Okay, I really want to break down those boxes. Open them up and separate the clothes by size into boxes. So let's get the preliminary analysis work out and done. Then I can dig in with no anxieties that I am jinxing myself.
What works?
The enthusiasm that I still have for this hobby. That I have a room and some additional space to place stuff.
What doesn't work?
While I have a doll and action figure collection, much of it is either boxed up or spread throughout the apartment now.
Essential needs?
Access to collection and maintaining the collection so that I enjoy it now and others can enjoy it when I no longer can.
Why get organized?
To better enjoy my collection.
What's stopping me from having an accessible/organized collection?
* I have items I no longer want to keep
* I have lots of boxed items that I cannot enjoy fully because they are boxed.
* I am not using the space that I have as well as I should/could
* * * * NOTE: NOT SAYING THAT I HAVE TOO MANY ITEMS * * * *
* I may need additional storage units
* I definitely need more shelves and possibly glass cabinets
* I don't have funds for new shelves, storage units, etc. now
What is my goal now?
My goal used to be to amass a huge and varied doll and action figure collection. Now I want to have a varied collection only I want it to be accessible and to be well maintained. Boxes are not as important as they used to be. In fact, I want to "play" more with the figures.
Step One: Analysis done.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Organizing the Doll and Action Figure Collection Pt. 3
After I completed my last post about organizing the doll and action figure room, I noticed that unopened clothes take up a lot of space. Here are four photos of unopened clothes:
Yes, I am jumping steps ahead of my organizing project. Deboxing comes further along, after I have written the action plan. Then I schedule actions. On the other hand, I would have more space AFTER I have opened some of those outfits up and deboxed them.
Maybe I'll start with the Ken and action figure clothes. Sort by size. I've got two tall guys (Lukas and Scottie), three husky guys (Sulu, Pavel, and Noah), about ten male teenagers (Mattel HSM and other teens; Takara Jenny's beaus), and a bunch of "regular" sized guys. Lukas, Scott, and the husky guys can have their clothes in one box, Tall and Big. The teenagers can have their clothes in another box, Youth. The other men will have a third box, Regular. When I have a chance, I would like to sort the Regular size clothes into Fall-Winter and Spring-Summer boxes so that I can go to one or the other box by season. I'll separate the shoes as well: Small, Ken, X-Large.
I also have loose clothes (male, female, children) and boxed clothes from the Mattel Mary Kate and Ashley size, Lollipop outfits, and Kelly/Shelly clothes. There is a broader range in female sizes so I would separate those outfits later. Women's sizes go from 8" Grandma Walton (Petite) to 11 1/2" Tracy and 12" Esther (Plus).
Yes, I am jumping steps ahead of my organizing project. Deboxing comes further along, after I have written the action plan. Then I schedule actions. On the other hand, I would have more space AFTER I have opened some of those outfits up and deboxed them.
Maybe I'll start with the Ken and action figure clothes. Sort by size. I've got two tall guys (Lukas and Scottie), three husky guys (Sulu, Pavel, and Noah), about ten male teenagers (Mattel HSM and other teens; Takara Jenny's beaus), and a bunch of "regular" sized guys. Lukas, Scott, and the husky guys can have their clothes in one box, Tall and Big. The teenagers can have their clothes in another box, Youth. The other men will have a third box, Regular. When I have a chance, I would like to sort the Regular size clothes into Fall-Winter and Spring-Summer boxes so that I can go to one or the other box by season. I'll separate the shoes as well: Small, Ken, X-Large.
I also have loose clothes (male, female, children) and boxed clothes from the Mattel Mary Kate and Ashley size, Lollipop outfits, and Kelly/Shelly clothes. There is a broader range in female sizes so I would separate those outfits later. Women's sizes go from 8" Grandma Walton (Petite) to 11 1/2" Tracy and 12" Esther (Plus).
Sunday, January 18, 2009
New Year Project - Organizing the Doll and Action Figure Room Pt. 2
In Part 1 of Organizing the Doll and Action Figure Room, I gave the room size and that the room would be shared with pets, one cat and three turtles (contained). In Part 2, I will start with my resources because they will help me form my action plan and describe the results. There are two books and one web source.
The books are Don Aslett's Clutter's Last Stand and Julie Morgenstern's Organizing from the Inside Out.
The web source is some pages titled "Strategies for Organizing Your Doll Collection" by Denise Van Patten of CollectDolls.About.com. That web page is found here:
http://collectdolls.about.com/library/weekly/aa010401a.htm
Don Aslett's statement that a collection should be used or lost reminds me that collections deserve to displayed and appreciated. As my collection has grown, I have seen less and less of the individual pieces that thrilled me when I first discovered them. I miss knowing where items are and setting them up.
Julie Morgenstern's system calls for these acts: analyze, strategize, and attack. What's the current situation and why do I want to organize my collection? What do I need to do next and when do I do those things? And finally, I execute the plan and share the results.
Denise Van Patten's articles provide hobby specific organizing tasks including display tips and storage tips for overflow dolls and action figures.
The storage units I have now, the collection size, and additional steps will be posted under the Organizing the Doll and Action Figure Collection header.
The books are Don Aslett's Clutter's Last Stand and Julie Morgenstern's Organizing from the Inside Out.
The web source is some pages titled "Strategies for Organizing Your Doll Collection" by Denise Van Patten of CollectDolls.About.com. That web page is found here:
http://collectdolls.about.com/library/weekly/aa010401a.htm
Don Aslett's statement that a collection should be used or lost reminds me that collections deserve to displayed and appreciated. As my collection has grown, I have seen less and less of the individual pieces that thrilled me when I first discovered them. I miss knowing where items are and setting them up.
Julie Morgenstern's system calls for these acts: analyze, strategize, and attack. What's the current situation and why do I want to organize my collection? What do I need to do next and when do I do those things? And finally, I execute the plan and share the results.
Denise Van Patten's articles provide hobby specific organizing tasks including display tips and storage tips for overflow dolls and action figures.
The storage units I have now, the collection size, and additional steps will be posted under the Organizing the Doll and Action Figure Collection header.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Integrity Dynamite Girl Heartbreaker TJ Arrives
Integrity Toys' Dynamite Girl Heartbreaker TJ arrived today. She's a lovely, elegant-looking doll as those familiar with these dolls would expect. TJ wears a red blouse and pink with white lace overlay hot pants. She has a small white teddy bear with her -- possibly the gift of one of her suitors?
Here's a photo of the back of her box:
Somewhere out in the doll collecting communities, there are people shaking their heads. Oh, she's not a real black doll. No, she's just a chocolate-dipped white doll. I recognize that there are Black women with keen features. There are Black women with fuller features. There is room enough in my crowded doll and action figure collection for both.
Back in the '60s and the 70's when some people found chocolate-dipped dolls offensive, I wondered how people who looked like those dolls felt. Unauthentic? Not Black enough? That didn't seem fair. People's looks -- barring surgery -- stem from a chance arrangement of their parents' genes. Sure, I could understand wanting Black dolls with fuller features and coarser hair, but the keener featured dolls were or could be representative, too.
Today, my take is this: a toy company wants to reach more audiences WITHOUT the added expense of creating a new head mold. No evil plan. Just economics.
Here's a photo of the back of her box:
Somewhere out in the doll collecting communities, there are people shaking their heads. Oh, she's not a real black doll. No, she's just a chocolate-dipped white doll. I recognize that there are Black women with keen features. There are Black women with fuller features. There is room enough in my crowded doll and action figure collection for both.
Back in the '60s and the 70's when some people found chocolate-dipped dolls offensive, I wondered how people who looked like those dolls felt. Unauthentic? Not Black enough? That didn't seem fair. People's looks -- barring surgery -- stem from a chance arrangement of their parents' genes. Sure, I could understand wanting Black dolls with fuller features and coarser hair, but the keener featured dolls were or could be representative, too.
Today, my take is this: a toy company wants to reach more audiences WITHOUT the added expense of creating a new head mold. No evil plan. Just economics.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Beefcake: Hot Toys True Type Caucasian
Here are some photos of one of my Hot Toys True Type action figures.
Hot Toys True Type Caucasian Headshot
Striking a Martial Arts Pose
Back view -- yes, he does have fuller buttocks than most action figures
Contemplative side view
Dancing with the lovely Houda
Hot Toys True Type Caucasian Headshot
Striking a Martial Arts Pose
Back view -- yes, he does have fuller buttocks than most action figures
Contemplative side view
Dancing with the lovely Houda
New Year Project - Organizing the Doll and Action Figure Room Pt. 1
A recent thread on DollyDaily.com , Do You Have a Dolly Room, http://www.dollydaily.com/community/showthread.php?p=45280#post45280 and some additional photos of a British doll collector's rooms -- Jody at http://www.britishbarbie.co.uk/ inspired me to look at my Doll and Action Figure room for improvements.
Space. My collection needs more space. More storage units, too.
I can't afford new storage units at this time. So I'll work on the space issue for now. I have a room that's roughly 15 feet wide by 10 feet 5 inches deep. There is a door at each end of the first wall and a large window case in the center of the opposing wall. There's a smaller window case in the wall on the right (when entering the room), but that window case is shorter and higher up. The fourth wall is all wall with no interruptions.
This room is shared with one cat and three boxer turtles so I will need to keep them in mind as I make plans. The cat needs one or two window spots; the turtles are less demanding, but they would be better near the door. (Have to change their water regularly so they shouldn't be across the room.)
I've also got two computers here. One works; the other has old photos and documents that I hope to recover. There are also two printers and a 4-drawer vertical file cabinet. A round wastebasket and two boxes of old journals complete the non-doll stuff.
I'll post photos tomorrow and steps to take and maybe a calendar.
I'd like to know what I have and to be able to get things when I want them.
Space. My collection needs more space. More storage units, too.
I can't afford new storage units at this time. So I'll work on the space issue for now. I have a room that's roughly 15 feet wide by 10 feet 5 inches deep. There is a door at each end of the first wall and a large window case in the center of the opposing wall. There's a smaller window case in the wall on the right (when entering the room), but that window case is shorter and higher up. The fourth wall is all wall with no interruptions.
This room is shared with one cat and three boxer turtles so I will need to keep them in mind as I make plans. The cat needs one or two window spots; the turtles are less demanding, but they would be better near the door. (Have to change their water regularly so they shouldn't be across the room.)
I've also got two computers here. One works; the other has old photos and documents that I hope to recover. There are also two printers and a 4-drawer vertical file cabinet. A round wastebasket and two boxes of old journals complete the non-doll stuff.
I'll post photos tomorrow and steps to take and maybe a calendar.
I'd like to know what I have and to be able to get things when I want them.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
New Terrority - Amazon.co.uk and Bollywood Dolls
I have discovered Amazon.co.uk .
No, I am not claiming I found land or created a website. I realized that I as an
American could purchase some items from Amazon.co.uk .
WWWWWWHHHHHAAAAAA-HHHHHHOOOOOOO!
Okay perhaps every other doll and action figure collector has made this discovery a long time ago. This is great news to me though because now I can get more dolls than I used to. Some things not available here like 12" Bollywood dolls ... now, I MIGHT be able to get them. Might. All dolls and action figures and other items presumably are NOT available. Licensing conflicts. Sigh. But oh the figures I can get.
The Bollywood Legends dolls are by Spinmaster. I see four dolls on Amazon.co.uk through a store called "Fairy Dust Dolls Ltd." The ones I will be getting are Mr. Hrithik Roshan, Ms. Kajol, and Ms. Priyanka Chopra. The fourth doll is named Shah Rukh Khan (male). Photos will be posted after the dolls arrive.
So ... dolls from Japan, from Taiwan, from Canada, and now ... the United Kingdom.
Here is a link for those willing to view new temptations:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spinmaster-Bollywood-Legends-Hrithik-Roshan/dp/B000GWUPTI/ref=pd_sim_k_h_b_cs_3
No, I am not claiming I found land or created a website. I realized that I as an
American could purchase some items from Amazon.co.uk .
WWWWWWHHHHHAAAAAA-HHHHHHOOOOOOO!
Okay perhaps every other doll and action figure collector has made this discovery a long time ago. This is great news to me though because now I can get more dolls than I used to. Some things not available here like 12" Bollywood dolls ... now, I MIGHT be able to get them. Might. All dolls and action figures and other items presumably are NOT available. Licensing conflicts. Sigh. But oh the figures I can get.
The Bollywood Legends dolls are by Spinmaster. I see four dolls on Amazon.co.uk through a store called "Fairy Dust Dolls Ltd." The ones I will be getting are Mr. Hrithik Roshan, Ms. Kajol, and Ms. Priyanka Chopra. The fourth doll is named Shah Rukh Khan (male). Photos will be posted after the dolls arrive.
So ... dolls from Japan, from Taiwan, from Canada, and now ... the United Kingdom.
Here is a link for those willing to view new temptations:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spinmaster-Bollywood-Legends-Hrithik-Roshan/dp/B000GWUPTI/ref=pd_sim_k_h_b_cs_3
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