If I were a Barbie collector, I'd buy...

There are quite a few adorable or unique-looking Barbie dolls for 2010 that I enjoy looking at. Just for fun, I am going to post their pictures here.

I love the architectural prints on the gowns and the dolls are very pretty. There is a third in this series.

The Statue of Liberty is not architectural like the others. The pointy crown on her head? We've seen it before and she has that eternally smiling Barbie face that I don't like. Imagine the real Statue of Liberty with a smile. Scary. The draping of the dress and the pleated bottom are lovely details.
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Joan Holloway from the Madmen Collection

I may actually order this doll as the fashion and hair are very appealing. The other female in this grouping reminds me too much of Market Day.

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There is no way I would ever spend $159.95 on a Silkstone Gold Label doll....or any color label for that matter. She is beautiful and I love the fashion and her skin tone. I will just enjoy her picture.

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Although these have been out for a little while, I still like to look at their pictures and imagine having them. Do you do that?My Favorite Career Vintage Reproduction Astronaut Doll

My Favorite Career Pan Am Stewardess

My Favorite Fashion Queen

I love wigs. This one would be so much fun to play with.
Well I'm glad I got that out of my system.

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On another topic, I was confirmed for all my Fashion Royalty/Integrity Toys pre-orders. I caved on the Monogram called Dreamscape. I don't know what I will do with her gown but she is lovely otherwise. I'm getting Monograms Enigmatic and Incandescent, Fashion Royalty Jordan and Eugenia, NuFace Colette and Lillith, and Temptation Vanessa. I couldn't pass up Beatnik Blues Poppy Parker or her giftset. It's only March and I already have begun to feel overwhelmed with dolls. I forgot to add the two-doll event giftset, the joining-the-W-Club-dolls, my Tonner pre-orders and the Brides of Dracula dolls. Endless.

I need to post a list of my pre-orders right above my monitor to remind myself about what is coming.
There's this weird thing that happens...in between ordering and getting dolls one forgets that one actually has a million dolls. What is that sickness called? Perhaps it's in the DSM-IV.

Barbie and Ken as "Mad Men" Characters

Mattel announced that there will be four dolls released that represent characters from the AMC series called "Mad Men." They are part of the 2010 Barbie Fashion Model Collection otherwise known as Silkstones.

For more information click on this link to the NY Times article.

Picture of the Week Award ~ March 7, 2010

This week's Picture of the Week Award goes to Jill Reimann aka jbean on Prego.
Jill told me that the doll was originally a Moon Sybarite repainted by K. She's wearing a wig made by Ilaria at Time of Doll. She felt that the face-up was softer than the average Sybarite repaint and liked the peach lingerie because the tones tied in nicely. Jill sat the doll on a kitchen table facing a window in order to get natural light. The edge effect was created with iPhoto. The camera used is a Nikon Coolpix.

Congratulations, Jill, on your Picture of the Week Award.

2010 Integrity Toys Debut Line of Dolls PART 2

The Poppy Parker line shows the talent of David Buttry. They are delightful.

Coney Island Saturday $80.
Beatnik Blues $119.00

The Look of Love $135.

She's Arrived: Giftset $165.

A Night to Remember - Fashion Only $65.Sealed With A Kiss - Fashion Only $65.
If I didn't already have a large Tiny Kitty and Cissette collection, I might collect the Dynamite Girls. Their clothes and shoes do fit my smaller dolls though. They are adorable.

The Dynamite Girls $40.
These dolls provide the collector with plenty of bang for the buck. They're articulated, rooted and the outfits are very cute. Reese, the AA is a new sculpt. I like her fashion best of all.

From left to right they are Rufus Blue, Reese, Sooki and Gavin.
They have come a VERY long way from their introduction. Remember these?
Last is the ITBE group. There are five of them at $25. each. They are Integrity's playline dolls. I see that they're not being touted as "entry level collectibles" anymore. Their names, from left to right are Desirable, Luscious, Complicated, Romantic and Confident.

2010 Integrity Toys Debut Line of Dolls

At 5 PM EST last night approximately 400 W Club members from all over the world logged on to a webinar held by Integrity Toys for the purpose of seeing the new dolls for 2010. Carol Roth ran the event. Percy Newsome, Jason Wu, Vaughn Sawyers, David Buttry and Alain Tremblay took part.
I expected a live event with live pictures rather than just live voices and pictures. It was over after about one hour. About 6 questions were taken from attendees. The event was scheduled for two hours so I wonder what was missing.
One by one each grouping was shown. I compliment the size and quality of the images. For the first time we have been shown images that didn't try to be artsy but rather intended to display the dolls and fashions with appropriate lighting and focus.

The Event dolls are a set of two mini Avantguards, Aphrodisiac (on the left) and Androgyny and will sell for $175. That's a fair price for the two. I would have rather gotten a Fashion Royalty doll but many are pleased with this choice. They are wigged as are the original full-sized versions and are dressed in the same fashions. It's a cute idea. I think it will be fun to photograph the two Aphrodisiacs together. I don't have Androgyny anymore. I wonder if there will be a mini Goldmine. She would definitely find a place in my collection!
The Fashion Royalty Monogram Collection, in my opinion, was the winner out of all the lines. Besides the doll Brilliance, which I have previously reviewed, there is a lingerie version , two fantastic dressed dolls and another dressed doll that I will pass on. Each one is $150 except for the lingerie version which is $120.

They are Enigmatic, Incandescent, Dreamscape and Disclosure.

Enigmatic and Incandescent

Dreamscape

Disclosure

I don't like the pink gown from the waist down and that's a shame. The fabric detail on the bodice and shoulder and the cute beaded hat are lovely. I like the look of the short wig as well. The structure of the skirt reminds me of the outrageous Biltmore Hotel Gene Marshall gown from years ago. The Biltmore gown was a work of art. I don't want to spend $150. for a Monogram doll whose outfit is useless to me.
I finally found a use for Brilliance's outfit...it fits a Silkstone doll perfectly!


But I digress. Back to the debut.

Next up are the Fashion Royalty dolls themselves. They were divided into two categories, Dazzle and Foundation....whatever. Foundation would be a good name for a line of lingerie dolls.

The Dazzle dolls have 60's hairstyles and Heidi Klum type sequined dresses. They are $79. except for the Kyori giftset which is $175.

Sorry to say that Mattel did the sequin thing better.
The Kyori giftset comes with a big red ruffled gown sporting a beige bow, a plaid suit with a blouse underneath, two pairs of shoes, earrings, bracelet, ring and black potholder gloves.

Let's talk about hair. It's depressing to see those gorgeous faces under the ridiculous hairstyles. They look rock hard and are so unattractive. Adele's Afro is not to my taste either. I'd really tone it down a few inches which would still give her an ethnic hairdo but keep her from looking like she belongs in a Mike Myers movie.

Overall, the theme of the collection is a little bit of this and a little bit of that as far as fashion eras. It's certainly not like Jason's runway collections which are cohesive and relate to eachother.

The Foundation Collection
Staying Power Darius Reid and Model Citizen Lukas M., two Hommes in ill-fitting suits carrying great man bags and wearing great shoes. $139.00 each. This is not a giftset with two dolls. I have combined them into one image to save space. One can only hope that the jackets do not actually fit the way they look in the pictures.
Fire Within Jordan $139.
Jordan is very pretty and I think her outfit is adorable. I'm hoping the construction lives up to my expectations as it looks complicated. I will get rid of the pot holders immediately. I love hats for my dolls.

Tricks of the Trade Eugenia Perrin Frost $139.00
Which "trade" is that? The outfit is cute, I think. Actually I don't know what to think about this doll. I'm afraid she'll open her mouth and the fangs will come out. I am ordering her because she is so strange that she's interesting.

Private Goddess Natalia Fatale $150.
Someone is going to have to rethink the color and the draping of the fabric on that dress. The bodice has possibilities. Did Natalia's fairy godmother use the nursery room draperies for the skirt? Was she in a hurry?
Winning Ensemble Luxury Wear Fashion $69
I want the doll that is modeling this outfit. It appears to be Vanessa before the LDS hairstyle was applied. The outfit is another mini bubble skirt type dress in spring colors, a 50's bow hat with tulle, and the ubiquitous black gladiator shoes. I'm undecided.


The Three NuFace dolls below are Perk Colette, The Great Pretender Lillith and Mais Oui! Giselle Diefendorf. Each is $99.
Giselle's outfit comes with a fitted black jacket that has an interesting peplum. I think they're all adorable. The clothes are edgy eye candy. Colette and Lillith have beautiful faces. They will be mine.


Flash Star Luxury Wear Fashion $69.
Poppy Parker, the Dynamite Girls and ITBE will be covered in the next post.