Tracy Turnblad Up Close

In a recent post on Blog of Eternal Stench, blogger EW aka Modern Wizard, comments on an ad demanding that parents keep their children away from obesity. I mentioned the two plump dolls that I have - Mattel's Rosie O'Donnell and PlayAlong's Tracy Turnblad. I am posting close up photos of Tracy here.



Tracy face forward




Tracy's right side




Tracy's left side

Toy Hunt at Big Lots, Norristown - Part 2

Big Lots also had the following Kitchen set that was available to K B Toys:



I had bought a similar Kitchen set from K B Toys under the Home Sweet Home banner a few years ago.

Recycling and the Collector

This post was inspired by a ModernWizard query/comment.

What materials annoy DAF collectors? Plastic inserts, styrofoam, and wire twist ties. We love the protection - everyone wants to get an intact doll or action figure. After we remove the doll or figure, we are left with packaging. Packaging and how to get rid of it. Responsibly. Time to breakdown the box, separating the cardboard from the clear plastic and/or any styrofoam. Hoping that the trash collectors will take the separated materials. Putting the separated materials in a large, dark plastic bag if/when the trash collectors are on a "garbage only" tour and then a litterer adds food to the recyclables. Grrr ...

Collectors, we have an alternative. And I don't mean putting everything in a large, dark plastic bag the first time. We can recycle our packaging junk by re-using it.

I don't have any recycling projects, but I know of at least three websites where you can find inspiring new uses for DAF packaging. Please see these links:

C. Bradford Gorby's 1:6 Scale Diorama Creations

and

J. Steven York's "Thinking inside the Box" post dated Tuesday, September 02, 2008

and

DollDivas Dioramas

You can also check archives of online boards like Men With Dolls or One Sixth Warriors for customized furniture and structures.

Toy Hunt at Big Lots, Norristown - Part 1

Okay, I went seeking new or new-to-me Power Team figures. When I go to Big Lots, my target is the M & C 12" Power Team action figures. Alas, the ONLY Power Team figure there was the long-faced, blond Paratrooper in the dark olive jumpsuit. Cute in an intellectual way, but not compelling enough for me to buy a second. So I looked for the dolls.

Big Lots carries a lot of the cheaper and/or close-out Barbies and several of the Chic Boutique dolls. In the greater Philadelphia area, Big Lots, Dollar General, and Conways carry some of the types of dolls once available at K B Toys or often available at KMart. City Style Barbie, Glam Barbie, recent Fashion Fever dolls, My Scene Disco, an early High School Musical Gabriella in red dress, etc. Nothing remarkable. Priced from $5-12 USD so you could get a "cheap fix" here.

I found a Nikki whose eyes are painted to the left; since I usually find Nikkis with eyes to the right. Not an earthshattering difference, but I had gone a long way to get there. I wanted to bring something home. And well, I liked her red scoop-necked top and her full leopard skirt. Five dollar price. Sold to the purchase-withdrawn collector.

Here's a photo of this Nikki





And a closer photo of her face

New Template ... Love the New Look!

My first template - a medium tan center with dark brown side borders - did not seem to match "the mood" of my PhillyCollector blog. I would have liked that template for writing on 19th century British and/or American prose, but it felt less and less "right" for my blog about collecting modern fashion dolls and action figures. Scanned my template options and found this one, "Denim," available. Liked the preview shot and so I switched.

I like the clearer, cleaner look this template offers. The extra "white space" makes the photos pop more and the heavier titles for posts, I find an improvement.

Toy Fair 2009 Photos by Asmzine

One of my favorite sources for Toy Fair information is Asmzine. They have been covering the Toy Fair since 2000. They have photos of the Mattel Barbie dolls and setting.


Asmzine Toy Fair 2009

As the week progresses, they may have information about the Integrity lines, too.

WebShots PhotoAlbums

I have an account at WebShots that I am going to tie-in with this blog. I will be able to reduce the photo space I use on Flickr/Blogspot for my posts here. That space reduction would reduce my load time, too. I'll see if I can include that WebShots account here tonight or tomorrow morning.