10/06/2014

Fashion Teen Poppy Parker 2014

 This year's collection from Integrity Toys includes four 16 inch Poppy Parker dolls.

Sunny Splash $120
Fashionable Suited $140
Ma Cherie $140
Floatiing Dream $140

I am trying to find something I like about them because it's certainly not their duck bill lips. Seriously, do these dolls sleep with clothespins on their lips? I pucker up every time I look at them to see if I can even get my upper lip that close to my nose.



The jewelry on Floating Dream is very nice. The gown is very much like something Tonner has dressed Tiny Kitty in. In fact, I have dolls dressed similarly who are much more adorable in 10" size than Miss PP Teen queen.  Oh so Barbie.


Fashionably Suited is wearing a beautiful suit. Other than the aforementioned face, she is a lovely doll and my favorite of the lot.


Sunny Splash comes with some cute accessories.

Each doll is priced at $140. except for Sunny Splash who is $120. I'm not familiar with these dolls' bodies so I do not know what other clothes fit them.



 Next year's prototype, perhaps?






10/02/2014

Elise, Agnes, Vanessa and More

I may not love the Agnes sculpt but I do love gift sets. When this set was revealed during the W Club Online event a few months ago, I pre-ordered two of them. After a slightly torturous wait - my package was sent to some address in Delaware or Maryland - I finally got them today.
Sadly, both doll heads need to be replaced. I have not even deboxed to examine the rest of the package contents. I'm trying to figure out how, if I wanted to keep these NRFB, would I ever be able to do so without shipping the entire package back to IT at my expense. (Another $10.xx.)

I am very unhappy about this. It's never happened to me before. Yes, I've gotten a few defective items here and there but over the years, it hasn't been this bad.

I expect to receive dolls that I would feel comfortable reselling - even if I'm not planning to resell. I would never offer these dolls for resale.

So...the first doll has it really bad. She's got a big shiny spot on one cheek, a short tuft of hair coming out of the center of her first row of rooting and one of her irises and corneas is much larger than the other. I get the feeling that this may have been a returned doll as the net looks as if it had been pulled back. Her hair was messy.

The second doll has a torn earlobe! That's a new one. At first, I thought it was pierced twice but when I looked with my glasses on, I saw that it was just a jagged tear. She, too, has had her net pulled off and has messy hair.

I don't understand them selling items like this. With shipping, the dolls cost $140. plus change each.
At this point, I do not want them.

I have written and sent photos to 'patient' care asking for replacement heads that are 'perfect.' I don't need to hear that "no doll is perfect." Actually, I have many perfect dolls so that's bullshit.

I've read that some who purchased this set have found mold on their dolls. I'm not deboxing until I have to and then I am hoping there is nothing else to find that needs replacing.

Fingers crossed.



On other topics concerning Integrity Dolls...

"On The Rise" Elise Jolie arrived last week. The doll herself is lovely as are all the Elise dolls IMO. I was dismayed at first by her stiff hair but it's not something that can't be fixed if I care to fix it. What I didn't like were the cheap jewelry and accessories. The belt has a small metallic button affixed to its front which droops downward so you don't see its face. Something without a shank should have been affixed to this belt. The shoes are a touch weird.
I carefully pressed the dress and gave her different jewelry, shoes and a handbag. The dress works without a belt.


Here are a few more photos of Elise and one of Cruise Control Vanessa wearing Adele's "Vivid Encounter" 'perfect' ensemble.


Yes, this Vanessa has been rooted. She could use a nice repaint as well to fix the blue and silver shadow around her eyes.


If you don't remember what CC looked like originally, here is a photo by Lisa (momohuny) from her Flickr photostream.
Pretty bad.

Yesterday I had a 'play date' with another collector. We spent a lovely few hours yakking about dolls, people and everything else under the sun.

She knew I was looking for a nude Capucine Silkstone and gave me one! Here she is modeling the 2014 July fashion I just received from V. Jhon.


I've purchased many, many of V. Jhon's monthly fashions. This one was disappointing quality-wise.
It looks OK in the photo but the main hem and many of the other raw edges of the garment are pinked. Not what I expected. Maybe it's just not finished? I think I'll write to him. The outfit is intended for FR2 but, as you can see, fits Silkstones quite well.

Here is a promo photo:



Update: I received an apology from patient care and they are sending me two brand new dolls plus a coupon for return shipping of the defective dolls. That's a good thing.


9/24/2014

Gianfranco™ Ken® Doll

Gianfranco Ken® doll sports a brushed cotton blazer featuring black flocked trim on the lapels and pockets, button details at the sleeves and a silky black lining. Underneath, is a white tailored shirt, narrow black satin tie and dark indigo jeans with turned up cuffs. Perfetto!


Designed by: Robert Best
Release Date: 10/1/2014 
$75.00










The mole stayed.

9/20/2014

Vivid Encounter Adele Makeda Review

My first of the new FR2 bodied dolls has arrived. I purchased her for the fashion which is beautifully constructed and quite pretty.



The bodice details are perfection and the fabric drapes very nicely. There are no 'cons' to this doll at all....unless one stops to consider whether or not this is Adele. To me, she is not Adele. If she had been manufactured using the Adele 2.0 head mold, I probably would not be selling the nude doll.

Perhaps using this Muse Adele as a comparison is unfair because she was arguably the most gorgeous Adele ever produced. Her dark creamy vinyl, the gorgeous screening and her flocked head are incomparable.


On the other hand, this Adele 3.0 looks dull in every way imaginable.
IT Photo
In looking at my first photo above, it looks like one arm is out of it's socket more than the other.  I wonder if she has a pop-it bead body. That's what I'm calling them.  W Club members were sent a deceitful letter that said in part:
"As many of you who have received the Agnes and Natalia Fatale dolls that are currently shipping may have noticed, the Integrity Toys design team updated the functionality of the female FR body to make it even more versatile and adaptable!
Starting with these two dolls, you will now be able to not only swap the hands at will, but also detach the limbs from the body at the elbows, shoulders, bust line and knees to make dressing the dolls in ultra tight fitting clothes without the need to stretch the fashions and/or run the risk of damaging them! "
How would people have noticed? Does everyone pull the arms and legs off their dolls when they first get them?  Seriously?
I have never had to remove more than hands to dress a doll easily...except when I had to remove a head to take off a necklace Integrity made without an opening big enough for a neck. Perhaps they're planning more of that.
Anyway, they claim that this new change with enable people to get replacement parts more easily. That's ominous depending upon how you look at it.

What made me laugh was this warning:
PLEASE LOOK AT FUTURE PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BODY CAN INDEED BE DISMANTLED BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS.
Definitely a good suggestion. 


And what ever happened to the face switching feature?

9/19/2014

Barbie-inspired Moschino Runway Show in Milan

Jeremy Scott, creative director of Moschino, put on a Barbie-inspired fashion show in Milan yesterday. As the models went down the runway the song, I'm A Barbie Girl (Aqua) played.
The audience received a Barbie doll dressed similarly to the first model down the runway:



Check out these fashions.



Some of them are a little scary - even for Barbie.

 Some would be perfect for the 12" crowd.


 I would love to have been at this show. 





9/17/2014

Integrity Toys Design Competition: "Edge", By Lisa Ramsammy

In October 2013, the Official Integrity Toys Advanced Design competition took place at the "Premiere" Convention in Los Angeles, California and, at long last, the W Club is honored to introduce the exquisite doll based on Ms. Lisa Ramsammy's winning entry, "Edge" Vanessa Perrin!

The winning design, personally picked by Jason Wu and other members of the Integrity Toys design team, has been translated into a production doll. The fashion is not intricate and the accessories are minimal. I hope Lisa gets a cut of every doll purchased. That could be the reason this doll is priced as she is.



The price for W Club members is $135. The public will pay $150.

The total edition size will be based upon the number of pre-orders and there is no limit at all. That's a first. There could be thousands.


It will be interesting to see how many show up on eBay immediately and at what price. 
I was going to order one until I compared a close up of Poesie with Edge. I do not like the lips on the new Vanessa at all. They are pinched and phony-looking.

Here they are side by side:


Several W Club members commented that she reminded them of Poesie Sans Couleur. No way. Her lips are awful.

So...I will not be ordering this Vanessa. It feels good to say no to Vanessa.