PhillyCollector Wins a Liebster Blog Award - Thanks, DBG!

 

 
First, I want to thank Debbie Behan Garrett for presenting A PhillyCollector of Playscale Dolls and Action Figures with a Liebster Blog Award. I am pleased that you deemed my blog worthy of this Award. Pause for Snoopy dance. I accept this Award not just for me, but for all the little people - hey, at 1:6 scale, they are "little people" who bring joy to my life and the lives of those who visit here. Sniff. This blog would not exist without them. Arm wave over the masses of cheering, a few jeering dolls and action figures.

Next? If you have seen this Award given to other bloggers, you know that part two means questions and answers. I answer the 11 questions Debbie submitted:

1. What prompted you to begin blogging?

In August 2008, I was laid off. So I combined my two favorite hobbies – writing and doll collecting – to see if I could express myself and if I could reach others.

2. When do you usually write your blogs?

I usually write at night.

3. What inspires or otherwise motivates you to publish a blog?

a.) The dolls and action figures produced

b.) Expressing my enthusiasm about them

c.) Getting responses from fellow enthusiasts

4. What is your favorite pastime?

“Collecting” dolls and action figures – which means finding them, thinking about them, buying them, discussing them with others, posing them, photographing them, and writing about them.

5. If your favorite pastime involves collecting dolls, answer this question and the next two (otherwise skip to question 8): What dolls do you collect?

Modern playscale fashion dolls and action figures – emphasis on variation of races and ethnicities

6.  How long have you been collecting and what prompted you to begin?

Over 30 years … I started “collecting” as a way to justify buying, hoarding, and writing about playscale figures. I slapped the “right” label to "make" the activity acceptable.

7.  Are your dolls confined to one room or are they in more than one room in your home?

They are all over my home. The bulk of them are in one room, but there are plenty hanging about in other areas.

8. If questions 5-7 do not apply to you, but you are a former collector, why do you no longer collect?

I cannot imagine ever not “collecting.”

9. What was the last movie you saw either in a theater or on DVD?

Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor on DVD.

10. What was the last book you read?

Ultimate Guide to Pinterest for Business by Karen Leland

11. If you could live anywhere other than your current location, where would it be?

Love my current location.

Now to pay forward this award, rather than duplicate bloggers Debbie or someone else has already chosen, I am putting a D7ana twist on the Award process. The first ten bloggers who contact me here via the comments will win this Liebster Blog Award provided the blogger meets these criteria:

1.) You have not been chosen for the Liebster Blog Award this year. (No sense making you work a second time, hmmm?)

2.) You follow "A Philly Collector of Playscale Dolls and Action Figures" blog.

3.) You have a blog that posts about playscale fashion dolls and/or action figures.

4.) Your blog has fewer than 500 followers.

Your actions - should you seek this honor - will be to answer the 11 questions Debbie Behan Garrett provided OR to answer any 11 doll-related or action figure-related questions of your choosing. I am sharing the link Debbie had provided for more information about this blog award. Thanks again, Debbie, for this fun opportunity.

Found: New Source for M&C Toys Power Team Guys!

"I wasn't looking, but somehow I found them ..." 

"Them" meaning M&C Toys' Power Team guys. Yes, playscale Power Team guys - wolf whistle. Where? At a Deals store in Philly. For how much - $8.00. When? Yesterday. Which ones? These two cuties shown below. Now I cannot guarantee that these same two will be available at any and every Deals store. And I am really hoping that there are even MORE Power Team guys available at other Deals stores in the city and in the near suburbs. Great news, yes? Fine, articulated male figures for our dioramas under ten dollars - oh, yes.

Here are photos of the two guys I saw and the back of their boxes. (Alas, I have not seen any ethnic figures yet, but we *know* that M&C Toys makes ethnic figures so it's just a matter of time.) 

M&C Toys Power Team figures at Deals

 

Power Team blond hero with blue eyes

 

Power Team brunet hero with black-brown eyes

 

M&C Toys Power Team box back

So if you are looking for any M&C Toys Power Team action figures to increase your male playscale population, stop by the Deals stores in your area. You might be pleasantly surprised.



P.S. if you want to treat yourself to photos of these action figures, peruse the photos uploaded at this Flickr site.

Happy Birthday, Barbie!

Happy Birthday, Barbie!

Many more years of fun and excitement to the one doll who launched countless doll and action figure lines.

Cheers,

D7ana

Beyond DotW Barbies: Expanding Your Irish-American Fashion Dolls

March is Irish American Heritage Month in the United States.

Many years ago, I had a Princess of Ireland Barbie doll. I kept her for a few years and then sold her. I was not thrilled with her. Yes, she is a pretty doll. We just did not bond. I do not have any other Irish Barbies. That absence does not mean criticism of Mattel's Irish fashion dolls. They are more cutesy, more twee than I like. Now, I detect no malice on Mattel's part: they produced the Dolls of the World (DotW) dolls for a North American market. So they pile on features that their North American market will recognize as "Irish" -- red hair, green or blue eyes, green dress, shamrocks, leprechauns, etc. Stereotypes? I'll leave that designation for you to decide.

Aside: for a list and photos of Mattel's Irish Barbies, see Kathryn Darden’s 2010 Examiner article about them. Ms. Darden has that topic covered. I want to move on to something else. Past the Mattel-designated Irish Barbie offerings.

Okay, if you are tired of or bored by Mattel's Irish doll offerings, I have three suggestions to expand your Irish fashion doll collection:

1. Find celebrity dolls who are Irish or Irish American and use them in your Irish-themed dioramas. Rosie O'Donnell will count -- an Irish-American icon now one of your more realistic Irish-American fashion dolls. Maybe you have a John F. Kennedy action figure? What about the British-Irish musical groups? Siva Kaneswaran of The Wanted and Niall Horan of One Direction are listed as being Irish. So, there you have more ethnic dolls to collect. What Irish or Irish-American celebs do you have in your collection? Bring them forth for this occasion.

2. Assign dolls or action figures you have who meet the physical attributes that you consider "Irish" or "Irish-American." Let's see ... how about another brunet Irish? What about my Harley Davidson Kens? I have the first one here at hand. Presto-change-o. I consider thee an Irish-American, Ken. We don't have any wintry green fashions for you to wear, but you can wear green in your heart. And for a red-haired Irish lass ... why not Surf City Midge? Okay she is a little tan in spite of her freckles. (Remember, she is American, too.)  I'll bring her in. Look, she's wearing a green and blue Fashion Avenue outfit. Hey, she is already dressed in green. Yay, Midge! She and Ken can join Rosie. "Say cheese."

3. Kitbash dolls and/or action figures to resemble Irish or Irish-Americans you admire. Okay, I don't have examples of this, but maybe you do. So, you can expand on your Irish or Irish-American fashion dolls and leave aside or add to Mattel's costumed crew. Choose dolls with the hair color and wearing the outfits that you choose for them.

Want to share the web addresses to those customized dolls? Come on ... please and my biggest smile. Leave the urls in the comments. Thanks for sharing!

Prettie Girls to Add East Asian Prettie Girl

Check this Dolls Magazine interview with Trent T. Daniel of One World Project. We can look forward to an East Asian Prettie Girl and Prettie Girl fashions later this year. Exciting news, yes? Yes!

Barbie-Reference Author J. Michael Augustyniak Died

J. Michael Augustyniak, author of several Barbie books, died on February 28, 2014.

No, I did not know him personally. But I enjoy these books by him:

Barbie Doll Around the World Identification and Values 1964-2007. Collectors Books. Paducah, Kentucky, 2007.

Barbie Doll Collector's Editions Identification and Values. 2008 Edition. Collectors Books. Paducah, Kentucky, 2008.

Collector's Encyclopedia of Barbie Doll Exclusives Identification and Values. Third Edition. Collectors Books. Paducah, Kentucky, 2005.

I LOVE seeing fashion dolls online, but holding a clean, crisp doll reference book - now that is delightful. I can curl up with such a book. I enjoy seeing photographs of dolls I have and dolls I do not have. Having the dolls, being able to touch them in the vinyl is best, yes. Eh, but there is something soothing about turning pages and soaking in the visuals. That's a a nice pre-sleep activity - because it takes me away from the computer screen, the television, work activities, and more intense reading. I thank the talented authors like the late Mr. Augustyniak who allow me to have this experience. This post is my tribute to him.
 
Additional books he has written and provided photography for include:

Barbie Boom: Identification and Values

Barbie Doll Photo Album 1959 to 2009 

Thirty Years of Mattel Fashion Dolls: Identification & Value Guide 1967 Through 1997 

(This last one I intend to buy someday: it has the Young Sweethearts and other playscale but NOT directly Barbie-related dolls.)

For additional information about Mr. Augustyniak, please see these websites:

Collectorbook author biography, scroll to the second entry (web page dated 2007)

Fort Wayne, Indiana Journal Gazette Interview, August 16, 2008

You can sign the legacy book for Mr. Augustyniak online if you wish. May he rest in peace. My sympathy to his family.

March Highlights: Women's History, Irish Americans, and Umbrellas!

March 1st and what topics are up for this month? 

Women's History Month is celebrated in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rubbing my hands together. We know Barbie's birthday is March 9. She debuted on that day in 1959. I'll also look at other fashion doll lines lead by a female doll.

Irish American Heritage Now is the time to bring out your Irish Barbies. Do you have any other Irish / Irish American playscale dolls or action figures? Bring them out. This can be their month to shine.

What is handy to have on deeply sunny days or under shadowy clouds ... why umbrellas! Yes! March is the month to celebrate the humble, homely, and handy device that protects us from rain and from the sun. Umbrellas are also fun accessories for our dolls and action figures. Do you have those cheesy paper flat umbrellas or the more elaborate vinyl ones with spokes? I will hunt out mine and share them here. Paper to plastic, they add that finishing touch to our playscale ensembles.

I have "leftover" posts from February: a post about cornrowed hair in playscale, Sindy furnishings, and Jazz Diva Barbie part 2. There are other items and body parts that may be highlighted in March, but I choose the above three as most interesting to me. (Well, National Craft Month also is a March event, but I am not sure how much time I will have to be creative.) 

Are there any March events that you will be doing ... regarding playscale dolls and action figures? Write in and share. Maybe I should expand my list ....