Some Photos of Goldmine AvantGuard

I adore this doll.

Fashion Royalty Future.Perfect Collection

The Close-up Doll Collection is neither more or nor less than expected. Two dolls are wearing the same black fashion and two are wearing white. The boots are in different colors and are very cool.

The images in this post with the exception of Ginza Kyori are courtesy of Integrity Toys.

One of the new characters makes her appearance as Bionica Jordan. Could she be related to Michael? He's pretty bionic himself.

Heat Seeker Natalia is also in white:

Future Bound Luchia is dressed in black:

Vanessa is also in black....including her lips. Actually her lips have a blackish blue appearance. I think she might have fallen in spite of the fact that she is called Aerodynamic. Must have been an experiment gone awry.

The close-up dolls come with three sets of removable hands, one of which is painted to resemble the wearing of fingerless gloves. They are a limited edition of 1200 each and retail for $79.00.
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The Premium Dressed Doll Collection is tiny. There are only three dolls, two of which are the same new character who uses the second Lana Turner sculpt Her name is Dania Zarr.
In this IT image she looks more like Kyori and reminds me of Ginza.

Retail Price $135.00 LE 1000

Picture above is not part of this line. It is a picture of Ginza Kyori.

The other Dania is called Exclusive Interview Dania Zarr:

Retail Price $99.00 LE 1000

The third doll is called Flight Pattern Kyori Sato:

Price $99.00 LE 1000

Apparently the Fashion Royalty collection has taken a big hit in favor of less sophisticated "concept" dolls. Perhaps the sad state of the worldwide economy is partly to blame. People are buying less expensive items and budgeting their money more carefully.

Collectors are saying that they don't see Jason Wu in this collection. I don't really know what the answer is but what's missing from these concept dolls is made up, for me, by the fabulous AvantGuard and the Gene Collection Dolls.

I have many beloved Fashion Royalty dolls to play with. It's time to savor these dolls instead of crowding them out with more just because there are more to be had.

In these reviews of the new dolls, I've made many critical remarks but I recognize the fact that Integrity Toys is providing dolls to a very broad range of tastes and pocketbooks. For the last two years, Fashion Royalty collectors have been complaining about too many dolls coming at us too quickly. We got exactly what we asked for.

Time for Some Comic Relief

Bow Invasion.

Jonquil Madra image courtesy Integrity Toys.


Image of Fresh courtesy of Integrity Toys

New Nu.Face Dolls

This collection of five dolls consists of, from left to right, Takeo Mizutani, Eden, Erin S., Lukas M., and Giselle Diefendorf.

I have a big shoebox in my studio filled with assorted Fashion Fever pieces....

And why does Erin look like Colette?

Retail is $99. each. LE 1000.

Poppy Parker

Integrity Toys introduced a surprise doll on Saturday, February 21, 2009 at the W Event. Her name is Poppy Parker. The back story takes place in the 1960's in the life of a teenager from the midwest who moves to the Big Apple to pursue a career as a fashion model.

Poppy has a new sculpt and uses the Nippon Misaki body.

The photos that follow are courtesy Integrity Toys. The first four are dressed dolls. The last two are fashions.

Portrait in Black Poppy Parker $85.00 LE 700

The Reluctant Debutant Poppy Parker $89.00 LE 700

Summer Magic Poppy Parker $70.00 LE 700

Pillow Talk Poppy Parker $70.00 LE 700

Three Hour Tour Fashion $55.00 LE 500

Poetry in Motion Fashion $55.00 LE 500

I think this line of dolls has broad appeal for several reasons. The price is right, the doll is completely articulated and the facial screening is conservative. So conservative, in fact, that if I were told that this was a new Robert Tonner line, I would have believed it.

Here is a photo I took of one of my Tonner Tiny Kitty dolls wearing a fashion from Tonner's 2008 line. Doesn't it look familiar?

When I commented on the similarity to one of the designers I was met with a blank stare.

As an aside, the furniture and accessories for IT's Poppy Parker photographs were created by Maryann Roy.

Gene Marshall 'Silhouette' & 'Return to Hollywood' Collections

"Our [Gene Marshall] Basics collection this season is about the phenomenon of a single silhouette representing a decade's ten years of fashion. It is an overview, a valentine to each period's most memorable and ultimately democratic statement of style."

When Mel Odom said that these five were the basic or close-up dolls, I couldn't believe it. I have the feeling that Mel was given carte blanche for the first time since he is with Integrity. This collection and the deluxe dressed dolls in the Gene line show planning, creative talent, great design and a feel for period costuming. If one compares the previous three years of Gene to this collection it is apparent that there's something (or someone) else at play. Gene collectors are so excited by this turn of events. They are saying things like, "Gene is back." I know there is a lot of chatter and happiness on the doll boards about the collection. It's all good.

The basic dolls retail for $99. and are limited to 300 of each doll.


Congratulations to Mel Odom on a winning and cohesive collection.

The following photographs are courtesy Integrity Toys.

Silhouette of the 1920s:
Essentially Madra Lord® Doll

Silhouette of the 1930s:
Essentially Zita Charles™

Silhouette of the 1940s:
Essentially Gene Marshall®

Silhouette of the 1950s:
Essentially Ivy "Vee J." Jordan® Doll

Silhouette of the 1960s:
Essentially Violet Waters® Doll

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"'Return to Hollywood' is not just a travel direction, but also the source of inspiration for this year's dolls. Join Gene and her lady friends as they leave their various getaway spots and head back to Hollywood and the glamorous business of being movie stars. This season's collection features a series of Star looks guaranteed to steal the spotlight and remind us mere mortals why we love the movies so much."


Evening Encore:
Gene Marshall® Dressed Doll

Willow:
Madra Lord® Dressed Doll

Tornado:
Gene Marshall® Dressed Doll

Blue Parasol:
Gene Marshall® Dressed Doll

Liquorice Crush:
Madra Lord® Dressed Doll

Wrap Party:
Zita Charles™ Dressed Doll

Sunset Serenade
Violet Waters® Dressed Doll

Glammed Up:
Ivy "Vee J." Jordan® Dressed Doll

The deluxe dressed dolls range in price from $119. to $160. and are limited editions of 200 or 250 depending on the doll.

Entry Level Collectibles? It's Playline.

What's another way to say "entry level collectibles?"
Toys? Fixer uppers? Plastic? Pink Label?
I wasn't even going to include this line in my reviews because I don't think it merits a second glance from serious collectors. This is not to say that they are not pretty because they are. There is certainly a market for this type of doll but don't give it a label like collectible. It's PLAYLINE and it should be called playline.
"A perfect introduction to the Integrity Toys style!" OMG. It's practically insulting. I'd love to know who wrote this concept stuff.

Here are Integrity Toys' pictures of the dolls:







Mattel's Top Models came with accessories. The Top Model giftsets came with extra outfits. Where is the jewelry, the handbags, the extras? At $25. per doll for non-articulated bodies and underwhelming Mattel-like fashions, they are over-priced.

The AvantGuards, Integrity Toy's Gold Mine.

I can't express how surprised and pleased I am with this round of AvantGuard dolls—Aphrodisiac, Androgyny and Goldmine. I originally thought that Aphrodisiac and Goldmine were too edgy for me, but seeing them in person has proven to be just what I needed to become an AvantGuard devotee´. They are much more beautiful than the promotional photos show.

At the W Event, Aphrodisiac and Androgyny were shown out of the direct light of the display lamps that turned everything yellow.

An Aphrodisiac is a substance which is used in the belief that it increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sensuality. I'm still not sure about the raccoon eyes.

Androgyny is a term derived from a combination of Greek words meaning man and woman. In fashion statements it refers to the mixing of masculine and feminine characteristics. This gal is the tame note of the collection.

The term Goldmine needs no definition. It conjures up images of dust covered men with pick axes and head lamps, carts with wheels on a track filled with rocks, panning, metal detecting and sluicing.
No, Goldmine is not dust covered. She is wearing a dress thickly embellished with coins. She's fabulous. Pictures of her are forthcoming.

The AvantGuard dolls retail for $220. each. Goldmine was $239 and is not available from dealers as she was the optional purchase W Event doll. They come with one extra pair of flat feet with articulated toes and one extra pair of hands with articulation. Each doll comes with a wig and a doll stand. Goldmine's edition size is 400 and the others have an edition size of 500 each.

Gold digger? That's something else entirely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU13MRtSD7E

The Dynamite Girls- ElectroPop Collection

As if some of us weren't confused enough already, Integrity has gone and divided it's products into conceptual categories. The following comes off as high falutin' marketing-speak. Puh-leese. Keep this kind of stuff where it belongs - in the boardroom.

The Dynamite Girls are in the concept category called POP.
"Concept: Mid-level collectible category consisting of pop culture-centric brands such as the Dynamite Girls and modern celebrities.
Era: MOD, modern, urban, funky.
Fashion Style: Slightly more elaborate outfits."

More elaborate than what?

Here is the text from Integrity Toys describing the new Dynamite Girl dolls:
"A new and slightly more sophisticated take on clingy fabrics, layering, shocking candy colors and fun accessories that personified the 1980s acts as a base for the 2009 ElectroPop collection from the Dynamite Girls. These 12 inch tall vinyl cuties have removable hands for easy re-dressing! As an added bonus, the ElectroPop Collection introduces a cool new feature for the Dynamite Girls: 3-D reusable packaging! Now you'll be able to display your dolls like never before and reduce waste by re-using these colorful packages and quickly turn them into mini recording studio dioramas! Instructions and extra parts are included with each doll for easy assembly. Each doll is done in a limited edition of 1000 pieces."
Getting past the hype we find an adorable collection of five articulated dolls in cotton candy colors.
This stuff is eye candy! Images of the Dynamite Girls are Courtesy of Integrity Toys.

Aria:

Dayle:

Rufus Blue:

Sooki:

Jasper:

David Buttry must be a fan of the TV series "Big Love." Jasper could easily play the part of Rhonda Volmer.

Dolls retail at $45. each and are due in mid-March through mid-April.
By the way, if you're in the mood for some Fundamentalist crafts and fashions (and who wouldn't be?) check out this site:
http://www.fldscrafts.com/index.php