Surprise! Nabbed a Graduation Ryan at Target!

"I wasn't looking ... but somehow I found him."

That's how things were this afternoon. I was in a Target where I was doing my scan for any new fashion dolls or action figures. I checked the High School Musical dolls there, not expecting that I would find him. The elusive kilted Ryan from the HSM 3 Graduation line? Not a chance. He wasn't high on my list of must haves anyway.

But just like those Rebelde boy-girl sets, Ryan appeared. I found him at the Target off Bustleton Avenue, a block below Cottman Avenue.



So for those still seeking the High School Musical 3 Graduation class figures, take a deep breath. The figures are out there. Good luck!

New (to Me) Power Team Photos on Webshots

I was checking for sources for M&C Toys' figures, Power Team and StarRunner, when I came across three Webshots photo albums that took my breath. (Well, I kinda did a gasp thing and then held my breath a few times. I was that engrossed. Whoa, this is turning into an "en" night!)

Here is the link:

PowerTeam Photos

Repeat to self: I cannot afford new figures at this time. I cannot afford new figures at this time ....

Sigh.

Vinnie, Taboo, Kana, and Kat of East Philly

Left: Vinnie and Taboo standing; Kana and Kat kneeling.
Right: Vinnie, Kana, and Taboo standing while Kat sits.

Welcome from some citizens of East Philly.

Vinnie and Taboo decided to share an apartment when they arrived in East Philly. Some Kens and some Joes said that the new guys were gay; Vinnie and Taboo denied being more than rooom mates. Vinnie works in construction, cooks Italian classics, and knits (shhh ... only when he feels stressed). Taboo is a car mechanic who used to work with Michael Chan. Taboo does not discuss what he did when working with Mr. Chan.

Chestnut-haired Kana and brunette Kat are sisters. Kana petitioned Vinnie and Taboo to act as their parents so that the girls would not have to live in the local orphanage. Vinnie and Taboo agreed; the guys wanted witnesses to them being "straight." The four moved to a house next door to Baptist minister, Reverend Isaiah Ezekiel Hadley and his family.

DAF Characters and Storylines, Part 1

Okay this post has nothing to do with buying dolls or action figures in Philadelphia or elsewhere. This post is about creating DAF characters. "Playing with" our collection. I had back stories for my dolls and action figures when I was a child, as a teenager, and throughout my adult "collecting" years. Usually, I talk about what I collect and where I can find them or how this one differs from that one. Left unsaid is my guilty pleasure in telling stories of the dolls. Because telling stories about dolls and action figures smacks of "playing" and everyone knows, adults aren't supposed to play.

Eh but times are hard. Financially. So I can't buy the way I could last year. And even if I could, story ideas pop up. I re-dress a Barbie Musician-Prince in a brown tee shirt and Ken jeans and zap. His name is Jay, and he plays football. Gee, I wish I could find a new Hot Toys body for him ... like the one that Darren, one of my Hot Toys figures, has. And that Power Team guy there, the one I think of as "Roger Hawthorne," well, he's Jay's proud father. And maybe that Integrity Heat Wave Alysa could be Jay's mom and Roger's wife? Does she look mature enough though? And so on. Sigh.

Then I have been reading other collectors' doll and action figure stories. Roville, of course, and Cheridoll's Crossroads series, and Dolla's Harley Works, and Nick's Toyville and more recently, Michael's Paramus Chronicles and Modern Wizard's Love has Fangs.

And Modern Wizard's blog post, in which she identifies her DAF characters, here, impressed me. I mean she has her characters lined up, photographed, and identified. Wow, I thought. I want to do that.

Or at least get some of my figures photographed together. Like the Dirty Laundry News Team, the Syphons, the Janay clan, the Tan Van staff, the Science Corridor East, and the other denizens of East Philly.

Sigh. Wow.

Integrity Candi and Janay and Storied Photos

I'm thinking about the best background for my next Janay and Candi photos. Rather than just photograph the dolls, I want to pull in the stories that I have for them. Note: some dolls, I have have no story background other than what the manufacturer provides. Other dolls and action figures have what I think of as East Philly characters and storylines. Most of my Janays and two Alysas, one Jade, one Jordan, one Alejandro, one Tariq, and one Giselle have stories. My Candis - exception is the More is More Candi - have story backgrounds, too. I'd like to work their stories into the photographs.

(Aside, I have just found the perfect figure for the oldest brother, Pierre. He's a Power Team Gunner, and he resembles the Janays and Tariq.)

Having stories for the dolls and action figures provides more fun for this collector anyway. Guess that means that I do still "play with" my dolls and action figures. Well, I confess - I like to have fun.

New GessHu100 Story on Webshots

Fans of the Paramus Chronicles, Michael aka GessHu100 has a new photostory, Meeting Mr. Right - Chapter 0ne online in Webshots. So far, the story has had 614 hits. It's standard Paramus quality with the additional bonus of viewer feedback requested regarding voting out characters.

Please note: Meeting Mr. Right is an adult story.

Uploaded Webhots Photo Folders - Candi & G.I. Joe

Today, I uploaded photos to my Webshots Candi folder and a few more photos to my Webshots G.I. Joe folder. You can find my Webshots folders here.

I have also added some photos to my Flickr account; those photographs will show in the Slideshow at the bottom of this page.