2016 Poppy Parker Dolls Revealed

Members of the W Club were treated to this year's Poppy Parker "BonBon" Poppy Goes to Paris dolls on Tuesday. 
Each doll is $120. plus postage.
Here they are:

C'est Si Bon  LE 600 Japan Skintone

Très Chic Boutique   LE900   FR White

Bonjour Mademoiselle  LE800  FR White

Night At The Ballet LE700 Japan Skintone

Magnifique  LE900  FR White

Paris In The Springtime  LE900  Japan Skintone

Powder Puff  LE700 FR White:    

LOTTERY DETAILS COMING APPROXIMATELY LATE SUMMER 2016**IMPORTANT** THIS DOLL WILL NOT BE SOLD THROUGH IT DEALERS! 

Miss Amour LE700 FR White:   

LOTTERY DETAILS COMING APPROXIMATELY LATE SUMMER 2016**IMPORTANT** THIS DOLL WILL NOT BE SOLD THROUGH IT DEALERS! 

The outfits are adorable. That little yellow suit with the black accents is so stylish! I love it. My least favorite is the blue and ivory brocade cocktail dress  (Night at the Ballet) only because I don't like the style. It reminds me of something Gene Marshall would wear in the 1950's. The other one that doesn't appeal to me is the black and white "C'est Si Bon" dress. It looks awkward and poorly designed.

I love "Powder Puff." It's so fluffy, pouffy and pretty. Miss Amour's gown, although we've seen this gown here and there, is delightful. They're both perfect for pretty little Poppy. It's the way I like to dress my dolls. 

A friend send me an email earlier saying that she thinks I'll be getting the doll with the "poodle." That's no poodle. These are poodles.

That black thing looks like a drowned giant rat. Several companies including Mattel made great poodles through the years. 

Poppy collectors will be over the moon with this collection IMO. I think there is a doll here for everyone!

W Club 2015 Exclusive "J'Adore La Fete"

The final W Club 2015 doll has been announced and fortunately or unfortunately I have to order one.
It's an Elise Jolie gift set in a trunk, reminiscent of Fashion Royalty Kyori Ginza who also came in a trunk like this. I still have Kyori's trunk stuffed with story cards and COAs. 

The edition size will be enormous, I'm sure, as it's based upon how many the members order and there are a lot of members. Unfortunately it won't be ready until late spring or early summer of next year.
The price is $175. which isn't bad for a doll with three outfits: a gown, a suit and lingerie.

The gown looks black but it's dark wine with black trim. I love the suit.
I hope the quality exceeds our expectations.

 (I'm spelling her name with an 'i' no matter how many times it's changed.)

W Club Luncheon and Gala Dinner - Cinematic Convention Part #4

On Saturday, the W Club Luncheon offered attendees the information about an upcoming line which will feature a 12" Tulabelle.

The dolls - blonde, blue-eyed and very white.

Stage Presence
Véronique Perrin® Dressed Doll (W Club Luncheon Centerpiece)

 Sneak Peek Eden™ Dressed Doll (Giveaway Souvenir)

_____________________________________

At the Saturday banquet it was announced that next year's convention will take place in Chicago.

The one character I would have wanted to buy is probably going to be the most difficult doll to obtain so I don't know if I'll try. There are 450 of them so she's not exactly 'rare.' I have lots of trades I can make for one but I'll just go and play with my Kingdom Dolls and forget all about her. Apparently Elyse is the new Vanessa.

Starlet Elyse Jolie™ Dressed Doll (Gala Dinner Centerpiece) 

Making An Entrance
Karolin Stone™ Dressed Doll (Main Souvenir Doll)

A new character being introduced in the Nu. Face collection, Ms. Karolin Stone, an intriguing and secretive model and actress with an eye for drama and a flair for fashion!

 
Opinion:
My overall impression of the offerings are very positive towards the dolls and their fashions.  The least appealing dolls IMO were the Poppy Parkers except for the centerpiece doll and the OOAK.  The Color Infusion male dolls rocked as did the workshop male. It goes to show you that a doll for $45. wearing a $35. outfit can be fabulous.
I'm not an Agnes fan but Vaughn's OOAK and the mini gift set were excellent.
A friend of mine told me yesterday that he spent $3000. so far. That's a lot of dolls.
I'm sure most attendees went home happy and loaded with dolls to keep and to sell.

What was your overall impression of the product?
Favorite? Least favorite? Quality?

 

Introducing the Third 2015 W Club Exclusive: "Never Ordinary"

On Friday, the members of the W Club were introduced to the third 2015 club exclusive. It is a 2 doll set of the Nu.Face twins, Lilith and Eden. The 'special' W Club 10th Anniversary price is $199.
Deposits of $25. are due immediately but we won't see the dolls for at least 5-8 months!
I don't like being locked in for such a long time for a doll I don't even collect whose hair is just about the strangest style I've ever seen on a doll.

These two do not appeal to me. Prior releases of these characters have been much more interesting and prettier.
But they are nice dolls and I think people will order them just to have a set of twins as they are hard to get. The edition size will be based upon how many in the club order so it could go over 1000 and most likely will.  Not quite exclusive anymore.

In-between a Rock and a Hard Place

"The polka dots are completely mismatched around top, middle and bottom of the dress. The dots are misaligned, droop far too low on the left side and it's only accentuated by the black trim."

Browsing a doll forum today I came across the above comment by a very disappointed collector who had received doll dress in a giftset for which he paid $225.
He rightly believes that the dress should have been "impeccably" made for that price. I get the feeling he hasn't been around that long because of this expectation but he is, nevertheless, correct.

The dress in question is seen above.

Royal Treatment Véronique Perrin™ Dressed Doll Gift Set The Fashion Royalty® Collection 2015 Online Event Exclusive Limited Edition Size: TBA (Edition Size Based on Orders Received) Estimated Ship Date: Approximately Fall 2015

The set came with this dress as well:

Apparently the belt was made too small because many collectors are having difficulty fitting it onto the doll.


All of it:

 Wouldn't it be better to have one high quality item rather than two poor quality items?

Blogger "Desperately Seeking Dolls" states:

"I believe IT missed an opportunity here.  It wouldn't have been a major cost to include another pair of shoes, some hose, better jewelry (including a pin for the coat), and a hat.  That would've tipped the scale.  I believe the Royal Treatment is a lovely doll, but they overcharged for a gift set that wasn't executed well.  It's left a bad taste in the mouths of their loyal collectors."

But that's not the point of this post.

My question is what is a proper return policy? If the manufacturer cannot provide a properly made item, should you get your money back? Can they tell you that all the polka dot dresses are made that way and there are no replacements and no refunds? Should they give you a token credit to use towards a future product?

This was a direct-from-Integrity-Toys-item-not available-through-dealers,  although some dealers have some for sale. The issue a collector could face if this were a dealer product would be that the dealer could get annoyed. We don't want to mess with our dealers, do we? Ahem.

So are we between a rock and a hard place or is there another way to demand appropriate quality for money spent?

Integrity Toys for IFDC - NuFantasy Dolls

For those who did not attend the recent IFDC event in Vegas, there are additional companion and souvenir dolls which are being offered, by lottery, to W Club members.

Without You

The Nu. Fantasy™ Collection

LE 500 Dolls$150.00 + Shipping

Head Sculpt: Erin 2.0

 Wouldn't It Be Loverly?

The Nu. Fantasy™ Collection

LE 500 Dolls

 $150.00 + Shipping

Head Sculpt: Eden

Danced All Night

The Nu. Fantasy™ Collection

LE 500 Dolls

 $175.00 + Shipping

Head Sculpt: Giselle Diefendorf

I suppose Giselle's price reflects the fact that she is the convention souvenir, however, the edition size of 500 is the same as the other two dolls and her fashion doesn't appear to be more complex.  I did put in a ticket for the Giselle doll lottery. I like the gown and hopefully, the fabric is OK. I see a ripple effect around the slit where the fabric joins the lining. That's never a good sign but I like the style and the accessories. 

Eden's outfit is very interesting and I love pink. I'd have to see and feel the fabric before making a decision as to whether I'd want it in my collection. Although I do not collect NuFace dolls, their fashions are lovely for my Monogram dolls.

Erin is the most beautiful of the three and I like her hairstyle. I do not like the gown. It is a confusing style. That big white border at the hemline is heavy and distracting. The diagonal fabric at her thigh is another odd element. This is one of those fashions that looks like it was dashed off in a hurry. It feels out of place with the other two. 

All the dolls have the FR white skin tone and brunette hair color. 

Good luck to all who have entered the lottery!

Integrity Toys' Excellent 2015 NuFace Collection

Long anticipated by NuFace collectors, the 2015 collection went live for W Club members on Saturday, June 27. The designers did a great job providing adorable outfits with accessories on attractive dolls. There are no weird hair bumps or outlandish eyeshadow colors to contend with. The collection is focused and stylish.

Each outfit comes with a jacket, handbag and simple jewelry. A lot of black was used but black is always in style. If I were a NuFace collector I'd definitely be ordering Erin and Nadja. I would like to have Giselle's dress and Nadja's top and skirt for my Monogram dolls. 

I don't remember seeing a closed edition of 1000 in a long time. Giselle must be the one they expect to wow the crowd. I think they may have underestimated the popularity of Nadja. 

What's your opinion? Will you be ordering any of these gals? Which ones?

Voltage  Erin S.™ Dressed Doll

LE  800

Retail Price: $135.00 + Shipping & Handling

Head Sculpt: Erin 2.0

Body Type:  Nu.Face 2.0

Skin Tone: Japan

Hair Color: Strawberry Blond

Polarity  Nadja R.™ Dressed Doll

LE  600

Retail Price: $135.00 + Shipping & Handling

Head Sculpt: Nadja 2.0 (New Sculpt!)

Body Type:  Nu.Face 2.0

Skin Tone: Dark A-Tone

Hair Color: Midnight Black

Power House Ayumi N.™ Dressed Doll
LE  800
Retail Price: $135.00 + Shipping & Handling
Head Sculpt: Ayumi 3.0
Body Type: Nu.Face 2.0
Skin Tone: Japan
Hair Color: Dark Brown

Electric Enthusiasm Dominique Makeda™ Dressed Doll
LE  600
Retail Price: $135.00 + Shipping & Handling
Head Sculpt: Dominique Makeda 2.0
Body Type: Nu.Face 2.0
Skin Tone: Light Honey
Hair Color: Luscious Blond

Energetic Presence Giselle D.™ Dressed Doll
LE  1000
Retail Price: $135.00 + Shipping & Handling
Head Sculpt: Giselle D.
Body Type: Nu.Face 2.0
Skin Tone: FR White
Hair Color: Brunette

First 2015 W Club Exclusive Multi-Headed Poppy

The first 2015 W Club exclusive doll has been announced. She is called "Mood Changers" and is a Popppy Parker Gift Set.

Many of you know that I do not collect Poppy dolls. I do, however, try to be neutral in my approach to reviewing them.  My first impression was that this was a very cool set for Poppy collectors. The three looks are very different from each other with no connection or theme. My second and third look changed my opinion.
The pink and silver is a Barbie-disco look. I would dress Barbie in it for sure. The 70's pantsuit is not something I'd put on a doll. It's too much of a costume—all kitsch and no class. The dress and bolero jacket are more classic and sophisticated.

This set comes with three interchangeable heads and three outfits. For $160. plus shipping, that's not  bad. Is it? Not if you love her. I don't know if the extra heads can be put onto other bodies but that would be really cool.

Here's the description from the ad:

"Poppy's first look is an elegant party dress in black satin with silver and black organza overlay. Glittering jewelry, a matching bolero jacket and black hose and shoes complete this "Jazzy" ensemble. Her hair is in a side swept low bun in a lovely shade of auburn and her makeup is in smoky shades of gray."

"The second look is a delicate lace pantsuit in a vision of sea foam. Satin trim details finish off this lovely look on Poppy. Her side parted raven wavy hair accentuates her stunning makeup in complementary shades of sea foam."

"The last look is a stunning pale pink mini dress with silver sequin trim. It's out there and it's fun! Completing the look is a smashing hairstyle in a subtle shade of lilac and pink makeup making for over the top goodness!"

 The accessories are minimal:

 They could have thrown in another pair of shoes and an evening bag for the black ensemble—a scarf for the pantsuit (instead of the stand collar) or a little hat or maybe disco booties. But that's the way things are now.

I'm pretty much done with companies that take deposits and don't produce a doll for months. I want to see the finished product before I lay down the funds. Read the following:

"Each gift set is made especially for you and the number of gift sets manufactured is based directly on the number of pre-orders we receive. So, for that reason, there are no cancellations and pre-order deposits cannot be refunded.
Please note that by pre-ordering this exclusive W Club item, you are agreeing to abide by these conditions."

So, give them your money and no matter what, you are paying. It's rare that IT dolls vary greatly from the promos. There are often slight variations but my preference is to pay for a doll and get her soon after.

There are so many members of the W Club at this point that no doll is truly exclusive anymore. IMO an edition of 50 or more is not exclusive. 
 

What do you think?