Excellent Size Comparison Photo for Integrity Toys Dolls

With permission from MiyukiDollfie on flickr.

From left to right: Poppy Parker, Victoire Roux/BoD, Monogram, FR Tall, FR2, Color Infusion/Jem.

This photo will referenced in a side bar so readers can find it even after it scrolls off.

As far as the bodies, my favorites are the FR2 and the Monogram.

My Collection: The Best of 2014

For this post, I basically showcase my own collection and some of what I have added this past year.  I've made some wonderful purchases, some so-so-average buys and a few mistakes.  My goal was to limit the adding of 12" dolls and concentrate on high-quality resin BJD 1/4 scale dolls, fashions and wigs

Resin BJDs accounted for nearly 1/2 of my expenditures. Integrity Toys got about 1/4 of the total. The rest went to Gene (and a convention), Tonner and another assorted dolly miscellany.

In looking back I could have eliminated everything Gene-related except for two custom fashions made by Matisse, Madra's dogs and an older Ashton-Drake Violet outfit (shown below.)  I'm just not into Gene any longer. I have sold all my Jamieshow Gene (and Madra, Violet) dolls except for one. They are lovely but not where I want to be.

JS Madra in AD Violet "Special Appearance"

The worst eBay purchase was several pairs of shoes from paul_zhangby and Zhang_young, whom I assume is the same seller, which purported to fit Sybarites. They don't come close. Many of their products claim to fit a wide range of dolls who have different-sized feet. What was I thinking to trust this type of advertising? He's still listing doll shoes like this: Brand New Pumps/Shoes /16" Doll Sybarite V3 JamieShow /Ficon /NUMINA /AG. Don't believe it! His shoes are gorgeous and edgy but won't do any good if you can't use them.


Most of the dolls on this 2014 list were discussed on my blog when I got them and not all of them are actually new releases, but they are new to my collection.

I'll begin with my first and only (so far) Deva Doll, Angelo. He has blown away all the competition from the rest of the big guys who live here. I'll let the photograph do the talking as he's already been introduced in prior posts. His face was painted by Chewin who also designed the fashion and wig.

Brunel from Kingdom Dolls hasn't been here very long and I want to play with her. It's a problem when I have too many 'new' dolls. No doll gets the time it deserves.  She is perfect.

Poor Angelo has been trying to date her but she's not having any of it.

Ficon Bonita in a Cheryl Wood wig.
I have quite a few wigs made by the talented Ms. Wood but this is my absolute favorite!
Bonita is a gorgeous doll with great posing ability.

I added two gorgeous Sybarites this past year and several Superdoll outfits.

-a repaint of Dionysis by Yian.  (Chewin wig)

-Fidele wearing Bitter Fern. I removed the pink bow which was at the waist. 

The outfit from Langtry and Madra's Dogs (Ashton-Drake) modeled by Toxica.

The outfit from Masque modeled by Neurotica. Mohair wig by Ilaria.

The outfit from Gateau modeled by Domina.

I never tire of looking at my Sybarites and their gorgeous fashions.

Moving over to Integrity Toys, their FR16 dolls, at first, didn't impress me. Once I started collecting their outfits however, the dolls began to grow on me. Their bodies pose beautifully.
This is Tyler head on a Tulabelle body wearing a FR16 Platinum Society. It's a favorite.

As far as their 12" dolls issued during the year, nothing made the cut except three from the convention.

Going off the track here for Gloss' "Evening Siren" Ayumi who is such an improvement over the original Ayumi I felt it deserved mention and images from her spotty past. :-)
It's a fact that the face-up makes or breaks the sculpt.

This is the After:

Here are the Befores:

If at first you don't succeed...

I always felt that Natalia's original and more ethnic sculpt was beautiful and should have been preserved.  She was gorgeous.  The "refreshed" sculpt looked just like all the other dolls with their pointy little noses and pucker lips. They're OK but this Natalia was special. "Femme du Monde" 2006.

However, Grandiose Natalia was a surprise. I actually like her a lot and added her to my collection. What is it about this particular doll? It's not the pointy eyebrows. She's just stunning.

And then there's Elise. She has become my favorite FR sculpt. I've given up on Vanessa and although two were added to my collection this year, they are not favorites.

In the following photo, one of the 2014 convention centerpieces, Elise Jolie "Intrigue," is shown with Adrian Von Lamberg "Night Vision" from the 2010 Dark Romance Collection. That was the last FR convention I attended and I had him at that time but I was not collecting male dolls. That changed this year as I sought to add some special Hommes to the tribe.

About two months ago I swapped with someone for an Avantguard which had been repainted. It was pretty awful once I saw it in person. My dear friend, Vin Trapani, rescued this doll from a dark drawer with his inspired re-repaint.
She is currently on a Tulabelle body and looking great.

Memorable 1/6 scale fashions:

Poppy "Glamorous Darling" and "IT Girl" adorn one of my mini Avantguard dolls and a Monogram doll.

This dress was created by V.Jhon. It is modeled by Tropicalia Vanessa.

So there you have it.

I haven't determined my goals with doll collecting for 2015. What I do know is that I spend way too much time where they are concerned. I want to put together a book showcasing my black and white NYC-era photography. That will take a long, dedicated piece of time.

I've had so much fun with dolls and doll people over the last decade or so but I have to bring back the joy that my creativity gave me and let it out of its holding cell.

2012 Integrity Toys Reveal

IT is unveiling new dolls at IDEX. 

First up, the Monogram dolls are the clear winners. Someone (new, perhaps?) designed this line and made a 180° turn from the direction they had taken in the past year. They went from dowdy (Bemused, Envied & Passionate) and WWTT to stylish and classy the way they were the first two years and maybe even better.

There are five dressed dolls offered. From what I can see, three of them (2,4,5) have the original sculpt and two have caught the puffy-Poppy-upper-lip-thing. All the fashions are stunning except the one in the middle which doesn't seem suited or fitted to the doll's scale and size. However, the accessories from that ensemble are lovely.
The blonde one on the end seems to be channeling Hollywood glamour - maybe Marilyn. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked two of these five enough to pre-order them! SHOCK!
The price has gone up $10 per doll to $160. Must be for the lashes. Yes, Monogram dolls now sport lashes.
I predict there will be issues with the hair bump on #2 - as it looks uneven in this picture already.

Congratulations to the designer of the Monogram dolls for this success. 

The other doll I was impressed with is the Gretel doll from Hansel and Gretel Nu.Fantasy duo. The dolls are available separately - they are not a set.

This description cracked me up: 

"This high fashion reinterpretation of the traditional German folk tale has Hansel and Gretel looking fabulous while lost in the woods.  They are ready to take on any old witch or fashionista." 

I hope her hair is as fabulous in the production doll as it looks in the promo. I also hope the fashion doesn't stain her body. Why? Because I pre-ordered her, too.  ($135.)

Poppy Parker shows up with Chip. When I read that name all I could think of is Chip and Dale, computer chips, corn chips and those California Highway guys on bikes, CHiPs.

They should have named him Biff. Anyway, he's not a looker. He's just an expensive Ken with a blank, expressionless face.  His tuxedo and shoes are very nice.
Poppy's dress is a vintage 50's prom dress style in deep coral. 
Darla comes with the microphone. She is not part of the set. Her dress is more sophisticated as is her hairstyle. She has a little Jackie Kennedy style going on. Is she supposed to be older than Poppy?

The Poppy/Chip set is $150. Darla is $89.

There is a whole new line of dolls featuring Poppy Parker as Sabrina.

Sabrina is a 1954 comedy-romance film directed by Billy Wilder, adapted for the screen by Wilder, Samuel A. Taylor, and Ernest Lehman from Taylor's play Sabrina Fair (in the UK, the movie has the title Sabrina Fair). It stars Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, and William Holden. This was Wilder's last film released by Paramount Pictures, ending a 12-year relation with Wilder and the company.

The line features two dressed dolls and two gift sets. If you like Poppy, you will like these sets.

These are the two dressed dolls. They retail for $125. each.
The giftsets each have multiple outfits and accessories.

And now for the part of the collection I think is the least impressive - the Avantguard16 (FR16) and the Giant Poppys.

I am completely unimpressed with these four dolls. Their facial screening is cartoon-like and I don't care for any of the fashions. I did have the opportunity to examine the FR16 body and I will not be buying any doll on that body. I originally thought that these dolls might be good body donors for the Avantguard dolls I already have whose bodies are yellowed and floppy. The new bodies are just as lightweight and wobbly. The size has changed as well which will create more problems for redressers. Retail price $175. That's interesting. The 12" FR2s were also $175. I suppose a little extra vinyl and fabric doesn't amount to very much.

The giant Poppys are unappealing. The fashions are acceptable enough for the era they are supposed to represent but with the increased size, that phony-looking upper lip has grown to what looks like a clothespin has been pinching it. These dolls retail for $150. each.

 

There are bee-stung lips and there's deformity. 

Hey...to each his own. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Seems like IT is counting on the success of the little Poppys and trying to bring collectors into the 16" world. They'd better be careful because if the minions start collecting 16" dolls, they might discover a whole world of gorgeous 16" dolls out there that aren't made by IT and that have different lips from each other. I must do a collage of IT lips - 2011-2. Waldo will be in there for sure.

This line is called Teen Poppy. Aren't the little Poppy dolls teens, too?

Dollz in Oz Event Doll is a Fashion Royalty Agnes

Some of you may know that Agnes is not my favorite character due to the fact that she sports a serious scowl all the time. I'm not a fan of misery so why should my dolls look miserable? Lately, Agnes is looking a little happier and this Agnes looks downright non-committal. Actually I think she looks beautiful. She's been named "Regal Estate" Agnes. At first I thought it said Real Estate and I can picture her as a real estate agent. The suit reminds me of that from the 2009 Agnes Optic Verve Giftset below on the right (or the 2nd down depending on your monitor.) A little too much of a coincidence perhaps?

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The companion doll (an optional purchase) was a Monogram Doll called Magnetism. All I can say about this one is that the photographer did a fabulous job. The lighting and posing are excellent. The sculpt was screened with a closed mouth. The wig appears to be the 'default' low pony tail style with a side sweep of forehead covering hair. Or perhaps it is rolled under into a fancy bun. I can't tell. I like the frosted gold eyeshadow. Below on the right (or the 2nd down) is Dania Zarr in Optic Clash from the 2009 FR convention. It looks like there's a game of "Monkey See; Monkey Do" going on here. If a movie star wore any one of these gowns to a red carpet event, she'd be on the worst dressed list pretty fast.

Mattel's Silkstone Barbie "Stunning in the Spotlight"

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Pink and black and mermaid gowns are so yesterday. Tonner came up with modern and classy uses of pink and black in the first two outfits below created for Antoinette. The third, created for Tyler, works with the fabric to create interest.