Showing posts with label 2010 Integrity Toys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2010 Integrity Toys. Show all posts

6/30/2011

Worth His Weight in Gold?


 The new male Dynamite doll, Auden, is apparently worth a great deal of money to some people. This "Most Beautiful Boy" retailed for $59.99.  As of a few hours ago, the seven that sold on eBay this past week went for $228.50, $403.70, $355., $560., $499., $474.99, and $299. (The order was 'End Date: Oldest First.') Three of those sold were sold by an Integrity toys authorized dealer who also has a fourth listed. The dealer's eBay ID is futuresight37.  It seems that many collectors know who this dealer is and have objections to the way they are selling their products. They get the dolls before every other dealer and always post them on eBay immediately. 

He is cute and the promotional pictures of him wearing sunglasses are very cool.

The entire issue of skyrocketing secondary market prices is so common, it's practically not even worth commenting on. I remember when Mattel's platinum Cher was released. That piece of vinyl immediately became worth $500. to those who were not lucky enough to grab one before they sold out.

There's still plenty of money out there - it's just pooled amongst way fewer people than previously.

5/02/2011

Now that I'm in love with this body, what am I supposed to do with my other dolls?

I hate to start off a blog post with the word CRAP but I'm in love with the FR2 body. This is a problem and a puzzlement. There's no way to replace even a fraction of my collection with the new body. Should I retire them? Seriously, this body is amazing - the best 12" body ever. The only problem is that we can't get replacement ones and the feet are too long. A rational doll collector (are there any?) would say to just keep the collections separate. That's kind of impossible. My dolls are begging for new bodies now. CRAP.

Anyway...how gorgeous is this? Vanessa is wearing a little dress from a much earlier doll. Many of the clothes fit beautifully. It's the shoes that are hit and miss (mostly miss.)



And this:


The doll is Aerodynamic Vanessa re-rooted by Susan Korba, (the Magnificent.) She is borrowing a Dasha body and wearing a Dasha gown and shoes. Sitting, reclining and standing are all done beautifully with this body. Can it get better? Yes. Sell us bodies!

4/10/2011

Renegade Restyled ~ Magnificent Monogram ~ Cissette

I'm in love with this doll. I think she is gorgeous. I went from not having one at all to having a dressed one and a nude!
The dressed Renegade will keep her odd hairstyle intact but the nude has had hers taken down, boiled straighter, trimmed to hang properly and conditioned. Here is the result:

She's wearing an older dress by SL Designs and the jewelry from the Redefined Accessories set. That's the set that comes with the resin Monogram bust, a big black hat, shoes and a handbag. It's actually very nice. I don't really need the bust but I suppose I can use it as a photo prop. The hat is not necessary either as I have nicer black hats. I love the jewelry which consists of earrings, necklace and bracelet. The shoes and handbag are white with black patent trim...both very attractive. FR2 arches are higher than Monogram arches but the shoes fit.



Magnificent Monogram

I was not going to buy this doll because I have more than enough Monogram dolls and her gown appeared to be the same design as one from the convention in a different color. But then I was enabled by seeing IRL photos of the gown and the jewelry and I went for it. I am not sorry. The mole on her face has to go but otherwise I like her and the gown is drop dead gorgeous as is the jewelry.  I love dolls with updos. They stay neat. It's the extremely high foreheads that throw me occasionally. This gal has a great deal of real estate above her eyebrows.

She's still available at several dealers. I recommend her.


My not-so-secret passion for Madame Alexander Cissettes was (temporarily) satisfied by the purchase of this Bloomingdales' Coral & Leopard Cissette.
She is 8" tall and has an incredibly detailed and fashionable outfit. Of course her Bloomingdales shopping bag is the cutest ever. Under the pink swing coat is a leopard blouse and a skirt..adorable!

She will display beautifully alongside my Macy's and Neiman Marcus Cissettes (below) even though she is 2" shorter than they. She is an earlier 'model' Cissette and they were shorter.
Macy's Cissette
Neiman Marcus Cissette
Although this next tiny beauty has no shopping bag, they're taking  her along.
Houndstooth Cissette 8"

1/11/2011

DOLLS Magazine Sends Out "Winner" Notifications for I Love How You Love Me Poppy Giftset

Earlier today, DOLLS Magazine sent out emails to the 60 lucky people who got the chance to purchase a Poppy giftset. Sighs of relief were heard but there is a great deal of vitriol on the DOLLS' site right now.

Carie Ferg, DOLLS Associate Publisher, wrote:
"We sincerely apologize your Poppy Parker ordering experience was so frustrating. Basically, our server became so overwhelmed with activity at noon, that we couldn’t activate our store as planned. After increasing bandwidth and trying to activate for several hours, we decided the best thing we could do given the circumstances was to take orders via the e-mail form. The quantity then did sell out in just over five minutes. We’ve learned for the future that we need MORE bandwidth. Sorry for any inconvenience this caused. "

Several collectors responded harshly:
 "Carry [sic], I think that's crap....you should have sent an email out through the w club about how you we're going to give the 60 out since your server couldn't handle it, so everyone had a fair shot.... Or picked from the names that weren't picked in the lottery.  Jones publishing has bad customer service and bad business practices!!!"

"To Txxxx and Cari [sic],
In a nut shell - BAD form.
You DO NOT change the rules of the game in the middle!
It's cheating. Plain and simple.
Thanks for absolutely nothing, but a frustrating waste of 2.5 hours. "


Collectors are attacking each other as well.  You can read it for yourself and be amazed at the intensity of the anger.

http://www.dollsmagazine.com/manufacturers/integrity-toys/491-p-is-for-pretty-pure-and-poppy-parker.html


I was not at all surprised at the disaster yesterday. This has happened before and will happen again. DOLLS Magazine was not prepared in advance for the onslaught. They should have been informed by those in the know at Integrity Toys what to expect. They were left hanging in the wind.
I saw their offer to take emails not as a switch midstream that was done without regard, but as an attempt in an emergency situation, to help potential buyers.

I also understand the depth of disappointment of those who did not get to buy the set. I suffered at the hands of FAO during the AFL Platinum 'sale.' That debacle was handled even worse than this. Some collectors were confirmed by FAO personal shoppers and then two weeks later told there was no doll for them. It was terrible!

It's becoming rather unsafe to post opinions on the doll boards these days. I have read that people are afraid to post opinions for fear of being attacked or ridiculed. I think they have a rational fear. 


 NOTE:
 Sic – generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, (sic) – when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates that the passage is just as it appears from its original source. The usual purpose is to inform readers that any errors or apparent errors in the copied material are not from transcription – i.e. that they are reproduced exactly from the original writer or printer.