These are the photos:
I swear I wasn't going to go for her. I'm very happy with my existing resin Sybs and similar 16" dolls. I knew she would be ridiculously expensive for a vinyl doll but after a moment's hesitation, I clicked the dreaded button.
Here is the description, copied directly from the post, that accompanied the doll:
After years in development we are delighted to present
our ALL NEW Vinyl formula. version T-5 sample.
the DEBUT Generation_X
Clone: 1000 Venus d'Royce
*please note different monitors may show colours differently.
Ginger and marshmallow coloured eyes, zef brows in rust and charcoal with shadow of deep red and muted blacks. Lids in icy translucent white. Lips the colour of blood.
Blonde wig bearing hand rooted centre parting, in a 'bedhead' state with backstage Queen of Hearts playing card set.
2 piece 'shrunken' suit consists amazing miniature tailoring with concealed shoulder pads and pocket kerchief. Pocket flap detail and functioning centre front buttons. 3 button detail to jacket cuffs. Trousers have beltloops, working front slash pockets and bum welts on back.
Further accessories include 'patent' belt, 'patent' B*TCH elongated purse with gold foil interior and the cutest hugest hot pink 'fur' pompom ever!
The piece d'resistance of course is her huge double baguette pillow cut ring that gleams like a solitaire rock in the midnight sky or is it the slither of velvet spot netting she has in her purse?
'Patent' strappy stiletto sandles with the highest heels ever on a sYbarite (sans platform)
Necklace and cuff set in silver 'leather' and chained bead detail.
and of course she comes with the following standard:
-manic_cure hands (see booklet for hand change instructions)
-booklet
-stand
ED:75
In stock and ready to be delivered
Price: £274.00
She's got an intense, angry look about her. The wig? We'll see. I do hope all Sybarite clothes will fit and that the quality is top notch.
Cost breakdown:
Doll £274.00 = $421.15
Postage £39.50 = $ 60.72 (Ridiculous for a vinyl doll unless she gets here in two days.)
Total £313.50 = $481.87
Do you have any thoughts on why Superdoll seemingly has gone backwards in their production of dolls from beautiful resin to ordinary vinyl?
Hey terri i hear she ia suppose to look and feel like resin but she is plastic
ReplyDeleteSo i wonder how she will be in person
I look foward to buying a future release since i missed out on this one
I hope you're right. Good luck with a future release.
DeleteT
I am very much looking forward to your complete and brutally honest review of this doll, as I have been very curious! I decided that I have no reason to get a vinyl version of Sybarite. Plus the vinyl seems a bit pricey for what she is (although I will admit the outfit/accessories are fabulous).
ReplyDeleteI am hoping they are just trying to tap into the vinyl fashion doll market, since there are vinyl dolls at Tonner that seem to sell for ridiculous prices, and vinyl is SO much cheaper to produce, probably with far fewer production/breakage/defect/assembly problems.
I suspect they lose more market share every year to new bjd and fashion doll companies that spring to life- particularly to companies that seem to stradle the fashion/edgy art doll line, like Popovy and Doll Chateau. I also have to wonder how much they are hurting as a result of having to sell many dolls and fashions from the last line, on clearance. Small doll companies usually operate on a pretty tight margin... so maybe a vinyl line will give them some breathing room so they can focus on more artsy resin dolls.
I sincerely hope a new resin line is around the corner. I was resistant to the harshness of Superdoll's girls at first, but I've grown to love their edgy look and faces that look more cruel or hardened than sweet...
- Sarah
Great analysis, Sarah. When I think about how much a select few Tonner dolls are priced at, this one doesn't seem so expensive. A few years ago I bought an exclusive vinyl Tonner for $249.99. She was a beauty but not worth it.
DeleteTerri
Tonner actually has quite a few dolls up right now in the $239 range. The edition sizes are not small for any of them, and from what I can tell, the joints are standard. From that sneak-peak of the new vinyl Superdoll that appeared on Instagram, it looks like the Superdolls will have a fairly complicated joint system. Very eager to see (hear) how the joints look/work in person...
DeleteShe's pretty cool and I like the idea of vinyl Sybs...BUT...Why is she so close to the same prices of past resin Sybs? Maybe I'm out of the loop but I remember some Sybs (and dealer exclusives) going for under 400.00?
ReplyDeleteIm I living in the wayyyy past? LOL
Nearly $500.00 shipped USD for a vinyl doll (I don't care how limited) is just a bit too much. Maybe produce more of an edition - keep the retail cost lower to attract more collectors? Just a thought.
;)
PS...those shoes are KILLER!
It is very pricey. Hopefully it is worth it.
DeleteDo you think they are trying to build a line that is a less expensive way to get collectors of Fashion Royalty, Tonner dolls, and similar lines to try Superdolls? Then, when they see the quality (of course I'm speculating/hoping here), they might "graduate" to the resin line. She could be a "gateway" doll.
ReplyDeleteMy own experience seems to support it. I start out with vintage Barbies, generally spending no more than $50-100 for them. I couldn't have gone directly from them to $700 Superdolls. That was unimaginable. However, I came across the Standard version of the TNT that would be so nice to have, but she's $150 or $200. Once I buy her, perhaps $300 doesn't seem so much for that beautiful #5 or American Girl. Then I discover Fashion Royalty and Tonner, which can be both less and more in a price point. Again, I start out with the $150 dolls and work my way up to Midnight Star Elise and The Muse Adele. And before I know it, I'm buying dolls from Superdoll, Emperis, Modsdoll, JAMIEshow, and Ficon. What a journey!
By the way, I was lucky enough to pick up a Solitaire. After the bad experience I had with Chaucer (she was in my cart, but the site wouldn't let me pay for her because she was sold out), I was pleasantly surprised. We'll have to see if she lives up to that video, and what she looks like in the hand/studio.
Troy...that's a perfect example of the slippery slope. I'm so glad you were able to get one. I realized that if I didn't buy 3-4 IT dolls, I could buy a Sybarite. My collection really changed after that.
DeleteTerri
Actually, I just received an email with a refund notification. They said they processed the payment after she sold out. I'm beginning to think it's not worth it to try to get dolls when they're released. Bad experience #2. :-(
DeleteOh crap. You're the second I've heard about. Now I'm scared.
DeleteI'm willing to bet that if your purchase didn't take, you'd have heard by now. At least I'm hoping for the best for you!
DeleteI would freak out.
DeleteIf I wasn't too buy spending money on 1:6 action figures and trying to get a Kingdom Doll (I've ranted plenty on how difficult the latter is to do), I might've tried for her. I'm not fond of most Sybarite faces and they're more expensive than suits my budget, but this is a nice looking doll, and with vinyl, I'd be able to take her outside without fear of breakage. I can definitely see her as a gateway doll to their resins because I got into JAMIEshow and Ficon after buying Tonners. Once I got that first resin, Tonner dolls no longer attracted me.
ReplyDeleteI still love my Tonners but not the Tyler body.
DeleteT
When I heard Superdoll was going Vinyl in July I was both stunned and relived.. I have been a Syb collector for many years and tho I started about 5 yrs after they debuted Tattoo I have amassed a large collection, selling most of my "other" doll collections. So back to my feelings towards the NEW Syb.. I wanted to NOT like her.. I was not a fan of the new Resin body used on the newer dolls and to me switching to vinyl would give me a reason to stop collecting the dolls and focus on the older and harder to find Superdoll fashions and accessories... BUT here I was up at dawn making sure my PayPal had enough funds and my computer was warmed up.. LOL
ReplyDeleteAnyway we wont know till she is in our hands.. I have been told by a few collectors who had the opportunity to hold a prototype in October that she has a nice weight and feel to her that is so close top resin that its hard to tell the difference .. and Resin IS Plastic after all
Hope mine does arrive in a few days and I look forward to meeting her, a new generation of Sybarites is a great way to start 2015
Cheers, Jeremy Austen
I, too, thought that I'd be safe. Haha.
DeleteI can answer a few of the concerns/questions voiced here Terry, at least I hope so.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a step backward but a step forward.
I'm one of the people who saw and held the Gen X body last fall; it was indeed weighty and very nice to handle, not like any doll I have seen. It is a new material developed for the Sybarites. No one knows how the doll will handle and wear on a daily basis, since it is a new material, but she is certainly not a throwaway kind of doll.Bless their hearts -- I almost wish they did not use the V word but call it "Superstuff" or something! It's not like your average shower curtain or car seat, anyway.
The body is all new -- new joints and some differences in her figure, and I think they are great. The hands come with the doll too for the price.
With a Tonner doll while cheaper, she is not even all vinyl -- I have not bought one in ages but they are vinyl heads and limbs and something else for the body (polystyrene? I'm not a chemist). Tonner dolls are nice, for what they are, for the money but they are using a 1960s technology, reliable perhaps but for the adult doll collector much more can be accomplished.
As to the cost of shipping, Terri -- they will arrive by express mail, in the US you will probably get your doll via FedEx.in a couple of days, unless Customs gets their mitts on her. Outfits are sent by the British equivalent of Priority Mail with tracking.
A business has to expand in order to survive, and if you have dreams of making a certain kind of doll you do need the funds for development of your ideas. It is a very costly business to develop a doll, and making resin dolls is very labor intensive, if you make them like a Sybarite (hand poured, hand sanded, hand painted, etc.) They are relatively expensive and there is a limited market at that price.
The reactions of people to the news is very heartwarming to me. I hear from all sides that people love the Sybarites but cannot afford them, are afraid they will break, etc. A vinyl doll hopefully a larger edition in the future which will keep the cost down, and more people can have them. And Superdoll can create.
Sorry Terri -- this is Lady L. here commenting.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing for myself.
DeleteTerri
She looks fascinating. I think they are making a very good and necessary step. Several years ago they "owned" their niche. They now have very real competition from companies such as Ficon, Numina and Emilia. Many people would like to be able to have their very limited edition "Art" pieces and they have a strong following, but this does not always translate to immediate sell outs of their more pedestrian pieces. A beautiful line that is less expensive to produce and more available....at least a little more available....allows expansion of the business without cheapening the premium line. I wish them well and only hope that I can get one of these eventually.
ReplyDeleteAs always love the blog
Will C.
Very well put, Wil. We need to add Kingdom Doll to that list of strong competition, and, as you may know, Emilia is not doing other than OOAKs for now.
DeleteThank you for your comments!
Terri
I wounldn't include Emilia dolls in the list, they are only a few dolls and they do not compete with others fashion dolls TMO.
DeleteI love Superdoll work especially cause they were the very FIRST to create unasual dolls with unasual faces, very deep expressions and the best outfits and accessories line. I would say the same thing for the first Fashion Royalty dolls.
Sure I prefered resin Sybarite cause resin has something nothing else have but finally I caved when I saw the video from Solitaire and was so glad she kept her Syb unique expression...
It is good to change sometimes too, make something else but do not change totally, that's what Superdoll did and I can't wait to discover all of this soon ;-)
I very much look forward seeing your pics Terri and thanks too to Lady L for Your very interesting insights. I happen to think you're Solitaire is l am very excited about this direction SD has taken.
ReplyDeleteOk, Terri. I wrote a comment, and was trying to edit one word, got to it, then I could not keep writing after I deleted the word, when I hot the preview, it went to another page that said it was posting. So the message went unfinished to you.
ReplyDeleteIt happens to me, too.
DeleteOk, I am looking forward your review on this doll. I read somewhere it is heavy and has the feel similar to the silkstone Barbies. Maybe after I see your pictures and your thoughts I will start saving to buy the next.
ReplyDeleteThe material they call Silkstone is just another vinyl but harder. Resin, vinyl,ilkstone---all plastics.
Delete