Collecting Fashion Dolls by Terri Gold

7/07/2011

Two of the Most Unattractive Royal Couple Dolls

These are from Paradise Galleries. The sculpts are very poorly executed and there is no resemblance whatsoever. I find it difficult to believe that this is work of their "master sculptor."

Prince William "Royal Wedding" Doll, vinyl, 18" tall, $99.97.

His grin makes me think of the cat that ate the canary.

Princess Catherine - The "Royal Wedding" Doll, vinyl, 17" tall, $99.97.

Paradise Galleries does offer other 'fashion' dolls at half the price that look so much better, including this one of Marie Osmond. I have no idea what the quality of the fashions might be. The dolls are not articulated.

Perhaps a collector out there who has purchased a Sandra Bilotto would fill us in on the details.

7/06/2011

Let's All Build a 1/6 Scale Nazi Diorama

In spite of eBay's policy not allowing the listing of Nazi and/or Nazi related replicas, a seller based in Hong Kong is offering a multi-piece German desktop accessory set which includes a bust of Hitler, a miniature Mein Kampf and several other assorted desktop items. Hitler's eyes have been blacked out. I emailed the seller to ask if the bust was Hitler and he responded in the affirmative with several exclamation points after the word YES. He was very happy about that. The winged item is the partially blacked out national insignia of the Third Reich. Yes, girls and boys, you can get educated by playing with Nazi replicas! Oh, fun.

They also listed a desk and chair set but that sold out. From the image I cannot see the insignias on the desk.

You may wish to populate your diorama with this Third Reich character, also selling out of Hong Kong but the seller ID is different:

3R Stands for Third Reich

Their disclaimer:
"This product is for historic education purposes only, and is not intended to glorify, nor exploit the horrors and atrocities of war!"

If we don't speak out, they'll think we don't mind.

Fabulous Furniture From Plaza Mildendo

Recently, another collector posted images of her new wood 1/6 scale armoire that she ordered from Plaza Mildendo. If I weren't busy packing away my dolls, I'd have one by now. Look at this amazing piece of furniture for only $110. plus shipping.

All images in this post are from Plaza Mildendo's website.

This company is located in Mexico and sells furniture in several different scales including 1/6 and 1/4. Their prices are excellent for this quality and style. They are open to customization as well.

An ornate upholstered chair in 1/4 scale - $130.

Dining Set with 4 Chairs 1/4 Scale - $160.

They are also selling jewelry, clothes and accessories. Have a look.

Buy One Get One Free at Toys R Us - Very Little Remains

In the collectibles category, a few interesting items are still available under the buy one get one free offer at Toys R Us.

They've been available for a while but at this price, you may want to get a few more of the Dolls of the World - . At two for $39.99 it's a pretty good buy.

On top of that, if you add something to bring your total to $49. or more, shipping is free.

7/05/2011

The Cost of Attending A Convention

I've been asked many times how much it costs to attend a doll convention. So I'm going to attempt to put together an outline. There are many unknowns because each person's costs will vary according to what they buy and participate in. I am taking the costs of the convention and the convention collection from the 2011 Wu Convention list.

Convention Attendance $380. You get the souvenir doll and several other dolls and accessories.
Early Bird Welcome Cocktail (Optional) $15.
Transportation
-Airfare: This depends on where you're coming from.
-Taxi-Shuttle Service to and from hotel.
-Gasoline and Tolls if you are driving.
Hotel $139. plus tax per night for up to 4 guests. After taxes are added, the cost per night for a room is probably about $160. If you share, you can reduce your costs by a great deal. $320 +/-
Excursions away from the hotel. (Optional)
W Club Luncheon (Optional) $60.
Food You get 4 meals. You may want to have other meals and drinks. $50 +/-
Tips (Bellhop, Housekeeping, Porters, etc.)$10 +/-
Table Gifts (Optional) $20 +/-
Lottery Tickets (Optional) $20 +/-
Room Shopping (Optional) $200 +/-
Souvenir Store (Optional) $200 +/-
Souvenir T-Shirt (Optional) $18. - $20.
Convention Collection (Optional) $890. Add 9.5% IL tax if buying at convention for $974.55. (Shipping about $20.)
Centerpieces (Optional) $125. - $150. each. No tax. $300 +/-
Dynamite Girls Design A Doll: $50. per doll. Everyone gets to attend. No Lottery Required

Workshops Workshops are free but attendance is via lottery.
Workshop Kits & Dolls are an Optional Purchase. $175 for 2? +/-
_Flocking
_Styling
_Doll Process
_Royal Hair
_Poppy's New Groove
_Back to Our Roots (Free Practice Kit)
_Fashion Illustration
Postage If you are not driving, you will probably want to ship some items home.

I'll throw out a figure which doesn't include transportation or excursions away from the hotel: $2774.55. It includes some of everything and 4 nights at the hotel sharing with one other person. It could go lower or higher depending upon how many centerpieces you buy and what you spend room shopping and in the store.
The numbers in red above are the numbers I used to get to that figure.

Optional Mudslide Workshop

7/04/2011

Dolls Celebrate USA's Independence Day

There are so many excellent photographs being posted that it was hard to choose so I just let time be my guide. I'm sure I missed some beauties. If you feel you have an amazing photo or know of one, please send me the link. I'll be happy to consider it for posting this week.