Announcing the 2nd 2009 Gene Club Exclusive

Integrity Toys announced the second Gene W Club exclusive doll this week. She is a Zita Charles character and her name is "City Sleeker." This doll is dressed in a fabulous evening suit of burgundy satin with finely tailored details such as fabric covered buttons, a fitted ruched waist and stand-away collar.
The retail price is $125. plus s&h. Members of the club must order by August 5, 2009. The doll will be available late in the year.

Images in this post are the property of Integrity Toys

Tonner 2009 Fall/Holiday Line is Posted

Dust off those credit cards boys and girls....and get another job. You're going to be wide-eyed and hungry when you look at what the Tonner Doll Company is offering this season. I'm in total dolly shock right now.
They didn't just add to existing lines, they created new ones.
Wait until you see the Sinister Circus Collection:
The Hollywood Glamour Collection of Fashion Ensembles:
Monica Merrill:
Peggy Harcourt, DeeAnna Denton's new nemesis is stunning. Four new Re-Imagination characters are fabulously costumed and spirited. The supposed granddaughter of Daphne Dimples makes an appearance in the Tyler Wentworth line. And....wait for this....a new man is on the horizon! He is Simon Chase, Sydney's brother. He'll be clad in a tuxedo. Yay!
The Tyler dolls are offered in both new and old sculpts and the fashions are to die for.
The new Antoinette line grows larger with four more dressed dolls ranging in price from $174.99 to $249.99. Are you still with me? There are also three separate outfits for Antoinette and three more shoe packs.
I'll be at the Tonner Company store on August 1 to take pictures and gape at the new dolls with the other collectors.
Go to the Tonner Doll website to see the rest - yes, kiddies, there's more.
http://www.tonnerdoll.com/2009fhcollection.htm

I have not escaped unscathed. I just pre-ordered Scintillating Ashleigh, a Two Daydreamers Exclusive, LE100. Ashleigh's sculpt is exclusive to Two Daydreamers and for the first time they have used her head which has been resized to fit Tonner's Antoinette body. When I saw these images I practically fell off my chair.
This gal is sure to sell out fast although they're not exactly giving her away. The retail price is $274.99. Until August 7 she is priced at $249.99. Expected to ship late September.
http://www.twodaydreamers.com/16scasle100.html

All images in this post are the property of the Tonner Doll Company.

Integrity Toys "Boogie Beach" Dynamite Girls Collection

The new wave of Dynamite Girls has been unveiled and it is fantastic! There are seven new dolls, each dressed in a color of the rainbow and all looking wonderfully pretty. It looks like there are four or possibly five different skintones, seven hair color shades, seven adorable hairstyles and seven distinct facial screenings.

From left to right: Eltin, Aria, Gavin, T.J., Sooki, Reese, Jasper

Image property of Integrity Toys

According to Integrity, all the dolls except Eltin and Jasper are expected to be available at dealers at the end of August. Eltin and Jasper are expected to arrive at the end of September. At $39.99 each, they are certainly affordable. Each doll is limited to 300 each and I predict they will go fast, perhaps selling out long before November.

For those not familiar with Dynamite Girls, they are vinyl dolls with rooted hair and eyelashes. They are approximately 12 inches tall with many points of articulation. Their hands are removable at the wrist joint to make re-dressing easier.

Images property of Integrity Toys

The four dolls above are all Aria; the first three are from earlier waves. I see the line becoming more sophisticated and finding it's voice as it were. They're like 'entry level' Misaki dolls The expression "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" seems to fit.

If I collected this line of dolls, my pre-order would have already been placed! Hmmm...I do have two little girl cousins. *plotting purchase*

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Not Boogie Beach but I wish I were there.

Picture of the Week Award ~ July 26, 2009

This week's Picture of the Week Award goes to James Griffen also known as ParadiseBlue and more recently Dolls Gone Wild!

James created Anti Social Misaki's windswept look by brushing her hair and pulling her hoodie up. The fabulous composition brings the viewer's eye to the doll's face over and over. I found myself following the sweep of the hair and returning to the face via the zipper.

James told me that he always played with dolls. He was an only child raised by his dad who let him have Barbie dolls. His father did not consider them to be girl's toys. He said that his dad thought "they were just little figures interacting...a sort of life skills tool."

If you would like to see more of James' excellent pictures you can find many at this link:

http://www.thedollpage2.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=417

Congratulations, James!

Delilah Noir Re-Paint

One of the newest members of my tribe is a OOAK Delilah Noir from Ashton Drake. She's a new doll who is vinyl, 16" tall and has a combination of ball and strung joints with 14 points of articulation. With the ability to change her eyes and wigs, she's immensely useful. The factory product comes with two wigs and two outfits and the back story is that Delilah is innocent looking by day but changes at night. Could they have come up with a more tiresome story line?

Image property of Ashton Drake

In spite of that I was attracted to her when I saw the factory version but when I saw the repaint, I knew I had to have her. Mine was repainted by Michele Hardy and came to me nude with only a pair of black boots.

Some of Tyler's clothing items fit—but she needed her own wardrobe and wigs! I purchased a 6/7 Roxy wig and it looked very good on her.
Having found out that she could wear the 16" Goodreau American BJD clothes, I browsed over there and purchased two outfits. Paulette sent me a wig along with my purchases as a gift. I love it.
Here is Delilah wearing the Goodreau fashion, Cream Elegance, and the gifted wig. The necklace and bracelet are from a Teen Trends outfit.

W Club On-Line Event

I'm making up for not posting much this month. It's the incessant rain which comes down in torrents every other day accompanied by thunderous claps and flashing skies. I've been busy getting the ark ready.

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For more than two and one half hours on the evening of July 16, I sat at the computer along with scores of other W Club members logged on from all over the world to the W Club Forum in expectation of promised surprises.

The first Integrity designer to show up was Vaughn Sawyer. The questions started to fly. It was hard to keep up. Vaughn was able to answer only a few questions and most of the answers were teasingly kept vague. I think many collectors expected to be given sneaks but none were to be had. Jason made an appearance. David Buttry showed up. Percy Newsum dropped in.

Jason did say that we will be seeing an "unusual" star in the collection very soon! I'm ready for more multi-culturalism but it probably won't be Matisyahu.

Matisyahu, Hasidic Reggae Star

Also making an appearance was Agnes herself. Alain (I believe it was Alain) put on a terrific and funny performance as Agnes Von Weiss the Baroness. After about an hour, the tone of the event became very informal and silly.

Vaughn really gave it his best shot, keeping it straight...except when pressed about the possibility of new girls joining the NuFace line. He said, "Lukas is always recruiting new models, that pimp daddy that he is." Very funny stuff.

Pimp Doggy Costume

Is there another, wilder side of Vaughn trying to surface? He even stayed around after all the rest bailed. I've got to give the man credit for taking it all in stride from the obsessed collectors pressing him for information. I've met him several times and he has a nice, quiet (?) way about him so I wasn't surprised.

All of the images in this post were gathered from the internet.

Queen V Veronique: Japanese DollyBird Magazine Exclusive Giftset

When we were first shown promotional images of Queen V, I didn't think she was worth the price. At that time she would have cost approximately $400 as shipping was from Japan. The images of her were artsy - colorized and indistinct. Her edition size is 400.

Recently, I saw some real pictures of her with rerooted hair. She looked beautiful. I took the plunge and purchased the giftset. It was not an easy decision because the total was $350 with shipping included.
Opening her box was a delight.

She is gorgeous and different from any other Fashion Royalty doll in that her skin tone is translucent. Her facial screening is subdued and perfectly applied. The fabric of the gown feels like silk and I'm assuming that it is. The "jewels" on her bodice are sewn on, not glued. She's got a load of bling which a queen ought to have! Her crown is very lightweight metal and care needs to be taken with that.

The crowning glory are the shoes. There are two pairs and each is really a jewel in itself. The pair on the right is trimmed with metallic gold and has gold heels.
It didn't take me long to undo the ribbons and threads holding her prisoner in the box.

I think if I had seen photographs of her looking like this, I might not have been able to resist buying her right off the bat.

When it comes down to it, a good, clear photograph can be very artistic as well as a cloudy, suggestive one. A queen represents power and wealth and her portrait says so!

One thing about the doll could have been improved - her hair. It's an intricate and wonderful hair style for this doll but it's messy. There are numerous frizzies and broken pieces. I trimmed off quite a few but could not neaten up the curls more than this.

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The additional outfit is a silky bustier, panties, a lacy garter belt and lace top stockings.
I am very happy with this doll and her fashions. She's a keeper. She's more beautiful than True Royalty!

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Let's do a comparison. True Royalty Vanessa, the second Atelier Giftset, was released at the end of 2006 but shipped at the beginning of 2007. The edition size was 500. The price was $180. plus a calendar which was a required purchase in order to be entered into the lottery. Shipping was $53. from Singapore. That brought the total to approximately $253.
The doll came with a huge, intricate gown, lots of jewelry, a fantastic head piece, lingerie and another strange little fashion. But she came with only one pair of shoes! Her hair was very well done and I don't think her hair style was an easy one. She is still fetching above retail for NRFB condition.
I think in terms of value for the money, True Royalty is a little higher because of the additional outfit. Unfortunately, I never had much use for the jacket and bloomer shorts. But they were fabulously constructed as was everything in that set.

Yes, prices have risen and I'm sure it costs the manufacturers more to make their dolls as well. As long as the quality stays high, collectors are pleased. They may gripe about the prices but griping about bad hair and missing accessories is worse. This has been a bad hair year for Integrity. I really hope the factory workers get better training for the future dolls.

Picture of the Week Award ~ July 19, 2009

Michael Bentkowski aka Michael Hawaii is a terrific photographer and stylist. His work always captures my attention. On Saturday, Michael posted that he has made some wigs to sell. This one is called "Frisky" and features a wig made by Michael on a Deva doll. Everything about this photograph works because the composition is excellent. I love the wig, too!
Congratulations, Michael.

"Frisky" Michael Bentkowski

Jeweled Goldmine

Jewels and gold, it's a wonderful thing.

Goldmine is wearing The Jeweled Cat Madra's fashion and Monique Gold's Yuri wig in red. The image has been manipulated in Photoshop.

Antoinette Fashions from Robert Tonner Doll Co.

Another fashion arrived this week for Antoinette called Brilliant. It is adorable.
In the first two photos below, Cameo is wearing Brilliant. The fabric is metallic with the top more gold and the bottom more silver. The stockings are metallic gold fishnet and the shoes are silver. Her necklace is a combination of golds and brushed silver beads.

They might be a little hard to see but her set of 6 bracelets was made by Amber Park. I have added the gold earrings. The setting for this photo is Gene's Gazebo with assorted miniature trees, potted plants and Gene's Patio Set.

This next photo shows Idyllic Antoinette in the fashion called Influential. I have removed the shirt and tights that came with the outfit. It's dressier and more sophisticated this way. Earrings are Fashion Royalty.

The last photo is the two gals together in the garden looking lovely but bored. They're wondering where the guys are that were supposed to show up at this party.

I am so in love with this line of dolls and fashions. They are comfortable, easy and neat which might be a turn off for some but not for me. That's not to say I like them any more or any less than my edgier dolls.

Repaints are showing up and so far, I have not seen one that has improved upon the original - but I do give them credit for trying. Heaven knows, if I did a repaint, it would never see the light of day.

Picture of the Week Award ~ July 12, 2009

This week's award goes to Al Gudka of Atlanta, GA. Pictured is "Flight Pattern" Kyori Sato. If she looked this good in the promotional pictures, she'd probably be sold out by now.

Congratulations, Al, on a beautiful portrait.

Deconstruction Sight Eugenia 2009 W Club Doll #1

Eugenia has a gorgeous sculpt. This doll is beautiful. The makeup is just right. The hair, although rock hard, works for her.

The dress is pretty. I see a very similar shape to the fashion worn by Statuesque, the Colette exclusive doll. The dark stripe down the front of the bodice, from a distance, presents the same color scheme as the white jacket over the black dress. Perhaps this is the RTW version? ;-)
The jewelry is heavy and although I like it, I think it would look better with something else. Note the large metal neckpiece on Jason's runway model in the previous post!

The shoes had to go. I'm not a fan of the heavy shoe, strappy gladiator look with a light feminine dress. Again, the same profile as Statuesque is seen here. It draws the eye to the foot and artistically that makes no sense IMO. I couldn't bear to take a serious photograph of her with these shoes and the black painted hands. It spoke costume, not fashion.

The problem with back of the shoe not allowing the leg to be straight is a serious issue because it has been happening over and over again for a year and is not being addressed. In this case it's a combination of a heel that is too high and incorrectly shaped back of ankle area.

If you love Eugenia, this doll is a must have. Because it was a club doll, it is not available from regular dealers unless they are selling it as an aftermarket item.

Do you see any stylistic similarity?

Image Property of Integrity Toys

FR Monogram Collection - #2 Doll "Statuesque"

The model on the right is wearing Jason Wu and so is the doll on the left. She is the second entry in the new Fashion Royalty Monogram Collection which is intended to showcase select works from Jason's fashion runway.
A limited number of dolls were made available to the public at Colette, a Parisian boutique, and online on their web site. They are sold  out now but members of the W Club may have a chance to obtain one at a future date.
In this picture she looks like Valia but in other pictures I've seen, she has a strong resemblance to the Avantguard doll, Goldmine.

The image below is from the website.

The retail price of this beautiful doll is (was) approximately $250. without VAT, depending upon the exchange rates of the moment. Shipping to the US would have brought the price up to about $300. I had her in the shopping cart and at the last minute I controlled myself. I would like to have her though. I like her much better than Lifeball.

This is what is says on her box:
"Statuesque"
Desc: Exclusive au magasin Colette, Paris
FR: Monogram par Jason Wu New York
# 93010

Parisienne Pretty Barbie Doll

The latest Silkstone addition to my collection is wearing a lovely reproduction of the 1959 vintage Gay Parisienne fashion. With her navy blue & white polka dot taffeta bubble style dress and tulle hat Barbie wears long white gloves, navy ribbon pumps, navy pantyhose, a silver clutch with rhinestone clasp, pearl and rhinestone earrings, a rhinestone brooch and a rhinestone bracelet.

Parisienne Pretty is part of the "Since 1959" collection which commemorates famed vintage Barbie fashions re-invented for a new era. She was designed by Robert Best. The doll is available at select retailers. The prices I've seen range from a low of $99. to a high of $129.99. I recommend this doll as a beautiful addition to any Silkstone Barbie collection but shop around for your best price!

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In 2003, Mattel issued a Gay Parisienne reproduction as part of the collector's request series.

Here is the promotional text that went along with this item:

Sixth in the Collectors' Request™ Series, this Barbie® doll is a vinyl reproduction wearing a re-creation of the original 1959 fashion Gay Parisienne®. Barbie® looks chic in her classic dark blue bubble dress with tiny white polka-dots. Around her shoulders is a fabulous faux fur stole, and sitting atop her head is a sophisticated veiled headband hat. Accessories include a faux pearl necklace, golden velvety clutch, and navy open-toe shoes. Barbie® doll's demure vintage look is captured with lovely side-glancing eyes, red lipstick, painted finger and toenails, and a brunette ponytail with curled bangs.

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The original Barbie Outfit Gay Parisienne #964, issued in 1959 is pictured here (NRFB!!!) in a photograph by copyrighted by Denise Van Patten.

Denise writes: "Gay Parisienne was produced for one year only. This iconic vintage Barbie outfit consists of a bubble dress in blue with white dots and two bows (front and back), brown clutch, rabbit fur stone with white satin lining (if the lining is pink it is not from this set), veiled headband hat in tulle, long white gloves and deep blue open toe pumps,plus a strand of graduated pearls."

Announcements from Integrity Toys

Life Ball dolls and Integrity raise nearly $50,000 for the Life Ball Organisation!
That's a great donation for the cause of HIV/AIDS research and prevention. I was doing the math and the results are worth pondering (or maybe not.) This assumes that all were sold at the retail price.
The 2009 Official Life Ball doll was limited to 250 dolls worldwide and retailed for $270.
250 dolls @ $270. = $67,500.
$67,500 less the net proceeds of $50,000 = $17,500.
$17,500 divided by # of dolls produced = $70.
Does that mean that the cost of producing the dolls was $70 each?
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There is no specific date yet for the arrival of the Poppy Parker line. Hopefully the long wait will have been worth it when they finally do arrive.
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There is now a new European dealership, Laure Belle Couture of Belgium! Laurence is a doll herself and that is great news to those in Europe who have a difficult time getting their needs met by the existing dealers in Europe.

Picture of the Week Award ~ July 3, 2009

This week's award goes to Veronica Haage also known as Eight O'clock Designs - Repaints by Veronica.
On her website, Veronica explains how the name of her business came about.
"With two boys painting doesn't get done during their waking hours. As you can imagine, that would be a big mess. So everything I do is done after their 8 PM bedtime. Hence Eight O'clock Designs."
It was very difficult to choose a favorite from amongst many beautifully photographed dolls. I chose this one for several reasons. The lighting and soft quality of the focus makes it look like a painting. It appears that the doll is looking far away into the light. I love it. This was "In Full Regalia" Eugenia Frost.

Congratulations, Veronica!

A Little Dose of Antoinette

It's been a hectic week with deadlines, appliance repairs and constant rainstorms. I have never experienced so much rain so many days in a row in my life. This has to be some kind of record and as the weather gets more and more erratic and extreme, I fear that the climate is beyond repair.
And now for some lighter fare...here are two of my lovelies. On the left we have Treasured Antoinette in her convention gown which has been altered. I removed the three rows of fringe and the entire bottom tier in order to create a simple cocktail dress. Her shoulder bows were trashed as well. I took a few stitches in the bodice to define the bust area. I had thoughts of creating a shrug from the remaining fabric but I couldn't figure out how to do it. I'm going to have to get directions.
Ms. Treasured is standing next to Idyllic Antoinette. I've removed all the tchotchkes from her hair. It was no easy job. The thread holding the flowers and the topknot in place was actually rooted! I was worried about what I'd find under all that but her hair is rooted nicely and evenly. I boiled it to straighten it out and trimmed it evenly. I will probably trim it even shorter. She is wearing the fashion entitled "Influential." I have replaced the multi-strand of beads with which the outfit came because they did not lay right and looked very messy. The jewelry she's now wearing is from a Fashion Royalty outfit. I may replace the black tights with black stockings and take off the semi-sheer black top. The dress itself is covered in micro sequins and will be lovely as a cocktail dress.

So far I am quite pleased with this line. I do have a problem with the stands but all of Tonner's stands suck pretty much so nothing is new.
I'm still waiting for two more fashions and I desperately want to order Hypnotic. The fashions I'm expecting are Brilliant and Posh. They've gone past their expected arrival date.

Amid all the fabulous fashions and pretty dolls, there is one thing I don't understand. How did they let this outfit out of the gate? Someone dropped the ball on these pants. If the price drops low, I will buy it and turn the pants into a skirt. The jacket and the bag are pretty and it looks like there's a nice tank top under there.

This image is the property of Tonner Doll Company.