Pretty purses from Urban Safari collection

My favorite from the set is Faded Desert Kyori's purse--I love the stitched detail.  


Elusive Creature Natalia has a zip-top snakeskin bag.

 
Vivid Encounter Adele carries a small zip-top gold clutch.

 
High Visibility Agnes has a rather plain, but practical large canvas bag.

 
Fashion Explorer Vanessa's oversized overnight bag has lots of cool detail, too.

Surprise! It's Elusive Creature Natalia Fatale!

Integrity Toys Urban Safari collection has started to arrive to dealers, and then been shipping to collectors. I was unable to control myself this past season, and I ordered quite a few dolls from this line. I'd intended to keep just the outfits from some of the dolls, and then resell the dolls.

My original favorite of the line was Adele, Vivid Encounter, and she is amazing. The doll shown above, Elusive Creature Natalia Fatale, was one of the dolls I'd intended to resell nude. However, after receiving her, and experiencing her in person, I have to say she might indeed be the favorite from the collection.

Her hair might be the winning factor for me, I have to admit. It's super soft, long, blond waves--and perfect. That, combined with her tan skin, is very California--and very Barbie--so it was quite a shock to me to see this character done in such a soft way. (I might change her lip color--I don't quite see how they fit in with this doll, though when viewed with the rest of the collection, they look fine.)

I already knew I'd love her outfit. To me, a great IT outfit is one that can be mixed and matched with others--and this one goes great with pieces from Fashion Explorer Vanessa Perrin as well as others from the Urban Safari line. I love the mesh shirt, and the adorable box pleat skirt is cute, too. The pocket detail on the vest is nicely done, also.



And of course--she has fantastic accessories. A snakeskin purse is a necessity for dear Natalia, I'm sure, but I love the enamel bangles and earrings--earrings, even though they aren't entirely necessary with her hat (not my fave) and hair.



The boots are amazing, too. They actually do not zip in the back, and still, they were super easy to put on. I was delighted, since I tend to break every single doll shoe I touch.

You can see additional photos on Flickr. I'm pretty sure you can still find Natalia from a few dealers--she's limited to 800, and I saw her from Toni's Collectibles for $145, which still cheaper than the Dollpage and some eBay listings.

Tonner fall releases continued

Several other new releases were also announced as part of fall collection, including four new items as part of Tonner's Wizard of Oz line. Above, it's Blue Butterfly - Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. She is on the 19" Wilde Imagination PVC Evangeline body with strawberry curls and blue painted eyes with lashes. Her dress is blue crinkle chiffon, and it includes a petticoat, lace tights, gauntlets, glitter canvas shoes, a choker, earrings, and hair decorations. She's limited to just 250 and retails for $224.99. She's available for preorder with a stand sold separately.

Fiery Skies - Wicked Witch of the West is limited to 250, in stock, and retails for $224.99. She is also 19" with painted green eyes and applied lashes. Her dress is red shantung with black net overlay, and includes lace and faux fur trim. She also includes tights, black shoes, necklace, earrings, and hose. Her stand is sold separately.

Oz Stroll is an outfit expected to arrive on October 10. It is limited to 250, and retails for $139.99. It's sized for 19" bodies, and includes a pink and silver embroidered dress with a tulle bodice and crinkle chiffon skirt. (Lots of crinkle chiffon this release, Tonner!) It also includes a purple velvet shawl, necklace, satin shoes, and glitter tulle gauntlets.

No photo is yet available, but a 22" American Model Glinda is in production called 22" Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. She's limited to just 150 dolls for $324.99, and she will use the AM head sculpt with blue inset eyes and a non-removable saran red wig. She'll have a pink mermaid gown in pink glitter tulle (man! all the glitter!) with a detachable train (cool!), with gauntlets, bracelets, and a pink horsehair hat and shoes. I can't wait to see a photo!

No Tonner release is complete without a nod to the Gone with the Wind collectors. Sewing Circle is a 16" Vivien Leigh doll in a white blouse with lace trim and blue bows, a blue shantung skirt, and white underskirt and white attached petticoat, and matching shantung shoes. She's limited to 300 and retails for $199.99. (No ship date is yet determined.)

Several new Patsy dolls have been released--one to note in particular is The Ultimate Patsy, who is actually a resin version. She retails for $294.99--not bad for a BJD, I have to say. She includes changeable brown eyes and wig, plus a cute outfit. 

Additionally, some vintage doll fans may be excited to see a new addition to Tonner's line with Sindy. She's quite adorable, though not exactly up my alley. The basic doll is certainly priced right, though--at just $69.99 (wow!). She's 11" tall and uses the original Sindy head sculpt, and has rooted eyelashes and a pink and white checkered bathing suit. She's limited to 1000. She has the original shoulder, hip and waist articulation of the original doll--but I'm sure you'd be able to rebody her to another body, if you like. (I wonder how close she is to the Tiny Kitty skin tone?) It looks like two dressed dolls and three outfits are available as well.

Photos are property of Tonner Doll.

New fall release from Tonner Doll Company: Diana Prince collection

The new fall release from Tonner Doll was revealed yesterday, and several new dolls have been added to the Diana Prince line. I'm impressed that Tonner has managed to make Wonder Woman into a fashion icon as well, plus I'm a fan of the Tyler 2.0 sculpt (though I have her original edition already).

One basic doll and three dressed dolls have been released, plus three additional outfits. These are sized for the new "fit" body--I find that my doll can wear traditional sized Tyler clothes, but her arms and bust are slightly larger, and her hips might be, too. I haven't tried pants on her yet. I saw another collector described the fit body as the Starlet body with larger biceps--but I thought the bust might be slightly larger as well.

Above, Diana Prince is a dressed doll price at $179.99, limited to 500, and is in stock. She has a black rooted updo, painted blue eye, and is wearing dress with a red bodice and black velvet skirt, with gold chain detail. She also includes gold jewelry, black shoes, and a stand.

Princess of Paradise Island is sure to be a hit with Wonder Woman fans and fashion doll collectors alike. She is limited to 500, retails for $199.99, and is available for preorder. I don't see an estimated shipping date yet. She also has painted blue eyes and long black waves, with a gold headband. She's wearing a light blue (not white) crinkle chiffon dress with gold chain belt and accessories.

Undercover is limited to 500 and retails for $189.99. This is a blonde version of the new Tyler sculpt (some collectors call this sculpt Tyler 2.0) with blue eyes. I love the outfit! It's an ivory sequin tank, with slacks, coat with faux fur trim, belt, pumps, bag and silver accessories. She's also in stock now.

Diana Prince Basic is the basic doll, priced at $119.99, limited to 500, and includes a stand (which probably explains her additional price increase). She has raven rooted hair, blue painted eyes, and is dressed in a red cotton tank with blue panties. (I find her outfit amazingly adorable--it reminds me of underoos from my childhood.) She has a red ribbon headband as well. This is a great doll promo in which to see the new body. She expected to ship on October 10.

Beyond the Stars is an outfit, scheduled to arrive on October 10, LE 300, retailing for $99.99. It includes black satin pants, a silver bodysuit, jacket with sequin cuffs, faux fur headband, sunglasses, bag, silver earrings and black and silver sandals.

Modern Day Princess is also scheduled to arrive on October 10 and is limited to 300. It retails for $109.99. It includes a silver and grey knit dress, grey tights, platform shoes, earrings, purse, and bracelets.

Wonder Woman 52 outfit is limited to 500, scheduled to arrive on October 10, and retails for $99.99. It's a nice Wonder Woman costume, including a red bodice with silver trim, blue panty, silver gauntlets, an armband, a choker, headband, lasso and boots.

These dolls can be ordered from your favorite dealer--and many are in stock or will be in stock soon. I highly recommend Dreamcastle Dolls for excellent prices and service!

Photos are property of Tonner Doll Company.

New JAMIEshow dolls: Madrid Fashion Doll Convention exclusives

From the Madrid Fashion Doll Convention, there are several exclusive dolls available from JAMIEshow. The first, shown above, is a new 16" doll Sofia, in the Sasha skin tone, designed especially for the convention. She is a limited edition of only 50 dolls and retails for $475. A few dolls are available to ship on September 29, and the rest will ship in the beginning of October.

La Dolce Vita is dressed in a red carpet ready glittering black gown with stole, patent pumps, diamond hoop earrings and matching necklace, and miniature Oscar.

The second doll is the first dressed exclusive in the Demi Couture collection, on Millia De Oro. The doll is a 12" Grace, limited to only 25 worldwide, retailing for $375. She will ship next week.

Grace is dressed in a peach and lavender gown designed by Paco Alcaida, eminent fashion doll designer. She wears matching shoes, and a blonde chignon wig cap.

The other dolls in the Demi Couture collection should be arriving next week as well--hooray!

Photos are property of JAMIEshow. 

Gianfranco™ Ken® Doll | Barbie Collector

Gianfranco™ Ken® Doll | Barbie Collector

The last Barbie Fan Club doll of 2014 is a Silkstone Ken, designed by Robert Best, limited to 3300. He retails for $75 and goes on sale October 1.

Photo is the property of Mattel.

Steffie of the Day: Barbie Style Midge

I found a new Steffie on Amazon the other day. She was new to me--which is unusual, but not impossible. Seeing as I wrote the book on Steffie--well, two books, and am now working on a third--I shouldn't be surprised--but I was, and quite delighted!

This is a playline doll from the Barbie Style collection, on an articulated body--like the original Life in the Dreamhouse, in fact. She differs from the original LitD Midge, though, in that her head is more to scale and her hair is a paler shade of red (more strawberry blonde, in my humble opinion).

I think the retail price on these dolls is around $20-25, but Midge was closer to $30 when I bought her, but she has since dropped in price (of course).

The selling point on the dolls is their outfits! They have really great clothes, fun to mix and match. My favorite outfit is Barbie Style Raquelle Gold-Denim Jacket Doll, who has a great jacket, shorts, gold sparkling tights, and a denim shirt. I'll add a link to both her and Midge below this post. But Midge's outfit is really cute in a country chic way, too. She includes:

• an aqua cardigan
• a lace collar shirt
• polka dot capri jeans
• red peep-toes
• a silver bracelet
• a red watch
• silver earrings
• white glasses
• a brown shoulder bag

Plus, she's got long applied eyelashes (mine are applied a little weird--I ended trimming them a little), smooth hair, and a nice articulated body for easy posing.

You can see more photos of her, and also comparison photos of her with Life in the Dreamhouse Midge, on Flickr.

What makes it so easy for doll collectors to be nasty online?

Whether it's because your favorite doll company has just released a collection you like, discontinued or neglected your favorite line, or updated your favorite sculpt, or another collector doesn't have a collection exactly like yours, posted an off-color message on a message board--what is it about these small pieces of plastic that makes normally well-mannered humans act like crazy people?

Perhaps because of the anonymity the internet supplies the instigator, the poster of a nasty message may be lulled into thinking that the virtual flaming paper bag filled with dog poop she has laid at the collective door of the doll community won't come flying back to her own front step. If she posts as "anonymous," there's no way we readers will find out she is, right?

I try to bear in mind that the doll community is very small. And while we may dress dolls till our fingers bleed, breathing resin dust is only bad for your lungs--as far as I'm aware--not your brain. We can still maintain the power of deduction. We might be able to figure out who that nasty poster is!

What if your message is particularly witty, even if it is harsh or biting? Suppose you aren't a fan of a particular doll company's latest release. You hope by posting clever and biting remarks that you're going to make somebody laugh, or make you popular. But have you put yourself in the designer's position? Have you ever wondered why so many of our artists--musicians, authors, artists, and designers--commit suicide? Might it be because they can't stand so much harsh criticism, including yours? You may think you are adding to the conversation. And I'll be the first to admit: you're certainly adding to something!

Please understand that I'm not talking about reviews--reviews that consider the pros and cons of dolls and outfits are always a good thing. These help collectors decide whether to make a purchase. They help us consider aspects we may not have noticed before. But I don't think there's room for slamming collectors of a particular brand, designer, or doll.

I've noticed an increase of posts on various social media lately that are just flat-out negative. I realize it is a lot easier to be negative than it is to be positive. However, there's the age old saying, If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all. To me, nothing is easier than not doing anything. You don't have to type or respond.

And opinions, well, they are aplenty. Isn't there another saying about opinions?

Two new direct exclusive dolls at BarbieCollector.com: Venetian Muse and Mistress of the Manor

Two new gorgeous dolls are available from Barbie Collector. Above, it's Venetian Muse, the second in the Global Glamour Collection.

It's been a long time since a doll has tempted me so much! Venetian Muse uses the Louboutin sculpt and Nostalgic skin tone. She retails for $100 and is only available through BarbieCollector. Also, she's a Gold Label edition, with no more than 5000 dolls produced.

She was designed by Linda Kyaw, and she is similar to an auction doll sold at the Italian Doll Convention last year, called Masquerade Beauty. (You can see photos of the auction doll on Dutch Barbie World's blog.) You can read more about Venetian Beauty here and here.

As if that weren't enough--check out the latest installation from the Haunted Beauty collection: Mistress of the Manor. She is designed by Bill Greening, retails for $100, and no more than 6100 dolls will be produced.

Mistress of the Manor uses the Mermaid sculpt (I didn't know I liked her so much!) with black hair with a white streak in a top knot. She uses the Peace skin tone.

As no more than five dolls (of each doll) are available per order, my guess is that we will also see this doll available from dealers at a higher price.

Both dolls are available for sale now, and I bet they will sell out quickly! Check out BarbieCollector.com for more information.

The photos are property of Mattel, and I'm using them to promote their dolls.

New W Club doll announced: Vanessa Perrin Edge

The latest W Club doll has been announced: Edge Vanessa Perrin. She's the doll that won the advanced design competition at the Premiere convention last year, designed by Lisa Ramsammy. This doll will be offered for sale to the general public for $150. W Club members are allowed to order as many as they like, and receive a 10% discount. Her edition size is to be determined, as it will be based on the number of orders Integrity receives, and she will ship in late fall/early winter of this year.

The doll uses the latest Vanessa head sculpt in the FR White skin tone. She has platinum hair (Integrity calls it "luscious blond") and green eyes. Her accessories include chandelier earrings, a bracelet, black clutch and black and cream net pumps.

I'm a Vanessa fan--and I like all her different variations. This one is no exception, and I do need another blonde Vanessa in my collection, I think! Plus, to make her even harder to resist, a certain fellow blogger has a "thing" for white outfits on dolls, and I'm afraid I've caught the bug.

Photos property of Integrity Toys.

Modern Doll exclusive Deja Vu: Moonlit Ball from Tonner Doll

Moonlit Ball, a limited edition of just 100, is now available from Tonner Doll. Her retail price is $225, and she was an exclusive to the Modern Doll convention.

She uses the Deja vu head sculpt and body, and has rooted platinum hair and painted blue eyes with applied lashes. She's in the cameo skin tone, and includes a glittering tulle mermaid gown, faux fur capelet with rhinestone brooch, rhinestone necklace and earrings, gloves, black faux leather shoes, hose and stand.

Her eyebrows remind me a little of the Ghost of Christmas Past--she looks a little concerned or worried. I think she's cute, though I could do without the glitter.

Photos property of Tonner Doll.

New Azone outfits from DollHeart!

My latest DollHeart order is here, and I'm very pleased with the outfits! Above, you can see Ainsel (left), modeled by Secret Wonderland Mia, and Iolanthe, modeled by Blueberry Holic Nightmare Aika.

Both outfits are really cute and well made--just like other tiny outfits by DollHeart. They have tiny lace wings pinned to their backs, too. Super cute! (It appears I have them wearing arm warmers, when they are really footless socks. Ooops.) My one complaint: Iolanthe's outer skirt was very, very snug on Aika's body--however, that might just be because of her older static body type. Perhaps the newer articulated Neemos have a slightly smaller waist.

You can see additional photos on Flickr.

If you too are a Neemo fan, you may want to check out the other fashions available from DollHeart--several available for preorder, some are coming soon.

Above, it's The Moon Gabrielle, retail $44.90. This cute outfit includes a top, coat, a fur collar, pants, belt, hat, three pins, and a pair of checked socks.

The Moon Danielle is a coordinating outfit, also for $44.90. This set includes a shirt, suspender skirt, neck accessory, pin, hat, panties, and a pair of socks. You can purchase both of the above in a set, as well, with a retail of $84.90. (I'm trying not to think of which dolls I have that could wear these well...)

A second set of outfits has been previewed online, too. These lolita style outfits are really sweet and very "Sweets a la Mode," I think. Above, it's Strawberry Mint Cream Cake, price to be determined. The outfit includes a dress, apron, petticoat, panties, apron, beret, and socks. (Ack! Wouldn't the Little Witch of Flame Aika totally rock this outfit with her bright red hair?)

Chocolate Mint Cream Cake is another outfit previewed online (retail price is to be determined), and it's also adorable. It includes a dress, apron, petticoat, panties, apron, beret, and socks. I have to confess, the set of both tempts me mightily!

Finally, it's Moloko Plus, which looks like it will be debuted at the Osaka Dollism Plus--I'm hoping there will be a few leftover, which will be available online. The outfit includes a dress, panties, belt, hat, and pair of socks.

Before I finish this lengthy post, I'd like to point out that DollHeart is carrying shoes sized for Neemo, too. You can see them here, retail $19.90. They are really cute--with little bow details.

New Sekiguchi Momoko: Some Cats!

Sekiguchi released some new Momoko recently and they are as cute as can be! 

The first two Momoko are called, "Dancing with Kittens."  There is a "sweet" version and a "clean" version.  "Sweet" has the darker hair and straw hat.  "Clean" has the black headband and lighter hair.  They both come with the same dress, socks, and shoes.  I would simply love to have lots of clothes in that cute kitty print.  The dolls themselves look suspiciously similar to other previously released Wake Up Momoko.  Each doll is 12,800 yen and will be released in September 2014.  Look for the dolls through your doll dealers who are likely taking preorders right now. 

It appears Sekiguchi is also releasing another Fan Vote Momoko, but in the Wake Up doll style with a simple one-piece outfit and no shoes.  She has cute wavy blonde hair and the rightward glance, which is becoming more and more common in Momoko lately.  She costs 7,000 yen and will be released at some point in September 2014.  She can likely be purchased through your preferred Momoko doll dealer as well.  

Want some special designs for your dolls?  I provide lots of dolly attire and pattern books.  Support an artist!  Visit my website (MegannArt) for an Etsy shop, Twitter, Facebook (with occasional discounts), Pinterest page, and much more.  

Pictures courtesy of Sekiguchi.