Collecting Fashion Dolls by Terri Gold

7/18/2017

New Barbie Website is Full of Toys

I had a chance to prowl through the new website this morning and my opinion is that it's a success in that it works. Everything has been thrown into what was called Barbie Collector and is now called Barbie.mattel.com. The inclusion of playline Barbies including playsets, cheap fashion packs, party supplies, and more toy-like products as opposed to collectibles is a turn-off. I'm not in the market for a Barbie backpack or a little Escalade for a child.

Power Wheels Barbie Cadillac Escalade $400.

If you want to see Silkstone Dolls, use this link:

http://barbie.mattel.com/shop/en-us/ba/silkstone-dolls#facet:&productBeginIndex:0&orderBy:&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:&contentPageSize:&

If you want to see more fashion dolls for adults, click on:

http://barbie.mattel.com/shop/en-us/ba/fashion-dolls-collection#facet:11510197114991049710310197100117108116&productBeginIndex:0&orderBy:&pageView:grid&minPrice:&maxPrice:&pageSize:&contentPageSize:&

The other big change is that there are going to be three membership levels - pink, gold and platinum. Read very carefully as rewards have requirements such as spending $80 or $100 before you can use one.

Signature Membership FAQs

At the highest level, you would have to spend $400 over four quarters to get your full $120 benefit. Plus you would get free shipping all year. It could be worth the $34.xx and maybe not.

You can still do the $19.95 membership fee and get the usual rewards although now you have to spend $80 per order to get $20 off. That kind of sucks.

If you don't buy either the gold or the platinum status, you can have a Pink Status membership for free but no access to the forum.

I may just stop buying Silkstone dolls now.

Everything changes and Mattel is in business to make money, of course. I wish them and this website the best of luck. I am very interested in hearing what my fashion doll collector friends think.

What do you all think about these changes to the website and the membership?

7/14/2017

New Barbie Collector site is Launching July 17th, 2017.

Hoping someone other than the last web designing crew designed this new site or it's going to crash and be dysfunctional - again.

If you cannot read the text, click on the photo to enlarge.

Will you be joining this time around?

7/12/2017

Gene Marshall Doll Line History

I have seen Anne Monday's preliminary pages of this book and you are going to want it!

Gene: Dolls, Outfits & Accessories, 1995-2017

By Anne Monday | Foreword by Mel Odom

In 1995 Gene Marshall burst into the doll collecting world. She stood a glamorous 15 ½ inches tall at a time dominated by the 11 ½ inch Barbie. Created by artist Mel Odom, Gene was presented as a doll for the adult collector, to be redressed and played with by her owners. Gene was so successful that within five years many manufacturers copied her size, launching the era of the 16-inch fashion doll.

Gene is a Hollywood star whose career ran from the 1940s until her retirement in 1961. As such, her wardrobe is replete with outfits from such highly recognized designers as Dior, Charles James, and Valentino as well as costumes from her movie roles, both contemporary and historic, complete with coordinated hats, shoes, gloves, purses, jewelry, and more.

This volume presents a year-by-year photographic chronicle of every Gene release from her debut in 1995 with Ashton-Drake Galleries through JAMIEshow’s latest incarnations in the first half of 2017. In these pages, you will find photos of:

-- Every dressed doll depicting Gene and her friends, from the major editions numbering in the thousands to special limited editions of as little as five dolls.
-- Every outfit and accessory released separately, including closeups of smaller items such as shoes and jewelry.
-- More than 470 pages of full-color photos make this the most comprehensive guide to Gene ever made — an ideal guide for collectors!

This book is on pre-order through September 15.

ALL PREORDERS will receive a BOOK SIGNED BY MEL ODOM.

Free Shipping during the Preorder (U.S. only, and for this item only)

Please order this book by itself, since it has to be shipped later. Purchase other items in a separate transaction

This book will be printed and shipped in late November or early December (in time for Christmas). The preorder sales will determine the print run.

Order here: http://shop.dollsmagazine.com/gene-marshall-fashion-dolls-book.html

The cover:

7/09/2017

W-Club Members Only "RIGHT TO BUY" Lottery For The 2017 IFDC Dolls

Integrity Toys produced three dolls for the 2017 IFDC convention which was called "Dollton Abbey."
Their interpretation of the theme was quite broad as no one would ever mistake any of these dolls as representing the early 20th century in British fashion. (1900-1920)

Touch of Whimsy

Official Convention Doll

IFDC 2017

Limited Edition Size: 500 (Total edition size, including those sold/given out at IFDC)

Price: $175.00 + shipping and handling.

Head Sculpt: Finley

Body Type: FR 6.0

Skin tone: Cream; Hair Color: Golden Blond