A Very Brief "Toast of Manhattan" Convention Post

Returned home Monday, unpacked, did laundry...looked at dolls, dressed dolls and took a few quickie iPad and iPhone pictures. I have no time as we're about to leave town to join our family for a holiday and a reunion. When I return I'll be busy for a few days getting a piece ready for the next issue of FDQ. When that's done...I'll post my recap of the convention.

What I've posted here are some very quick iPad shots of the 6 fashion ensembles we received as part of the convention package.  Some of the accessories have been changed by me or left out entirely. I just don't have patience for putting gloves on dolls.

The last photo is my travel doll wearing a Retros sweater I got in a room sale.  She's carrying some of the little goodies we received as table favors. A doll has to shop!

Here is a link to the nearly 200 iPhone photos I have uploaded to Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.842777405740687.1073741827.148849285133506&type=1

For more information on the names of the fashions, you can check Sandra Stillwell's blog where the fashions and names are listed with photos by Jeff Lega. In addition, fashions that may still be available will be posted there along with fashions available to pre-order (just in case you don't have enough clothes for your dolls. Heh.)

Avatar Dolls on Sale

These are too large to have gotten lost in the warehouse so Tonner Doll has put these up for sale at $499. each. That's $300 less than the original $799. price! Holy Avatar. That's quite a sale. Can they possibly be making any money on these dolls at this price? Between the research, design, licensing and manufacturing...they had to be on the pricey side to produce. I wish I knew exactly what the bottom line was for each doll.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND PURCHASE THE AVATAR COLLECTION:

http://www.tonnerdoll.com/avatar

They are spectacular dolls.

As I Predicted...

The SDCC Tonner exclusive Sheldon Cooper doll and the Vintage Wonder Woman doll are now up for sale on the Tonner site.

Sheldon is $169.00. (They forgot to put the ubiquitous .99 on the end.)

VWW is $475.00

Tonner Doll Company

2014 Déjà Vu Summer Release

Tonner's Deja Vu doll line has exploded onto the summer doll scene with thirteen items. There are six dressed dolls, six basic dolls and one fashion. The dressed dolls are priced from $169.99 to $199.99.

The basics range from $99.99 to $149.99. The separate fashion is $199.99.

The separate fashion is $119.99.

My personal favorites among the dressed dolls are those styled in the Roaring 20's looks. I like the short-haired basic dolls and the doll in the red bathing suit, but not enough to buy.

I don't know when the following two Deja Vu were introduced but apparently the dressed doll on the left in purple is already sold out and she doesn't ship until 8/11! These dolls remind me so much of Tiny Kitty.

Not quite the same but the sheer coat over floral...

And the red one reminds me of another Tiny Kitty outfit.

Tonner Doll Company

After a while, they all start to look like each other.
Maybe I have deja vu.

Who's That Vanessa?

Aerodynamic Vanessa - the original - had surprising black lips and beautiful red hair pulled back into a straight pony tail.

I freed her hair and crimped it.

Then I had her repainted.

And then I bought another one who had been rerooted.

She was not a popular doll at first. Now all the original Vanessas are sought after.  Who is your favorite?

Faraway Forest™ Elf Barbie® Doll

I'm a little late in presenting this new Barbie doll as she was released on 7/15/14.
Here is her description from the Barbie Collector website:

First in the magical collection, Faraway Forest^™ Elf Barbie^® doll charms with her pointy ears and fantasy costume mixing forest-inspired textures and colors. A green velvety, hooded cloak is worn over a long skirt, laced bodice and dramatic thigh-high boots. Vine-inspired accessories include a tiara, bracelets and belt. A “carved” staff with an embedded “crystal” and Faraway Forest^™ map are essentials for the journey.

Doll Details
Body Type:	ModelMuse™, Straight Arms
Skin Tone:	Nostalgic
Facial Sculpt:	Goddess with Elf Ears *New Sculpt
Fashion Sewn On?:	Yes
Eyelashes:	Painted

Included with doll:
Doll Stand, Crown, Bracelets, Belt, Staff, Boots.

So, not only is she on the straight arm, unarticulated body, her fashion is sewn on! What fun.

Retail price is a mere $100.

IBIZA: New from Ficon

I want to get my hot little hands on that outfit as I'm currently on a 'no new doll' diet.

Ficon Doll will offer Ibiza for sale this coming week. Visit http://www.ficondoll.com/ for more information.

Reviews: Fashion Explorer Vanessa and Poppy Fashions

Fashion Explorer Vanessa is one of the three optional 2014 W Club upgrade dolls and the only one I ordered. Apparently I can't shake the Vanessa addiction completely. She was $130 plus postage.

Let me deal with the sculpt first. She's described as having the Vanessa 3.0 sculpt. I'm still struggling to figure out what the 2.0 sculpt was. It seems that there were several other attempts at a new Vanessa sculpt between DC and now. Half this...half that...I don't get it. 


Could it have been Dress Code Vanessa?

Go back to the original Vanessa.

Make the rest of us happy. 

We don't care if you're bored.

Anyway, the new gal is a pretty doll. There have been many complaints about the screening difference between the left and right eyes. I see it when I look very closely but it doesn't bother me. Her hair, which is long in the back in a beautiful wrapped pony tail, is offset by the boring side curl and an ultra high forehead. A different hairstyle would do wonders.

She is styled awkwardly.
The fashion consists of a boxy, ill-fitting ultra suede top over a sheer mesh bodysuit. The skirt is, as you can see, is a wrap mini in light blue. This is supposed to be a fashion doll and I don't think she ranks up there as well dressed or worth $130.
This is the first time I've seen the revised FR2 body. It's a good body with firm joints. The elbow joints on this doll squeak! 

Her accessories are a huge brown handbag, super tall boots in the same brown, cheap looking sunglasses, irrelevant silver colored bracelets and pin ball studs.

W Club dolls should be the 

very best 

of what's available 

for so many reasons.

Here she shows off her assets:

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

I purchased two fashions from the recently offered three dressed IFDC Poppy Parker dolls. Since I do not collect Poppy dolls, I was hoping that some of my flatter chested dolls would be able to wear them. Success.

This lavender confection comes from a doll called Glamorous Darling. It fits my Monogram Exaggeration perfectly - including the shoes. I am so happy that Poppy has grown up to have normal fashion feet! I hate the articulated ankle on that doll.

The gown is very pretty. The person that sold it to me made the mistake of folding the tulle so it's not draping properly - yet. It will. I'm not going near it with heat. (Been there, done that. Not good.)

Anyway, the only thing wrong with this ensemble is the GLITTER. Sequins would have been sufficient.  Glitter is Mattel's gig. 

Please, no more glitter.

Above is my Mini Avantguard doll, Aphrodisiac, modeling IT Girl. The skirt is a bit loose in the hip area but it doesn't affect the appearance. I wasn't able to get the jewelry or the sunglasses with the ensemble so I added Knife Edge bracelets and IT earrings from some other doll. The earrings came with a bracelet that was way too large for Aphro so I'm thinking they were from a 16" doll. At this point, I have no idea what goes with what and I don't care either.

I removed the bow that was attached to the bodice. It wouldn't lay straight and stuck out too far.

I'm very pleased with both fashions.