Misty Copeland Barbie® Doll

 Released today, a lovely new Barbie Doll with a body that actually has volume in the bust, thighs and calves. The retail price is $29.95  Impressive!

Mattel's Promo: 

As the first African American female Principal Dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland is an inspirational star, paving the way for future dancers all over the world! Her fire red bodysuit, with sunburst orange tulle cutouts, stretches over her perfectly poised body, while layers of red and orange tulle tease a luxurious red tail. A vibrant tulle headpiece tops off her elaborate look, adding drama and flair. The doll features a brand-new ballerina body, with a face sculpted to Misty's likeness!

She looks preggers here.

The doll is dressed up in Copeland's Firebird dance costume. It's "articulated," which is Mattel speak for extremely flexible and able to be posed in various ballet positions. To truly capture Copeland's likeness, the company took numerous photos and sent the dancer various prototypes to critique.
"We looked at her nose and made sure it was a little bit wider than Barbie's actually is, and that her lips were fuller and that she had a little almond shape to her eyes," she says.
"Something I kept saying was 'make her bust bigger!' I wanted it to really represent me, and for it to really, truly be like my body."
The doll has strong muscles, which Copeland says was important to her. She's glad that Barbie is "truly representing" a real athlete.

 Excerpt from an article by Yohana Desta

 The real dancer is a true doll.

 Available now at: http://www.thebarbiecollection.com/shop/misty-copeland-barbie-doll-dgw41

REVIEW: The New Articulated Silkstone "Basic Black"

Basic Black is basic as they come and they left out the panties!

The quality of the dress fabric is fair to middling—the type that leaves little pieces of lint on the doll. It's a cute dress and it closes with snaps. I could not remove her boots without having to cut the back part open. I could have warmed them up but I was frustrated and I have better boots for this doll.

Her high pony-tail styled hair is neatly and nicely done and her face painting is carefully but plainly applied.  She looks a lot less sophisticated and somewhat younger than prior Silkstones.

 UPDATE: Mattel's Promo Photo modifies the true doll by changing the elbow and knee joints and making the pony tail perfect. I just read the BC.Com forum and the complaints are the same and worse than mine and it's really a fiasco. I had such high hopes!

Mattel needs to rethink the finishing of the surface areas, the appearance of the elbow joints and the too-youthful appearance of her face. And...she needs earring holes.

If you enlarge several of my photos and look at the seams, you will see how poorly done they are. There are strange protrusions from the elbows. I am concerned about the knee joints as well as they are very stiff and I don't really trust bending them all the way.

On the other hand, she poses very well.

Here she is compared to the original Silkstone body front and back. She is slightly lighter than the original.

I didn't have a problem with redressing in any way. Everything fits perfectly.

The price was very good. On BC.Com, she retailed for $40. I used my $20 quarterly coupon and got her for $20. Dealers are offering her for about $49. I don't think she's worth a whole lot more.  I'll venture to guess that future issues will cost more. They will have to appear to be worth it to get my money.

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice Collection by Mattel

I'm quite surprised by the good looks of these dolls and the low price of $39.95 each.  I thought I was on the wrong website.

Batman has the new Ben Affleck sculpt. He's fierce! This is so not like Mattel it's wonderful. They're calling the body type Poseable Hero Male. No more Mr. Wimpy.

The Superman Doll uses the new Henry Cavill sculpt. Not bad at all. The hero body is super muscular. No information about the costume or measurements of the doll are posted with the listings.

Wonder Woman Doll's description: The wild card in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice™, Wonder Woman is the daughter of Zeus and an Amazonian princess! Sculpted and costumed just like the movie character, she’s fully articulated and ready to fight with her sword, shield, and her iconic “magic” lasso. Knee-high boots, armored bracelets, and a headdress complete her warrior’s attire.

The costumes are not removable without cutting them off. I think these figures still have a lot of play potential in spite of that. The molded hair on the male figures doesn't bother me although it would be cool if they could have done rooted hair. I'll wait to see them in the stores before jumping although I'd like to have Wonder Woman just for the new articulated body.

Check out this video for more information.

The New Barbie Doll Bodies

While I think it's a good thing that Mattel recognizes the fact that women come in different shapes and sizes, I still think they have a long way to go if their intention is to represent a cross section of the population. These new dolls offer 4 body types, 7 skin tones, 18 eye colors and 18 hairstyles. The body types are the new additions. There will also be clothes that come in specific sizes to fit each doll.  Good luck with keeping that organized.

Mattel wants their Barbies to reflect "real-life girls and women." Does anyone who plays with these dolls wonder why they don't have vaginas? There's not the slightest indication that there might be something down there.

She looks pregnant.

Individual dressed dolls are $9.99 which is very reasonable IMO. Dressed dolls with two additional fashions will cost $19.99. Not all the variations are available; some are pre-order at

http://shop.mattel.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=45063936&utm_source=barbie-brand-site&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=dawn-launch


This is a step in the right direction...a very tiny step.

More good photos: http://www.barbie.com/en-us

Moschino Barbie® Doll – Caucasian - African American

These dolls disappeared quickly. They were scheduled to go live at 6AM Pacific Time. That would be 9AM my time but they were gone before that. I hate the Barbie.Com website. Either their site crashes or they don't stick to schedules. Really messed up!
I would have ordered one just for the pieces of the outfit I like.
Their faces and bodies are turn-offs IMO.

The retail price of these Gold Label dolls was $150.  Gold Label editions are 25,000 or less.  Must have been a lot less to have disappeared so quickly.

tokidoki® Treasure Hunt! Find the Platinum Label® Dolls

Tempting, but I am no match for the thousands of insanely driven Barbie collectors who are also tempted and determined.  Here is the information released by Mattel today:

Your search for the hidden sale page for Platinum Label® tokidoki® Barbie® Doll at The BarbieCollection.com begins 9/1! Here’s what you need to know about the tokidoki Treasure Hunt.
In case you haven’t heard the hot-off-the-presses story, it’s tokidoki’s 10^th anniversary! To celebrate the occasion, tokidoki partnered with Barbie® Collector to create not one, but two new dolls. Designer Bill Greening collaborated with the tokidoki team to bring the glamour of Barbie and the wit and whimsy of tokidoki together again on this momentous occasion.

The Black Label® version of the doll will be easy to find, while supplies last – the last tokidoki® Barbie Doll was one of the hottest sellers of 2011 – but the Platinum Label® version will be much harder to find. Some will be mixed in with shipments of the Black Label® doll to select retail outlets, and some will be available in the online shop beginning on 9/1 at 9am PT.
 
Two webpages, somewhere on TheBarbieCollection.com, will have a picture of the tokidoki Cactus Friend that comes with the Platinum Label doll:

When you find the Cactus Friend, click on it to be taken straight to the hidden shop page for the Platinum Label tokidoki Barbie Doll.

What webpages will they be, you might ask? Since it’s a Treasure Hunt, we can give you a hint … one single paragraph in this very news story has the answer to which two webpages will have the Cactus Friend on them! It’ll be smaller than the example you see in this news story, but it will be up high, and not in any of the headers, footers, or sidebars of the site.
Good luck with the Hunt, and don’t forget to pick up the Black Label version of tokidoki Barbie Doll as fast as you can!

Please note: The tokidoki doll sale will be managed by our new “Waiting Room” process, whereby you may be placed in a Waiting Room before you’re sent into the shop.
This process is designed to create a more efficient and stable shopping experience for high-demand items, and is part of the new website platform for TheBarbieCollection.com. Once you’re in the Waiting Room, don’t refresh the page or navigate away from it! Doing so will remove you from the Waiting Room, and you’ll have to re-enter and start the process all over again.
 
Be sure to follow the Waiting Room instructions carefully to ensure your best opportunity to buy the items you want!

 

The Divergent Series: Insurgent Tris Doll

Tris, the heroine of the Divergent Series books, is adorable. Rarly does a Barbie come along with edgy short hair. The doll becomes available on 3/2. Free shipping ends at midnight on 3/2.

*Free standard shipping offer with $75 minimum purchase (excluding any applicable tax) expires 3/2/15 at 11:59pm CT. Not valid on previous purchases. May not be combined with any other offer or discount. If order is shipped to more than one address, offer applies to first "ship-to" address only. Applies to standard shipping only, and excludes rush orders and additional shipping charges for Canadian addresses.

So...if you can put together an order for $75., you can benefit from the free shipping that day and snag this cute, pop culture gal.

-Insurgent Tris $24.95

If I were going to go for it, I'd add the following dolls to make up an order:

-City Shine Barbie Doll - Gold Dress. $19.95
Why? I love the Steffie sculpt. Her jewelry looks useful as does the little gold dress.

-City Shine Barbie Doll - Silver Dress $19.95
Why? I like the Mackie sculpt and her blonde hair.

Finally - because there's nothing else new that I'd want:

Red Carpet Barbie - Blue Gown $19.95
Why? Mackie sculpt. Nice jewelry. Beautiful hair (if it turns out looking like that IRL)

My total order before discounts, tax, etc. comes to $84.80.
Am I doing to do it?

 No. 

Why?

The dolls are not articulated. 

Mattel makes $12.99-$24.99 

fully articulated, dressed, coiffed 

Monster High dolls. 

What is wrong with you, Mattel?

End of story.

Jamieshow Demi-Couture Ginny

In a fit of "I need another doll" impulsivity, I ordered Demi-Couture Ginny (aka Ginnie.) She is a 12" resin ball-jointed doll.  The 12" Jamieshow BJDs made their debut appearance a few years ago but their face sculpts were not well received and they did not do well.

GeorgeG Photo

The three current offerings, Grace, Eshe and Ginny are 1/6 scale replicas of the full-sized Jamieshow dolls of the same name. Just like their larger counterparts, they come with a rooted wig cap and a bald wig cap. A small version of the Jamieshow doll stand is included as well.

GeorgeG Photo

These dolls went on sale for $191.99 recently. The sale ends at midnight on 1/11/14.
If you have Silkstone dolls, you have seen the prices skyrocket for regular releases. That made me think that this price was reasonable for a doll with joints that actually move in more than one direction. BTW Silkstone is resin.

Also available on sale is a special Grace doll, expressive hands and some shoes.

I've had one of these Demi bodies for a while and was using it with a Liz Taylor Silkstone head.

When I took Liz out of a showcase to photograph her with Ginny, I was dismayed to find that she had become very, very kicky in her hip joints. It was almost impossible to keep her upright for this photo so she is posing partially sitting. Her knees and arms are fine. I will have to wire her hip and upper legs to correct this issue.

In my photos of Ginny, she is wearing a wig that I had in my collection because her wig was frizzy and unkempt looking. I've heard that washing it out helps. It's either the fiber being used or it's being over-heated during styling. I've had this problem with every other non-bun/non-updo Jamieshow wig cap.  It happens with other manufacturer's dolls as well on occasion. Straight styles and updos are fine. It only happens when the fibers have been over-processed. As a photographer, I pay attention to the appearance of hair. It drives me crazy when I can't tame a wavy hairdo properly. There's curly and there's messed up.

Ginny is wearing Barbie (Louboutin) shoes just to illustrate that their foot size is almost exactly the same. Barbie's is a tiny bit smaller. FR2 shoes would be too large. Original FR shoes will fit as will  FR clothes from the second body. (That would be the first articulated body before they went to the first tall body. ) Of course there will be other clothes that fit depending upon their cut.

I recommend buying one or more of these demi dolls now while the price is right.

Here:
http://www.jamieshow.us/DEMI-COUTURE_c_15.html

Barbie Shopping Mall Play Set

If I were a kid, this would be at the top of my want list or already in my room. Mattel has really knocked out the big Barbie play sets this past year. A child would need a huge play area to have the  dream house and the mall set up at one time. When fully assembled, the mall is 4 feet wide!  That's plenty of room for more than one child to play.

The Malibu Mall play set is a ToysRUs exclusive selling for $74.99

See the video which shows the fun details. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=34474886&cp=&parentPage=search

Elise, Agnes, Vanessa and More

I may not love the Agnes sculpt but I do love gift sets. When this set was revealed during the W Club Online event a few months ago, I pre-ordered two of them. After a slightly torturous wait - my package was sent to some address in Delaware or Maryland - I finally got them today.
Sadly, both doll heads need to be replaced. I have not even deboxed to examine the rest of the package contents. I'm trying to figure out how, if I wanted to keep these NRFB, would I ever be able to do so without shipping the entire package back to IT at my expense. (Another $10.xx.)

I am very unhappy about this. It's never happened to me before. Yes, I've gotten a few defective items here and there but over the years, it hasn't been this bad.

I expect to receive dolls that I would feel comfortable reselling - even if I'm not planning to resell. I would never offer these dolls for resale.

So...the first doll has it really bad. She's got a big shiny spot on one cheek, a short tuft of hair coming out of the center of her first row of rooting and one of her irises and corneas is much larger than the other. I get the feeling that this may have been a returned doll as the net looks as if it had been pulled back. Her hair was messy.

The second doll has a torn earlobe! That's a new one. At first, I thought it was pierced twice but when I looked with my glasses on, I saw that it was just a jagged tear. She, too, has had her net pulled off and has messy hair.

I don't understand them selling items like this. With shipping, the dolls cost $140. plus change each.
At this point, I do not want them.

I have written and sent photos to 'patient' care asking for replacement heads that are 'perfect.' I don't need to hear that "no doll is perfect." Actually, I have many perfect dolls so that's bullshit.

I've read that some who purchased this set have found mold on their dolls. I'm not deboxing until I have to and then I am hoping there is nothing else to find that needs replacing.

Fingers crossed.

On other topics concerning Integrity Dolls...

"On The Rise" Elise Jolie arrived last week. The doll herself is lovely as are all the Elise dolls IMO. I was dismayed at first by her stiff hair but it's not something that can't be fixed if I care to fix it. What I didn't like were the cheap jewelry and accessories. The belt has a small metallic button affixed to its front which droops downward so you don't see its face. Something without a shank should have been affixed to this belt. The shoes are a touch weird.
I carefully pressed the dress and gave her different jewelry, shoes and a handbag. The dress works without a belt.

Here are a few more photos of Elise and one of Cruise Control Vanessa wearing Adele's "Vivid Encounter" 'perfect' ensemble.

Yes, this Vanessa has been rooted. She could use a nice repaint as well to fix the blue and silver shadow around her eyes.

If you don't remember what CC looked like originally, here is a photo by Lisa (momohuny) from her Flickr photostream.

Pretty bad.

Yesterday I had a 'play date' with another collector. We spent a lovely few hours yakking about dolls, people and everything else under the sun.

She knew I was looking for a nude Capucine Silkstone and gave me one! Here she is modeling the 2014 July fashion I just received from V. Jhon.

I've purchased many, many of V. Jhon's monthly fashions. This one was disappointing quality-wise.
It looks OK in the photo but the main hem and many of the other raw edges of the garment are pinked. Not what I expected. Maybe it's just not finished? I think I'll write to him. The outfit is intended for FR2 but, as you can see, fits Silkstones quite well.

Here is a promo photo:

Update: I received an apology from patient care and they are sending me two brand new dolls plus a coupon for return shipping of the defective dolls. That's a good thing.

Gianfranco™ Ken® Doll

Gianfranco^™ Ken^® doll sports a brushed cotton blazer featuring black flocked trim on the lapels and pockets, button details at the sleeves and a silky black lining. Underneath, is a white tailored shirt, narrow black satin tie and dark indigo jeans with turned up cuffs. Perfetto!

Designed by: Robert Best

Release Date: 10/1/2014 

$75.00

The mole stayed.

Barbie-inspired Moschino Runway Show in Milan

Jeremy Scott, creative director of Moschino, put on a Barbie-inspired fashion show in Milan yesterday. As the models went down the runway the song, I'm A Barbie Girl (Aqua) played.
The audience received a Barbie doll dressed similarly to the first model down the runway:

Check out these fashions.

Some of them are a little scary - even for Barbie.

 Some would be perfect for the 12" crowd.

 I would love to have been at this show.