Doll Observers Fashion Doll Awards - Public Voting Now Open

This blog has been nominated for an award by doll lovers. That feels very good. Now we'd like to beat out the competition which is pretty great!
Here's the listing of all the nominations.

Thank you in advance for your vote and for reading us!

What makes our DollObservers.com Fashion Doll Awards different is that both nominations and votes are made by doll lovers themselves. Now that the first stage of DollObservers.com members-only nominations have been counted and verified, it is time to finally announce the lucky nominees for this year. Public voting is now underway and you make your votes here.

Winners will be announced via the site on 22nd February 2015. (Was originally listed as January.)

Here are the 2015 #DOFDAs nominations in full:

Best Playline Fashion Doll

• Barbie So In Style Day to Nite Trichelle (Mattel)
• Barbie Style Midge (Mattel)
• Ever After High Lizzie Hearts (Mattel)
• Monster High Monster Exchange Program Draculaura (Mattel)
• Kazumi Eco-Warrior (Zeenie Dolz)

Best Collectable Vinyl/Plastic Fashion Doll

• Deja Vu Emma Jean's Grand Drama (Tonner Doll Company)
• Joyous Celebration Poppy Parker (Integrity Toys)
• Mistress of the Manor Barbie (Barbie Collector)
• Montaigne Market Elise Jolie by Jason Wu (Integrity Toys)
• Platinum Society Hanne Erikson (Integrity Toys)

Best Resin/Porcelain/BJD Fashion Doll

• Alma Haute Doll Numina Exclusive (Paul Pham)
• Aurum (Modsdoll)
• Brunel  (Kingdom Doll)
• Demi Couture Grace (JAMIEshow)
• Voluptueux  (Superdoll Collectables)

Best Convention Exclusive Fashion Doll

• Etiquette Paris Fashion Doll Festival Exclusive (Superdoll Collectables)
• Fiorella Paris Fashion Doll Exclusive (Barbie Collector)
• Intrigue Elise Jolie Fashion Royalty Gloss Convention (Integrity Toys)
• Midnight Celebration Barbie Convention (Barbie Collector/Artist Creations)
• Sofia "La Dolce Vita" Madrid Fashion Doll Exclusive (JAMIEshow)

Best Celebrity Fashion Doll

• Cynthia Bailey (Prettie Girls)
• Fan Bingbing (Barbie Collector)
• Karl Lagerfeld Barbie (Barbie Collector)
• Marlena (JAMIEshow)
• Sheldon Cooper Big Bang Theory (Tonner Doll Company)

Best Fashion Doll Accessory

• Barbie Style Ultimate Closet (Mattel)
• Ever After High Tea Party Playset (Mattel)
• Roombox (Regent Miniatures)
• Sybarite Luggage Sets (Superdoll Collectables)

Best OOAK Fashion Doll Artist

• Cholo Ayuyao
• Jon Copeland
• Magia2000
• Sebastian Atelier
• Shannon Craven

Best Fashion Doll Designer/Brand

• David Buttry at Integrity Toys
• Charles Fegan & Desmond Lingard at Superdoll Collectables
• Robert Best at Barbie Collector
• JAMIEshow
• Kingdom Doll

Best Independent Online Fashion Doll Retailer

• Cherished Friends (http://www.cherishedfriends.com)
• Couture Dolls (http://www.couturedolls.com)
• Doll Genie (https://www.dollgenie.com)
• Marl & B (http://www.marlbe.com)
• Miss Vinyl (http://www.missvinyl.com)

Best Corporate Fashion Doll Seller

• Amazon
• Barbie Collector
• Ebay
• Integrity Toys Direct
• Tonner Doll Company

Best Fashion Doll Blog

• Collecting Fashion Dolls by Terri Gold (terrigoldphoto.blogspot.com) - Terri Gold
• Dutch Barbie World (https://dutchbarbieworld.wordpress.com ) - Rogier Corbeau
• Papusile Mele (http://papusilemele.com) - Ada Bogoevici Soci
• The Fashion Doll Chronicles (http://fashiondollchronicles.blogspot.com) - Stratos
• Tommydoll (http://tommydoll.com) - Tom Courtney

The 2015 Innovations Award: Best Fashion Doll Hair

• Barbie Collector
• Integrity Toys
• JAMIEshow
• Tonner Doll Company
• Superdoll Collectables

Place your votes here.

Today's Daily Dose of Vanessa - True Royalty

My re-rooted True Royalty Vanessa is lounging in a dress originally owned by Isha "Go North." (2011, IFDC)

For those of you who were not around for the drama in 2006 between Integrity Toys, Magma Heritage and the collectors who pre-ordered the doll, here goes.

 For approximately one year prior to her release, collectors knew that in order to get her we had to purchase Madison's (owner, Magma Heritage) calendar for $20. Essentially it was a lottery ticket to purchase this Atelier doll for $199. There were plenty of pissed off people who purchased the calendar, which was pretty nice anyway, and didn't get chosen. Several months before the "due" date of the doll, Integrity made an announcement that they were raising the price of the doll. My recollection is vague but I think it was $35. We had already made a deposit on a $199.99 doll. A few collectors balked and called foul claiming that the deposit was a contract, blah, blah. Integrity backed down but something happened between Madison and the company because after the doll was distributed, Madison was no longer a dealer and kind of disappeared from the Fashion Royalty scene.

The Singapore based store is still going strong and sells mainly Blythe and Pullip. Madison was an amazing photographer.

Here are IT's promotional photos of the Atelier doll, True Royalty.

BTW There have been only three Atelier dolls: Poesie Sans Couleur, True Royalty and A Brighter Side (Kyori.)  The presentation boxes were gorgeous tri-fold, padded exterior creations.
Those were the glory days of Fashion Royalty.

Daily Dose of Vanessa

Today's Vanessa is "Intoxicating Mix" wearing an outfit called "My Precious Luxury Wear. " This was given to us at the 2005 Toronto convention. It came with the teddy bear.
Vanessa was the souvenir doll.

 Recently I began posting photos from my Vanessa archives on my Collecting Fashion Dolls by Terri Gold's Facebook page. 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Collecting-Fashion-Dolls-by-Terri-Gold/148849285133506

I thought it would be a good idea to coordinate the photos with this blog AND the FB page.
Here are the pictures I've posted of Vanessa recently:

If you are not already aware of it, this is a fantastic resource for Integrity Toys dolls: Jason Wu's Dolls Reference List 
I consult it on a regular basis to get names and dates correctly. And you thought I knew everything. Ha. 

 

2015 Tonner Collectors' Convention Announced

"Guilty Pleasures" Guilty Pleasures
Don’t be shy – we’re all guilty here! Welcome to the wide world of guilty pleasures! Like decadent desserts, binge watching your favorite TV shows, and frivolous luxury, the 2015 Tonner Convention is going to be Wilde… especially since it’s in Dallas, TX – the Wild West! Famous for hosting more restaurants per capita than New York City, local celebs Bonnie and Clyde, its sheer love of country clubs and more, Dallas is an exciting, urban city that will no doubt be the perfect backdrop for all our Guilty Pleasures!
This year’s fun will kick off with registration starting Friday morning, from 10a-12p, with events beginning later that very afternoon. For those that delight in ‘evening’ wear, the PJ Party is BACK with a ferocious appetite for fun! AND prepare yourselves for a super fabulous 16” fashion doll souvenir – a BRAND NEW collection debut that we are excited to welcome (back) to the Tonner Family.
Whatever your pleasure, Tonner has it all at the 2015 Guilty Pleasures Convention in Dallas, TX - Yeehaw!
Registration is $399 per person
$50 Deposit will hold your spot!

Burning Cookies

I wanted to call this post "Can't Bake For Shit" but I thought better of it. One must maintain a certain level of civility.

Anyway, I had some fun today with Brunel and Superdoll's "Burning Cookies" outfit. The top and pants are large on Brunel but the shoes fit nicely. The wig is also sized for Sybarites and I had to put a silicone head cap on to keep it from moving about. It kind of messes up the shape of the wig but you wouldn't have known that if I didn't tell you. So there.

I have captions for all the photos but I think I'd rather leave them to your imagination. So, here are all five pictures.

Caption one or all.
I'd like to hear it. 
Or don't.
Whatever.

Happy New Year 2015!

Wishing all my readers a wonderful New Year of love, good health, abundance and happiness.

Amidst all the chaos and unrest in this country and this world, I often look for a true joy I can focus on. Right now that is the love I have for my dog. For almost 12 years he has been our constant companion, playmate and loving pet. Rudy has changed our lives and enriched it in ways I can't even describe.

As many of you know, his health began to fail a year ago and his prognosis was as bad as it could get. I fear that his time on earth is drawing to an end. But for now I can look at him, talk to him and touch him. We've been spoiling the heck out of him. Why not? He's been such a good dog.

My love for him is my retreat.
Dolls are ought but mirrors.
My dog is my soul.

 I hope you have a joy and a love in your life.