Budgeting continued...

Evermore Vanessa, FR2

So, you know that painful budgeting thing I mentioned in the podcast earlier today? Well, here goes wave one.

Check it out on eBay, if you're on the upside of your budget. I've got some recent arrivals, and a few grails up there, as well as some vintage items. I'm sure I'll be listing some more items as the day continues.

You'll be supporting a (very) good cause.

A few items to tempt you, aside from the lovely Vanessa...

Pink Splendor Barbie from 1996
Billions of Dreams Barbie from 1997
Talking Stacey from 1968 (and yes, she talks!)
Shock Bon Bon Vanessa Perrin NRFB

And lots more, including another round of my Steffie-faced girls!

Thanks for looking, and as always, thanks for your support!

Dolls to the Wall - a new podcast on budgeting

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Finally, a new Dolls to the Wall podcast is available. My kids have been on fall break the past week and this one, to explain the delay.

This week's podcast is a themed podcast on budgeting. ("What? Are you crazy? What do you know about budgets?") Well, I'm hoping to learn from my mistakes this time. For real.

Enjoy!

Special status of dolly dollars.

Can someone please tell me what's up with dolly dollars? They seem to have magical qualities within my regular house budget. Let me share their "magical" traits with you:

• If there are any dolly dollars in my Paypal account, they seem to magically disappear almost as soon as they arrive--regardless of their intended destination. 
• They seem to frequently be pre-spent a month or two ahead of time. I might as well call "pre-ordering" "pre-spending."
• If I bring any cash to a doll show, it seems imperative that I leave with no bills in my wallet. Hopefully I won't have to pay for parking on my way out!
• Even when I sell dolls to pay for others--I rotate my collection pretty frequently--those dollars seem to be spent even before I get a chance to think about how to spend them!
• I have a doll budget, with planned pre-orders and my doll "allowance" per month, and what my estimated costs will be, planned out for the entire year. Even this doesn't seem to help me.
• When I pre-order dolls, I try to treat them as lay-aways, and set aside or pay them off early when possible. This year hasn't been a great success, however, thanks to a giant Peak's Woods order I placed. 
• I have a list of BJDs, sorted by priority and the maximum I want to pay, and I won't buy a BJD that isn't on that list first. Well, unless I find a really good deal. (That's my problem, I suppose!)

It's simply ridiculous. I'm a grown woman. I can budget for household expenses. I can budget my four children and make sure they get their allowance each week. I can feed us. We make plenty of money--especially compared to the rest of the world.

And here I am, complaining about a doll budget? It's just silly. (It occurs to me here that perhaps it isn't the dolly dollars themselves that have the problem... perhaps it might have something to do with me.) 

(... moment of reflection...)

Oh, no. Of course not! That would be too easy! ;)

Love Letter to a Doll Company

Special post by Milady Blue

I am sure that with every single new release announced by various doll companies, they are besieged with emails, not only from excited collectors counting down the days until the dolls are actually available; but also from those disappointed collectors telling the company everything they are doing wrong. You can’t please all of the people, all of the time, and in the doll collecting world, this, sadly, holds true.

However, with the recent Toy Fair release, I just wanted to take this opportunity to write a “love letter” such as it were, to my favorite doll company, to let them know how much I appreciate the efforts they have been putting forth in the years since I started collecting their dolls.

Dear Mr. Tonner, President of Tonner Doll Company,

I have officially been a collector of your dolls since I first received a Signature Style Tyler Wentworth on September 5, 2007. This should show you how much of an impression your dolls have made on me, since I keep track of the very day I received each and every Tonner doll I have in my collection.

I have been a doll collector for a very long time – in fact, the first fashion doll I ever received was Christmas, 1972. I was six years old at the time, and I was just thrilled. I was an only child, and finally, here was someone who would always be there for me as a playmate. No worrying about someone moving out of state, or going to another school, or deciding, for whatever reason, that they didn’t like me anymore. This was a friend who was here to stay!

In spite of my father’s best efforts, however, I was not a typical girl – "ladylike" has never described me, but I was not truly a tomboy, either. I never liked the lacy, frilly pink dresses most of my dolls came wearing – I like “practical clothing.” Instead of playing house, where I was the mommy, and the dolls were my children, I was always taking my dolls on adventures with me. Whether we were war heroines, pirates, quest knights or whatever – the point was, we didn’t dress up in “typical” girl clothing, because running from the baddies in the forest in a nice dress was impractical; not to mention, it was hard to hide in a bright pink dress.

You might find it amusing, Mr. Tonner, if you knew that at one point, I wanted to be a fashion designer myself, thanks to my dolls. I did not like the outfits they came in, so I would strip them, and dress them in scraps taken from my mother’s sewing projects. In retrospect, the poor things probably looked pretty silly, but I did grow up in the 1970s, and there were some mighty odd designs that were making it to red carpet premieres; Cher is one of the main culprits. To me, it looked pretty easy. After all, Gloria Vanderbilt was selling “designer jeans” for fifty dollars and more a pop, which looked, for all the world, to be a pair of regular pants with Ms. Vanderbilt’s autograph embroidered on the back pocket.

How hard could it be, I thought, if all you had to do was buy some regular jeans, cut off the tag, and then put your autograph across someone’s butt?

Alas, however, you do not have to fear a rival, because I found out that designing is real work – a designer has to go through a lot of training, and be able to anticipate or even create and start trends. I am the type of girl who, if it is comfortable, I’ll wear it.

High school was better described as “high anxiety” due to my ongoing interest in acquiring more dolls for my collection, despite this being “not cool.” Again, I was not typical, since I started forming an ornery streak wherein I really didn’t care what people thought of me. I did not choose to flaunt this by bringing my dolls to school.

No sense risking my beauties to the barbarians!

The realities of adulthood, so far, have been a real bore. All the responsibility – what IS all this grownup stuff, for crying out loud? –working eight hours a day, mortgages, credit ratings, insurance premiums… sheesh!

But my main escape, as always, has been dolls.

I did go through a pretty long dry spell, and did not buy any dolls for a long time. I did not know it took so long, back in the days of yore, to create new sculpts, and I was getting pretty tired of nothing but the same doll, with the same hair – blonde – and always wearing the same color – pink. I started investigating the few other companies that put out fashion dolls, but most were bought out by larger companies, or went out of business.

I actually discovered Tonner dolls while I was first getting online back in the late 1990s. However, I was hesitant because of the prices. “Sure, that doll is gorgeous, but forty dollars is insane!”

Ah, the bygone days when that seemed like a lot of money for the next great thing in my collection! Now, thanks to savvy online retailers with generous layaway plans, I don’t even blink at the thought of spending one hundred and fifty dollars, plus shipping and handling, for one of your dolls.

Since September 7, 2005, Mr. Tonner, nearly one hundred of those dolls have come from your company.

My main ambition, if I can ever get over whatever it is that is causing writer’s block, is to become a science fiction/fantasy author. Do you know that many of your dolls fit the bill, to sheerest perfection, for many of the characters I have imagined? The brave, handsome hero, the beautiful, plucky heroine, the hilarious comic relief, and even, sometimes, the dastardly villain… should I ever actually get myself published, your name will appear in the acknowledgements, and I will send you an autographed copy.

I should also thank you for, in addition to your lovely, lovely dolls, the wonderful people I now know because of them. I have been fortunate to meet some of the most incredibly talented, intelligent, kind, funny and generous people online discussing all things dolls, through such sources as Prego, MEF Forum, and the Cheery About Agnes Dreary Yahoo! discussion list. Then, too, is the wonderful staff you have working for you at Tonner Dolls. Tom, Shauna, Jennifer, Dr. Noreen and Dr. Irma – all top notch, great folks. I sincerely hope I have not driven any of them crazy with some of the rambling emails I have sent from time to time.

I know you are in the planning stages for your next dolls, designing their looks – outfit, hair, style, makeup and so forth – and that you have probably heard no end of complaints about what you are doing “wrong” with your dolls.

But I thought you might find it refreshing to have someone tell you that you are doing a great job, and that they really, really appreciate the hard work and talent you have put into your wonderful dolls.

Thank you, Mr. Tonner!

Sincerely,

Milady Blue

Sticking to your budget during IDEX and Toyfair new releases...

While downloading my bank’s activity this morning, a transaction from my regular doll dealer appeared. Quicken helpfully asked, “Would you like to make this a recurring transaction?”

Hell no! And please don’t make this suggestion to my husband next time he’s reconciling our checking account!

It’s that time of year again--newly released dolls at IDEX and Toyfair always tempt me. Consider these dos and don’ts when adding to your collection:

Do: 

• Make wish lists and budget accordingly. Planning for anticipated arrivals is an exciting part of collecting. 
• Take advantage of doll dealers' layaway plans, especially on pre-orders. 
• Shop for previous years’ dolls, also--you may find them for a great sale price! 
• Consider splits (just the doll or outfit), or new wigs or face-ups for dolls you already have in your collection, if your budget is limited. 
• Enjoy the dolls you have! Rotate the dolls in your collection. If you redress your dolls or restyle hair, now is the perfect time. Take photos and play with your current collection. Upload then to Flickr or another website, and post your link here. I'd love to see your collection!

Don’t: 

• Spend too much time at photo sites like Flickr, or photo-heavy forums like Prego. These sites are the worst enablers of all! Seeing real-life photos of my dream dolls is the death of my budget. 
• Feel like you have to add an entire line of dolls to your collection all at once. Go slowly and carefully, considering how each will fit with your theme. 
• Be rash in adding many dolls to your collection at once. I’m a sucker for pretty faces or good deals. Often saving for the one more expensive doll you really love is a wiser choice than five dolls you only sort of like.

That being said, I did see and get to play with a Miss Revlon doll (Tonner's new 13" size) at a doll meet this month. Needless to say, I now own one. It's so much easier to give advice than to follow it! 

How not to negotiate your doll budget

Here are some tips on how not to negotiate your doll budget with your significant other. Weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth may have their place when it comes to relationships, but not in negotiating your doll budget.

If you’re single, budgeting money for your doll budget may not be an issue for you. But I’m not only married, I share a house with four children. Additionally, I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for the past ten years. Unfortunately, our society doesn’t see fit to provide us with much compensation or recognition, except for “Mother’s Day,” which primarily involves lukewarm coffee and toast crumbs in your bed. So instead, I'm left to negotiate my doll budget with my spouse directly.

First, crying isn’t effective. I’ve tried. And while it’s useful in averting a severe crisis now and then, it’s postponing the inevitable blow-up. Better to just get the blow-up over as soon as possible.

Second, an “allowance” doesn’t seem to work. Allowances are for children. Plus, what happens when your grail goes on sale? Or when it rains, for that matter? (See my previous post, Top Ten Reasons to Buy a Doll.)

Third, having someone else limit you also doesn’t work. The key is limiting yourself, rather than having someone else nag you all the time. It’s just not cool to nag--it’s annoying.

Why yes, I do know how much I spent on dolls last month. Don’t make me start hiding it the grocery bills.

Your ever-growing wish list and what to do about it

Madame et le Citron Sydney, currently
being "upgraded" on eBay for a BJD

Is your wish list is growing faster than your budget? Here are some tips on managing that list.

If you’re a doll addict, and you subscribe to magazines and frequent message forums regularly, you’re probably bombarded with gorgeous photos of dolls that aren’t currently in your collection. At our house, we’ve recently migrated to a cash-based system. While wise, I miss the instant gratification of credit, quite frankly.

Here are some techniques that have helped me managed my wish list.

• Layaway. This is a concept many dealers offer to customers to pay for higher ticket items over time. Also, it’s easy to budget for layaways.
• Buying nude or used dolls. You can often find these on the secondary market, like the DollPage Marketplace or Ebay (if you dare). Be sure to read the auction listings carefully, or you may end up with a doll with “features” you aren’t expecting.
• Upgrading your collection. I’m not talking about selling your entire collection--but it’s often possible to sell a few of the dolls which no longer captivate you in order to buy dolls you’d rather have. Think of it of selling dolls you like in lieu of dolls you love.

A couple of things that can kill your wish list:

• Pre-orders. I can’t tell you how many times I have placed many pre-orders that have all been released in the same month! If possible, try to wait until after the doll as been released to order it, unless you’re sure you love it and it's a limited edition doll.
• Impulse buys. I’ve been guilty of this. I’ll see a pretty doll (who isn’t on my list) on sale at a reasonable price (or not), and I buy her on impulse. It’s what addicts do, and it kills my budget!

If you can budget carefully, and watch your impulse spending, this will really help focus your collection and avoid ordering dolls you don't really love.

Doll Collecting During Financial Hard Times

How does one enjoy their collection when there is no money to spend on dolls? Since I've "been there and done that" many times I thought I'd share a few suggestions:

• Gather your digital camera and a few of your dolls and take them on a photo shoot at a park, beach, or local landmark. You can use the photos as screen savers, print and frame them, or share with others on Flickr or Facebook.
• Use this time to do internet research on an aspect of doll collecting you'd like to learn about.
• Sew, knit, or crochet an outfit for one of your dolls or make a prop from items you have around the house.
• Trade a doll you no longer want with a friend. You both get a "new" doll without spending any money.
• Re-organize your collection. You may find dolls you'd like to sell, redress, debox, restore, or restyle.
• Some libraries allow you to display small portions of your collection for limited periods. (Example: a few Christmas dolls in December). This is a fun way to inspire new collectors and have others enjoy some of your dolls.
• Join a doll club in your area. Memberships are usually free and are a great way to get in some dolly time with friends.

I hope that these suggestions will be be helpful to you. Please share any additional tips that you have. 

Giving out-moded bodied dolls another chance by guest blogger Milady Blue

Always Another Chance

by Milady Blue

Special Guest Writer

I started late in my collection of higher end fashion dolls like Tonners: 2007, to be exact. My first was a straight armed Tyler Wentworth, the only Buy It Now I found at a reasonable price. I tried auctions, only to be quickly outbid. I had no knowledge of articulation and different bodies. All I knew was I had a beautiful doll I liked.

In 2008, I started joining online groups such as Prego (membership required), MEF Forum, and Cheery About Agnes Dreary, and learning about different dolls. I also started keeping an eye on various doll stores that sold Tonner, as well as sales announcements on the boards, forums and groups, and my Tonner collection took off.