New Cissy: Be Afraid; Be Very Afraid.

Here is one of the new Cissy dolls from the 2010 Madame Alexander line. What is up with the terrifying-looking dolls this year? Is it a reaction to the economy and the weather or what? The gown is gorgeous. The stockings and shoes are to-die-for. But the face and the hair. OMG. This is the stuff nightmares are made of.
The names of three of them are laden with emotional overtones. Lust is one and sorry I don't remember the others but I will fill in the blanks later today.
From what I've been reading on the internet, the reaction to these dolls is very bad. It's another "What Were They Thinking?" event.

Fuggedaboudit Poppy Parker Trio

There's nothing new here, no unique design or hair style. She's little Miss Mary Tyler Moore.
Each color will be available in a quantity of 100 as follows:
Gigi's Dolls and Sherry's Teddy Bears-Blonde/lavender: The Doll Peddlar-Brunette/pink:and My Favourite Doll-Redhead/turquoise:
Price for each doll in Integrity's Forget Me Not collection is $80.

What happened? Did someone let the air out of the PP balloon? Did someone get bored?

What Were They Thinking? Part II

I let this image sink in for two days before I wrote this post. When I first received the email containing the pictures of this new Avant Guard doll, Hot Trot, I thought of the Inferno Vita doll with her fire orange streaked hair and black eyes. The more I looked at this doll, the worse she gets. I've said it before, these dolls have ugly knees. The shape of this gown accentuates her knees. It's just awful. I might like it better if the hem were the length of the front of the gown and even all around. It's an awkward, unbalanced design and it's not pretty. What happened to pretty? What's going on with the ties on the shoes? What is hidden behind the front leg?The other 2010 Avant Guard doll is called On Edge. She has the Goldmine sculpt which I like better than the closed mouth. I like the short black wig and I think she is very pretty. The feather cape is ... well I can't find the words. The bust of the dress looks like it doesn't fit properly but that could be the photo. The shoes are the same ones that came in the accessory set from last month! So it's just another AG with bright blue eyeshadow and red lips. I like the gloves if that makes a difference.
These dolls could have been called Feathers, Over and Under. Whatever. I will probably put my money somewhere else.
Both: Retail Price $220. Edition size 400.

If Barbie Dolls Were Articulated...

...would Mattel charge $150 for a doll like December Turquoise?

One year ago, Mattel introduced their Princess and the Frog doll.
Here are images from the Disney cartoon.
Integrity's interpretation of Tiana is very nice. She is a pretty doll. This version and another are going to be sold through Ashton-Drake Galleries only. The price is $149.99 and an edition size is not listed.

"What Were They Thinking?" Award - 2010 Urban Vita Dolls

Up first is "Inferno." Since when do black circles around the eyes and the fiery orange streaks in the hair qualify as design?

It looks like a child got a hold of a black Sharpie pen and traced around her eyes. The gray shredded thing around her shoulders looks like it came out of a trash bin. The gown is literally ugly. This doll should not have been let out of the gate.

The other offerings of Urban Vita dolls for 2010 aren't much better. I get the overall impression of a confused designer who doesn't know what direction in which to take these dolls.

For example, Aquabella:This doll's face was peeled from a cartoon page. I do like her hair even though it was done with a heavy hand.

Then there's Breeze. She appears to be in a trance-like state with her partially closed lids and requisite toussled white hair. The outfit and the face do not work together. One would think 'angelic' until one sees the silver hot pants and tall boots. Oy.


Finally, Terra, the best of the four but the strange face remains.
I'm hoping to be able to actually see and handle one in person at IDEX in a few days.
Will you pay $160. for one?

PS
The manufacturer ought to hire a professional photographer while they're at it. The lighting is amateurish and makes the dolls look even worse.

Life Before Dolls

My son was married on Saturday to a wonderful woman. We are extremely happy. I did not have the time to choose a Picture of the Week for this week. Next Sunday I will have attended IDEX so there may not be a winner for two weeks in a row. But, there will be plenty of words and pictures. Stay tuned, dear readers!

Swirl Ponytail Barbie & My Favorite Black Barbie - Vintage Reproductions

If I collected Barbies, I'd definitely get this set. It looks so cute. I love the record player and records. The pink checked dress is adorable and the doll looks like the real thing. And, I'm guessing she will not have green ear. Priced at $40. at Marsha's Dollhouse, it seems like a pretty decent buy.

Another attractive and well-priced set is called My Favorite Black Barbie. She comes clad in a full length gown, lots of jewelry and accesories and what appears to be a gold trimmed, white tuxedo type suit. I don't like the "Do the Hustle" pose on this doll but she's a cutie with a great afro and is a good candidate for a body transplant. The blog, Black Doll Collecting, has an interesting post and pictures of the original Black Barbie.

In my opinion, the only one who can get away with wearing a white pant suit with one arm in the air is John Travolta.
My Favorite Career dolls, part of the My Favorite Barbie Doll line will see:
a Registered Nurse

a Student Teacher

a Pan American Airways Stewardess

and Miss Astronaut Barbie Dolls.

I like all of them! On BarbieCollector.com these are priced at $39.95. My Favourite Doll has them listed at $49.95. USD and CDN.

There is something wholesome about the vintage dolls (and copies thereof) lacking in the uber-sophisticated Barbies of today. But that's probably what our grandparents might have said 40 years ago about the dolls from their childhood.

Jason Wu Puts On Another Hat

According to a W Club Update email sent out yesterday, Jason Wu has "taken on a consulting position for the coming year with Madame Alexander, to help guide and update the direction of a few of their doll lines, including Cissy."

Does this mean that Cissy will get a waist, thin legs and turquoise eye shadow?
Noooooooooo.
Will we get a Mini Cissy?
Wait a minute...there already is a Mini Cissy. She's called Cissette.
So what's he going to do?
Cissy the Vampire? Couture Noir already looks a little like a vampire.

The best thing that MA could do with Cissy would be to lower the price. And that dorky-looking male Cissy, aka Distinguished Gentleman. OMG. What were they thinking? A hot-looking Homme would have been better suited to the $449. price tag on this girly-boy.Maybe Jason will work on the Alex line.....smaller heads...nicer hands. I hope the clothing designer remains, though, because MA clothes are fabulous.

Here's a rumor you can start:
Madame Alexander will pick up the Gene line.
Don't forget, I made that up...if you spread it, it's not my fault.

Paper Dolls: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Family

Today the United States celebrates the birthday of slain civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. Here are the results of a Google search for related dolls:

Martin Luther King, Jr., and His Family: Paper Dolls (in Full Color) (Paperback) ~ Tom Tierney (Author) Price - New $20., Used $12. [A used paper doll book?]

Limberjack Jig Doll Martin Luther King Jr
There is a doll on eBay described as a wooden dancing black man in suit and tie. I don't know if it should be a lumberjack - perhaps made by a lumberjack? I can't post the image as it is not mine and I don't know the seller but here is the auction # 230419295411 It's a very interesting item.

Here is a really stupid item found on Amazon but not sold by Amazon. It's titled Plush Stuffed Duck (Sprinkles) toy with great Martin Luther King day T-ShirtMost of the other search items that came up were craft projects for children to participate in on this day. When I did a search for a figurine instead of a doll, I came up with a jumble of stuff. Judge for yourself.

Martin Luther King Jr. Bust Statue (20" fiberglass)Lladro´ - Retired - Estimated value more than $800.

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum figure. I'm guessing there is a copy of this figure. $195.

I don't have information about this one.

Amazon $14.98

This was a disappointing search. However, you can always get an Edward Cullen doll, the Godfather, an Elvis or a Frank Sinatra doll. Goes to show you what's important.

Picture of the Week Award ~ January 17, 2010

A classic beauty for this week's Picture of the Week Award is a repainted Scarlett "Return to Tara" doll from the Tonner Doll Co. Her hair has been restyled and the gown is a OOAK creation by Alana Bennett of dollfashionsbyalana.com. The photographer/repainter is Boots Villavecer from the Philippines.

When I find a candidate for the Picture of the Week I always send several questions for the artist to answer. Boots was very generous with his time and response so I am going to paste his response here.

I am no professional so I don't have much equipment. The doll here is a repainted Tonner Scarlett "Return to Tara" doll. The hair has been adjusted. The gown is an OOAK creation by Alana Bennett of dollfashionsbyalana.com. It is inspired by a gown worn in Scarlett the TV series in 1994. It is originally in "blue" but via special effects has been made green -- Margaret Mitchell's favorite color.  All factory paint has been removed and I used what I call my special brush from Noel Cruz himself who encouraged me to pursue repainting. Just a Canon Digital Camera IXUS B515 10 Megapixel Camera. I don't use flash, because that creates shadows at the back of the doll. I always use the "portrait" function on the camera and from there, control the exposure because the lights can often be strong. I have 2 table lamps that can be angled as lighting sources. For the backdrop I use large clamps to hold a cloth on the photo. The cloth must slope down have no wrinkles or folds (depending on how the kind of effect you want). If you want some draping soft cloth is preferrable. I don't have a tripod so I have to have a really steady hold on the camera, but that's actually easy with the camera I use. 

Thanks to technology, one can fix the photo using Photoshop CS3. I use "dodge" tool to highlight dark shadows; "burn" tool to darken the areas in the background; the "clone" tool to add details, and various tools under the "Filter" tools to create the brush strokes, the additional lighting. The magic is in a Filter tool known as "Liquify". Here you can fix the hair and the gown if there are unwanted or desired things you want to enhance. 

My real name is Boots Villavecer, from the Philippines. 44 years old, working as a Creative in an advertising agency. I spent 5 years in Publishing and during free time would practice photo-editing for 13 magazines. Among them being fashion and beauty. My website is: http://www.soultalk777.blogspot.com.

Congratulations, Boots, on the Picture of the Week Award!

Hands Across the Water

Do your research!
Click here to learn to find a charity you can trust.

Disaster of Biblical Proportions

As I lay in bed last night surrounded by showcases filled with dolls, it felt wrong.

Preview 2010 Tonner's Antoinette Doll

A few Antoinette and other items were sneaked by the Tonner Doll Co. yesterday. What do you think?

The first three are dressed dolls and the fourth is an outfit and the last is a white mannequin with raven hair.

Dressed Dolls: Tranquil $189.99

Wanton $144.99

Organic $189.99

Fashion: Intoxicating $99.99

Mannequin: Alabaster Mannequin with jet hair. $49.99

Don't forget, your favorite dealer may be one who discounts off retail. Those dealers are the ones to be sold out first.
Check around for your best price.
If you would like to see the other 2010 Tonner previews, click here.

Lady GaGa ~ Who will make the doll?

I want a Lady Gaga doll and I want it now and it had better not be a Barbie Lady Gaga.
I do not know to whom the photo credits go. These are all over the internet and that doesn't make it OK to use them but here they are.

Parisienne Pretty™ Barbie® Doll Green Ear Update

From the Barbie Collector website comes this announcement:

Barbie Collector has been looking into reports of Parisienne Pretty™ Barbie® dolls developing green ear. What follows is a press release with suggested next steps, should your doll develop green ear...

Dear Collector,

We have learned of a production issue affecting the Barbie® Fashion Model Collection N6594 Parisienne Pretty™ Barbie® doll released via dealers in fall 2009.

There have been reports of Parisienne Pretty™ Barbie® dolls developing green ear, caused by oxidation of the coating on the doll’s earrings. As we continue to undergo testing, we encourage owners of a Parisienne Pretty™ Barbie® doll to contact customer service for a replacement doll or replacement earrings. At this time it is undetermined how many dolls have the potential to develop green ear over time, but all purchasers are eligible for a replacement doll whether their doll is currently affected or not. Please note this is an aesthetics issue only and not a health hazard.

If you are a U.S. collector who purchased this doll through a Barbie dealer, you now have the opportunity to exchange your original doll for a replacement doll.

To obtain a replacement doll, follow the steps below.

1. Call customer service at 1-800-524-8697 by January 31, 2010, to initiate your return. A shipping label will be sent to you.
   
   Please note: If your doll is not affected and you do not wish to part with your doll, you can request replacement earrings be sent to you instead.


2. Pack your doll(s) in original clothing, and ship using the provided shipping label. It is not necessary to send original packaging or accessory pieces. Dolls must be received by February 28, 2010. Any dolls received after this date will not be eligible for replacement.


3. Look for your replacement doll to arrive within 30 days after sending to customer service. Replacement dolls will be shipped based on the date when original doll was returned.

We appreciate your continued support as we correct this production issue.

Sincerely,
Barbie Collector

Traveler By Nature Veronique - Makeover

Gown from Pewter Natalia. Jewelry by Joy.

Do you recognize this doll? Of course not. Nothing about her is original except her head sans hair and paint. This was Traveler By Nature Veronique from the amazing "Voyages" collections. She was released for sale in the winter of 2004 just around the time I began collecting FR. She's my second TBN. Promotional Photograph Property of Integrity Toys

I had her rerooted by Susan Korba about 2 years ago.

Black dress from the original Hollywood Royalty doll, Lana Turner.

She was magnificent and then I had the brilliant idea that I would enhance her eyes. FAIL.
Do you know how it goes? Do just a little more when it looks good...and then maybe a little here and a little there and then BAM. Messed up completely.



Photo needs to be inserted in three places.

Fashion Plate Veronique ~ Royalty!

Every now and then I pick up one of the earlier Fashion Royalty dolls most of which are Veronique (in my collection). This particular beauty is Fashion Plate Veronique, the brunette version, who was released in 2003. Her edition size was 800. There is another red headed version. Only 200 of those were made and they are very hard to find. Both came in a lovely gift set.

Unknown Photographer

I don't have the clothing as I purchased the doll nude. I did switch her to a tall body. Here are two of the latest photos I have taken of this beautiful doll.

In the above photo, she is wearing a silk strapless sheath gown with beading on the bust area. The dress was made by Mio. The fur shrug is by SL Fashion.

This is my favorite picture of Fashion Plate. She is wearing a navy top from one of the FR convention collections, a skirt from a Thai dressmaker and her wrap was Zita's from the Gene Marshall line. The jewelry is from a recent FR doll. The curls at the sides of her face need to be tucked back to show off her beauty.

I celebrate the outgoing Veronique's looks because we won't see her again.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.