCollector is due a makeover. While I'm at it, why not throw in some branding, too? This is the year to go BIG. I'm working on a Pinterest board with ideas about colors and fonts and layouts for A PhillyCollector. If you'd like to throw in suggestions or tips, please do. In the meantime, here are some past faces of A PhillyCollector, courtesy of the Internet Archive.

2011

2012

2012

2014

2015

I like the airy look, but it's too bare and too cluttered along the side. I've got two colors in mind. I haven't used them before. I'm saving them because I don't want to spoil any color suggestions you might have. Feel free to advise as you would - if I went to a party wearing heavy lime green eye shadow,  orange rouge, and silver tinsel hair swatches, you'd tell me I was a shade garish, hmm?

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Thanks, RagingMoon1987 of Confessions of a Dolly Lover, for nominating me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award.



Here are some steps I am to follow:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated me and link back to her site - see opening paragraph.
2. Put the award logo on your blog. (I "borrowed" the logo used on this site.)
3. Answer the ten questions sent to you - see below.
4. Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer - see below.
5. Nominate bloggers who you feel deserve the award - see below.

1. How old were you when you started collecting dolls?
16 years old. I wrote a post about that decision earlier this year.


2. Why did you start a doll blog?
I was laid off. I wanted to do something new. So I combined my love for dolls, writing, and the World Wide Web into one activity: blogging.


3. Do you have one particular doll that is the favorite in your collection?
No. I love too many to single out any one. Besides, they're jealous ;-)


4. What hair color do you prefer your dolls to have?
Black or red.


5. Do you know exactly how many dolls you have in your collection (you don't have to tell the number of course :-) )?
Over 500 ... roughly. I have sold some. I will be selling more.


6. What does your family think about your dolls?
My Mom likes some of them. My siblings don't find them appropriate.


7. Do you ever take your dolls out in public?  If so, where do you like to take them?
Yes. To a park or an empty train station.

8. Do you remember your first doll?  If so, who was she/he?
I think she was a S/L Midge. I traded her in for a TNT Barbie.


9. Is there a retired doll or doll line that you'd like to bring back?
Yes, the Get Set Club dolls OR Liv dolls.


10. If you could design your own doll, what would it look like?
Her face would have a nose like Mixis Rosa, eyes slightly larger than Get Set Gia, and a full mouth like Integrity Toys Janay. Full, textured black-brown hair like Get Set Vanessa only cut to her shoulders. Her articulated body would be fuller like the Get Set dolls only with much slimmer ankles. She'd wear no-iron shirts and tee shirts, midi skirts, palazzo pants, or fitted but not tight bootcut jeans, and sneakers, flat sandals, or flat boots. She'd have both a desktop and a laptop computer, books, notebooks, and pens. She'd have dark chocolate bars, Goya plantain chips, and sundry other edibles. She'd have an armchair to curl up in and a computer chair to to protect her back. And she'd come with a black short-hair cat - green-eyed cat.

Next steps are to nominate others and to set questions.

I am going to ask for volunteers. If you have not been nominated, and would like to participate, please send me the link to your Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award blog post. Here are my questions if you choose to participate:


1. Why did you start a doll blog?

2. What is your favorite doll-related activity?

3. What do you like best about the doll and action hobby?

4. Do you remember your first doll?  If so, who was she/he?

5. What is the most unique doll in your collection?
 
6. Which doll/action figure manufacturers do you admire most?

7. For 1 week, you can be any doll you want, brought to life. Which doll are you and why?

8. Do you ever take your dolls out in public?  If so, where do you like to take them?

9. Is there a retired doll or doll line that you'd like to bring back?

10. If you could design your own doll, what would it look like?

I look forward to reading your posts. Thanks in advance for taking the challenge!

Peeping the New Barbie Eye Doctor

I'm not supposed to be looking at the new dolls yet. Between culling dolls to sell and boxing keepers, I decided to NOT buy new stuff yet. Well, I was in Walmart - and as you'd guess by that beginning, something bad followed. Not a case of furniture fell on my head bad - in which case I'd probably not be blogging about that - but temptation bad. I saw a doll that I should not have seen. Cause now she's on my Wish List. Sigh. And I'd been sooo good.

Here is the newest Barbie doctor, Barbie as an ophthalmologist.

Barbie Eye Doctor Black version

Barbie Eye Doctor Black version

Little patient of Barbie Eye Doctor

Gorgeous face paint of Barbie Eye Doctor, Black version

If you cannot find her in your local stores, she's up for "pre-sale" online. (Shipping by date on the website is August 13, 2015.) Cost? $19.99 - before shipping costs.

Oh and check this YouTube review. It's a mixed but mostly favorable review ... cheapo fashion and stiff NOT articulated body countered by a cute doll and cool playset.

So are you "eyeing" this new Barbie doctor?

Seven Years Makes Me Think Long-term Goals

Seven years for a marriage means wool, copper, or brass gifts. With A PhillyCollector's anniversary being in late August, we're bypassing wool in favor of copper and brass. The DAFs found a Barbie tea kettle for this post's photo. Gifts are not as important as reflections. (Um, that's how not so keen on copper, brass, and wool I am. But I digress ;-) 

Let's talk GOALS.

My long-term goals for this blog are

* to be a reference for collectors of 1:6 aka playscale vinyl/plastic dolls and action figures,

* to be a forum where collector/enthusiasts can react to dolls, action figures, and related events,

* to curate other blog posts or websites of interest to collector/enthusiasts, and

* to share the creative fun of customizing figures and creating fashions, diorama, and stories.

Is there anything else I should add to that list?