Ghosts: Here Today; Gone Tomorrow

Photo Property of Barbie.Com

I was a little surprised that the Haunted Beauty Ghost Barbie sold out so quickly. She was released on 10/11/12 and is gone. The doll was a direct exclusive gold label and retailed for $100. So what was the big deal?
First of all, she's just in time for Halloween. Secondly, there's a cool video featuring Bill Greening discussing the design and creation of the doll. Thunder, lightning and wind along with eerie music punctuate the video. A great mock-up of a  haunted room shows the doll in all of her dead splendor. 
Good marketing. 
In reality, the doll is just another 11.5" semi-articulated piece of vinyl (what else is new?) that may or may not arrive looking like the promo sans haunted house and music. 

The minute I saw her she reminded me of Tonner's Galadriel doll.

She also resembled another Tonner doll that was a centerpiece at the 2010 Halloween Convention. This doll was called "Welcome to the Here-after."

Tonner's Ghost of Christmas Past was a unique rendition of a ghost. The fashion is fabulous, detailed and a huge cut above the stereotypical ghost outfits.

So if you are morose over missing out on the ho-hum Barbie Ghost and you wish to indulge your morbid tastes, have a look at these ghost dolls.

Ghost Art Doll – Annabel Lee
Handmade, OOAK art doll. 12 inches tall.
Mixed media including fabric and Paperclay.
Copyright © 2009, Shain Erin. All rights reserved.

Annabel Lee Ghost Doll - ravensbreath.com

Cojoined Ghost Doll Twins - kerrykate.etsy.com

Then there's always the good old standby Living Dead Dolls.

Isn't Evangeline Ghastly dead? They're not saying but if you read her back story,* she's must be. She doesn't know she's dead...
*(Inspired by Tim Burton’s The Corpse Bride, The Addams Family, and even Barbra Streisand, Evangeline comes to you straight from the attic of Barkley Manor located in Ipswich, England, across from the local cemetery.)

Graveside Flowers (resin) - A Wilde Weekend Exclusive

Price: $475.00

I don't see the Barbra Streisand connection at all. (Hello, Brooklyn!)

Jamieshow Alejandro

This handsome fellow is my first resin male doll. He is a 2012 basic Jamieshow Alejandro that I purchased at Angelic Dreamz during the Prohibition event. I loved the optional outfit so much that I had to purchase a doll to wear it.
He is wigged and I would like to get another wig that is shorter. I like that his 5 o'clock shadow is done very well. This is one good looking doll!

His outfit is so well made and the fabric is very fine. It's the first pair of male pants I've ever had that doesn't have the fly zipper tab sticking out. I love everything about this outfit.  I have no idea how to tie a tie.

Why is he standing in a window, you ask? Well, work on my studio has just begun. As of today, all the framing is done. It will be a simple room with two windows and a black and white checkered floor similar to my former darkroom.  We're also having a cedar lined closet built right outside the studio. Currently, I have my photography equipment in a corner of the basement all covered up and protected from dust. (Hopefully)

I've begun deboxing and redressing dolls but it is slow going. Gradually as the chaos of boxes subsides it becomes a little easier. I've had to come up with a new organization system and that keeps changing. There are three glass cabinets waiting to be assembled. Where is that magic wand?

The rest of the house is shaping up nicely. Dealing with workpeople who can't do it right the first time is such a pain. It's unbelievable the damage one person can do. The moldings need to be touched up and repainted in many places from the installation of new flooring. The floor installers damaged the front of my new refrigerator and they are paying to get another one. But I have to do the calling and arranging. I was so pissed!!!
Of course I'm finding places the painters messed up as well. They were here for two months, you'd think they would have gotten it right. They might have if they were sober the entire time. Sigh.
The main moving company has had my claim for a month. I called yesterday and was told it could take 3 to 6 months to finalize it. It didn't take them that long to take my money. Their excuse is that it's the busy season. So hire more people. Seriously.

Back to dolls....I have a huge backlog of dolls to photograph. I'm enjoying the ones I've taken out and dressed and put on display. It's nice to see them again. Really nice.

OK...So I Drank the Kool Aid

If you are a member of the Barbie Collector Club your last quarter $20. coupon is effective beginning today. Gala Gown, the beautiful-looking (in the promo) Silkstone, is also now available for ordering. How convenient is it that BC.Com is also offering free shipping? Anyway, I ordered one. I swear if this doll is anything less than perfect, it will be my last EVER Silkstone.

Update on my wonky-eyed, non-violet eyed, Violet Eyes Elizabeth Taylor Silkstone. In response to my letter outlining the defective doll I received I was offered a return or an exchange. I asked for a shipping label and received a pre-paid label. Yay. Here's hoping the replacement will be better.

A New Favorite Website - Not About Dolls

I love Photojojo! Today's post on How to Make Photo Lollipops just pushed me over the edge to blog about it.

Haven't you always wanted to eat your photographs? I've wanted to do a lot of things with mine; eating them wasn't on the list.  This tutorial might have just changed my mind.
Think of the possibilities: table gifts at conventions, stocking stuffers, business cards...X-rated suckers. Oh, I have endless ideas.

Link to this tutorial

They carry a multitude of products that I'd love to have. One is called Photo-opoly. If all you ever think about it dolls, you can personalize it with images of your gals and guys easily. You might even force yourself to use pictures of your family or pets.

Click here to check out the rest of the fun products you can use with your cameras.

FDQ Digital Winter 2012 Now Available On-Line

For those who prefer to view their magazines on-line, you can now download the Winter 2012 FDQ issue. On the same page there are many other digital issues available.

Winter 2012 has shipped out.
New subscriptions begin with Spring 2013. Order single copies of this issue from our retailers.
Print copies are sold via subscription, or single issues here.!
You can now download the digital copy, too! Click here.
Our latest issue, FRIENDS & RIVALS features Ellowyne Wilde, PuddleCon, CDDC4, Volks Dolpas, Fashion Royalty and more!

Jem and The Holograms

Jem, also called Jem and the Holograms, is an American animated television series that ran from 1985 to 1988 in U.S. first-run syndication. The show is about music company owner Jerrica Benton, her singer alter-ego Jem, her band the Holograms, and their adventures. 
The series was a joint collaboration by Hasbro, Marvel Productions and Sunbow Productions, the same team responsible for G.I. Joe and Transformers.  The creator of the series, Christy Marx, had also been a staff writer for the aforementioned programs. The animation for most of the episodes was provided by the Japanese animation studio Toei Doga (now Toei Animation). -Wikipedia

Presented below is the "First Wave" of Integrity Toy's new Jem and the Holograms doll line.
The editions of all the dolls is 1000 except for Rio whose production size is 850.

Classic Jem

Jerrica Benton

Synergy This doll appears to use the Elise Jolie sculpt.

Rio Pacheco

Each retails for $119. The girls are 12" and Rio is 12.5" 

Photo Credits
Promotional Poster - Hasbro
Four Dolls - Integrity Toys

http://www.integritytoys.com/jemandtheholograms/about.php