Official Photos from the Gloss Fashion Royalty Convention

The Convention Collection:
From left to right: Adorned Vanessa, Grandiose Natalia, Nocturnal Glow Veronique, Cold Shoulder Eugenia, Dark Moon Poppy, La Ville Lumiere Simonetta and Nightshade Kyori Sato.

Store Exclusives
From left to right: After Hours Hanne, Dial V for Victoire and Wild Thing Poppy.

ITBE : Oomph, Zing and Jolt

Workshop: Time Served

I am still awaiting delivery of my pre-ordered convention collection. The jury is out on those dolls until I see them in person.
The ITBE dolls look cute until you see their dresses and shoes. They are $9.99 Barbie type clothes.
Time served is one of the worst-looking male dolls ever and the photo doesn't make it better.
Click on the photos to enlarge.

What do you think of the dolls?

Official Pictures of the Gloss 2014 Convention Dolls Part I

Here are the meal event photos.
We're still waiting for the main convention collection, store exclusives, watch workshop and CI doll photos.  Starlight Poppy reminds me so much of an earlier convention Erin.

Illustrious

Luxury Wear Costume (Outfit only)

Official Convention Souvenir

Starlight Poppy Parker™ Dressed Doll
Official Convention Giveaway Doll

Angel in Blue

Poppy Parker™ Dressed Doll

Official Convention Centerpiece Doll

Sensuous Affair

Giselle Diefendorf™ Dressed Doll

W Club Luncheon Exclusive Centerpiece Doll

Dominique Makeda™ Dressed Doll

Official Workshop Doll

Chrome Noir

Erin Salston™ Dressed Doll

W Club Luncheon Exclusive Giveaway Doll

Evening Siren

Ayumi N.™ Dressed Doll

IT Direct Store Exclusive

Intrigue
Elise Jolie™ Dressed Doll
Official Table Centerpiece

Intimate Reveal
Agnes Von Weiss™ Dressed Doll
Official Convention Souvenir Doll

Integrity Toys 2014 "Gloss" Convention

I followed the events of the convention on several social media boards and on the phone with my proxy. The organizers certainly had huge obstacles to overcome but luckily for them and the attendees, the missing dolls arrived. I think this was their largest convention at 500 people. I would have loved the Friday night Halloween event. From photos, it looks like the costumes were fantastic!

In a message from the W Club we were told that due to technical difficulties, photos of the convention dolls can't be posted yet. Whatever.

There are many people posting pictures of their own dolls but the official photos would be nice to have as in past years. You can  find them on eBay. Do a search under "Gloss Convention/dolls & bears" and you will come up with several hundred postings.

That being said, I had to decide to keep only a few dolls so I've been selling the ones that can't stay. Here is what remains.

Sheer Sensuality Vanessa (Magenta) (Centerpiece) $300.

Poppy Dark Moon  (Purple) (Convention collection) $250.

Grandiose Natalia Fatale (Convention collection) $225. (Nude $175) (Outfit $75)

Veronique Nocturnal Glow (Convention collection) $200. (Nude $150) (Outfit $65)

Simonetta Bertorelli  La Ville Lumiere  (Convention collection) $200.
Victoire “Dial V for Victoire” Mini Gift Set (Store exclusive) $200.
Both for $350.

Jolt (ITBE Store exclusive) Blonde in pink dress. $115.

Chrome Noir Erin (NuFace) (Luncheon Gift Doll) $225.

Evening Siren Ayumi  (NuFace)  $250.  (Nude $175.)

Time Served Color Infusion Homme Male Doll (Workshop) $200

Kyori  “Nightshade”  (Convention collection)  Outfit Only $75

A huge shipment from my proxy is due to arrive tomorrow. I got the notice from UPS this morning. The convention collection, coming from Integrity, will take a few days longer.

Prices do not include postage.

Email me if you have an interest. I do have some pictures.


The dolls I am keeping:

-Intrigue Elise - Saturday night centerpiece.
-LE Smoking Adele (Convention Collection)
-After Hours Hanne (She was an optional purchase.)

I'm undecided about Cold Shoulder Eugenia and Adorned Vanessa (Convention collection.) They are gorgeous but I'm holding off deciding until I have them in my hands.
I think I'm done with Vanessa. 

I had to ask myself what dolls I would have been willing to pay secondary market prices for and then decide whether or not it was worth it to have a proxy. It's a lot of work and time to sell the dolls I don't want to keep. I bought three of last year's convention dolls individually (Both Elise and one Monogram) as I did not have a proxy. This year, I got a bit caught up in the extras offered and bought dolls that are beautiful but not for me.

Such problems.

These CI male dolls are interesting. The frenzy for them is unbelievable.

Here's a picture of one I found on eBay.

They're all very different and many are other than Caucasian. They sell out quickly at the event. This is the workshop one.

Gloss Convention Part I

The first official photos of the convention were released by the W Club tonight.

Here they are:


Official Welcome Bag Doll and Companion Accessory Kit (Erin)
The 2014 Integrity Toys Convention: Gloss
Limited Edition of 500 Dolls and 500 Accessory Packs

Sheer Sensuality
Vanessa Perrin™ Dressed Doll
The 2014 Integrity Toys Convention: Gloss Official Table Centerpiece
Limited Edition of 350 Dolls

Le Smoking 
Adèle Makéda® Dressed Doll
The 2014 Integrity Toys Convention: Gloss Official Souvenir
Limited Edition of 500 Dolls

They all are winners! My proxy's number was called for the Vanessa. Yay. Best of all, the Adele uses the Adele 2.0 face. I am thrilled by this doll's appearance. I love the outfit and everything about her. 

I've heard some grumbling regarding dolls that haven't been delivered to the convention on time and about the Color Infusion male doll shortage. There seem to be lots of rumors flying about.  I'm sure it will all be sorted out by tomorrow night.  People may have to wait for the dolls to be shipped instead of being able to pick them up in person. 

I understand the disappointment but with so many other dolls to enjoy, it's not all that bad...unless you live outside of the US. They get hit with seriously bad customs fees. So I'm sure they'd rather take their dolls home.

 

Tonner's Sindy Collection

Many were once wild about the original Sindy doll. That would be back in 1963 when Pedigree Dolls and Toys created her. She was a best-selling toy in the UK at the end of the 60's. Throughout the end of the 20th century through to the beginning of the 21st, there were several manufacturers who tried to bring Sindy back to her glory days. Looking back now, the fashions and the accessories were wonderful for the day. She had everything! As a child, I would have loved this doll and all of the goodies. There is a tremendous amount of play value in what I see here.

I've actually had a few pieces of Sindy furniture in my collection, namely the dining room, bedroom, living room and beach lounge. They are perfectly scaled for Fashion Royalty dolls.

Sindy was a wholesome-looking doll compared to most Barbie dolls and there's probably not a parent who boycotted a store due to any of the versions.

There are currently about 4000 listings on eBay under the worldwide search, "Sindy."

                Above, a favorite accessory, hot rollers.  Below, the indispensable stereo record player.

So, why is Robert Tonner doing Sindy? What does he have in mind? I can certainly see where well made furniture and accessories would be a hit with the 1/6 crowd. Tonner's furniture is always a success, well scaled for the doll and a sell out.
But what about the doll herself?

Cute? Check.
Wholesome? Check.
Well-attired? Check.

But why isn't she articulated? She's a reproduction but one can upgrade a reproduction to provide more play value.

This is the "Just Sindy Basic Doll" who is available at Cherished Friends (NJ store) for $59.99. I hate to say this but I can find a similar dolls in Target or Walmart for $19. I'm sure Tonner's Sindy is a fine quality - much better than a $19.99 doll but it's all about perceived value.

This is Sindy Summer Fun Dressed Doll who is also available at Cherished Friends for $84.99.

Are these fashion dolls or toys?  If they are toys, they're priced too high. If they're fashion dolls, I don't know where to go with that one.



I wish them luck.

Obsidian Culture Three Ways: Lots of Extra Fabric?

Integrity released photos of two new dolls Obsidian Culture dolls in the same exact outfits as the Couture Dolls, Inc. exclusive Hanne Erikson.

Here is the "exclusive" Hanne:

Here are her doppelgangers:

According to the announcement:

The new FR:16 collection was received to high praise by everyone and many of you expressed that they would have loved to see "Obsidian Culture" Hanne Erikson with a different hair style/color combo.

Really? Who writes this stuff?
This had to be planned long before people 'expressed' that opinion.
If I were a doll dealer with an exclusive, I'd be pretty pissed if the company put out competition before I sold off my stock.  Of course, I don't know the deal Couture Dolls had with Integrity Toys but IMO, it's not a great one.
When a dealer gets an exclusive, they pay for the entire lot. In this case it was 300 dolls.

Bad business.