2/14/2014

Nothing to Buy at Barbie Collector.Com

Three emails arrived from BC.Com yesterday. The first announced a free shipping offer.  The second was also about the free shipping and "Think Spring." The last came in near midnight and offered 20% off on Valentine's Day.  So I go over there, thinking I'll find something on which to spend my first quarterly $20. bonus only to find that the item which has a remotely attractive chance of coming here is a $75, unarticulated Barbie doll wearing a Zuhair Murad gown. $75.00? It's the designer name one is paying for.
I put it in my shopping cart and the $75. goes down to $55. but shipping is additional. WTF? It turns out that one must spend a minimum of $75. to get the free shipping. Isn't that a new thing? 
I did not order it.

I went back again later when I saw there was the new "Fiorella" Silkstone. I apologize to those who like her but this is one of the worst Silkstones ever. Fiorella is the definition of a hot mess. She looks like she got dressed in a thrift store with pieces thrown together from a shower curtain, a Spanish dancer, a street walker and a Cupie doll. What possessed the designer (Robert Best) to top it all  off with two cutesie bows in her hair? He must be losing it.
Her face is boring. That straight hairline is never my favorite and her hairstyle will never arrive like that IRL. This would definitely be throwing away $50. which is her price. Fiorella means little flower in Italian. Big mistake is more like it.
I wanted to spend money. I really did. I could always buy $75 worth of flimsy Barbie t-shirts. Nah.

I just figured out how to get the Zuhair Murad Doll and the free shipping without buying useless stuff. Well, maybe a little  useless. If I order three notecard sets @$15. each,  it brings my order up to $120. After the 20% off and my $20 bonus the total comes to $76.  Much better. I will use the notecards as gifts. It's a set of twelve 4"x6" folded cards with matching envelopes. I can freak out my Sybarite friends.
By my calculations, the Zuhair doll ultimately comes to $44. I'll sell the nude doll for about $15 and I'll  have a lovely gown. I just hope it's not covered in glitter. I'd better go take a look before I press the check out button. Ugh.

Oh crap. Look at this detail. It is glitter. I don't do glitter.

Why do I feel compelled to buy something when there's a sale? I saved money by not buying anything at all.

2/13/2014

Happy Valentine's Day

Gene wears "Rendezvous," a Sandra Stillwell Presents creation.

It's also Rudy's 11th birthday. Happy Birthday, Rudy! Wishing you a healthy second decade.

2/11/2014

Betcha Can't Buy Just One!

Ai Plum joins Ai Lagrus and a Rudette for a photo op. It doesn't get much cuter.

I haven't put eyelashes on Plum yet but I will get around to it. Neither doll is wearing all the outfit pieces they came with.

Have you gotten one yet?

2/10/2014

Nelson Goes Brunette

I've been trying out wigs on Nelson. She looks great in every color but I have such a mish mosh of sizes, not all of them fit properly. Here is a Cheryl Wood wig. I was a bit small so I think it was made for Avantguard Dolls. I put it in my heating pad for a few minutes to soften the glue and it went on beautifully. It's a good technique to reshape your hard cap wigs. Just don't leave it in the pad for too long.


I am having difficulty with her lower leg stability. She's giving me the same instability problem as my Ficons. The knees keep getting into an awkward position. They need an improved design.



2/07/2014

Nelson, Domina and Plum

Today is a good day to show you some new additions to my collection.
First up is Kingdom Doll's Nelson. She is the newest 16" resin BJD to hit the doll scene. 
Here are several prelimary (iPhone) images of her. (Actually all the images on this page are iPhone images.)
Nelson is wearing the full length black sequin Sybarite gown from the Basique Black Giftset and a random blonde wig. Neckpiece is a Tonner product. Her ears are pierced but are quite small and the matching earrings do not fit. She has a well-defined sculpt which will photograph beautifully once I get her down into my studio. Her resin feels wonderfully smooth and her joints are neither kicky nor loose. I am going to enjoy this doll for a long time.


My Sybarite "Domina" decided that she wanted to wear "Gateau's fashion. She wears it very well.  So often the Sybarite shoes are a pain to put on, especially over hosiery, but these were made properly to my delight. I love this ensemble.
 In the first photo of Domina, her lovely pink nipple was positioned at the opening of the silver parts of the bodice. Photoshop came to the rescue. Did I ever admit something about my pictures? If you see me using special effects it's most often because the picture sucked. I take a lot of pictures of my subjects from all angles and with the lighting moved around. However, when I use the phone, I have much less control of the results compared to when I use my professional equipment. That's when Photoshops filters other than sharpening and exposure come out to play. Even then, the idea is to make it look as if you meant it to be that way in the first place.
Ahhh, the tricks we evil Photoshoppers play. I prefer to get it right in the camera anyway.

Two adorable vinyl BJDs have come to live here. They are Ai Ball Jointed Dolls from Jun Planning, the same company that makes Pullips.
Here is their description:
Precious and posable, personable and perfectly palm-sized, each 12.5cm (about 5 inches) doll in Jun Planning's Ball Jointed Doll Ai series has been created with care and is exquisitely detailed, complete with wigged hair that can be removed if you choose, and inset eyes that can be repositioned from within using putty.  Packaged in a sturdy gift box designed to keep safe in travels.
 My first was Lagrus.

The left shows how she comes packaged in ther padded box. I added eyelashes and enhanced her coloring a bit.  On the right, she is wearing a short blonde wig. I used different putty than what she came with. Actually I use moldable silicone earplugs that come in a multi-package available at CVS and I'm sure at most other drugstores.

 My second Ai came today. She is "Plum." I haven't taken her out of her package yet.
I think she's even cuter than Lagrus.

These tiny dolls are fun impulse buys and would also make great gifts for doll friends of all ages. Their price ranges from $29 (so I've heard but have never seen) to much higher from the rip-off artists. I paid the normal going rate of about $34.99 with free shipping on eBay. For that price, these are great bargains and a fun introduction to the tiny BJD. The quality is very nice. They pose better than Amelia Thimble. Their vinyl is nicer than her resin! I don't have Amelia anymore so I can't compare their clothes to see if they can share.
Amelia is only 4" tall. A basic doll like this costs $175. You do the math.




Happy Hunting!






Lady Gaga Dolls

There are some pretty awful looking Gaga dolls out there. I'll let you choose which of the following fit that description. These are all on eBay today.

This is a OOAK sculpted head with a piano dress.

OOAK Ficondoll "Gaga" inspired by "Versace Campaign"
Starting bid $800.

Lady Gaga "Grammy Awards 2010" OOAK Doll
Starting Bid $75.

Lady Gaga doll OOAK Custom Barbie #2
Buy It Now $39.99

Lady Gaga Fame Era OOAK Doll
Starting Bid $70.

Voodoo Doll, Lady Gaga, Lucky Charm Key Ring
Buy It Now $9.78
Lady Gaga Art Doll
Buy It Now $160.


Lady Gaga Doll aka Vaughn's Workshop
Buy It Now $600 or Make an Offer

None of these dolls compare to the adorable Gaga Barbies we've seen in the past.
Here's a link to the many Gaga dolls that have been produced over the course of the last few years.  

Of course you will need to waste time and care about this topic.