Ils Ont Change´ Ma Poupee

Some of you may recognize the source of my title for today's post. It's from a song originally called Ils On Change Ma Chanson, Ma (Look What They've Done to my Song, Ma) . The words seem appropriate for Cruise Control Vanessa. Vanessa is (was?) my favorite Fashion Royalty sculpt. Although there have been too many of her released in the last two years, I still looked forward to each and every one.
What ever happened to the days when one could debox a nearly perfect doll?
Prior to the Josephine Baker dolls, I never had the thought of re-rooting a doll right out of the box. Since October 2008, there has been one doll after another with serious hair defects. Every one of these defects is factory worker caused and not a machine malfunction.
We've had clumps of hair glue, dried net marks and frizz and it's nauseating. I am really through with writing to customer care and sending pictures and getting form letters and being told that I have bad luck. I don't have bad luck; the dolls are badly done.
This is Barbie hair.

These are just like Barbie shoes with the bendy heel syndrome.

Regarding the outfit, the shorts are fabulous and the blouse is nice. It's a complicated piece and shows a great deal of effort in the construction.
The jewelry, which is not shown, consists of unadorned silver colored chains and what looks like straight pins for earrings. I kid you not.

Mid-Atlantic Gene Meet-up Registration Now Open

The event has been cancelled due to low registration.

Picture of the Week Award ~ May 10, 2009

I discovered this fabulous photograph on Flickr. The composition, lighting and excellent use of depth of field all contributed to choosing it as my Picture of the Week.
The photographer is Sassy Strawberry and the title of the image is "La Belle Dame sans Merci."

 

Here is the link to Sassy Strawberry's photostream.   http://www.flickr.com/photos/sassystrawberry/

Live Long, Prosper and Beam Me Up, Scotty!

Mattel's New Star Trek Barbie Dolls
I have been a Star Trek fan since the beginning and to this day, even when I watch the chubbed-up and well-dressed William Shatner in Boston Legal, I still see and think Captain Kirk. There's no getting away from the fact that once a Trekker always a Trekker. I loved the new Star Trek XI movie! My resistance to new actors playing well-known roles was blown away by the excellent acting, directing, action and plot of the movie. It's worth a second look.

As to Mattel's new Star Trek trio of dolls, a second look still does not entice me. The dolls below are modeled after the actors playing Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and Lieutenant Uhura (Zoe Saldana).

Here's some promo text about the dolls:
—From his magnetic gaze to his pointed ears to his blue, sciences-division uniform shirt, Ken as Mr. Spock perfectly captures the half-Vulcan executive officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise. "Live long and prosper!"
—With his piercing eyes, sandy-brown hair and command-gold uniform shirt, Ken as Captain Kirk embodies the commanding officer of the Enterprise to a tee. "Beam me up, Scotty!"
—Barbie as Lt. Uhura makes a bold statement in her red uniform, black boots and confident stance.

The average retail price is $43 for each doll. Right now they are available at Barbie Collector, Walmart and at select Mattel dealers.

Live Long and Prosper

Spock giving the Vulcan Salute

The Vulcan Salute is a hand gesture consisting of a raised hand, palm forward with the fingers parted between the middle and ring finger and the thumb extended. The salute was devised and popoularised by Leonard Nimoy, who portrayed the half-Vulcan character, Mr. Spock, on the original Star Trek television series in the late 1960's. (Excerpt from Wikipedia.)

In his autobiography I Am Not Spock, Nimoy wrote that he based it on the Priestly Blessing performed by Jewish Kohanim with both hands, thumb to thumb in this same position, representing the Hebrew letter Shin (ש), which has three upward strokes similar to the position of the thumb and fingers in the salute. The letter Shin here stands for Shaddai, meaning "Almighty (God)", and has a superb significance in Judaism. Nimoy wrote that when he was a child, his grandfather took him to an Orthodox synagogue. There he saw the blessing performed, and was very impressed by it.

Other Star Trek Dolls
Forgive me if I don't call them 'action figures.' They're dolls. Get over it.
Merchandise from the Star Trek Series and movies spans the decades and comes from a multitude of companies. Here are links to several websites either reviewing the dolls or selling merchandise:
http://startrek.playmatestoys.com/products/index/figures_12
http://store.startrek.com/category/multiple/38+59?subid=185&source=pjn
http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/officially-cool-star-trek-barbie-dolls.php
http://www.toyrocket.com/Star-Trek-C1850.aspx?gclid=CJXVwJi0spoCFSbxDAodyBv-bQ
http://www.megomuseum.com/megolibrary/department/jcp75trek.html
http://boxwish.com/blog/view/749-star-trek-gets-a-barbie-makeover

My opinion: There are better looking, more articulated and less expensive Star Trek dolls or action figures out there. Art Asylum made this Kirk and Spock "The Wrath of Khan" Action Figure Set.

They are only 8" tall but at least they look good and can be posed. Get both dolls for $32. That's less than the price of one Mattel doll.

If you're into weird-looking dolls, here's one for you:

It is an ultra-stylized, poseable vinyl Captain Kirk QUOG action figure for $12.99.

What about a Captain Kirk Talking Wacky Wobbler Bobble Head, also selling for $12.99?

Don't see anything you like? Come sit next to me. Here, have a Tribble.

Watch the funniest episode: The Trouble With Tribbles

Homage to Veronique Perrin - Part III of Many

The 2003 Fall/Winter Mauve Absolue Collection consisted of four Close-Up Veroniques, five dressed Veroniques and two dressed Adeles.

Veronique Perrin "Paradise," a close-up doll, and "Chic Escape" a dressed doll, both arrived wearing bathing suits accompanied by handbags. Chic Escape also had a hat. Paradise was an MFD exclusive with an edition of 750 and a retail price of $35. Chic Escape's edition was 1000 dolls with a retail price of $26. Both dolls are still highly prized although this year their prices have dropped below $200.

Chic Escape's hair, although I received her NRFB, was quite unruly and took away from her beauty.

I had her hair rerooted with a blend of light to platinum blondes and I love it.
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Fashion Plate Brunettte, LE 800, Retail Price $75
I recently added her to my collection. She is a pretty doll but her hair is not a "user-friendly" style. She's got the two pieces of hair coming down on both sides of her face and it doesn't really work.

Mauve Absolue, LE 750, Retail $99.
This doll was my first spectacular Fashion Royalty doll when I started collecting. I couldn't believe the jewelry and the gown. There was so much work and detail in this little doll that I spent many a dolly minute just staring at her. She remained in her original fashion for at least 2 years! When I finally decided to move my dolls to tall bodies, she got right back into the same outfit!

Flame Rouge, R&D Exclusive, LE 500, Retail $99.
Although this doll has a gorgeous face and from afar looks amazing with her black hair and big red gown, I found both of those things to be issues for me. The hair was too big and the curls were difficult to keep tame looking. The dress was too much as well: too much fabric and overly designed. I did not keep her for long.

The next installment will cover the Veroniques of the Spring 2004 Sheer Perfection line: Pearlescence, Haute Luxuries, Diamond Dusted, Social Call and Sheer Goddess.

A Doll Rarely Played With

I'm usually so occupied with hunting and gathering dolls that I have many that are rarely played with. Colette is one of them. When the formerly-known-as Model Behavior dolls came out I was all over them. They have such perfect little bodies and they're so pretty. Their category name has been changed to Nu.Face Dolls with this incarnation. This is Colette Duranger, "Lost Angel," from the last group of these dolls. I actually adore her outfit, her hair and her lavender eyes.

When she arrived, I took her picture and stuck her in one of the showcases. And there she has been until yesterday.

A marvelously talented collector named Marguerite whose board name is MarC, made these pants. I just can't believe how perfectly they fit and how beautiful they look. Colette needed an immediate photo shoot.

The background is from a roll of textured wallpaper I found in a bin at Loew's. It has a great stucco texture and when I use armature wire to support dolls it provides a non-slip surface. The black grid is a frame which I can also use in front of posters to make it appear to be a large window. The chair is a jewelry box that a Canadian collector picked up for me. The table is a candle support with a mirror placed on top to give it a flat surface. The candlesticks are Fashion Royalty decor items. And the little poodles are little Rudy replicas. They appear in many of my photos.

If I get another pair of MarC's slacks perhaps Erin S., "Clash Control" will get to be redressed.

If They Make It, Will We Buy It?

The entire lot of them including Ayumi, came with either an ill fitting jacket or coat. Erin came with a ridiculous hat as well. Even the individually sold fashion had it's pleather problem. One could not lower the doll's arms due to the bulk of the fabric. Don't they try these things out before having them manufactured or does someone say, "Make it; they'll buy it?" The dropping re-sale prices are proof that has stopped working.

My fitting solution with the "Smoke Signals" Gear Up fashion was to open the seams under the arms and have the doll pray for better fitting clothing in the future.
TG

BIC Exclusive "In Yuzen Blossom"

Members of the W Club received an announcement about a new BIC exclusive. Here are excerpts from that announcement:
"Designed by Nobuko Sakayori in collaboration with Jason Wu/Integrity Toys, this Exclusive includes a Giselle head sculpt on the FR Nippon Body, a pure silk Yuzen kimono, fur stole, obi-belt and Japanese sandals. This doll is a limited edition of 300, priced at Yen 19,950 (using today's currency around $201)."

The kimono is very beautiful and I love the sandals. Real fur is a little shocking in this day and age but it wouldn't stop me from buying a doll I loved. Most likely the fur is recycled - at least I hope it is.
The bow is out of scale and looks really bad.

She's not my cup of tea - no pun intended.

UPDATE from the W Club:
Yuzen Blossom Giselle (BIC Exclusive):
"There has been some confusion over the stole that comes with this doll. As a special request for this Japanese exclusive, the stole is in fact rabbit fur. However, this was a one-time request and future releases will have only faux fur."

Picture of the Week Award ~ May 3, 2009

This week's spotlight goes to Marika of Helsinki, Finland for her images of Nadja. I like the use of high contrast and soft focus in these two images.

Congratulations, Marika!

Couture Noir Cissy Doll by Madame Alexander

This is definitely a change for me. Couture Noir is 22" tall! She's a big girl. When I carry her it brings me back to the feeling of carrying a doll when I was a child. I like it.
She was my Mothers' Day gift from my dh.
She came in a huge box, inside another box inside her Madame Alexander box. I didn't expect to see CN wearing her alternate wig because the promotional photos show her in her red feather wig. She looks softer and friendlier than the promo photos. In addition to a second wig she also comes with a mini skirt. The neckpiece was a trial of my patience to get on properly.
The only complaint I have about the construction of the doll is that the heels of the boots are too high. Perhaps they're making them in the same factory as the boots belonging to the Fashion Royalty dolls. She cannot stand flat on the sole of the boot. I really hate that. I also noticed something else odd. Her right eye socket seems larger than the left. I think it shows up in the photos.

The dealer posted on the site that the doll might possibly be stained. She has some staining on her scalp from the wig and around the tops of her thighs from her stockings. These stains don't intefere with the doll's appearance at all but they might lower the resale value ultimately. I'm not going to worry about that at this time.
The coolest thing is that the red wig is actually feathers! The patent leather looking fabric is a very flexible vinyl with a nice feel. I am very pleased with the fashion.
Now all I have to do is figure out how I am going to display her because she is too large for any of my showcases.

Life Ball Fashion Doll by Jason Wu

Members of the W Club received this information on April 28, 2009 along with a link to enter the lottery.
We are excited to announce to the W Club before anyone else that Jason Wu has designed the Official 2009 Life Ball doll! Created specifically to benefit the 2009 Life Ball, this gorgeous collectible marks the debut of Integrity Toys' new FR Monogram™ collection. An extension of the Fashion Royalty collectible line, the FR Monogram collection features a new custom face sculpt (body is the same size as the Nu.Face body), as well as the hallmark of Fashion Royalty- miniaturized couture fashion with impeccable attention to detail....The 2009 Life Ball Doll wears a replica of a chic evening gown from Jason's romantic Fall 2008 women's fashion collection. The gown is constructed from custom-printed fabric in a floral pattern that has been realized in perfect miniature.

For information about Lifeball, click here. http://www.lifeball.org/lifeball/show_content.php?hid=21&language=en

The doll is an ultra-limited edition, with only 250 dolls produced worldwide, and will retail for $270 (plus shipping and any taxes). 100% of the net proceeds from the sales of the doll will be donated to Life Ball to support HIV and AIDS treatment, research and prevention.

Above is the original runway version of the dress created by Jason for his Fall 2008 show.

This is obviously a great cause and I urge all to support the funding of HIV/AIDS charitable organizations.

What's this about a new line from Jason with miniaturized couture fashion? I thought that's what we were getting until this season. Has Jason, as I feared, 'abandoned' creating for the standard Fashion Royalty line?

Or, has he just turned over permission to his staff to use his designs on a more expensive version of Fashion Royalty? Why the switch to the flat-chested body? Will we also have dolls who look like the model above without makeup and without any discernable hair styling? If he's going couture why not go all the way?

Before I go further I want to add that I did enter the lottery and hope I win the opportunity to spend my money for a good cause. I wonder how much of the purchase price will be the net proceeds donated to the foundation. Hopefully it will be at least $200 per doll. When you think about it, donating net profits isn't exactly philanthropic. Simply, net profit is the money left over after paying all the expenses of an endeavor.

Net proceeds is something else and usually refers to securities, real estate and similar and is defined as

"the amount received after all costs are deducted from the sale of a piece of property or security."

Maybe they are the same thing. I don't know.

The doll looks pretty. She has the same coloring as Fine Jewel Eugenia with the raven hair and bright red lips.
I'm not quite sure how her hair is styled but it appears to be in a nice updo. I wish the dress would have been created in a fabric with similar drape to that of the original. It's Barbie-esque with it's stand-out shape. Spectacular, Spectacular Eugenia's dress had the same issue.

Jason has used lovely fabrics in the past for dresses that flowed. For example, Shape Shifter Natalia and Miami Glow Vanessa have gowns whose fabric is soft, clingy and drapey.

I hope to see better re-creations of Jason's designs using finer fabrics that emulate the original more closely.

My collection has grown to the point that I'm after quality not quantity.

Goldmine: The More I See You; The More I Love You.

Here are two shots from Goldmine's latest photo session. She looks fabulous in the photos but I have to say that she looks even more beautiful in person. This has to be my most beautiful doll (this month anyway.)
She is wearing an Ashton Drake Gene outfit called "Will You Marry Me?" The shoes are from another set.
I'm thrilled that the AvantGuard dolls can wear and look fabulous in most of Gene's fashions, old and new. The period dresses sometimes look a little dowdy but the rest are very flattering.

 

 

Picture of the Week Award ~ April 26, 2009

This week's award goes to Jurrie de Vries of the Netherlands whose photo of Oona in a Metrodolls exclusive fashion called "Critic's Choice" is reminiscent of the models of the 40's and 50's. The hat is from Gene's "Little Black Dress" costume.

Jurrie always posts beautifully posed and artistically lit portraits of the Gene line of dolls. Visit I.C.O.G. and the Studio Commissary to find more of his work.

Homage to Veronique Perrin - Part II of Many

Continuing with the Spring 2003 Premiere Collection we move to the dressed dolls of which there were six. Five were Veroniques, one was Adele. One of the Veroniques was Toast of Paris which had a limited edition of only 100. I did manage to snag the outfit sold separately under the same name but I have never seen the doll!
First we have Lush Life Veronique, a limited edition of 500 and exclusive to Katy's Collectibles and Doll Dreams and Cuddly Things. She retailed for $65.

Lush is wearing an ivory lace up bustier with a creamy ivory long fish-tail skirt that has a large gathered train at the back. Her long gloves match her top and the beaded jewelry and purse match the skirt. The promotional photo above is one of the best, in my opinion, with it's lighted vanity mirror and table. That would have been a great piece to have for the dolls.

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Second is Midnight in Monaco. She was an IFDC doll and sold for $125., which I'm guessing was the entry fee to the convention. There were 500 made in all. When I first saw this doll she reminded me so much of Gene Marshall because of the extreme upward gazing eyes. To me this Veronique has the most unique look of all the early Veros because of her eyes and the shape of the head. It may be the same sculpt but she looks different!

Her gown is a pastel peach with all over embroidery and beads. At the hip are several folds of chiffon which wrap around to the side ending in a train. She carries a small similarly colored clutch purse and wears faux diamond studs. Around her neck is a simple faux diamond drop.

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The third doll is Silver Society a big favorite among collectors to this day. She was an edition of 1000 and sold for $65.

Her silver silk sheath is embroidered and beaded on the bodice and fits like a glove. The accessories are a fabulous silk and tulle headband style hat, long gloves, silk purse on a silver chain, faux fur and silver slip on heels. I believe she had faux diamond studs and perhaps a bracelet. I understand that this doll's jewelry tarnished badly. Mine did not come with jewelry because of this problem. Miss Society was the first of the pony-tailed Fashion Royalty dolls and it's a fabulous long pony tail with big curls at the end which are still perfect on my doll to this day! One feature of Silver Society that drew many comments were her lips. They are light with a darker lipliner outline. I love it.

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The next two installments will cover the 2003 Fall/Winter Mauve Absolue Collection.

Homage to Veronique Perrin - Part I of Many

It was announced last year that Veronique's sculpt would be retired. She was one of the original two characters of the Fashion Royalty doll line along with Adele. This is the first in a series of posts which will show the Veroniques I've photographed. I have not collected all of them but I've had many. Some are in the collections of others now. All the Veros I own are on tall bodies now; however, you will see an assortment of bodies as these photos were taken as I went along my merry way. Any image that does not have my signature belongs to Integrity Toys unless otherwise noted.
Starting with the Spring 2003 Premiere collection we have a Close-Up Blonde and a Close-Up Redhead. Both were editions of 1000 and priced at $29.99. They came dressed in panties and a lace up bustier and a fabulous, rich-looking long robe. The robe had a W embroidered on one lapel. The jewelry was a pair of faux diamond studs and the shoes were slip-on pumps with fabric linings and uppers.
Their hair was long and silky and they were gorgeous even with their straight arms. The finish on those dolls was perfection.

Three New Fashions from Randall Craig's RTW Line

First up is "Style Icon" It's an adorable and updated classic shirtwaist with satin trim at the hemline and a satin bowed belt. Included are a delightful little tulle embellished straw cap, a turquoise clutch bag, pearl drops, black pumps and a petticoat.

The fit of the dress is perfection. It's made very well. I love the hat with it's sequins and tulle. The black pumps and the pearl drops are not as stylish so I didn't use them. The clutch had issues. I removed the velcro closure because it created too much bulk and the purse didn't close well. Last season's purses had the same issues.

Heat Seeker Natalia above is wearing jewelry by Joy. The shoes are from Integrity Toys.

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Next is Curacao. This is a stunning satin turquoise sheath with gathered pleats on one side. It's made extremely well and has a loose fit. The scarf is the perfect touch for the fashion. The black espadrille wedges are OK but I choose not to use them. We have the pearl drops again. The straw hat shown is not how the hat actually appears. It's very tall in the crown and sticks up so high that it looks like a Mexican sombrero. In his photo, Craig has pushed the hat in at the top to deal with this issue.

Aerodynamic Vanessa is seen here carrying a replica Louis Vuitton handbag and matching shoes from La Boutique POM. She has on IT sunglasses.

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My third outfit is Chica Chica. Again the construction is flawless. The pretty and feminine white blouse has a very loose fit which causes a problem. The high waist of the pants is slim-fitting as it should be and there is too much fabric from the blouse to make it easy to put on and have the pants fit properly. It keeps the pants from being pulled up as high as they could be. The wedges appear again as do the ubiquitous pearl earrings. The straw hat has the same issues at described above. I don't like that the photos don't show the hats as they really are.

My version is wearing Integrity sunglasses and earrings. Her handbag is a replica Hermes Birken from La Boutique POM.

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All fashions shown are $58. at most dealers with free shipping included. Each is limited to 100 pieces.
You can find more pictures of Randall's excellent doll clothing lines, past and present, at his website:
http://www.randallcraigrtw.com/fashions.html
The photos that have the rtw logo in the background are property of Randall Craig.

Picture of the Week Award ~ April 20, 2009

The spotlight this week goes to Michelle in Michigan (her board name). This photograph features the 2008 Gene convention doll, Distant Venus, whose hair has been restyled. She is wearing Zita Charles' fashion, Azalea Ice.

Michelle is the talented photographer, stylist and Gene collector behind the amazing website A Star is Born. Be prepared to spend a great deal of time going over every single page of gorgeous photographs of the characters in the Gene Marshall line.

First Photoshoot with Aphrodisiac AvantGuard

The second wave of AvantGuard dolls is beginning to arrive. First to show up on my deck was Aphrodisiac. The packaging of the AGs is pristine in their black and white boxes, inner boxes and inner, inner boxes. Yes, there are several layers.

This gal has the same gorgeous sculpt as Goldmine. The wig appears to be exactly the same as well except this one has been combed out to explosive proportions.
Aphro's well tailored and constructed shadow striped jacket came with one side (accidentally) folded back which needs to be addressed with a steam iron.

The boots came in a cellophane bag. I don't know who decided to make the ties so short. It was definitely an exercise in patience and dexterity to get them on, get the laces tied and keep the tongue inside the boot at the same time.
The semi sheer and metallic silver sleeveless blouse is very pretty with it's jabot. I would have liked a mini skirt instead of the same black shorts which appear to be leftovers from Eclectic's ensemble. I don't know why IT uses the same clothing items and wigs for successive dolls. It doesn't make sense for the collector to have duplicates.

What could possibly be inside the heads of the AG dolls which keeps normal length earring posts from being inserted? I have added a wire cutter to my doll work table! One must cut at least 1/2 of the post off in order for them to go all the way in. It's not a big deal but if you don't know, you might spend a good deal of time trying to insert an earring and wind up with an enlarged earring hole, a broken earring or both. Aphrodisiac is not a doll for the tame of heart. Her facial screening is right off the runway. She is very beautiful and fabulous for a while, but for long-term dolly fun, she needs to be toned down.

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I have one nude Aphrodisiac for sale for $200 plus shipping. You get the extra hands and extra feet, stand, paperwork and box in shipper.

Picture of the Week Award ~ April 13, 2009

The lengths a die hard collector will go to are endless. Witness this organizer filled with Barbie sized shoes classified by color. Can your doll ever have enough shoes? Apparently this collector thinks not.

Photographer: Jenn in Florida