Prettie Girls Soon to Ship - Thanks, Debbie

DBG of Black Doll Collecting blog shared the news that two of the One World Project Prettie Girls, Lena and Valencia, will be shipping soon. Price is $21.95 EACH - a sale price since the website, the regular cost will be $24.95. (That regular cost is a little higher than expected, but given that the dolls are articulated and the clothes look quality, not too extravagant.) So if you were interested in these dolls, check the updated photos and additional information at their website, The Prettie Girls! Dolls. Or check DBG's Black Doll Collecting blog and Roxanne's Dolls blog for coming photos.

Me, I want Valencia first. I know I had said Lena before, but that's before I fell in love with the pink Chucks Valencia has. Lena's shoes have heels. I hate heels - well, to wear them anyway. So I prefer to have my dolls wearing what I would wear. When I can that is - smile.

More posts about the Prettie Girls can be found on this blog (yes, some links outside this blog, smile) and more information can be found in my Pinterest board for the Prettie Girls. Happy reading and viewing.

Target-Exclusive Barbie Giftsets: Ballet and Wedding Play

Have a Target gift card that you want to use? Here are two Target-exclusives with perennial play themes. One is ballet-themed; the other, wedding-themed. Anyone remember Tomy’s Nina Ballerina? “The beautiful dancing doll?” Here's a photo of Nina on the box cover.

Fast forward to the first giftset called "Barbie Holiday Ballet," which reminds me of Nina and her pink star stage. These four dolls come packaged on a “performing stage” where they perform a ballet: they turn right, left, or spin around. Wheeee! The dance troop consists of

Barbie as Kristyn Farraday
Ken as Prince Siegfried
Poinsettia (ballerina wearing red)
Snowflake (ballerina wearing blue)

The second Barbie giftset uses the ever popular wedding theme. Stifle that yawn. In the Barbie Fairytale Wedding Party Doll Giftset, the wedding party includes

Bride Barbie
Groom Ken
Bridesmaid Stacey
Flower Girl Chelsea


Stacey swaps out for Skipper. That’s different, yes? Mmmmuh. If I were to create a Wedding Party Doll giftset, I would have

Bride Barbie
Groom Ken
Bridesmaid Female Barbie friend
Best Man Steven OR Ryan
Flower Girl Chelsea


Barbie’s younger siblings are cute, but I would think that the bridesmaid should be – well, around the bride’s age. Flower girls can be and should be young: the function is to look cute and to strew flowers along the bride’s path. (Note to self: if I ever marry, no flower girl – those cutesy flowers might cause me to fall. Hobbling about on crutches is not my idea of honeymoon fun. Do people ever think of that? What romance is there in trampling dead flowers?)

What and who would your doll wedding party include?

Janay Research - Pinterest Update

I submitted this query to MasterCollectors online contact:

Hi, I have followed your Toy Fair Reviews since 2002. May I pin your Integrity Toys Janay and Friends photos on Pinterest? Your photos have your logo and I would leave your link in my comment. It is difficult to find good photos of those dolls. The Pinterest board I would load them to is Integrity Janay & Friends.

Thanks for maintaining your Toy Fair archives and for your response, whatever you decide.
Sincerely,


And the result? Permission granted! Yay! So Janay and other Integrity playline doll fans, go check out my newly expanded Integrity Janay & Friends board. I have annotated the photos with doll identification when I recognized the dolls shown or other information gleaned over the years. Please let me know if any notes need correcting. Enjoy!

P.S. Debbie, this post is part 1 of the promised "sister" post to your Janay post.

Zica Toys' Action Jackson - No NOT Carl Weathers

First, no, we are NOT talking about Carl Weathers or the "Action Jackson" 80's movie.

No, I am talking about the re-issue of a classic action figure, Action Jackson, by a new toy company, Zica Toys. Action Jackson originally was an 8-inch tall jointed action figure created by Mego Corporation. Raise your hand if you remember Mego Corporation. Oh Mego ... producers of the Waltons, Cher, Diana Ross, Dinah-Mite, and many other 8-inch and over 12-inch action figures and dolls.
 
Aside: I still remember firmly grasping the Waltons' farmhouse in both hands while standing in the checkout line of a South Philly toy store. My Dad stood in line after me. He kept tapping his fingernails on my shoulder. He told me that I was not going to waste my money on "that junk." I was all the more determined to get it so I stood my ground. He went to wait for me in the car. Alas, the farmhouse was not only too short for my Barbies, it was 95% cardboard with plastic steps and porch posts. (Lesson for me a la caveat emptor; lesson for my Dad in that he ought to have gotten my glasses replaced. Sigh.)

Those were the golden days for Mego. But there may be life after cancellation for one Mego brand: Action Jackson. Today, Zica Toys shows some prototype head on this Facebook page. They will produce African American figures if the initial dolls sell. Maybe even a Carl Weathers' Action Jackson figure ;-)

P.S. Zica Toys also have a Yvonne action figure whose head sells on eBay. Additional reference? Check this article on The Joe Report,


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Nostalgic about the original Mego figures? There is an online resource for you; it's called the Mego Museum. Enjoy!

Correction to Tanned Raquelle Post - She Ain't Raquelle!

In my last post, I wrote about a thrilling "discovery" - a tanned, purple-haired Raquelle. Well, first Jewel Snake asked about the identity of the doll. Was I sure that the new doll is Raquelle? I looked at the photo I took and  dolls with the other Barbie face mold. Back and forth, back and forth, I looked. But I couldn't see the Barbie in the purple-haired doll. Then an anonymous reader and Ms. Leo questioned the identification of the purple-haired doll as Raquelle. I felt a less certain about the identification I had made.

So I thought: check the head molds. Before I could ask that info though, I found myself in another Walmart store. (Yes, that easily, ha ha. Poof.) Once there, I could not resist the lure of the toy department and the Barbie aisle in particular. The Eureka moment occurred. This store had both an "In the Spotlight" Raquelle AND the new purple-haired Mariposa doll on the shelves.

Okay, I see now. Raquelle's nose is smaller; her mouth is wider with thinner and flatter lips. The Mariposa friend has larger eyes that tilt up more than Raquelle's.
Her smile is less toothy. Raquelle's face seems a little flatter. Hmmm ...

So - alas - no tanned Raquelle's yet. I apologize for any disappointment caused.

But good news for Muff - the purple-haired Mariposa doll seems to have a normal-sized head.

Let's thank Jewel Snake, Ms. Leo, and Anonymous for their keen eyes! Applause.

Tanned Mattel Raquelle Anyone?

Raquelle face doll fans, alert! There is a suntanned Raquelle doll available. Usually, Raquelle has light or fair complexion. But if you'd like to see her with a tawnier complexion - and you do not mind purple hair OR re-rooting fashion doll heads, this doll is for you. She's one of the Mariposa co-star or friend fairy dolls. Walmart calls this doll a "co-star," while Amazon calls her, "friend."


 

There is a close-up photograph and a full length photograph. What do you think of her? Happy searching!

Frozen Dolls

The movie will be out November 27, 2013, but you can find the dolls from the Disney movie Frozen in stores now. Frozen is about two sisters, Anna and Elsa and their adventures as they attempt to restore their kingdom of Arendelle from an eternal winter. Anyone thinking a modern, cheerier version of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen with siblings replacing Gerda and Kay and the Snow Queen?

Here are the two wide-eyed sisters: Elsa (left) and Anna (right). Elsa has the power to create snow and ice. She accidentally triggers the "eternal winter." Anna, the younger and optimistic sister, wants to reconnect with her sister and to restore the land to its former four season glory. Head nod. Maybe the commission of the story will be more exciting than the premise, but I see a definite pass on this one. I never liked the fairy tales where the younger siblings win out over the older ones. Why not? I AM the oldest sibling. Sigh.

And here is the back of the box for these dolls.

If any of you see this movie this Thanksgiving, do let me know how you found it. I thank you in advance for that favor.