Desperately Seeking Dolls

I LOVE this Mattel idea and it seems to keep getting better. A doll friend of mine posted the next two dolls in this line a few days ago; she had found them on Amazon. Having a gift card that was burning a hole in my wallet, I naturally followed her lead.

First, here is the blonde with a tan.

I haven't deboxed her yet. I'm afraid she is going to have her body stolen by Ruffles & Leather! It's nice that Mattel is adding all the skin tones. There are several dolls that will benefit from this doll's coloring.

Next up is the redhead.

I think she is my second favorite from the six dolls in this lineup. (The brunette is my first.) I love those freckles.

While out running errands today, I stopped at a flea market and squealed with delight when I found this vintage Irwin Austin Healey. The windshield is in tact and not cracked! None of the chrome has broken off! It has faded a little with age and some of the chrome has peeled, but it is in excellent shape for 50 years old! And the best part is that it cost only $17!

MTM Redhead agrees. She can't wait to cool off at the beach; having some nice wheels to get there is a luxury! See ya later!

This afternoon I was starting to debox my Made to Move Tan Blonde and was faced with a decision. Did she keep her body or was it going to either A: Crazy for Coral or B: Leather and Ruffles. As much as I am loving Leather and Ruffles, I was afraid putting her on a Made to Move body wouldn't fit that big character she exudes.

As with any major decision, I decided to procrastinate and move on to something else. I have been putting off my review of High Frequency Kumi. There is one small problem with this doll - her body skin tone is a tad different than her face up. Lately, IT has been all over the place with skin tones. One doll can be produced with different color bodies (ex: Inner Spark Natalia). I purchased another High Frequency body on secondary market right after the convention for a good price, so I thought it was worth a shot. Unfortunately the bodies were identical; however, when I placed the body down, it was right next to Leather and Ruffles. O.M. Goodness, I couldn't believe my eyes!

As much as I love the Made to Move bodies, my very favorite doll bodies ever produced have been the NuFace and Monogram bodies. I am so pleased with the results! So let's try some leather …

She really pulls off this body! How about a little face?

And instead of ruffles, how about some lace?

Let's get casual for the weekend.

And a final photo - Collectors have started calling this doll "Tayla" which blends "tall" with "Kayla". I think that will be her name here also.

Backstory:

My favorite romantic Christmas movie is "The Holiday", starring Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black. (If you've never seen it, go download it or rent it NOW!)

There is an adorable scene in this movie where Cameron Diaz meets Jude Law's daughters for the first time. Over hot chocolate, the girls beg their father to do "Mister Napkin Head" for their guest. It's delightful!

In 2011, Integrity Toys launched their FR2 line to the public. There were three characters: Dominique Makeda (3 versions), Dasha (3 versions), and Elise Jolie (2 versions). There were also three separate ensembles. Each was released in a limited edition of 300. The price of these dolls was $175 each - which was a lot for an individual doll at that time. The ensembles were $100 each.

In 2011, there was still a Mainline collection, NuFace collection, Monogram collection, Dynamite Girl collection, and Poppy Parker collection, so my dolly dollars were already spread pretty thin. Unfortunately, I decided to be conservative and ordered only two dolls and one ensemble. I chose wisely with the ensemble, selecting Only Natural.

For the dolls, I chose Impossibly Beautiful Dominique and Flawless Elise Jolie, who arrived with a different color head than her body. IT generously offered to send a replacement head. The replacement was a better color match but her bangs/fringe was cut wrong (apparently on all the replacement heads). In the long run, I just sold this doll to another collector because the whole situation soured my feelings about her. In hindsight, I should've just sucked it up and kept her since she is a very desirable version of the Elyse mold.

What I wish I had done was purchase the Engaging Elise Jolie instead because she is probably the best version of the Elyse mold ever and is currently my only "holy grail". The problem with this doll was her hat. I kept calling her Mrs. Napkin Head because the hat looked like a folded up restaurant dinner napkin. It took me a while to get there but now you understand the reference to the Jude Law character. That stupid hat was the only thing that kept me from choosing this doll. I've learned an important lesson to disregard accessories when making a purchase decision. (photo property of Integrity Toys/IT)

Back to 2016: You cannot imagine how thrilled I was when the W Club announced their last club doll of 2015 as J'Adore La Fete Elyse Jolie, a version with similar coloring to Engaging but with a Caucasian/White skin tone vs. the Japan skin tone of Engaging. This doll was presented in a gift set reminiscent of those beautiful boxed IT gift sets of the early days of the company for the same price as the dolls offered in 2011. (Photo from Integrity Toys)

I've been waiting for this girl to arrive. Imagine my surprise when, not one, but TWO were delivered to my door yesterday. (I have two memberships to help my odds in W Club lotteries. One of those memberships is in my husband's name and the messages come to his e-mail account. He ordered one for my birthday!) The following photos are of the actual production doll I received in the mail.

The gown is actually quite well made. It reminds me a little of Born to Gamble Kyori, but is more modern.

Here is a closeup of the face. She is probably the best doll I've gotten in many months.

A photo of the lingerie:

One of the suit - in hand, the suit is less bulky than it appears in photos. It is quite soft and nice.

I see a great deal of potential here for redress and the craftsmanship of the clothing is amazing. As impressed as I am with this gift set, I still believe Engaging Elise to be a better version and will continue my grail quest of her.

There has been a lot of collector buzz about the W Club Upgrade Dolls. They started arriving the last couple weeks and the reviews have been somewhat mixed.

The only upgrade I purchased this go around was Be Daring Imogen. I have owned every version of this mold and have sold all of them except one - Fame by Frame Imogen is my favorite doll from the Tropicalia Convention.

Be Daring Imogen is the first time Integrity Toys (IT) has used the Hungarian Skin Tone on a NuFace doll. It is one of my favorite skin tones. It has appeared on Dynamite Girls, Poppy Parker, and the Color Infusion lines.

Here is full length "in-box" photo:

And a closeup:

Some collectors seem to have gotten dolls with the eyeshadow way up in her eyebrows - I don't think mine is bad. I believe her eye screening is excellent!

My husband and I have been planning our retirement and move that we anticipate to happen in 2021. Most of my doll collection will have to be sold prior to that time, so I have to be extremely picky before adding a new doll to my collection. When I developed the photos from the "in-box" session, it was obvious this one was sticking around for a while!

Here is a photo of the accessories:

The accessories have a very "matchie-matchie" theme. There are skull earrings, a skull bracelet, and a skull ring that all match the skull on the belt. Separately, I think these will be used frequently. I really like the boots and it's easy for her to stand in them without assistance. Extra hands are always appreciated (especially in a rare skin tone) and I love the portfolio and cards! I think these are best sunglasses produced in 1:6 scale so far. Love the double bridge.

Let's see how she looks all dressed up!

I thought placing her card at her cleavage was cute!

The pink pantsuit is very different and not like anything I have in my collection. I'm not a big fan of the razor haircuts (Fame by Frame has one also), but her hair isn't too bad.

Be Daring Imogen arrives for the audition and the client immediately makes a connection with the skull jewelry. What lingerie should she wear … what would you expect?

She is hired immediately! Here is her first photo shoot out of stock clothing. (For me, the way a doll redresses is always the deciding the factor.)

Be Daring Imogen is definitely a keeper. I am loving this doll! Way to go Integrity Toys! After such a dolly drought, it's exciting to receive a doll this nice.

I try to be very careful about making decisions on a product change. The new eye decal process by Integrity Toys (IT) has been very controversial, but I waited until I had personal experience to make a judgement.

When the Fashion Royalty mainline collection was announced last month (the first mainline launch in over 12 months), I wasn't excited about what was presented; I wonder if the delayed reveal caused my apathy. I only pre-ordered three dolls.

One doll I was most interested in owning was Emerging Rebel Kyori Sato. I have purchased every version of Kyori Sato since the mold makeover, and I have sold almost all of them. It has been very difficult for me to bond with mold 2.0, so I decided to give Emerging Rebel a try (the hair color was refreshing and I loved the ensemble).

Emerging Rebel arrived last week and I took my time trying to bond with her. I am very particular about my dolls' faceups. I have sent several dolls off to a friend for professional tweaking, but have learned to do minor enhancements myself. I wear jeweler's glasses which makes the work easier.

Here is my experience with Emerging Rebel and the new eye decal process.

The doll's hair was partially inside the hairnet and partially out - which is a sloppy way to present a $140 collectible doll. Since the hair was tied by thread to the liner, I had to remove the tape and thread to just get the hair put in place.

When I put on my jeweler's glasses, I immediately realized the eyelash on the right eye was applied below the lid line. Normally, you can take a needle and coax the eyelash up enough to compensate for this.

ACK! When I tried this, it actually tore a small hole in the decal. The decal on my doll's eye was not flat or sealed. It was rubbery and almost like thin chewing gum. WTF!

The eye decals were not set evenly - the right eye had a small amount of white on the inside of the eye (close to the nose), whereas the left iris was all the way to the outside edge. There have been times, when you can use that trusty needle and carefully scratch a little of the paint off to expose white. When I tried this, it exposed the brown decal instead of white!

I wound up repainting the white on the right eye and painting black liner on the bottoms of both eyes to correct my mess. I used a matte sealer on the paint which actually helped the decal area considerably.

So, my photos are not 100% factory original. They have been tweaked by me in response to my dealing with these crazy decals - which I now believe to be from the devil himself.

Here is a full length photo in the box:

And here is a closeup:

The accessories throw off the dress because nothing really matches. I like the jewelry quite a bit though.

Here is Emerging Rebel outside the box, standing on her own.

Another closeup.

I don't think the dress works well with Emerging Rebel's coloring. I decided to try it on Elusive Creature Natalia. I think I like it better on Natalia.

So what should Emerging Rebel wear? How about a Dynamite Girl dress? I love this one on her. It softens her somewhat.

In summary:

After my horrifying experience, I do NOT like the eye decals! Fortunately, I was able to correct my mistakes.

I like the eyes now and love the hair color. The faceup and smaller eyes make her look more Asian. She is an attractive doll and brings a new element to my collection. I do not have another doll that looks similar.

I can't say I will never buy another doll with eye decals, but I will definitely leave the eyes alone if I do. The eye decals are not a "deal breaker"; however, they limit how much tweaking you can do on your own. Eye just don't get IT on this "improvement'.

As many of my followers know, Poppy Parker and I have had a difficult relationship. I actually purchased (I still have trouble writing "started collecting") Ms. Parker when she was first released. Many of my earlier Poppy Parkers have been sold, but she keeps sneaking her way into my heart ... I mean collection ... every now and again.

When the "Poppy Goes to Paris" line was premiered, my response was simply, "I don't need these. I really don't like the styling on these dolls. Anyway, I don't collect Poppy Parker." As I looked over the photos, I started realizing that two of these girls were going to live her whether I won the lottery to purchase them or not - Powder Puff and Miss Amour. I rationalized, "At least I didn't order from the retail line."

When this collection started showing up in the hands of collectors and "real life" photos started being posted, I did a double take. The doll that I had originally considered the weakest in this line was "Night at the Ballet". The fabric scale was wrong, the screening did not appeal to me, etc. Here is the promotion photo from Integrity Toys.

Well... the production doll is amazing. I think they softened her eyeshadow and it made such a dramatic improvement. I have to blame Rebecca Berry for this one (it's not the first time Rebecca has impacted my wallet). Her first flickr photos were amazing. I completely folded when I read her review Inside the Fashion Doll Studio - Night At The Ballet Review

I was able to order one at retail price because collectors had not realized yet exactly the sleeper this doll was to become. First, I love the packaging on this line. It is just so "girlie" - the little bow on top is the perfect finishing touch.

Here is a full length photo inside the box.

I do like the little accessory boxes they've started including with Poppy now. And here's a closeup of the face.

Here are the accessories. The shoes are "everything" - just look at the detail here.

This doll reminded me so much of Elizabeth Montgomery's character, Samantha Stephens, from the television series "Bewitched", which was my favorite show when I was a child. I used to make believe I was "Sam" in play.

Unfortunately, when I took my doll's hair out of the hairnet, there were several "pieces" that had pulled away from the rest and were folded under in the back. BAD quality control, BAD. I am not a hair stylist, but here is my attempt at correcting the mess in a full length photo.

The fur stole is a nice finishing touch.

I redressed this doll in an earlier Poppy Parker fashion, Sealed With A Kiss. I love her in this.

I really do love this doll very much. For someone who does not collect Poppy Parker, how did 26 of them find homes here? The latest addition, and one of my very favorite versions of this character, Night at the Ballet Poppy Parker, is breathtaking in real life.

I guess we all experience this emotion sometime.

The anniversary of the loss of my mother, which started me on the journey of this blog, is quickly approaching.
The weather is getting cooler and fall is settling in.
My little fuzz baby, Millie, has been diagnosed with heart problems. I have her on medicine and she is laying on the floor watching me type. She is 11 years old and has been with me since my divorce.
I didn't sign up for the IT convention this year, so I will be joining the fun like so many other collectors, through the lenses of our friends.
I have been so underwhelmed by Fashion Royalty this year, that I have been seriously rethinking the future of my collection.

When the upgrade dolls were released for the W Club, I was very uncertain about Take Me On Vanessa Perrin (photo from Integrity Toys). I even told a friend that something was bothering me about the eyes.

It turns out she was the first doll released with "decal"/"water slide" eyes. These are printed and applied. When magnified in photos, you can actually see the dots from the printing process. Sometimes when the head is heated or the hair washed, the decals have been reported to come off.

When the FR mainline was previewed a few weeks ago, I only ordered three of the six dolls and the upgrade doll. Three of the dolls had "water slide" eyes. Daytime Impact Dasha was an immediate fan favorite. (Photo from Integrity Toys)

Unfortunately, the IT disclaimer "Final productions may vary slightly" applied to this doll because her eye screening was completely different. Instead of having white on both sides of her irises, she had extreme side glancing eyes and the left eye was noticeably different from the right. I'm glad I did not order this doll, but I was a fan of the ensemble and picked it up secondary market for $60. I knew who was going to wear it, a personal favorite from last year, Evening Blossom Dominique Makeda.

It turns out that Dasha was immediately followed by another doll with "water slide" eyes, Fabulous Fields Lucia Z. (Photo by Integrity Toys)

Again, there are a lot of unhappy collectors because the eyes are off. It seems there are more problems caused by the water slide decals than solutions. Luchia Z, mold 2.0, is not a favorite of mine, so I passed on this doll also. I managed to get the dress and put it on the right model though, Rock Me Baby Rayna.

From the four dolls in this line that have water slide decals, I did purchase one, Emerging Rebel Kyori Sato. She had a minor eye problem, but I was able to use Cel Paint to correct it. Years ago, I read that the best paint to touch up vintage Barbies was the paint used by cartoon artists because the cels they worked on were vinyl. I purchased some at a college art store. It seemed to work fine, although I wouldn't recommend anyone trying to fix these problems on their own. Even with the decals, I think Emerging Rebel is my personal favorite use of mold 2.0.

Ruffles and Blooms Eugenia Frost-Perrin has started being received by collectors. Her head is pink and her body is Hungarian. Collectors are just happy the eyes look in the same direction. (Photo by Integrity Toys).

Eugenia is my favorite mold; however, I do not like the color or style of this dress. I already have several Eugenia dolls living here, and I didn't see how this dolls brought anything new or different to my collection.

Contrasting Proposition Natalia is here (the second doll I purchased from this collection), but I cannot even bring myself to debox her. There have been reports that her hair is coarse.

Somehow I feel like Integrity Toys has lost its way. There are just too many quality control issues. (And what's up with these eyebrows?) I am worried about Elise and Agnes (the two dolls left from this collection). I hope the collectors who go to the convention are treated to better, but I don't like feeling that I have to attend a convention to get my money's worth from dolls I used to enjoy collecting.

To get out of this funk, I decided to photograph some of the dolls and clothing that started me on this journey. First up is 2004's Glam Slam Kyori Sato wearing 2001-2002's Adele Suited Luxury. This was the second Kyori Sato I ever owned and still a personal favorite.

And here is my first Veronique, Sheer Goddess, also from 2004. She is wearing Silver Society from 2001-2002.

And, of course, I had to photograph the doll that cemented me into collecting Fashion Royalty, Poesie Sans Coleur Vanessa Perrin, wearing her own sheath.

I am very blessed to own examples of such quality. I hope the best awaits my friends in Chicago this week.

I recently learned that Electric Enthusiasm Dominique Makeda's body was a donor for many dolls including last year's Convention Kumi. I got on line and checked all of the Integrity dealers until I was able to locate one at original price.

When she came I was pleasantly surprised by the ensemble. Here she is NRFB.

And a closeup. Hmmm... she's actually got a lovely face-up.

She comes with a great purse and some "killer" boots. Here's a photo outside the box.

I decided to pose her with her two sisters that are currently residing here, Polarity Nadja and Voltage Erin. (I am still not bonding with Voltage)

I decided I might as well undress her and start up the heating pad. Ack! STAIN ALERT!

Fortunately, I purchased this doll directly from a dealer a few days ago and the warranty is still in place. I contacted Patient Care - waiting to hear back. With her clothes back on, she is a very pretty doll.

It would be easy for a collector to completely go crazy with this year's IT Convention Collection. This is one of the most cohesive collections in many years. The theme was "Supermodel, Larger Than Life On The Catwalk." Let's start with the Convention Collection. Each of the "mainline" dolls came with an extra Versace inspired dress. Here are the four of them:

There is Chameleon Vanessa Perrin (the consensus seems to be Linda Evangelista with long hair) wearing Chanel Haute Couture Fall/Winter 1990:

Next we have Fashionista Eugenia Frost (also Linda Evangelista with long hair) wearing the iconic safety pin Versace gown:

Cover Girl Veronique Perrin (looking like Cindy Crawford) takes a cue from sister Vanessa and is also wearing Chanel Haute Couture Fall/Winter 1990:

And Glamazon Adele Makeda (obviously Naomi Campbell) wearing Thiery Mugler Haute Couture Autumn Winter 1992:

Other dolls in the Convention Collection included:

Editorial Edge Lilith wearing Chanel Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2013:

Fashion Force Imogen wearing Chanel Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2015:

And the final doll of the Convention Collection was Model Living Poppy Parker (Jean Shrimpton):

The Convention Collection was advertised to attendees prior to arrival. In addition to the seven dolls in the Convention Collection, there were two "Sales Room Exclusives". The first is an homage to Madonna. Her name was Kiss You In Paris Isha. She was a mini-giftset that included black lingerie.

The second was a black Poppy Parker Just My Style Poppy Parker. This is the only the second time Poppy has been released in this skin tone. She is lovely!

I don't think a single doll is a reject. They are all very lovely and any collector would be lucky having them in their collection. Had I been at the convention, all nine of them would've come home with me.

My only complaint (albeit a small one) is that I expected the design team to be less literal in their interpretations of these dolls and ensembles. Being so literal, I wish they had included the thigh-high boots that came with the original designs.

As of this writing, I have not purchased one of these dolls. I am trying to practice self-restraint until after the feeding frenzy has died down. I haven't seen secondary market prices like these in a few years. It is a total feeding frenzy with collectors paying over double the markup on the original sales prices.

Even though no one has asked, here are my opinions:

1. As lovely as Chameleon Vanessa may be, I really don't need another platinum blonde Vanessa.

2. Fashionista Eugenia is a better screening of Overachiever. I believe she is the best of the Convention Collection considering the doll + ensemble. I wouldn't mind adding her to my collection in the future.

3. Cover Girl Veronique is lovely in that pale blue/yellow combination, but I can't get past that hair. She is my least favorite of the group.

4. Glamazon Adele reminds me of the better screenings of this mold - Goldstroke, Talking Drama, and Graphic Language. I already own all of these. The perfect doll for me would've been Adele wearing the safety pin dress. I may achieve that some day, but I can't afford the secondary market on these dolls right now.

5. Editorial Edge Lilith is interesting but I like Hard Metal better.

6. Fashion Force Imogen suffers from the fact that I just added one to my collection - the membership upgrade version.

7. Model Living Poppy is very tempting. I know attendees have been selling Spy A Go Go in lieu of this version.

8. Kiss You in Paris reminds me too much of Bewitching Hour.

9. Just My Style Poppy is adorable, but I still haven't taken The Midas Touch out yet.

For many years now, Integrity Toys has been giving a doll in the Welcome Package. Some years there have been "build-a-giftset" dolls and ensembles. I really like this concept because it's a lot of fun getting the little pieces and putting everything together.

When attendees picked up their registration materials this year, they were treated to a doll from the new line "The Industry". This doll is simply called The Industry Tulabelle. A pink shorts suit and funky fur outfit were given at other events to complete the giftset.

I really like the pants, but the doll's pink face-up is just too pink for me (and that's saying a lot).

Strangely enough, the welcome party included Poppy Parker dolls. The gift to attendees was Big Eyes Poppy Parker. As much as I adore this doll, I already have She's Not There who is similar. Both dolls remind me of Twiggy.

If your number was drawn you won the opportunity to purchase the centerpiece doll. She is Kicks Poppy Parker. I would love to find this one on secondary market at a price I could afford. She is one of my favorite dolls from the convention this year.

Usually Poppy Parker is reserved for the luncheon, but since a real super model, Veronica Webb, did a question and answer session at the luncheon, it was decided the dolls featured at the luncheon should reflect the super model theme. The gift doll was Shade Kyori Sato. (Dolce & Gahbana 2008) Poor Kyori Sato mold 2.0 is often produced in this similar screening - dark hair and red lips. This doll seems to be the easiest to purchase on secondary market.

The centerpiece was Legendary Natalia Fatale. This gown was based on a Versace Couture dress. This is the only mainline doll I have purchased from the convention. I had to have this doll and this gown. Natalia is hungarian skin tone. Even though the screening is similar to the retail doll, the skin tone, hair, and gown were must-haves for this collector. I LOVE this doll.

The sales bazaar is now a regular function for Friday nights. This eliminates one dinner and two doll opportunities. The W Club luncheon was Saturday and is a separate purchase for W Club members only. The gift was a Colette with a new mold 2.0. Her names was Checking In Colette. (Ensemble inspired by Azedinne Alaia's Tati collection - 1991) Many collectors loyal to the original mold have been resistant to this doll and it is also easily attainable on secondary market.

The centerpiece was Full Speed Erin - channeling Helena Christensen from the 1991 American Vogue "Wild Ones" photo shoot. (There was a 1:6 scale motorcycle that attendees were able to purchase if they were one of the lucky 40 numbers called.) This doll has been very popular with collectors.

The banquet centerpiece was Tweed Couture Dania Zarr. This time the fashion nod was to John Galliano's 1997-1998 Haute Couture collection for Dior. For some reason, I just don't care for this doll as it reminds me of the earlier Lana Turner dolls.

The Event doll was Diva Dasha based on Christian Lacroix's Haute Couture Spring/Summer 1995 collection. For some reason this doll hasn't been as popular as expected.

It turns out that Diva Dasha was supposed to be in the Convention Collection, but the Event doll didn't make it through production in time. Here is a photo of the five in their Versace dresses.

All attendees were given an opportunity to purchase Jason Wu's La Vie en Bleu Elyse Jolie from his very own collection.

Every attendee got four gift dolls. If your number was drawn you got the opportunity to purchase at least two of the centerpiece dolls. If you paid to attend the W Club luncheon, you got a fourth "gift" doll and the opportunity to purchase another centerpiece doll. All attendees got the additional perk of the opportunity to direct purchase Jason's doll.

The only doll that was a "must have" for me was Legendary Natalia. However, I will probably be tempted by Elyse Jolie and Kicks Poppy Parker will be joining my collection if I can ever find one at reasonable price.

All of these dolls are really quite extraordinary. Again, the collection was well-rounded and included quite a bit of diversity.

Many years ago, convention attendees participated in a program featuring Dynamite Girls where they got to put dolls and ensembles together. This was replaced at the Orlando Tropicalia Convention with the introduction of a new body type and line called Color Infusion. Attendees can buy basic nude dolls for a lower price than mainline dolls. Then there is a selection of clothing ensembles that can be purchased separately. Since its introduction, I have allowed myself to keep one doll each year. (NOTE: Color Infusion was originally introduced as a NuFace spinoff in 2011.)

This year's convention collection took Color Infusion to new heights. I am so glad that I do not collect male dolls. I would've been in serious trouble. Here is the 2016 lineup:

Callum Windsor wearing "What A Man":

Ace McFly wearing "Too Sexy"

Tobias Alsford (my personal favorite) wearing "Hypnotize":

Ollie Lawson wearing "Mr. Vain":

Declan Wake wearing "Strike It Up":

Preston Woods wearing "Come As You Are":

And the female characters this year were totally amazing.

Monroe Jillian wearing "Pure Love":

Laka O'Rion wearing "Poison":

Dree Hill wearing "Crazy Sexy Cool":

Jaeme Costas wearing "Teen Spirit":

Tilda Brisby wearing "All That She Wants":

And Blue Burkhart wearing "Give It Up":

These were phenomenal fashions with a lot of mix and match possibilities. There were nods to great fashion icons. Even the packaging was elevated this year. Here is a photo compared to previous packaging. Teen Spirit on the left.

All of these items are selling extremely well on secondary market. Many of the dolls are over $100 now as are some of the ensembles. I was fortunate enough to get my three favorite fashions: Teen Spirit (I have been waiting for a long sleeve denim blouse!!), Pure Love, and Crazy Sexy Cool (love those shoes!). For anyone wondering, many pieces of CI clothing will actually fit the FR2 and NuFace bodies. All of the shoes/boots are too big as the CI foot is larger.

I was unable to stick to my "allowed" one doll from this collection. I wound up with two: Jaeme Costas (who hasn't arrived yet) and Blue Burkhart. Here are a couple photos of Blue:

I am not usually a fan of big hair or even platinum hair, but I love this doll. Here she is wearing a suit from Hoang Anh Khoi (who has an etsy storefront).

This doll is phenomenal. I put her on a regular FR2 body and am truly enjoying her.

So, who was your favorite?

I thought I was showing exceptional self-control relative to the dolls from the Supermodel Convention. I was unable to attend and there have been some extra financial considerations recently with my fur baby, so I've limited the number of new dolls arriving here.

However ... (it seems there's always a "however", doesn't it?) the one doll from the convention that just kept haunting me was Glamazon Adele Makeda. The Adele mold 2.0 is one of my very favorite molds. When done correctly, it is exquisite. In my opinion, Integrity Toys provided collectors an excellent version with Glamazon.

There were only 350 of this doll created for the convention (the same number as the centerpiece dolls) which makes her quite elusive. Needless to say, she sold out first at the convention which eliminated the possibility of W Club members getting a lottery opportunity. Most collectors really like this doll, so she isn't showing up on secondary market that often; when she does, she is easily bringing double her original sales price.

I rationalized that, since I didn't attend the convention, I saved thousands of dollars in plane fare, hotel expenses, food, time away from home, and additional doll purchases. Surely, that justifies buying a doll at secondary market price, right?

This is Glamazon Adele Makeda in the box.

And here is a closeup:

Glamazon Adele Makeda comes with an additional Versace-inspired dress in purple, a pair of matching boots, her original shoes, necklace, earrings, bracelet, and an additional pair of hands.

Here she is out of the box (kudos to the designer who figured out that it was better to put the plastic knee protectors UNDER the hose):

The shoes are very cute and are the palest seashell pink (to match the dress). I think this is a new shoe design; at least I don't own a pair similar. The dress is not to my taste, but it is iconic fashion from the 1970's and is very well made. The additional dress was a nice touch, but it has a Velcro closure in the back. In an Integrity premium doll? Not sure about this.

And here is a lovely closeup. I do love this version of mold 2.0. (I didn't put her necklace on because I thought it competed with the neckline of the dress.)

I do not regret adding her to my collection. I think she is definitely going to be one of my favorite FR2 dolls to redress and look forward to the holidays when I can get some more playtime. Glamazon Adele Makeda is a beautiful doll and will probably maintain a high secondary market price.

Oh my! It's already December; where did 2016 go?? I was looking back through my blog archives and realized that my reviews started in 2010. Where has the time gone?

In preparation for the 2016 countdown, my winners from previous years thought it would be nice to take a little trip down memory lane. Since they heard the Supermodel Convention was "gown heavy", they decided to put on some finery.

Although there was no official "countdown of dolls" in 2010, I did blog that I had two favorite dolls from that year. The first was Smoke Screen Dania Zarr. She was a table centerpiece from the Integrity Toys 2010 Convention with an edition size of 150 dolls. Smoke Screen continues to be one of my all time favorite dolls.

And the second was Regal Estate Agnes von Weiss from the Australian Doll Convention.

Two dark haired beauties!

I remember doing my list for 2011 and thinking that it wasn't a great year for doll collecting.

Even from the 10 dolls on my list, there are only six still living here. Some were replaced by better examples (Point of Departure was sold in favor of Point of Departure Helper - with red hair).

My number 1 from 2011 is still a favorite of my Kyori 1.0 mold. She was No Reservations Kyori Sato from the Integrity Toys convention. Here she is borrowing Agne's Drama Behind the Drama gown.

I love her face up and hair; it is different from other versions of this mold. She has a classic elegance that I really appreciate.

I was asked in a comment about attending conventions. I am a public school teacher, so it is very difficult for me to attend a doll convention in October. In my last school district, we did standardized testing in October and teachers were not allowed to take personal time off during that time. In our state, teachers do not earn "vacation time". Teacher are allowed three personal days each year that are taken from their sick leave.

The only convention I ever attended was the 2012 Tropicalia Convention. (After I retire, I hope to attend more.) Several of those dolls made it into my "Best of" list that year. However, it was a NuFace exclusive that made it all the way to #1. Here is Glam Addict Giselle, wearing Dark Romance's gown, doing her best Angelina Jolie imitation.

Since it was 2012, I did a top 12 that year. Seven of those dolls still reside here, including the beautiful Glam Addict.

2013 was a VERY GOOD year for doll collecting. This was the year that Silkstones made a serious comeback - Boater Ensemble, Luncheon Ensemble, and Cocktail Dress Ensemble were all released. Although none of these dolls reside here, my girls are enjoying the clothing; they still represent some of my favorite ensembles presented by any doll manufacturer. This was also the year of the Herve Leger Barbie!

Poppy Parker had an amazing year. It was the first time I collected the "whole line" with At the 1965 International Fair. Surprisingly every single one of the Poppies from that group (all six of them!) still live here, as does Young Sophisticate who is one of my very favorite Poppy Parker dolls ever produced.

Victoire Roux established herself in the hearts of collectors, Integrity Toys showed its creativity with the "mix up" dolls of Funny Face, and Mattel released one of my favorite accessories ever, The Barbie Look Wardrobe, the only non-doll to ever make it into my "Best of" countdowns. (I own 12 of them; one for each color of clothing)

With all this diversity, my collection had a serious growing pain in 2013. In addition, my best doll buddy in the whole world, Reese, had a friend who wanted to attend the IT convention that year and needed someone to pay the convention fees. I would never had been able to afford the secondary market prices on the convention dolls that year. They still represent some of the best dolls in my collection! 2013 was the first year that I could not make up mind about the #1 spot. In the end, I just had to put both dolls there. To me, they represent Integrity Toys at its best. The face ups, hairstyles, and ensembles were all perfect. I've never redressed either of them. They have a special spot in my collection.

Here is Midnight Star Elyse Jolie.

And a Closeup.

We can't leave out After Tonight Eugenia Frost.

And a closeup.

This is the photo from the 2013 countdown that just solidifies my decision. So much glamour!

The theme of "diversity" from 2013 continued into 2014. My doll collecting was seriously branching out: Victoire Roux, Poppy Parker, Color Infusion, NuFace, and Fashion Royalty. Mattel had such a great showing in 2013 that I was disappointed in 2014 with no Barbie line dolls being represented.

It was in 2014 that I seriously started cutting out doll lines. I have sold almost all of my Dynamite Girls, Tulabelle, and all 16" Fashion dolls. I have favorite doll molds and it is very difficult to let go of many of them. It was in 2014 that I actually listed the top 5 dolls by character, with the best of each character being represented.

My Number 1 spot in 2014 was given to the character Elyse Jolie. The version chosen as best was as big a surprise to me as anyone else. When Montaigne Market Elyse Jolie was released (IN FRANCE) collectors were in a frenzy to acquire her. Her secondary market price NRFB is usually over $500. I had decided that she would not be joining my collection, when I found her being sold nude for less than a new doll. I snapped her and never looked back.

While my other dolls were wearing blacks and neutrals, Montaigne Market Elyse Jolie decided to make a statement. She is wearing a powder blue Mattel gown and boa. (It is called "Between Takes" and is often found on e-bay for about $30.)

And a closeup of a remarkably beautiful face deserving of #1 of 2014.

While looking through my "Best of" lists over the past six years, one thing became immediately apparent - if you collect Fashion Royalty dolls, you need to be a member of the W Club AND you need to attend the Integrity convention. It seems that the majority of my "Best of" dolls are acquired from these two sources. If you cannot attend the Integrity convention, you need to be prepared to spend some money on the secondary market.

2015 was definitely the year of the NuFace collection as it returned with a vengeance; four of the dolls on my "Best of" list were NuFace dolls. My favorite NuFace from last year came from the convention- Evening Blossom Dominique Makeda.

I have enjoyed redressing this doll so much! She was a very close second on my countdown and is worth another look.

My #1 doll on the 2015 countdown continues to be one of my very favorite dolls ever produced. She was a W Club Exclusive. She is Rare Appearance Dania Zarr.

There is a classic beauty to this doll that makes her timeless. She is wearing Natalia's Inner Spark gown with a black feather boa. She has always reminded me of Elizabeth Taylor.

It has become a tradition that I create a "Christmas Card" for my followers using one of my favorite dolls released in 2016. Sometimes, I have a great deal of difficulty choosing the doll to spotlight. Unfortunately, many collectors haven't been very impressed with the Integrity Toys' offerings to the general public. My choice this year is Be Daring Imogen. She is ringing in the season with her antique xylophone.

May your holiday season be blessed with joy, kindness, and love. May you find peace in all parts of your life and time to spend with those you care about.

It seems like forever that I waited for this one to show up. The minute I saw her in the mainline reveal, I just knew she would be a permanent resident here. She arrived last week, and I really do love her! She is Key Pieces Elyse Jolie. Here she is presented in the box:

And a closeup of that lovely face with the "barely there" makeup:

I've truly grown tired of black and white clothing, so I really welcomed the use of color. This was a "mini giftset"; however, I think it is better than the J'Adore La Fete Elyse Jolie I received earlier this year. A silly complaint is that I wish it had been received when there was warmer weather. To me, this is a "spring/summer" giftset with such lovely pastel colors while the J'Adore La Fete giftset is more winter-like and it was received this summer.

Integrity was very generous with the accessories - there are two pair of shoes, hose for the lingerie, and a very nice purse. She comes with an extra set of hands and a pair of sunglasses. The jewelry consists of earrings, a very nice style of necklace, bracelet, and ring.

I'm not sure how I feel about the hair - the "rolled piece that is tied" is cut shorter than the rest of her hair. It's sort of weird and doesn't make a lot of sense. Oddly, my doll's ears weren't pierced. I like the eyes. I didn't think I would care for the uneven hem design of the skirt, but I'm okay with it. She is standing on her own in this photo. The shoes are a cool design but are difficult to get on. (The earrings and bracelet were borrowed from Hot Dots Poppy Parker.)

Here is a closeup in the suit.

I am very impressed by this evening dress. It's so "frothy" it reminds me of one of those sugar desserts. I can't believe those seamstresses who can't sew a hemline (don't get me started) created this. It's amazing in its construction.

And another closeup.

My favorite part of the giftset is the lingerie. I love how feminine this looks. It reminds me of some of the earlier FR lingerie. (These are not the hose that came with the giftset. I wanted something more cream like the lingerie. I loved the little lace detail at the top!)

Closer ....

I think I really love this doll. She's quite special. As much as I love Key Pieces Elyse and the giftset clothing, I think the designers need to think about skin tone (complexion) when making fabric choices. I believe the peach/coral lingerie would look better on a different skin tone ... like maybe Nocturnal Glow Veronique ...

The little tweed jacket is going to work with so many ensembles. Blue Burkhart models it with Faded Desert Kyori's ensemble.

The real proof in a doll's stamina in my collection is how she redresses. Here is Key Pieces Elyse wearing Time and Again Adele's suit.

I don't think she'll be going anywhere ... What a gorgeous doll. Had I received her prior to the convention, I daresay I wouldn't have purchased so many dolls. This girl is just about as close to perfection as they come. I wonder where she'll land on my countdown!

Made To Move Barbie (Part III)

Fashionista Frankendolly

Finally … It's About Time

That's What I'm Talkin' Bout - A Review of Be Daring Imogen

"Eye Just Don't Get IT" - A Review of Emerging Rebel Kyori Sato

I Hate You, Poppy Parker

Melancholy

Looking For Some "Body"

Supermodel - The Convention Collection

Supermodel Convention - Event Dolls

Supermodel Convention - Color Infusion

Justification

2016 Countdown Preparation Part I - 2010

Countdown Preparation Part II - 2011

Countdown Preparation Part III - 2012

Countdown Preparation Part IV - 2013

Countdown Preparation Part V - 2014

Countdown Preparation Part VI - 2015

Happy Holidays - Merry Christmas

Key Pieces Elyse Jolie