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

Andy Warhol Barbie Doll

The Andy Warhol Barbie Doll was released on 3/4/2016. My main interest in purchasing her doll was the t-shirt and her articulated body.

  This is not exactly an attractive face unless you like the 'deer-in-the-headlight' look and cartoonish eyeshadow. If only I had the skills to do a really nice repaint. I like her hair and she poses very well.

The outfit is fairly low end Mattel but the t-shirt is very cute.

The image inside her box is that of Warhol hanging out in his studio.
Below is a brief video of the doll.

Chalk this one up to a possibly useful impulse buy.  Retail at BC.Com $50.

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.

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!

 

"Lavender Luxe" Barbie Doll

 The only Silkstone I've purchased this year is "Lavender Luxe."

She is a pretty redhead who reminds me so much of another Silkie I love, The Hostess.

Comparing the two, Hostess is prettier because she doesn't have horrible glitter on her lids and under her eyebrows.

In this photo I have intentionally blurred the under brow area because the glitter looked like she had a disease breaking out.

Although it appears to be a pony tail with giant curls, her hair is only secured with the net. Hostess' hair is a 'pony tail.'

The gown is pretty but still, neither nicely made nor from a finer fabric.

The front is passable. But the back has the kind of poor quality control that is very disappointing.

Silkstones, fading from my collection.

Why Buy Anything?

Tomorrow, April 15, the Little Red Dress Barbie Doll will be released for sale @ $75.  I am impressed with neither the fashion nor the price.

Here is Mattel's description:

Barbie doll is simply stunning in an ensemble with dramatic details and highly detailed accessories. Ready to make a grand entrance at the next soirée, Barbie doll wears a coral satin evening coat with a cape-like collar over a lipstick red cocktail dress with tiers of flirty chiffon. Star-worthy accessories include a coral satin cocktail hat with feather trim, black stretch charmeuse shirred evening gloves, along with golden rhinestone earrings and a matching floral cuff. The finishing touches include a pair of glossy d’Orsay stiletto pumps and a glamorous updo. Doll is cast in Silkstone and features the original 1959 Barbie face sculpt.

For the first time since I've been a Barbie Collector member, I did not use the $20 quarterly credit. I tried, believe me. There is NOTHING that interested me enough to spend $ in order to save $. Ridiculous, isn't it?

There is a Silkstone coming in August called Lavender Luxe. She may join the tribe...or maybe not.  For an additional $24.95 (compared to Little Red Dress) you get a long-haired redhead wearing a gown that looks like it took some thought.

The jury is still out on Boucle Beauty, left.

I do like the suit, her cute face and the hairstyle and while they certainly don't look alike, Boucle immediately reminded me of Afternoon Lunch.

Silkstone "Blush Beauty" is a pretty doll however her outfit is, again, unremarkable and nothing new.

 She can't compare to the 2001 "Ravishing in Rouge," whose fashion is similar but so much nicer.

Like several other companies, the cutbacks in quality become evident when one compares the dolls produced 5 or more years ago. Diehard Silkstone collectors need to tear themselves away from the fantasy and take a long hard look at what they're buying now. I had to do that with certain segments of my collection and it wasn't easy but why buy anything less than great?

A Repaint by Lisa Gates and the Monster High Monster Maker

 The very talented Lisa Gates has repainted a Wilde Imagination Sad Sally. With her new face and grown up earrings, Sally is no longer an innocent little girl. She now looks like a teenager. It's quite a transformation!
 Visit Lisa's website here: http://www.dazzleemrepaints.com/

I love my original Sad Sally although I do believe her face could use a little blushing.

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While we're on the topic of a quirky little doll, I was browsing through pictures of Monster High dolls last week. I went through a period of buying and displaying them. To say the least they are unique and clever. Personally, I lost interest in them rather quickly. They are cute play-line dolls and what you get for your money is enough but I found them to be nothing more than decorative characters. I used some of mine to decorate one of my smaller Christmas trees.

In spite of all that, this particular one caught my eye. Her name is Wydowna Spider. She's a ToysRus exclusive. Mattel categorizes Monster High dolls as fashion dolls.  Well, she does come with two additional fashions although I'd call them outfits.

Apparently, many collectors do consider them to be fashion dolls so I'm out-voted. I posted the question on a Facebook board last week.  Six out of 29 respondents said no, they do not consider them to be fashion dolls.

Some of the more interesting answers:

-Yes but only because don't consider them to be baby dolls
-I consider them more Playline fashion dolls like barbie Fashionista dolls - though i do have a few and a few Ever After High dolls
-Yes! The details on their fashions is incredible. If you're not a collector, take a closer look next time you see one. You'll be amazed how the purses, jewelry, & shoes are all different for each character.
-Yes!! They are actually amazing little posers and for an inexpensive doll they are very detailed
-Yes, sure they're playline but still fashion dolls.
-I think the difference is Monster High is a Playline fashion doll. The 16 inch dolls like Tonner, Sybarites, Kingdom Doll, Fashion Royalty 12 and 16 inch are collectible higher end dolls.
-Yes, fantasy fun fashion dolls of a sort.
-No, though their premise might be fashion forward off springs of the our favorite ghouls, monsters and ghosts, but still they're character based, and the movement of their clothing leans on costumes more than fashion.
-Yes a fashion doll is a doll that comes with fashions! So yes it would be considered a fashion doll so thought many collectors say no because the consider realistic type dolls as being fashion dolls.

Other items I stumbled upon in the MH line that are appealing are the Monster High Monster Maker, the Monster Maker Primary Extension Pack,  and the Monster Maker machine. There are multiple add-ons and design packs. The Monster Maker is $49.97 (Amazon) and the Primary Extension Pack is $13.99 (Amazon.) The Mattel Shop lists the maker for $129.99 before a 20% Easter discount, way more than Amazon's price.

Here is the description:

Bring Her to Unlife!

Monster High® fans can create their own unique monsters using the ultimate customization tool: Monster High® Monster Maker. Simply select a style from the design software (desktop or app), then start creating your doll’s unique look using a variety of graphics and patterns or draw your own design. Transfer your scary-cool creation from your tablet or computer onto individual doll parts using the Monster Maker machine. Best of all, you can watch the whole design process as it unfolds.  

Monster High Monster Maker comes with Monster Maker machine, Monster Maker software (desktop and app), body part adapters, nine colored markers, three doll stands, an eraser, three blank fashions, a rooted wig, two wig caps and three “blank” bodies ready for monster customization.

These items are certainly not for young children to play with on their own. The machine requires that one installs the included software and is connected via USB to your computer be it PC or Mac.  I recommend reading the reviews of the products on Amazon.com and watching the instructional video prior to purchase.
Fascinating tech! I'd love to play with this toy.

  ________________________________________

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My Monster High tree in the process of being decorated 3 Xmas' ago.

A photo from a piece I did for FDQ's Vacation issue:

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.

Shamrocks and Ladies in the Woods in Barbie-Land

Shamrock Celebration Barbie Doll, a Barbie Fan Club Exclusive, became available today on the Barbie Collector website. This is a Gold Label doll meaning that no more than 5500 units are produced worldwide. Price is $75.

The information:

Designed by: Bill Greening

Release Date: 1/28/2015

Product Code: CGK93

Barbie^® doll is keen on green and decorated with shamrocks! Her short sleeves feature satin ribbon accents and the bodice is edged with lace. Her apron and underskirt repeat the lace motif. Includes top hat, leprechaun’s pot of “gold,” a wee greeting card and necklace.

Doll Details
Body Type:	1959 Vintage (holes in the feet) -Vinyl
Skin Tone:	Nostalgic
Facial Sculpt:	Nostalgic with straight rooting line
Fashion Sewn On?:	No
Eyelashes:	Painted

Included with doll:
Shoes, earrings, necklace, hat, pot of gold, greeting card, doll stand with prongs.

I think she's quite pretty but I don't buy $75. non-articulated vinyl dolls.

****************

While I'm looking at the Barbie site, I may as well talk about Lady of the White Woods Barbie. This is another Gold Label doll with a production rum of 7700 units. She went on sale on 1/14/15 for $100.

She looks pretty nice from here but...

...I do not like the organic swirls and seashell scallops on her face. I guess she's supposed to look like she grew from the forest floor.  Love the crown, the neckpiece and wrist pieces. If anyone out there has this doll, please post a review in the comments section for the rest of us. 

Designed by: Bill Greening

Release Date: 1/14/2015

Product Code: CGK94

This mythical beauty is second in the collection and is adorned in a gown with coppery branches, ruffled tiers of ethereal chiffon and a bodice wrapped in nude lace. Her crown, neckpiece and shoes share the natural motif and are accented with a feather design. Bold armbands complete the look.

Doll Details
Body Type:	ModelMuse™, Straight Arms
Skin Tone:	Peace
Facial Sculpt:	Louboutin
Fashion Sewn On?:	No
Eyelashes:	Painted

Included with doll:
Shoes, Crown, Headpiece, Arm Cuffs, Doll Stand
There is a limit of 5 dolls per order.