Not Just For American Girl Dolls Anymore

The very popular adolescent line of American Girl dolls offers accessories, furniture pieces and room settings which fashion doll collectors are going crazy over. As it turns out, these items which are made for the 18" American Girls actually work better with our 16" dolls!

First up is a shop called Grace's French Bakery which retails for a whopping $500. Prego member, Johanna, posted many pictures or her insanely fantastic collection which includes the La Patisserie and Grace's Pastry Cart  ($150) with her dolls.  If you look carefully, you will see Gene Marshall chairs and tables in the setting! It's perfect.

Johanna also showed us Samantha's Ice Cream Parlor  ($300) being visited by her Tonner Patience dolls.

Mike (laughon45) posted the following three rooms. He, like Johanna, has added other 1/4 scale furniture to enhance these American Girl rooms. All of the dolls he used in these settings are Kingdom Dolls.

Isabelle's Studio ($275) That's quite a transformation. I love it.

Caroline's Parlor ($300.) I want this one!

Photo by Seumas' Mom

 Juies Bed & Bedding ($125.) and Julie's Egg Chair Set ($100)
As if the Egg Chair weren't adorable enough, it is actually equipped with stereo speakers. You plug a cable from the chair into your own music source and your doll can enjoy.

Some retired American Girl pieces can be found on Amazon.com and on eBay.  Some sellers will say "fits American doll" when it's not genuine American Doll. It that matters to you, be aware.

Wilde Imagination: New for 2015 and a Bit of Yoko

If this doll doesn't look like Yoko Ono then I don't know......

"Bright Moon"   LE350    $229.00   In Stock

Evy's gown is stunning but just more of the same - lots of fabric, black, long, sweeping things going on. I think the glasses are a great touch even if they're out of character.
I love Yoko's leather embellished jacket.  Yoko was 80 in 2013 when this photo was made. Not bad, eh?

There are nine new dressed EG dolls. Among the nine is a Mortimer, an Angelique and an intense-looking Parnilla in a gorgeous sequined, faux fur trimmed coat. I use the word 'intense' in an effort to be diplomatic regarding my opinion of her face.

Parnilla "Time To Go"  LE350   $219.00   In Stock

Nine new outfits, too, are part of this release and only two of them are black. The prices are all under $100. for the new outfits, except for one.
This is my favorite. It's only a bustier and pair of shoes.

"Midnight Silver Set"   LE250  $69.00   Shipping 1/26

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There are 11 new dressed Ellowynes which include a new male character, Penn. 

Most of the new Ellowyne line offerings are only sketches. 

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Out of all the other offerings, I must comment on Sad Sally. This line of 7" resin dolls is so darn adorable and highly tempting. I'm trying to be strong as they fit nowhere in my collection. But just look at these.

"Pretty Sad" is a new release. "It's My Hat" is not.

"Pretty Sad"     $260     Shipping 1/26     Edition Size not specified

"It's My Hat"    $285.00  In Stock  Edition Size not specified

One of the outfits available: (This is not a new one.)

"Happy to Be Sad" (Outfit Only)  LE200  $50.00  In Stock

WILDE IMAGINATION

Runway Right Away Vanessa, 2005

Vanessa Perrin "Runway Right Away" LE 1000  $89.99

Another gorgeous early Vanessa is seen above modeling a Randall Craig sheath.
Jewelry by Joy now going under the name of Exsyntrik on Etsy.
This Vanessa came on the first articulated body; however, I had already switched her to the first tall body when I took this picture.

Below is IT's original promotional photo.

Demi-Ginny and Rory Riot Llewelyn

I rinsed out and combed Ginny's rooted wig cap and it helped somewhat. I twirled it while it was still damp and let it dry flat on paper toweling. It looks much better. I eliminated some of the more difficult frizzies in Photoshop.

Ginny is wearing a gown by SL Doll. (Sanglian Lu, Xiamen, China)  She was gone a long time but I see she is now selling on Etsy.  "Sanglian's Homework"  There's not much listed there but she's worth checking out from time to time.

With Ginny is a Jem line doll called Rory Riot Llewelyn.  His hair was on the wild side. I dunked it in boiling hot water and then combed it out and let it dry straight. It's held back with a ribbon. Rory is wearing an Homme suit and Fashion Royalty ID tag jewelry from forever ago. 

The original Rory, below, definitely did not fit into my collection. I was able to purchase him nekkid.

IT Promotional Photo

Wilde Imagination - Tonner 2015 West Coast Exclusive Dolls Now Available

http://www.wildeimagination.com/shop-wilde

Brunel and Alejandro

Dress by Ficon
Wig by Cheryl Wood
IT Jewelry (Gene)
IT Purse

Jamieshow Alejandro's wig by Chewin

Jamieshow Demi-Couture Ginny

In a fit of "I need another doll" impulsivity, I ordered Demi-Couture Ginny (aka Ginnie.) She is a 12" resin ball-jointed doll.  The 12" Jamieshow BJDs made their debut appearance a few years ago but their face sculpts were not well received and they did not do well.

GeorgeG Photo

The three current offerings, Grace, Eshe and Ginny are 1/6 scale replicas of the full-sized Jamieshow dolls of the same name. Just like their larger counterparts, they come with a rooted wig cap and a bald wig cap. A small version of the Jamieshow doll stand is included as well.

GeorgeG Photo

These dolls went on sale for $191.99 recently. The sale ends at midnight on 1/11/14.
If you have Silkstone dolls, you have seen the prices skyrocket for regular releases. That made me think that this price was reasonable for a doll with joints that actually move in more than one direction. BTW Silkstone is resin.

Also available on sale is a special Grace doll, expressive hands and some shoes.

I've had one of these Demi bodies for a while and was using it with a Liz Taylor Silkstone head.

When I took Liz out of a showcase to photograph her with Ginny, I was dismayed to find that she had become very, very kicky in her hip joints. It was almost impossible to keep her upright for this photo so she is posing partially sitting. Her knees and arms are fine. I will have to wire her hip and upper legs to correct this issue.

In my photos of Ginny, she is wearing a wig that I had in my collection because her wig was frizzy and unkempt looking. I've heard that washing it out helps. It's either the fiber being used or it's being over-heated during styling. I've had this problem with every other non-bun/non-updo Jamieshow wig cap.  It happens with other manufacturer's dolls as well on occasion. Straight styles and updos are fine. It only happens when the fibers have been over-processed. As a photographer, I pay attention to the appearance of hair. It drives me crazy when I can't tame a wavy hairdo properly. There's curly and there's messed up.

Ginny is wearing Barbie (Louboutin) shoes just to illustrate that their foot size is almost exactly the same. Barbie's is a tiny bit smaller. FR2 shoes would be too large. Original FR shoes will fit as will  FR clothes from the second body. (That would be the first articulated body before they went to the first tall body. ) Of course there will be other clothes that fit depending upon their cut.

I recommend buying one or more of these demi dolls now while the price is right.

Here:
http://www.jamieshow.us/DEMI-COUTURE_c_15.html

Modsdoll Aurum and Kingdom Doll Brunel

I have been playing with two of my new 16" resin dolls. And that's a good thing because I vowed to play more. Less accumulating; more playing. Seriously, it's not hard to sit in front of a computer for hours pining over dolls I don't have when all the while, I have gorgeous dolls upstairs. That's a sickness.

Aurum is growing on me. I almost sold her. She is wearing a Ficon gown and Fashion Royalty earrings.

 

I love Brunel!
In these photos she is wearing a Sybarite sweater and Ficon jeans which are too large in the hips. The rhinestone belt (Facets) helps to pull them in. The poodle is needle felted from an artist whose name I don't remember. I've had him a long time.  Boots - eBay.

Daily Dose of Vanessa - Luxe Life

 

Once in a while a perfect doll comes along. Luxe Life is one of those. I have never redressed her which is quite unusual for me. She's just perfect the way she is.

LL was one of the stunning dolls from the Iconic 2009 convention. Priced at $130. then, you can't touch this doll on the secondary market for less than several hundred. There wasn't a single off-key note at that event. The Elise Jolie sculpt was introduced for one. There were two Agnes (Agnii?), a gorgeous Eugenia, a Marilyn Monroe-like Dania, a light skinned Natalia and a beautiful Avantguard 12" clone.

The 'Iconic' theme referred to Jason's prior iconic doll designs. Luxe Life was meant to honor Veronique Perrin "Lush Life." (2001-02) This doll originally sold for $60. 

Integrity Toys Promotional Photo

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.