Friday, September 30, 2011

Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa

Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa by alington
Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa, a photo by alington on Flickr.
While I'm on the topic of displays, I thought I'd give you an update on my Vanessa obsession. It's going... obsessively, I'd say. I need some better photos, but this one gives you a general idea.

Top row:
  • Pale Fire Vanessa
  • Photo Realism Veronique* 
  • Color Therapy
  • Shirred Not Shaken
  • Dress Code Vanessa in Most Desired Eugenia's fashion
  • In Bloom Vanessa
  • Aerodynamic
  • Obsidian Society
Front row:
  • Temptation
  • High Tide
  • Metal Maven (you don't know what happened to the other girl in this gown!)
  • Monaco Royale
  • Intoxicating Mix
  • True Royalty
  • Cruise Control
*She didn't want to sit with Poppy!

Display issues and fixes - vintage Barbie!

Vintage Barbie shelf by alington
Vintage Barbie shelf, a photo by alington on Flickr.
I thought I'd share a photo of my doll display today, featuring my vintage Barbies. I use the Billy bookcase system from IKEA.

A fellow doll collector, Mario, suggested I use more of the space of the shelf with a riser of some sort, and I think his suggestion was fantastic. (I have to confess, I want all their stands to match now.)

I had my dear hubby cut a few of the extra shelves in half lengthwise (to half the depth of the shelf), and then use extra pieces to make 4" blocks for the new shelf to stand on. They match perfectly, since you can use the outside of the shelf.

Of course, a spice rack or wood block would work, too. And you might consider draping it in fabric or covering it with decorative paper, or just paint for some pizazz.

Now, my vintage girls have much more elbow room. For the curious, here's who is in this display. In the top row:

  • 1965 blonde Swirl in #1660 Evening Gala
  • 1694 Miss Barbie in Red Flare #939 and Silken Flame #977
  • 1963 Fashion Queen in #987 Orange Blossom
  • 1963 Bubble Cut in #947 Bride's Dream
  • 1965 American Girl (blonde) in #1647 Golden Glamour
  • 1966 Lemon Color Magic in #1635 Fashion Editor
  • Walking Jamie (Sears exclusive)
  • 1963 Midge in #983 Enchanted Evening

In the front row:

  • #3 blond ponytail in #969 Suburban Shopper
  • #4 blond ponytail in #1646 Magnificence
  • #5 brunette ponytail in #1667 Benefit Performance
  • 1968 Talking Julia in #1649 Lunch on the Terrace
  • 1969 Marlo Flip TNT Barbie in #1456 Dreamy Blues
  • 1970 Standard Barbie Ash blonde in #3404 Glowin' Out
  • 1968 Talking PJ in her original outfit
  • 1968 Talking Barbie in #1864 Close Ups


Thursday, September 29, 2011

Items for sale at the DollPage Show & Sell site

If you aren't familiar with the DollPage, it's a great place to sale your dolls--for free!

I've started with my NRFB items, including some recent additions to my Steffie collection, due to a lack of space. I've also got a never-removed-from-box Monster High 5-doll set, which includes an exclusive Gloom Beach Ghoulia Yelps (in addition to Cleo, Draculaura, Clawdeen and Frankie) listed, as well as a Target exclusive Barbie Basic Model 03 from this year's Collection red.

For the eclectic collector in all of us, check out Birthday Party Barbie from 1998. She's also NRFB, and I swear, you won't find another doll like her. (In our house, we call her Blow Up Barbie.) She's kind of everything I love about dolls, all rolled into one.

But I realized recently that I don't really do well with NRFB items. And I'm in the process of rearranging my display space. I'll have more items listed later on. Thanks for looking!

Steffie of the day: Summit Barbie

Summit Barbie by alington
Summit Barbie, a photo by alington on Flickr.
From the 1990 Barbie Summit, this is one of the four souvenir dolls offered. They aren't really limited in number, as far as I know.

There were four versions created: a white version, african american, asian sculpt, and this lovely hispanic sculpt, which uses a lovely wide-eyed Steffie face.

Her hair is very 1990s, but her make-up fairly subdued. You can see more photos on Flickr.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Dolls to the Wall, Episode 3

Dolls to the Wall, Episode 3

Episode 3 is available now for your listening pleasure. Please check it out and leave me some feedback if you get a chance. Enjoy!


Lots of news this week from Tonner Doll Company and Wilde Imagination. Also, I've added some additional information about some Latidoll and Fairylandevents that are going on now. Plus, check out the new exclusive BJD from Cristy Stone at Denver Doll Emporium.
Other links referenced in this podcast:
Dreamcastle Dolls: FALL SAVINGS for 20% off in-stock Tonner and 10% off consignments or splits
Wilde Imagination: SMILE15 and SMILE15INT
October 1 Events:
Crossroads Teddy Bear Show - Dolls4All.com
Annual Southeastern Doll Show - dollsanddesigns.webs.com
Hello Dollie Club - Bobbie Clark diecastdolls@hotmail.com
UFDC Public Salesroom - www.granitestatedollclub.org
October 2 Events:
Suggested Link of the Day:
Thanks, and have a dolly worthy week!


Brand new art doll magazine = fabulous!


Enlarge this document in a new window
Publisher Software from YUDU

Be sure to check out this brand new online magazine, Much Ado. It's a fantastic collaborative work by a group of doll artists, filled with gorgeous dolls, photography, tips, discussions and projects. My two top articles so far are the photography tips article (it's so my style!) and the article about copying art dolls versus original art.

If you like the publication, be sure to

  • visit the sponsoring advertisers and 
  • give the magazine a five-star rating. You'll have to sign up for a free account to do this. But it's worth it!


Visit Yves's website, Freaky Little Dolls, as well, and subscribe.

Poppy Parker in vintage Francie

Here's another just-for-fun shot of Poppy Parker (Tears Go By), lounging by the pool in her vintage Francie fashion.

I know, the poor girl needs some anti-static. I'm getting there. I was just wandering around my home yesterday when it occurred to me, "This place looks like it belongs to a crazy person!" So my dolly priorities have been put on a temporary hold. (Like that's going to happen, ha, ha!)

More photos of Poppy on Flickr.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

An introduction to Amelia Thimble

Amelia Thimble in Sew Enchanting
Meet Amelia Thimble, introduced at the Tonner Convention, and now available for purchase. She's a high quality resin BJD (she's strung, resin, wigged, with changeable eyes and everything), and she's 4" (about 10.2 cm) tall.

This puts her right between Real Puki (9.5 cm) and Puki Puki (11 cm) size (in Fairyland terms) or close to a LaTi White basic size (9.8 cm), making her a truly tiny BJD. This means that BJD collectors may have additional clothing and accessories to choose from--assuming her body measures in the same realm as these dolls.

First, Amelia is available as a basic doll. $145 will get you the basic version, with a smiling face, a dress, bloomers, shoes, wig, and a face-up, of sorts. Unfortunately, I'm seeing pencil lines on the sculpt in the close-up photos, which is really too bad. (My complaint--check out her upper lip in the close-up photo.) However, I highly recommend face-ups by Leah Lilly of Froggy Duds and Beesou of Overnight Flight. They can fix up your BJD to be just perfect. Additionally, she doesn't have applied eyelashes, which even at 4" adds to any BJD.

The basic Amelia scheduled to ship on September 30. She appears to be an open edition.
Basic Amelia Thimble

Spend a little extra, and you can get the limited edition, Cute as a Button, for $160. She's limited to 300 dolls, and also includes an outfit. Still, the same issues appear with the face painting.

Several outfit sets are available, and they are darling. Sweet Notions is a set of three different outfits for $80, limited to 250 pieces. My favorite outfit set is Sew Enchanting, which includes a little doll for Amelia, also limited to 250 and $65 retail. The Sprinkled with Love Baking set would be a perfect gift for a friend and fellow blogger of mine, Kathie. It's just adorable, and includes the little accessories shown for just $45.

Amelia also has some pretty cool accessories:

Rags, Amelia's puppy, is $39, and includes her own pillow and food bowl.

A Carry-All bag costs $60, but won't ship till the end of October. It's super-cute, though, and looks like a purse.

Two furniture sets, Buttons & Bows, allows her to set up her own bedroom ($85) and dining area ($60).

Price comparison wise--she's a decent price, even if you paid an additional $50-80 for a face-up for her. Puki Puki, which are currently sold out, $197 for a nude basic doll. It's an additional $28 for a face-up from Fairyland. A full-set doll, which would include the outfit, eyes and wig, costs around $295, and usually requires a significant waiting period. If we look at the 11 cm size, Real Puki, we can see full-set dolls (with face-up, eyes, wigs, and outfits) also run around $295 and $188 for a basic.

Lati White runs about $145 for a doll without a wig or outfit, but including the doll and the face-up and eyes. Their waiting period can run from six weeks to six months.

Several things to consider, however: Amelia Thimble will almost certainly be off-topic on Den of Angels, as she will be an "American" sculpt. This shouldn't persuade you from buying a doll you like, by the way, nor should it discourage you from considering it a ball-jointed doll. If it's strung, made of resin, and has changeable eyes and wigs, it's technically a BJD.

Additionally, since Wilde Imagination is offering this BJD with a face-up, wig, eyes and outfit, and she's smiling and cute, this might be a great introductory doll for new ball-jointed doll collectors. She might be perfect--her joints look really nice, even if her face-up looks a little like Mini Mood. My fear, however, is that she might not be engineered properly. What if she's kicky, or her elastic is too thick or thin, and she won't stand on her own? What if her wig falls off? (If it does, check out my other blog, BJDs for Beginners.) I would hate to see this doll cloud new BJD owners view of BJDs forever.

I may end up buying one--she's a bargain after all--and sending her for a new face-up. If you spend a lot of money on resin, you want a high quality face-up after all. But even still--the price tag is really reasonable. Wilde Imagination is a reputable doll company, too: you wouldn't have to wait six months and send your money overseas, hoping that some one you've never heard of will make your doll by hand for you. This is a low-risk BJD investment. And really, quite affordable.

Maybe my friend Carolyn will buy one. I hope so!

Lots of great photos and more information about Amelia Thimble can be found in this story about her in the October 2011 issue of the Doll Reader. It's a PDF file, so give it some time to load.

Free shipping from Wilde Imagination

Languid
Use the promo code SMILE15 (and SMILE15INT for international customers) on orders of $75 or more to get free shipping (or save $9.95 off your shipping charges for international customers) at Wilde Imagination.

Be sure to check out the two new dolls available:

I just adore Languid, the exclusive Ellowyne from the Cleveland Doll Club. If anyone wants to do a split (me the outfit, you the doll), please let me know. She's a limited edition of 1000 (not too limited, I suppose) with painted green eyes, a fun chiffon dress, and gorgeous striped stockings. She retails for $145. (I swear, if she had acrylic eyes and dark hair, I'd take a Wilde leap!)

Also, Dark & Stormy Night Amber is available and a limited edition of 350 dolls. She's $160, and includes a black dress with (you'll never believe it!) biased ruffles. It's cute, though, and different from others I've seen this year, with the corset top and larger 80s reminiscent sleeves.

I think we've just mentioned this promo code, didn't we? I don't have an expiration date for it--sorry if I've already mentioned it, but Wilde Imagination just sent another email.


Also, photos are property of Wilde Imagination. 

Silkstone Grace Kelly gift set, The Romance, in stock at dealers!

You can out this chic gift set from Mattel on Barbiecollector.com: this Grace Kelly The Romance Silkstone gift set is available from your favorite Barbie dealer today (and coming October 4 from Barbiecollector.com as well).

Her suggested retail is $135, and she includes the variegated blonde Grace Kelly sculpt on a Silkstone body. She is dressed in a gorgeous black floral print dress with matching hair piece, white gloves and black slingback pumps. Additionally, she includes a second outfit--the classic black sheath, black trench, white hat, pearls, a scarf and a bouquet.

Joe's List has her listed for $164.99, and the Doll Attic has her listed for $159.99. Cherished Friends has her listed with an October delivery for $135.

Save 20% at Dreamcastle Dolls

Tomorrow at noon EDT you'll be able to see the latest of Tonner's exciting release... but in the meantime, check out the sale at Dreamcastle Dolls! Save 20% off any in-stock item (10% off any split or consignment item). Order the regular way and refer to coupon FALL SAVINGS.

This offer expires midnight on October 2, 2011.

If you're looking for anything special--Carol has Goodness and Gossamer Glinda (she's gorgeous!) and Dreams (Shauna sculpt) in her consignment corner, among a lot of other goodies!

Modern Doll Collector Convention exclusives from Tonner available now

MDCC (Modern Doll Collectors Convention) exclusives are available in limited quantities from TonnerDirect. These are great for fans of Tonner's Cami&Jon™ line. There is a new character, Frankie, who has been introduced.

Two dolls are available:
  • Party of the Year Andy - he is a limited doll of only 50, and retails for $159.99. He is a full dressed doll (Andy Mills sculpt with wigged hair on the 16" Matt body), brown eyes, a stand, and the fancy outfit shown, including his glasses, shoes and socks. He was a centerpiece doll from Tonner's event at MDCC.
  • Party of the Year Frankie - she's the new girl, and is the Fresh Face we saw from IDEX. (She's a miniature DeeAnna Denton.) She is on the 16" Antoinette body with rooted black hair and brown eyes, the cameo skin tone, and a cute ruffled dress (again, we see the bias-edged ruffles) in black, lamé and tulle. She has interesting clear shoes with black flower trim. She's limited to 125 and retails for $159.99.
All photos are property of Tonner Doll Company.


Party of the Year Andy, LE50 $159.99

Party of the Year Frankie, LE125 $159.99

Close-up of Andy's face.
Does anyone out there own this guy? He's pretty cute.

Close up of Frankie. She's lovely!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Auctions are closing tomorrow...

Noir #99 by alington
Noir #99, a photo by alington on Flickr.
Scoop up a few more bargains at the Fashion Doll Review's eBay store this weekend and support Your Favorite Blog.

Also, the fixed items are listed at 10% off this weekend only. Anyone looking for a much-loved Peak's Woods Yeru BJD? Mention you saw the BJD auction on the Fashion Doll Review, and I might throw in a book for you.

You can see more photos of the lovely Jacqueline Frost modeling Tonner's Noir #99 fashion (from the Theatre de la Mode collection) on Flickr. Currently, I have the fashion listed for sale (designed for the Antoinette body), and the current bid is just $75.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Wilde Imagination's official unveiling of Amelia Thimble

Photo property of Wilde Imagination
Mark your calendars and cell phone alarms for this Monday afternoon, September 26th, when Wilde Imagination will officially introduce on their website their newest line, Amelia Thimble.

Wilde Imagination gave us a sneak peak of this cute little 4" resin doll in June with an introductory giftset, but it will be interesting to see what else they have in store!

In the meantime, get a little background about Amelia and her designer, Joe Petrollese.

Steffie of the Day: Mrs. Heart

Heart Family Mom by alington
Heart Family Mom, a photo by alington on Flickr.
By Mattel, from 1984, it's the Heart Family Mom. She is never removed from her box, but the plastic has yellowed quite a bit, so it's a difficult to see her beautiful skin tone.

You can still see her bubblegum pink lips and gorgeous brown eyes (with blue eyeshadow), which was so popular back in the 1980s.

The back of the box states, "Um-m-m... the babies smell so good!" Were they scented? I don't remember!

More photos on Flickr.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Steffie of the Day: Quick Curl PJ Deluxe

Deluxe Quick Curl PJ by alington
Deluxe Quick Curl PJ, a photo by alington on Flickr.
A recent addition to my Steffie collection obsession: 1975 Quick Curl PJ Deluxe!

She is deboxed, but includes her original orange dress, white plastic pearl necklace, and crocheted shawl. She also still has the original string in her hair, which hold her curls in place.

You can see more photos on Flickr.

Mixing vintage & contemporary

Youthquake in Gold Rush by alington
Youthquake in Gold Rush, a photo by alington on Flickr.
I'm trying out some various fashions and realizing that getting to know vintage Francie may not be the cheapest alternative for Poppy Parker clothing. The fashions are really adorable, however--very mod and colorful.

This is Youthquake Poppy Parker (Integrity Toys) redressed in Gold Rush (#1222), a vintage Francie fashion. Poppy is a little wider in the hips than Francie, but with some styles, like this empire waist dress, she can carry it off.

Her accessories include glasses and a purse by Barbie, and jewelry from Paparazzi Bait Adele.

You can see more photos on Flickr.

Barbie Dream Sale

Save 25% off most items at BarbieCollector.com today--plus an additional 25% off the Special Offers Shelf items as well, including Barbie Basics (from this year!) for just $10 each--that's just $7.50 each! Click here for details. The next few days will also have sales and specials, too.

When I placed my order this morning, the 25% wasn't functioning in the shopping cart (which is where the discount should appear). So I placed the order anyway and emailed customer service. They will refund the 25% to my credit card, they already replied.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Dolls to the Wall, Episode 2

Dolls to the Wall, Episode 2

Check out our second podcast and get your dolly news on the go. I've listed a ton of news and sales about Barbie, Integrity Toys, Tonner Dolls, and ball-jointed dolls in under 15 minutes this week. I've included some events as well as a much-loved update on my Steffie obsession (I'm sure you just can't wait).

Thanks for listening--if you like it, feel free to leave me a comment or a rating! I love to hear from you!

Here are some links I reference in this week's podcast:

Barbie Dream Sale
Cherished Friends sale page
Fashion Doll Review eBay Store
IMPLdoll Event
JaksJewels new BJDs
Cheryl's Dolls Check, Please Francie dealer exclusive Silkstone
Francie BFC exclusive gift set, Nighty Brights™-- they've just added photos of the outfit, too!
Toki Doki Barbie from Susan's Dolls
Dreamcastle Splits and Consignment Corner

Events:
Teddy Bear Jubilee
Wisconsin Fired Arts Event
Ellowyne's Wilde about Paris - Pat Dutchman pdutchman@roadrunner.com

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

A fashion show for models both human and vinyl

Danielle, wearing a butterfly print tank and black lace shorts.
Here - long overdue - are the photos of my designs in a fashion show at the Annual Strawberry Festival in Vista, California back at the beginning of the summer.

Each model carried a Barbie wearing an outfit inspired by their own. Although I don't think any of these models had ever been asked to carry a Barbie with them down the runway, they really seemed to enjoy it; some even posed their Barbie, or made her wave to the crowd!

A few of the Barbie outfits are still available for sale at my Etsy shop, and some of the clothing the models are pictured in will be posted for sale soon, as well.

Thank you to all of "the girls" - you were fantastic models!

Free shipping code for Wilde Imagination

Olive Drab, Photo Property of Wilde Imagination
Enter the promo code SMILE15 when checking out at Wilde Imagination to received free shipping on orders of $75 or more, now through October 8th at midnight (EST).

(International customers, enter promo code SMILE15INT instead to save $9.95 on your orders of $75 or more.)


While you're at Wilde Imagination, check out Ellowyne's new "Olive Drab" outfit and the new "Dandy of Death" Evangeline dressed doll.



Dandy of Death, Photo Property of Wilde Imagination

New Dolls of the World Barbies for Fall 2011

Four new Dolls of the World have been announced and are available for pre-order from your favorite Barbie dealers. They are scheduled to ship in December 2011, but aren't guaranteed for Christmas. They are part of the new Passport collection, and include a plastic animal pet. MSRP is $24.99, I believe.

  • Australia: wearing an olive green short-sleeved blouse with puffed sleeves, a cream skirt and dark brown boots. She's blonde, has a cowboy style hat and a koala.
  • China is dressed in a printed red long gown, black pumps and includes a panda. Her dark hair is in a partial updo.
  • Argentina has a cat, and she's dressed in a short lift blue tango style dress with black fringe and a lace shawl. Her blond hair is trimmed with a rose.
  • Ireland has red hair, of course, and is dressed in a traditional green, white and gold dress, and has an Irish setter puppy.
For photos, check out Angelic Dreamz and Joe's List.

New items for sale at The Fashion Doll Review on Ebay plus 10% off sale

Disco Nikki, deboxed and restyled
Check out the Fashion Doll Review eBay sale... and out 10% off sale, which closes on Sunday.

Thanks for looking, and thanks for your support!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

One day left for auctions on my eBay store!

Don't forget to check out the auctions (some are closing Sunday!) to pick up some great deals for Tonner Dolls, Barbie and Integrity Toys. My home is non-smoking but cat friendly. I have my items displayed behind glass, but cat hair has a tendency to travel.

For Tonner collectors:
For other 16" dolls:
For the Barbie Collector:
For the vintage collector:
For Integrity Fans:
  • 2009 Mint Mod Misaki, complete, near mint, display FR Nippon doll. Includes original outfit. $101.99
For BJD collectors:

  • Mandarava slim MSD, by Angell Studios. She is gorgeous, and includes face-up, eyes, outfit, wig, and boots. See description for details. $375 OBO.
  • Peak's Woods Yeru, includes face-up, eyes, your choice of wig, and dress. She is a full size SD (Fairy of Color) and stands alone at 58cm tall. She is gorgeous. $525 OBO.
Thanks for looking!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Monaco Royale Vanessa Perrin

Monaco Royale Vanessa by alington
Monaco Royale Vanessa, a photo by alington on Flickr.
The W Club exclusive Vanessa doll from 2011 has finally arrived! She's an exclusive and limited edition of 810 dolls. Every member was given a chance to purchase this doll for $135.

Monaco Royale uses the revamped "Fauxnessa" sculpt. I think she's gorgeous, but would have to agree with a lot of collectors that she doesn't look a whole lot like the old Vanessa. I think Integrity did start with her old sculpt, however--You can still see her squared jaw. She reminds me some of Vero, and a lot of Anja, too. And she's had some collagen injections in her lips so she can look a little more like Poppy. (I love those lips!)

First, two pet peeves of the doll: The necklace was hard to fasten (it took me forever!), and the hairline looks a little off balance to me.

Those two things aside, I think she is gorgeous. I love the brunette updo, her lavender and peachy facial screening. My doll's lashes are perfect.

The gown is really elegant. The wrapped skirt is super soft and falls just right. The top is meticulously sequined and beaded over lace, and I don't have a single loose sequin out of place. It zips in the back and fits perfectly. I love the gold belt accessory.

Her jewelry is really nice--earrings, very nice necklace with a tiny clasp, nice big earrings (without being out of scale) and three gold bangles. Plus, she includes a cosmopolitan. To me, Vanessa has always seemed more like a a gin and tonic kind of girl.

Her shoes are gold buckled sandals, which slid right onto her foot, no unbuckling needed. Wow.

Anyway, I'm pleased with her.

Check out more photos of her on Flickr!


Thursday, September 15, 2011

Steffie of the Day: Dream Date PJ - redressed

Dream Date in Perfume Pretty by alington
Dream Date in Perfume Pretty, a photo by alington on Flickr.
I was able to pick up a bargain bin Dream Date PJ from Kathie's Fashion Dolls last week for $1. This is her after her first bath. She still has some marks in her hair from the original rubber bands, I believe.

She's currently dressed in Perfume Pretty Whitney's outfit. I think her soft lips are just gorgeous.

See more photos on Flickr!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

NEW! The Podcast!

All righty then! We've officially made it into the next century with the Fashion Doll Review's first podcast. (And yes, if you've purchased something from my eBay store, I also managed to catch up on all my shipping today as well.)

Anyway, you can have the wonderful ability to hear me say "um" a million times and do a recap of our very first podcast. It was ridiculously fun, I have to admit. I plan to do a weekly one, I hope, but I may not have the ability to store each one, so listen while you can.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. But if your comment is, "You sound like you're in Kindergarten," I really don't want to hear it.

Review of Tonner's Chrys

When it was announced that the terrific Cherished Friends had two new exclusive Tonner dolls on the way, I kept telling myself, “They have had some incredible Tonner exclusives in the past. But you need a bigger house, so you can actually shelter yourself, your brother, and your collection.”

Robert Tonner, however, craftily chose a sculpt that he must have known I would be unable to resist, and issued her in Antoinette scale. The sculpt chosen was Stella, and I am as addicted to Stella as I am to Angelina. I would have bought this girl the moment she came out, but I was up to my eyeballs with layaways at the time.

I will spare you the whining about how one of the other members of my doll club has tormented me on a monthly basis by bringing her Chrys dolls with her to meetings. Needless to say, Mr. Tonner, as well as Cherished Friends had an ally. Alison’s post about the Cherished Friends sale, here on FDR, tipped me over the edge.

Chrys, a Cherished Friends exclusive, photo property of the Robert Tonner Doll Company
Chrys is issued in what I am calling “Antoinette Scale” even though at sixteen inches, or forty five centimeters, she is the same height as the Tyler Wentworth scale fashion dolls produced by Tonner. Her body is a different sculpt however, which seems to have collectors divided into “love it” or “hate it” camps.

The “love it” collectors note that her body is more sculpted than Tyler’s, with more emphasis on a long, lanky profile comparable to modern supermodels. Her body is more sculpted, and she has a smaller breastplate than Tyler scale dolls. She also has hands that are more outspread, which “love it” collectors say make her more expressive.

The “hate it” collectors, alas, complain the Antoinette body is too skinny. They do have some valid points, in that the hand positions do make it harder to dress her, and that they have to buy clothing to fit yet another scale, rather than being able to mix and match existing outfits produced for Tyler and friends.

I am one of the rare “in between” collectors, because I am of the opinion that while there are different people in the world, of all sorts of different body shapes and sizes, I would like this reflected in my collection as well. Antoinette, and by extension, Chrys, has a figure which I see as a young girl beginning to blossom into the woman she will become.


Face sculpt – as mentioned above, Chrys utilizes the Stella sculpt, which has been sized to be proportionate to the Antoinette body. One of the beauties of Tonner dolls, is how each face is unique, and the doll’s expression and attitude is completely up to the collector. Some see this sculpt as pouty, others snooty, and still others, sad or thoughtful. After years of collecting dolls that could only be categorized as vapid, this is quite refreshing.


Body sculpt – again, this is a more detailed sculpt on the body. The hips are somewhat wider but flatter than the regular Tyler body. The abdomen has a more realistic look to it, including the protruding hipbones that have their fans and detractors. Missing, however, is the waist joint, which would allow her to turn in different poses, but this is so the shape is not lost with the movement of the torso.. Her hands are more outspread, with separated fingers, and they are quite expressive.

Coloring – Chrys was issued in two different hair colors, blonde and brunette. Alas, I am not familiar with the names of the various shades of blonde and brunette, so those are the names I will use. Tonner recently began to name the different skin tones, which is helpful for those who like to Frankendolly; that is, take the head from one doll, and put it on the body of another. Both issues of Chrys are in Cameo, which is a very pale Caucasian skintone. I have the brunette issue, which has lovely, pale gray green eyes, and restrained, smoky eye makeup. Her lips are a very pretty red.


Poseability – since I am more used to the posing possibilities of the regular Tyler scale line, I am still trying things out with Chrys, but there are poses this girl can take, that Tyler and friends cannot. One of the main pluses with this sculpt is that she has the rotational knee joints that allow her lower legs to move side to side, as well as bent and straight. Though she lacks the waist joint that allows her to turn, Chrys does have a breastplate joint that allows for expressive motion, in addition to the famous “Tyler shrug” of the regular line fashion dolls. This joint can not only move side to side, to allow the doll to appear as if she were shrugging, but also back and forth, to allow different posing options. I also find the head is more maneuverable on her neck, at least with Chrys, giving her more options for head tilts that can convey any number of moods the collector might wish. She does have an ankle joint, which allows for very little movement. However, there are collectors more skilled than I am at posing, and they can really make this joint work for them.


Clothing – Chrys comes wearing a cute two piece outfit of  halter top and somewhat low cut bottoms (the better to show off her taut little tummy and beautifully sculpted hipbones!) in a pale orchid, though to me, in the promo pictures, looks more like pink. High heeled sandals are included, which, while they look like regular faux leather in the promos, are actually metallic.

About the only complaints I have are the hair, which, while a lovely shade of brown, is crimped. I dislike crimped hair, because it is impossible to brush out to tame any stray hairs for photography. I also don’t care for the styling products used to secure the style. I know, I know, it is necessary to keep the hair in presentable condition for sale, but I just don’t like the feel of whatever it is used for styling. Washing and brushing crimped hair just makes it go poof! and turn into really, really big hair.


My other complaint is the shoes, but that’s not necessarily a flaw with the doll or her accessories. The sandals, which I am sure many of my shoe loving friends consider “cute” will probably be traded. The shoes are secured via an ankle strap with a functioning buckle. Mr. Tonner, please, have mercy on those of us cursed with ten thumbs! I took one look at those lovely shoes and said, “Never gonna happen. You will get regular slip ons and like them, girl!”

All in all, though, Chrys is a welcome addition to my collection. I definitely feel I got my money’s worth with this beautiful girl, and I hope to see more issues of Chrys in the future, as well as issues of other sculpts in Antoinette scale. Would I be pushing my luck if I put in a request for Angelina? Make her a raven with sapphire blue eyes and you will have a sale, guaranteed, at least, with me, Mr. Tonner!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Aqua Bella Jett

Well the newest Dynamite Girls collection called "CheckMates" is shipping right now and today I got Aqua Bella Jett.  I'm totally thrilled with this doll!  She's got a gorgeous sweet face and a load of luscious brown hair.  I was quick to redress her and she looks just fabulous.  


Her original outfit was a green checked bathing suit, little sandals (plastic), straw sun hat with flowers, sunglasses, silver metal hoop earrings, silver chain bracelet plus a white metal bracelet.  





Lukia Margarita


Well, it looks like Dollmore has released 3 more versions in the Lukia line.  These are called Lukia Margarita.  I absolutely adore the black version!  These are basically like BJD versions of Pullips with gorgeous faceups & eyes.  You can order from their website HERE.  Each one is running $385 and includes outfit, wig & eyes.


**Photos are property of Dollmore**




Save 20% off and get free shipping from TonnerDirect!

Bold Antoinette LE 150 dressed doll
Save 20% off sitewide at TonnerDirect, beginning today at noon EDT through Friday, September 16 at midnight when you use the promo code FALL2011. This promo code is good for continental US orders only. Other customers, please check the Tonner newsletter here for details.

There are a few exclusions, which are listed on this page. Unfortunately, the exclusions include the recently released items, the convention Sydney, and the UFDC Jon & Andy, among other items.

Photo property of Tonner Doll Company.

Monster High - Check out Lagoona Blue at Mattel.com

Check out Lagoona Blue at Mattel.com. They have the following dolls in stock:

  • Classroom Lagoona Blue™--so adorable! $19.99
  • Monster High Lagoona Blue, wearing jellies, and she's got one of those jelly totes from the 80s, too (the new version from 2011, $16.99, and I haven't seen at our local Target's yet)!
  • OMG--Dawn of the Dance™ Lagoona--you're going to die! $16.99
I want to do some serious shopping, but I have to restrain myself. There are some other new Dawn of the Dance dolls, too, including Ghoulia and Deuce, as well. Check out the link here.

If you haven't signed up for Mattel's email list, you can save 10% on your first order.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Lady Emerald

Lady Emerald by alington
Lady Emerald, a photo by alington on Flickr.
Finally, a post with a real life Tonner Doll in it! This is Lady Emerald, a rarely seen Tonner Doll from Wizard of Oz collection of 2009. She is a limited edition of 150, and she was a fun raffle win at IFDC.

Her promotional photo was a little spooky, I thought, but she's a gorgeous brunette Ozmopolitan sculpt in person. She has long, thick brown hair, very full, in a hair-wrapped ponytail.

Her outfit, like all of the Oz collection, is fantastically finished. She wears a satin long-sleeved gown with sequin detailing on the sleeves. The pleated chiffon cape is topped with a white collar with iridescent piping trim at the top. The head covering reminds me of something from the middle ages--it's stuffed on top, and the green matches the piping on the cape. There is a hole in the back for her ponytail, too.

She has cute emerald green round toed pumps, and includes a yellow brick road stand.

Check out more photos of her on Flickr--including Lady Emerald without the head covering, so you can see her gorgeous eyelashes!

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Auction listings closing soon!

Please check out the auctions I have listed at The Fashion Doll Review eBay store which are closing today. I'll be listing a few more auctions that start today and end next Sunday as well.

Know that your support goes toward running this blog and keeping my marriage stable. ;)

Thanks again for your readership--hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Saturday, September 10, 2011

More on Steffie...

Miss Sapphire, Birthstone Beauty collection.
Update on September 10, 2011.


Another update to the Steffie list. I was able to look upon an actual Kissing Christie doll from 1978 yesterday. I don't think she's a modified Steffie sculpt. I believe she is a modified Mod Barbie sculpt. Her face is a little narrow for Steffie.

Does anyone who reads this blog have an opinion about this doll? I'd love to hear your opinion.


3/10/11
UPDATE ONLY.

Just a little more info on the Steffie sculpt. I thought I'd start working on a complete list of Steffie sculpts here, perhaps by year, and ask all my dear readers to help me add some sculpts I am missing.

Vanessa, Vanessa, Vanessa

Vanessa progression by alington
Vanessa progression, a photo by alington on Flickr.
I thought I'd post a little photo of Shirred Not Shaken Vanessa today. She was a convention centerpiece doll from The Heist convention in 2008. She was a limited edition of 160 dolls.

Her hair reminds me a lot of the new Close-Up doll, Dress Code. Her facial screening is quite bright--very blue. Her black gown is lovely--shirred sides, beaded straps and an open back. The skirt even has pockets. She includes silver jewelry.

I know, I know. I need to take the dolls out of my cabinet to do a full photo shoot. ;)

Friday, September 9, 2011

Steffie of the day: Yellowstone Kelley!

1974 Yellowstone Kelley by alington
1974 Yellowstone Kelley, a photo by alington on Flickr.
From 1974, this is Yellowstone Kelley, or a very good OOAK doll that looks like Yellowstone Kelley. I picked her up in one of Kathie's bargain bins.

Just a note--if you live anywhere around Southern California--I've seen some of Kathie's inventory recently, and I didn't clean out all her stuff. She will be at Barbara Peterson's show on September 18. She has a huge variety of items and really, the best vintage you can find, in addition to a ton of mod and 1980s stuff (including lots of Rockers items).

Anyway--Can I just mention how lovely this doll is? She is wonderful. I'm in LOVE.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Save $13 off any order of $75 or more from Wilde Imagination

Use the promo code THL when you check out at Wilde Imagination, and save $13 off any order of $75 or more. This offer expires on September 18 at midnight (EST), and can't be combined with any other offer.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

More Steffies for sale

This would be the perfect time to pick up a few Steffies on your wish list... if you don't mind deboxed and displayed Barbies, that is.

The opening bids start at just $9.99 each, and the auctions close on Sunday. Here are the dolls I have listed:

Thanks so much for looking, and for your support as well!

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