How much profit is acceptable?

It's a topic that comes up over and over again. How much profit is acceptable?

 The newest Poppy Parker gift set, "I Love How You Love Me," has been shipping to collectors throughout the US this week. The retail price of this set was $150. plus shipping. I have seen three different people asking $500. for the set since yesterday. That's pretty shocking  I wonder if anyone is desperate enough to pay that much.

I'm not saying that I don't resell and make a profit on certain new items because I often do, but when I see someone asking for a really huge markup right on the W Club board before most even got their new doll, I cringe because of the "in your face" timing and location of the sale. You see this all the time on eBay and sometimes on the Show & Sell pages but there it's different.

A few years ago when I was buying the FR grails I needed, I paid way over retail especially for Poesie Sans Couleur Vanessa and Cosmetic Takeover Natalia. These dolls had been out for quite a while and were in extremely high demand. I did not resent the sellers for taking their profits at all. Many of the other early dolls I purchased were also high priced. I am happy to have most of these still in my collection - most notably the Veroniques from conventions.

One of the wonderful things about being part of a good doll community is trading. Once you have established a good reputation as a seller/trader, you can find people who have stuff you want and can trade. No money needs to be exchanged and you both get what you want!
My last Vanessa grail, raven AFL, was a result of a trade. I had a convention Agnes and she had the Vanessa. We both got what we wanted due to the successful completion of a trade.

Then on the other hand, maybe it's good that collectors are upping the prices. Doll values had fallen or stayed flat for the last two+ years. Is this a sign of economic recovery?

What I would really love to know is how much this set (or any doll) cost to manufacture.

SouoL by LouoS - Supporting Relief Efforts in Japan

In support of the relief efforts in Japan and other countries hit by the recent natural disaster, 50% of the sale of items from his "May You Blossom Again" series will be donated via Paypal to the Salvation Army.

One example from the collection:

Visit LouoS ArtFire site by clicking on the image above.

Coupons and Bargains

—Thursday, March 31 is the last day to redeem your first $20. reward at Barbie Collector.

—At Noon (EDT) on Thursday, at Tonner Direct, gift sets are 40% off and shipping is free!
The sets that the company is offering didn't originally come packaged as sets but they definitely work together.  The sale ends on april 8th at 11:59PM EDT.


13" Women of Power Gift Set of Three Dolls

 LOTR Elven Gift Set of Two Dolls

 

 Ladies of Oz Gift Set of Three Dolls

Twilight New Moon Gift Set of  Three Dolls

 Clash of the Titans Gift Set of Two Dolls

It would be fun to have those OZ dolls. I think they are so creatively designed. Of course I want them. I want everything I like but I'm not getting them. There is one tiny bit of impulse control left.

Perhaps if the 13" dolls had an attractive sculpt...well, I've said it already. They are mannish-looking.

Update: Renegade Dasha will come to Woodstock

A wonderful doll collector friend has allowed me to take over her lottery win for Dasha! I am thrilled.

But my darn GPS can't find the location of this tree.


In the meanwhile, Red Rabbit Misaki would like to say hello. Beware. She will eat your crops.

W Club Lottery Results

I was not lucky in this one. Apparently my luck has run out permanently as I haven't gotten a bite in more than a year! The spousal unit's account wins once in a while. So far joining the W Club this year has been a waste of money. I didn't order any of the upgrade dolls and I didn't get the opportunity to purchase a darn thing. 

Bah Humbug.

Photographical Elise

I love this doll's face.
 

 

 
She is so photographical...there's a song that uses that word:

My funny Valentine, sweet comic Valentine,
You make me smile with my heart,
Your looks are laughable, un-photographical,
Yet you're my favourite work of art.

Is your figure less than Greek ?
Is your mouth a little weak?
When you open it to speak, are you smart?
But don't change a hair for me,
Not if you care for me.
Stay little valentine, stay!
Each day is Valentine's Day .

Ashleigh and Antoinette

Two Tonner outfits had been waiting to be deboxed for quite a while.
Vivacious Antoinette is wearing "Play on Words."  I have to admit that I was surprised that I even ordered this outfit because it comes with a corduroy jacket that is so totally boring and does nothing for the outfit as a whole.

Tonner Photo

The promo calls it "safari inspired." It does have real buttonholes but that is all I can say in it's defense. One of the buttons popped right off when I first opened up the garment. The skirt and t-shirt are very cute.

I substituted a Gene Marshall jacket in the second picture to give the outfit some sparkle.
Anyway, I'm getting tired of the Antoinette body and of the line of clothing being produced for Antoinette/Cami. Everything is looking the same...ruffles and frills on the casual wear and over designed, multi-layered dressy designs. Enough is enough. I'm not buying anymore. Antoinette can wear Gene Marshall clothes and for $90., which is what most of these outfits retail for, you can get some gorgeous Ashton-Drake and Integrity produced Gene clothes.

Below, Scintillating Ashleigh is wearing "A Capricious Beat."

Tonner Photo

When I saw this promotional image I knew I had to have the outfit. It's very cute. Somehow it doesn't look as cute on Ashleigh. These are little girl clothes. I think they're more suitable for Ellowyne than for Antoinette and Ashleigh. Cami is another story. Perhaps she will get all of these outfits. They were designed after she came along after all.

I didn't like the way her legs looked in any of the photos I shot - and I shot many.

I will wrap up this post with a picture that amuses me because it looks like Ellowyne is a giant next to the chair which is scaled for this size doll. Perhaps she fell down the rabbit hole.

Boo Who?

Filling Down Time

This is a quiet time in Dolldom. Initial pre-orders have arrived and the wait for the rest has begun. It's a good time to both squander the hours hunting down bargains or actually playing with one's collection. Many, like myself, have taken a second look at their pre-order lists and have realized that some of that time had better be spent selling. My collection is always in flux with dolls and accessories getting voted off the island and other arriving for their sojourn.
I am the shipping buddy for an active collector in Portugal for whom I slave over deboxing her goodies prior to shipping. My poor dolls have to try on the clothes.
I rarely play with Poesie Sans Couleur. This is just the most beautiful Vanessa ever. After all this time I can't get over how stunning she still looks to me. She had been wearing a black fashion for a very long time and I was worried about staining. Luckily, she was stain free and just happen to be around when "Winning Ensemble" was deboxed.

 

I never ordered it because the black coat, hat and shoes did not do anything for me or for the colors of the dress.

Integrity Toys' Photo

I didn't bother unpackaging the accessories or the coat and I gave Vanessa silver shoes. I love the look now and I want the dress. Oy. What a difference the lightness of the silver shoes makes. The black shoes drag the eye down to the feet in the promo image. The dress looks more feminine and the colors are more important without all that black.

Today's photoshoot included this Silkstone Barbie doll called Parisienne Pretty. This is a shot of her shortly after she arrived in 2009.

She's got a great outfit but an extremely hard-looking face and the gigantic forehead doesn't help at all.
I tried to like her. At one point I was going to sell her because I can't keep dolls that annoy me.

Yesterday she met up with another item that has been challenging, the red gown from the Kyori "Deceptively Yours" giftset. I had removed the bow a while back but still had not found a doll that could wear the dress. This one can.

I added a red patent belt, red rhinestone bracelet and some mixed bead earrings and I like the look. It did not fit off the rack; I had to sew it tighter. I  took a couple of basting stitches back and forth across the back to tighten up the bodice.

I feel sad that I sold off so many of my early Silkstone dolls when I decided that I wasn't going to collect them any longer. Oh well. Hopefully they are having good lives in their new homes. ;-)

Tomorrow I will show the results of the other dolls who were part of today's big photoshoot so stay tuned!

W Club Members Reminder - Lottery for Renegade Dasha Ends Soon

W Club members are vying via lottery for the last FR2 doll of this season's line. She is Dasha Renegade.
Renegade was shown at the FR Convention. She is the same price as the other FR2 dolls, $175. There are 300 of them and there will probably be 3000 entries.

Integrity Toys Photo

I would definitely like to add her to my collection but the competition for this one is fierce. If you win a chance in the lottery and don't want her, please come to me. Let's make a deal.  ;-)

The deadline for entries is March 28 10:00 AM CST (Chicago time.)

Elise Gets Familiar With Holga and Rudy

Shoot

Talk to the hand.

More Devon

I said I was going to give her two more photo shoots before I gave up completely on her. Today I had success. I think it was the blonde wig combined with the new background.
I made it work.

Evangeline and the Super Moon

Everlasting Evangeline (vinyl, wigged) wearing "Dear Diary"

"Full moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the moon's orbit, with one end closer to Earth. Today, the moon is 221,565 miles away - the closest to Earth since March 1993.
Some have equated the arrival of the "Supermoon" with various natural disasters and other supernatural goings-on. Scientists say there is nothing to those theories, although there are expected to be high tides caused by the moon's relatively close proximity to Earth."

Too sick to play with dolls? Never!

In spite of the fact that I've been suffering with a chest cold and sore throat, I've been taking pictures of my dolls and redressing them.

Among the gals that is getting attention is Paul Pham's Numina, Devon. I cannot get this doll to look the way I want her to look. I can't pose her the way I visualize. I'm afraid that this type of doll just isn't for me. It's not the first 16" BJD that I failed to bond with. There is nothing wrong with this doll. She has a gorgeous body and a pretty face. I have nice clothes for her. I hate this feeling!

She's going to get two more chances to make me happy. No one stays without making me happy. Must be the medication.

Bergdorf Goodman's Fashion Night Out Doll: This is my third one and I have finally decided to keep one. She is quite pretty and I like her better without her hair braided. For some reason her hair was very fly-away upon receipt and she was NRFB! There must be a grinch in the factory with a dull razor scraping at hair instead of cutting hair. I trimmed it and there are still little shredded ends of hair. Ugh. But she stays.

Custom Bobble Head Dolls - "Your Head Here"

Come on, admit it. You've always wanted a bobble head in your own image.
You design it yourself! Get different body styles, men, women, children, pets, sexy, not sexy....what ever you want.

Click on Image to Find Your Perfect Bobble

This is what happens when you have a cold and take medication.

Barbie Collector #1 Reward Good Through 3/31/11

Just a reminder to members of the BFC that the first $20. reward is good through 3/31 at 11:59PM CDT.
I never wait until the last minute because I like to shop! I'm already looking forward to the second reward. I'm not sure what I want to use it for. I should wait for the new dolls to start showing up along with another sale. As with any line of dolls, it's hard to wait.

Is it that difficult to copy 5 letters in a row?

Screen shot from my computer.

They spelled my name wrong even though it's spelled out clearly in the signature at the bottom of my image.
They might have asked if they could use it but I don't remember. What is so difficult about a 5 letter name?

Just for Fun - Redressing Twilight Jane

I bought Jane because I liked her hooded coat. I took it away from her while she was asleep in her coffin.

So she was hanging around in my studio nekkid and shivering and somehow managed to get dressed in this Dynamite Girl's outfit.

Poor thing looks like she has a hangover with the red eyes, thus the shades.

Re-Styling A Doll - A Success Story in Pictures

My friend collector, ParadiseBlue-Jay, recently acquired the Jason Wu designed Neo-Cissy, "L'Enfant Terrible."  I found this doll to be unappealing.  She has hair growing out of her eye for goodness sake. And someone forgot to give her eyebrows. On top of that, her outfit is very sexy for a doll with a child body and a big head. Nuff said.

Poor thing. She's been hit in the face by a crow.

So yesterday he sends me a bunch of pictures. Here are several:

Monaeglo Gown

Acid green hosiery by Linda in Las Vegas. Necklace from Limousine Sybarite.

Shoes are her own.

She looks fabulous now! I love the colors. It's electric!

He also sent me pictures and a review/comparison between the Neo-Cissy and the Avantguard body which follows.

AG looks pissed.

Body review:
There is a feel to Cissy that smells of Integrity. The light weight hollow plastic feel is okay.. not great but I have come to expect that of Integrity. Integrity has a way of dressing up the cheap.

The Torso / arm pit area is the same on both types of dolls. Knees are better on Cissy. They have the swivel knee-cap. The spindle that attaches the feet and hands to the arms or legs are loose on Neo Cissy. The ridges on the Cissy feet/hands spindles are almost non existent. They slide in and out with no grip. Very floppy.. on my doll. They may be better on someone else's.

The Torsos on the AG's are horrible and floppy.. Neo Cissy's are better.. but not great. I think what aggravates me the most about Neo Cissy's feet is that they are so floppy that she couldn't stand on her bare high heeled feet, without the doll's weight forcing the feet to go almost flat. She looks like the weight of her large head has crushed her feet. Flat high heeled feet is not a great look. LOL.

Hands. I am not happy with the Neo Cissy "hand balls" (looks like posing balls at her hand's base) at her arms. They were made to look like the "balls were needed to pose better. Maybe BJD like? There was no need to do that as the spindle goes into the arm close.


Would I buy another? Probably not. If the sale was good.. maybe. I wish Integrity would pay attention to detail on the underlings of a doll and not just the fashion.

Speaking of the fashion.. very nice. Boots are not cut the way the promo pics indicated. Those looked ankle tight.. these look like rubber boots.

______________

I want to thank James for the pictures and for taking the dead crow off the doll's face. LOL.

In addition, I appreciate the review of the bodies as I'm sure my readers will as well.