Why do they even bother?

Every year the little gift from the Barbie Fan Club gets more insulting. Last year it was a crappy business card wallet. I'd give it to a 3 year old who would probably throw it away like I did.

This year it's a crummy eyeglass case. OK maybe it's a tad better than the wallet as my glasses actually fit inside and I can snap it shut. But it has the smell of a blow up pool toy and probably causes eyelashes to fall out.

 

Honestly, if the offerings this year are not better than last year, it will be my last year in this "club."

Where are all the people? They died from the vinyl fumes.


Membership is still open. Get your own eyeglass case and geninue membership card. Silkstone collectors from the early days will get the misspelled word.

http://www.barbiecollector.com/shop/doll/2015-barbie-fan-club

Daily Dose of Vanessa - Pale Fire

Today's featured Vanessa is "Pale Fire" from the 2007 Premium line. She sold for $159.99 and was an edition of 1000. Pale Fire was on the original tall body and had applied eyelashes. 
This was the time during which the dolls' face paint was air brushed beautifully and the fashions and accessories were exquisite. I don't recall quality control issues.

IT's promotional photo:

Pale Fire is an example of a doll I couldn't wait to get and yet didn't wind up loving until years later. After a while, I took her dress apart because it was too pouffy for me. I took her hair down and rooted in some reddish tones and she became a completely different doll.

About 2-1/2 years ago, another collector listed a NRFB Pale Fire for less than the original retail and I went for it. It's not the first time as I'm sure my readers know.

Now I display both of them side by side amongst my treasured collection of Vanessas.

The jewelry and construction of the dress were perfection.

Gorgeous makeup - no clownish eyebrows.

Preview of Tonner's 2015 Mainline Release

Tonner released a small selection of dolls and fashions last week including their new Jupiter Ascending line.

Here is the plot of the 'space opera' written, produced and directed by The Wachowskis.
This information is from Wikipedia.

The film is centered on Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis), a down-on-her-luck janitor, and Caine Wise (Channing Tatum), an interplanetary warrior who informs Jones that her destiny extends beyond Earth. Unknown to Earth's residents, life on Earth and countless other planets has been seeded^[13] by families of alien royalty^[14] for the purpose of harvesting the evolved living creatures once they reach a "Darwinian state of perfection" to produce a type of youth serum that allows them to live forever.^[15] When the matriarch of the House of Abrasax, the most powerful of the alien dynasties, dies^[9] her children Balem (Eddie Redmayne), Kalique (Tuppence Middleton), and Titus (Douglas Booth) are at war over the inheritance. Eventually a new heir comes to their attention: Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis), an unsuspecting, Earth-living, unlucky caretaker of other people's homes.^[16] Jupiter encounters Caine Wise (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered interplanetary warrior, who came to Earth to reveal that her genetic signature makes Jones royalty and heir to Earth. Meanwhile, he has to protect her from Balem, who put a bounty on her head and would rather harvest Earth than lose it to Jones.^[17]

JUPITER ASCENDING

LE 300

$239.99

JUPITER JONES

LE 300

$199.99

 

 

There will also be a male doll as the character Caine. That doll's photo was not ready at press time.

***********

Next there is one basic, three dressed Diana Prince dolls and four outfits. 

Diana Basic $99.99

Special Agent Diana Prince DD $189.99

Diana DD $189.99

Golden Princess DD $179.99

Winter Princess Outfit $99.99

Stars and Stripes Outfit $109.99

Beauty and Strength Outfit $94.99

Beyond the Stars Outfit $99.99

Two Gone With the Wind 16" Dressed Dolls: $199.99 and $214.99.

One dressed Tiny Kitty.  $149.99

One Oz doll who sports the Wicked Witch head sculpt on the 19" Wilde Imagination Evangeline body. $209.99

Last (and possibly least) a Gift Set of two dolls - Snoopy and Belle. $274.99

IMO the Mila Kunis sculpt (Jupiter) does not look like her a all. The doll looks much older than Kunis.
The Caine doll at $189.99 LE 300 might be interesting as Robert's male dolls are usually pretty hunky and handsome. If he looks anything like Channing Tatum, he might be in the running to join my tribe.

I am getting the Diana Golden Princess outfit and seriously hoping I'm not disappointed. The basic Diana is quite pretty and I'm sure we'll see lots of repainted, rewigged versions. But she still has Tyler's body and I don't buy dolls like that anymore. I have enough to last me for a while (forever.) $99.99 for a basic doll in a swimsuit. Yikes!

Of course, most dealers give $15. off the retail prices. If they don't, buy your dolls elsewhere.

I'd love to see the Beyond the Stars outfit IRL. I need to take a ride over to Cherished Friends and take a look.  I visualize the suit with a different belt. I love the fur hat. What's under that jacket?

How many of you are rushing right out to buy Snoopy?

Show & Sell Site: Is this really goodbye?

The Show & Sell site's Admins posted this message in the forum area of the site:

Due to extensive and unrecoverable technical problems, the Show & Sell Site will close for good before the end of February 2015.

It's a long story, but the short version is that the software this site uses is old and will not work with newer servers.

This was not a serious problem as long as we could keep our older server, but the server company we've been with for the last 5 years is upgrading to new equipment and we have to move out.

We acquired a new host and tried to move the site the last week, but it wouldn't work. Attempts to modify the site a bit in hopes of making it compatible with the new host not only failed, but left the site damaged. So, for the final few weeks of it's being on-line, it won't be working very well.

You can list and edit new ads, but you cannot edit any older ads.

We are sincerely sorry for this turn of events. We'll post more information, including a firm closing date, when we get it.

I totally understand this issue. It is the reason I do not install Mavericks OS on my computer. I don't want to mess stuff up. But apparently they do not have a choice.  I've been screen-copying my listings and looking into easy Mac WYSIWYG web site software so I can make a new site for myself on which I can sell doll things. My old web software is incompatible. Same problem as theirs.

You can still shop:

http://www.thedollpage.com/ads/searchresults.php?owner=46

Shamrocks and Ladies in the Woods in Barbie-Land

Shamrock Celebration Barbie Doll, a Barbie Fan Club Exclusive, became available today on the Barbie Collector website. This is a Gold Label doll meaning that no more than 5500 units are produced worldwide. Price is $75.

The information:

Designed by: Bill Greening

Release Date: 1/28/2015

Product Code: CGK93

Barbie^® doll is keen on green and decorated with shamrocks! Her short sleeves feature satin ribbon accents and the bodice is edged with lace. Her apron and underskirt repeat the lace motif. Includes top hat, leprechaun’s pot of “gold,” a wee greeting card and necklace.

Doll Details
Body Type:	1959 Vintage (holes in the feet) -Vinyl
Skin Tone:	Nostalgic
Facial Sculpt:	Nostalgic with straight rooting line
Fashion Sewn On?:	No
Eyelashes:	Painted

Included with doll:
Shoes, earrings, necklace, hat, pot of gold, greeting card, doll stand with prongs.

I think she's quite pretty but I don't buy $75. non-articulated vinyl dolls.

****************

While I'm looking at the Barbie site, I may as well talk about Lady of the White Woods Barbie. This is another Gold Label doll with a production rum of 7700 units. She went on sale on 1/14/15 for $100.

She looks pretty nice from here but...

...I do not like the organic swirls and seashell scallops on her face. I guess she's supposed to look like she grew from the forest floor.  Love the crown, the neckpiece and wrist pieces. If anyone out there has this doll, please post a review in the comments section for the rest of us. 

Designed by: Bill Greening

Release Date: 1/14/2015

Product Code: CGK94

This mythical beauty is second in the collection and is adorned in a gown with coppery branches, ruffled tiers of ethereal chiffon and a bodice wrapped in nude lace. Her crown, neckpiece and shoes share the natural motif and are accented with a feather design. Bold armbands complete the look.

Doll Details
Body Type:	ModelMuse™, Straight Arms
Skin Tone:	Peace
Facial Sculpt:	Louboutin
Fashion Sewn On?:	No
Eyelashes:	Painted

Included with doll:
Shoes, Crown, Headpiece, Arm Cuffs, Doll Stand
There is a limit of 5 dolls per order.

Daily Dose of Vanessa

Today's Vanessa is "High Tide." She arrived in 2007 in the line called "Style du Jour."
This gal is pure pin-up material from the 1940's.

High Tide was on the original tall body with high contrast makeup and period styled hair.

At first, I wasn't in love with her hairstyle so I cut it and ultimately had her re-rooted and repainted. This is prior to the reroot.

I have an original and I've grown to appreciate the donuts. There's a lesson to be learned but it's hard to keep dolls that I don't love. I have repurchased original issues of dolls on occasion.