Niel's Doll Room

Words

2011-10-24T02:23:00.000-07:00

Doll blogs are more (often than not) about the collector and less about the doll. Take one doll, any doll, as an example and see how many times it has appeared in different blogs yet we appreciate the same doll differently as it appeared in different blogs. It is also the personality behind the doll (and the blog) that we appreciate. When we say, "You have a beautiful doll," we also mean that "You have styled or photographed your doll beautifully." The first is a compliment for the doll and probably the manufacturer while the second is a compliment for the owner.

But blogging about dolls doesn't involve just buying, styling, and photographing dolls. If I wanted just photos, I'd limit myself to Flickr. We bloggers use words. We share information and fiction. Other than the choice of doll, the choice of words also fascinates me. It is like picking just the right earrings for the favorite doll. That is what I like about blogs like Dolldom.

The fineness of the blogger is reflected on the refined photos and the carefully selected words. Who casually use the word 'gastronomy' when the word 'food' or 'cooking' is available? Only someone who knows the difference! The cleanliness of the layout and serious background color also echo the same sentiments. It is not just about the point. It is also how you drive at a point.

While I aim to display some correlation between my dolls and me the blogger, using the blog a character like James Soriano and his article came along. I decided to be affected by it in a positive way. Why not blog in Tagalog?

I risk being misunderstood, for sure. This has never been an advertisement-driven blog so losing readers is acceptable. Language barriers are slowly being overcome these days. Although some things get lost in the translation, it has never stopped me from following blogs like Universoplástico and Dolls Collector Club.

So other than playing with dolls, I wanna play with my native language. I don't know how long I can keep it going since I'm really more comfortable blogging in English. It is shameful to admit that, for me, writing in Tagalog takes a lot more energy than writing in English. I'd like to resort to the easier Taglish only when I can't say it in Tagalog.

For now, I'd like to write in my native tongue.

Racist?

2011-10-22T01:06:00.000-07:00

The question mark in the title implies uncertainty on my part. This entry is to let me hear from others. Do you find the the quoted statement below racist?

It never ceases to amaze me how here, in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, how many people there are who don’t seem to appreciate precious freedoms. I am not talking about immigrants still learning our history, culture and customs.

To me adding the second sentence after the first, implies that the two ideas are related. It somewhat implied that one of the first thing that comes to mind when one speaks of people "who don’t seem to appreciate precious freedoms" are "immigrants still learning our history, culture and customs". ~~That is why the blogger felt the need to negate it.~~

I copied it from a blog and I'd rather not provide the link as the doll blog/blogger is not the one in question but the sentiment. This entry is not to sow hate (nor direct hate towards the blogger) but hopefully open some intelligent discussion. Hateful comments will be moderated.

Carmilla: Let Her Bite

2011-10-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

"...think me not cruel because I obey the irresistible law of my strength and weakness..."
-Carmilla

Before Dracula, there was Carmilla. She was a vampire from the novella written by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. She often preys on young women in their sleep. She was the inspiration for the character of this doll.

This Carmilla continues to 'live' in the 21st century by faking her deaths at the hands of the vampire hunters. She glamoured people into believing she has been killed so that she can 'live' a peaceful life. Through the centuries, she has amassed wealth, from stocks to real estate and multi-billion businesses. Her wealth is under a number of alternate identities so she can stay out of the limelight of being the richest person in the world. She maintains her sources of wealth because staying incognito is financially demanding for the likes of her.

Carmilla indirectly runs a number of modelling agencies, cosmetics, jewelries and fashion labels plus a number of hotel chains. Her models get discounted rates on her hotels and dormitories (if they are still studying in her modelling school), all of which are specially designed with secret passages so she can come in and out of any room unnoticed. She takes care of her models because she needs them to survive.

She drinks their blood but not to the point of killing them. That may mean drinking from a number of girls every night. She has evolved into a vampire with restraint so don't be scared now. Let her bite.

(This is not really a start of a story but merely a character profile, a way of enjoying my older dolls.)

Therese Von Furstenberg

2011-10-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

I just love the wrap dress on the Diane Von Furstenberg Barbie. Knowing how low my chances are of getting one so I decided to just make one for myself. All I need is a fabric with an interesting print. I had the fabric for some time now but I've been putting off the work since I wasn't as comfortable making the sleeves and collar.

I was getting my groove, so to speak, when I made the rainbow dresses specially the rainbow blouse. After I finished that, I felt more competent in doing this little wrap dress. This dress has no hooks or snaps. It is closed by tying the sash around the waist.

On the side, I was also practicing repainting again. I went through my box of Barbie heads to check if I'm inspired to give one a make-over. That's when I saw the head from the Native American Barbie, a Teresa mold.

I have always wanted a Teresa head with a sophisticated make-up like the 1st Barbie Basics model 11 but I wanted one with long black hair so both versions Teresa from the Basic line wasn't that appealing to me. After finishing repainting I already knew who is going to wear the new wrap dress.

I untied her braids and retained the waves on her hair. I felt she's more sultry that way. I was lucky to have a fashion pack from Liv dolls having an interesting necklace with a peacock motif and I thought it matches her dress. The bag is also from the same Liv fashion pack. The shoes is from a Barbie Basics fashion pack.

I named the doll as Therese Tulis. She's just pretending she's a Von Furstenberg. Come to think of it, she is probably the only doll I have that has a surname!

Send in the Clones

2011-10-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

All I want is your body. That is what I have to say to those articulated dolls. I feel cheated every time I pay the full price just to get the parts I like! It's a good thing that other options have been made available to us in the form of clones. I don't know if these clones are available outside Metro Manila so this may not be of interest to other hobbyist.

Selina

The first clone that catch my attention is the Selina doll. They are being sold in Toy Kingdom and SM department stores. They cost about a third of Barbie Fashionista dolls. I noticed that the hand is of a different color than the body but I try to ignore that. The clothing is obviously poorly made but since I want just the body, I decided to buy one.

Upon disrobing the doll I found out that it has a slightly different joint design than the Fashionista. It's a good thing that I just bought one. My major issue with this dolls is the neck. It's not compatible with regular Barbie dolls. I'm keeping the body just in case the right doll comes along.

Ginni

Ginni is a Liv doll clone being sold at Divisoria. They also cost at around the same price as the Selina dolls. I first got myself just one to check if I won't be disappointed like the Selina doll. The package included a spare wig which I think is really cool if I really like the Liv dolls.

There is a slight difference between the two dolls. Below is a comparison photo of a Ginni body (left) and a Liv body (right). The neck knob is different but will still work the same way. The plastic body of the Ginni doll seems light, brittle and less durable compared to the Liv doll. (I'm not about to break my doll just to prove my point but touching these dolls reminds me of the Barbie clones that cracks and breaks easily.) The rubbery parts (hands and feet) seems to be tougher on the Liv and softer on the Ginni. In the end, I'm still satisfied with the Ginni body (considering the price) so I decided to get another one.

Clone Fashion

There is a local eBay seller that sells doll items and I recognized those items to be from Divisoria. He/She also sells doll clothes and I haven't seen those in Divisoria. I decided to hunt for those. The first time I went there, the designs left are not to my liking so I didn't buy. I did ask for the price and the Divi seller said it was PhP100. (The eBay seller sells it for PhP140.)

I decided to visit the store again last weekend and luckily, the stocks have been replenished. I picked up the three shown in the photo, two of which are now on my Jenny dolls (with Ginni body). They look like they are enjoying it.

Clones and Fakes

Dictionary.com defines a clone as "a person or thing that duplicates, imitates, or closely resembles another in appearance, function, performance, or style." On the other hand, a fake is "anything made to appear otherwise than it actually is."

Those dolls are not trying to pass themselves off as the real Fashionista or Liv dolls, as they use a different brand. The dresses does not have any Barbie or Mattel labels. Following the definition above, they are clones.

Other than the clones above, dolls (from playline to collector's editon) carrying the Barbie packaging and trademark are also being sold at Divisoria for a lot less. Those dolls are not exactly the Barbie dolls I would buy even if they are on a discounted price so I didn't buy (so no picture). The low price seems to make other collectors suspicious. Some think they could be fakes. Although I cannot vouch for the authenticity of those products, I have an interesting story to tell.

A friend who works for a company selling an popular international sports apparel brand told me that those items that didn't sell in malls ended up in Divisoria at low prices (and one can even haggle)! They realized that the more their items stays in the shelves or in their warehouse, the more it cost them to store and secure the items. They would rather have the shelf space occupied by fast selling items. That is why they have to dispose the other items as quickly as possible.

It's not something the company will publicly admit as it could ruin the sales in malls but that's how it is for that major brand. Who knows if other brands use the same technique? And those Barbie items I saw in Divisoria are just the types that don't sell well, so who knows, right?

Fashionista News from Fashionisto2K

2011-10-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

1. The bust joints are back.

2. There apparently is a new skin tone for the dolls.

3. A new facemold for Raquelle and it looks like a smiling Lea/Kayla mold. Finally a smiling Asian. At least my whining (it's actually praying) has paid off! (Or maybe Fashionista sales dropped considerably that's why they're putting in some improvements.)

4. It may not actually be news since a lot of people already knew about it but it's all good, is it not?

Here and here. If the Flickr links don't works, it's probably because the owner deleted the pictures already. We were informed that the pics are only temporarily.

UPDATE:

Photos of the dolls and package is here.

As simple as black and white

2011-10-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

The white prints on the black dress are hand-painted. I don't know if it would last long. At least its not rubbing off. The dress has some simplicity to it but I wanted to emphasize the small waist more so I added a modern obi belt.

I finished two more dresses, now in black and white. If you're wondering why I keep doing dresses one after the other, it is because I'm trying to control my temptation in buying more dolls. I have beautiful dolls and their beauty would go to waste if I don't play with them. Plus, most of the newer dolls are just another version of older ones. I try not to be redundant unless I'm emphasizing a point.

The white dress was inspired by the black and white gown Audrey Hepburn wore in the movie Sabrina. I cannot do embroidery so I resorted to appliques. I cut out some designs from a black lace and sewed it on the white dress.

(The dolls in the photo are repainted and restyled clone Barbie heads on Dynamite Girls body.)

Little Pullip Swan

2011-09-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

She is my first (and probably only) Pullip. Got her through Joan. It's really great to have fellow doll collectors willing to help you to get the doll you fancy! I was checking ebay for some but the shipping fee instantly doubles the cost so I don't buy online unless I'm "highly motivated".

Dressed in a ballerina outfit with a feathered headdress, Swan Lake has got to be the inspiration for this doll. Unlike regular sized Pullip dolls, little Pullip dolls have limited articulation but that is not gonna stop me from posing her as if she's really dancing ballet, is it?

I mentioned in earlier entries that, to me, these big headed dolls, with their eyes wide open, have a sense of child-like innocence not common in Barbie dolls. That's their appeal to me. Although regular Pullip has a big head and wide eyes, I don't think she's that innocent (by that I mean young or child-like) with her womanly curves. (That is why I'm only interested in the mini version.) The curves are also reflected in the little version (as shown in the photo below) but it is easy to hide those with loose fitting clothes (it's quite difficult to make fitted clothes for their size).

One good thing about little Pullip is that she can be re-wigged and the eye chips can be replaced. I already like her purple eyes. Once I figure how to carefully remove her glued wig, I'm gonna make her another wig in either black or dark brown.

Rainbow's End

2011-09-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

I thought I had completed my Rainbow Collection but after the last dress, I had this urge to do another piece but this time having all the colors of the rainbow. I initially planned to make a tiered short skirt but upon checking my fabric stash, I seemed to misplace my yellow fabric. Lucky I found another way: I could dye/draw/paint the design on a white fabric! I did this with the help of Pentel's Fabricfun dye stick.

I first copied the pattern lines to the fabric. I didn't want to waste the dye stick so I only colored the parts that's going to end up on the outfit. Another detail that I labored in is the french seam. It's silly to have this kind of blouse to be lined so I'd better treat the edges. I don't have an edging machine. I could burn the edge to keep it from fraying but the (oil in the) dye made the fabric to burn easily. I had no choice but to make a french seam if I wanted this blouse to look clean inside-out.

But it didn't look clean as I wanted. Even though the dye have been properly set by ironing, some dye rubbed off on the white parts of the blouse especially the collar. The lighting didn't make it visible but the stain is there. Hmmm... maybe I could color it white again! I'll try that later.

For now, here are a couple of pics of the final dress for the rainbow collection. I was thinking of something one can wear to work when I made this blouse and skirt. The tandem looks too costume-y but fun nonetheless which rainbows are supposed to be. Maybe they would look "normal" if mixed and matched with a neutral pants or shirt.

Bring on The Men

2011-09-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

So let's bring on the men
and let the fun begin!
- Bring on the Men from the musical Jekyll and Hyde

This entry is for my much neglected male dolls and action figures. The first group photo is of my Asian guys (at least they are Asian in my mind). I realized that I have a good variety of guys. And they don't look like they are all fashion models!

Kenneth, the first one looks chubby. Well he was modeled after a chubby athlete. He seems like a dad and I dressed him up as if he works in an office.

Rage (pronounced as rag-ee) is a hybrid doll. His head came from a generic action figure. His body is an articulated Ken doll. I really like his molded hair especially the bangs. It's sooo anime.

The third an OOAK action figure I bought. He has one of the most realistic looking faces and he's better looking in person. I like him so much I can't decide what personality to give him. Maybe he's that good looking mysterious guy in the neighborhood.

The 4th is from the Basics line. He has been overexposed, so enough about him. Hehehe.

The 5th is Bruce Lee. He's wearing a fashionista Ken shirt which shows off his sexy muscles. And he has this interesting pout. If only he didn't look so angry he'd be partnered with a Steffie doll.

The 6th is Angelo, a GI Joe figure (I think). He looks like a guy in his 50's.

I also decided to take pictures of my 6th scale GI Joes. I'm not a serious collector so I don't expect their number to grow soon but I do like them especially if I can get them at a good price. They have been dressed in non-military clothes (although there's still a touch of military fashion sense here and there).

I so wanted to do outdoor pics but when the sun is up, I'm in the office! Someday...

When I Think of Rainbows

2011-09-11T06:03:00.000-07:00

...I think of hope

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14Sep2011 Update:

I haven't done any doll projects lately but I have been enjoying taking pictures of this collection of dresses which I recently finished. Instead of posting the new pictures in my blog I'd rather update this entry to describe the picture above for those who can't see it.

In this picture there are 7 dolls having different face molds wearing 7 different dresses. Each dress represents a color of the rainbow. I have limited fabric options so the closest color was chosen. The dolls are arranged in a circle lying down on a white background. The heads of the dolls are in the center with their bodies are aligned radially outward.

Let's start with the doll with the red dress. She is a repainted Kira head on a skinny model muse body. Although her torso is completely covered by her red dress, her dress is short, higher that the middle of her leg but lower than her crotch, of course. Hehehe. One thing I find interesting about the dress is her sleeve which is only one. It has a peek-a-boo cut-out showing parts of her arms. The sleeves are long (as long as the bodice) and are almost shaped like rectangles somewhat similar to Japanese kimonos.

The orange dress is worn by another hybrid doll, a Gabriella head (High School Musical) on a model muse body. What I find interesting in this dress is it's texture. Strips of fabric with fraying edges were used to embellish the dress. It has a turtle neck collar. A pink belt with flower shaped buckle is used as an accessory.

The yellow dress is worn by a Barbie Basics doll, model 4, if I remember correctly, the darkest skin tone in the Basic black series. I really like the yellow dress on her. What I find interesting on the yellow dress is the neckline. It has this inverted V-shape. A strap of fabric, is sewn on the top corner of the neckline and the other end of the strap is sewn at the back of the dress. I also added a belt with a peplum detail made from the same fabric as the dress.

The green halter dress is worn by Monte Carlo Barbie. The green dress is all about showing some skin. It has a deep V-neck line (almost down to the belly button) showing lots of cleavage and the skirt part has a thigh-high slit.

The blue dress is worn by another Barbie Basics doll with the Midge/Diva head mold. It is actually a blouse and skirt made from the same fabric. The blouse is a simple loose fit top. It was intentionally made simple to create a contrast to the heavily ruffled skirt. One thing I find interesting about the blue dress is the contrast of the texture of the top which is smooth and the skirt which is ruffled.

The indigo (which I think is really just dark blue because I don't have the right fabric) is worn by another Barbie Basics doll with the Mbili face mold. It started out a a simple tube dress which is a little short (mid-leg) and tight fitting. It is embellished by the same fabric shaped into a large leaf covering the bust area. This fabric extends below to the right side of the dress forming a flap on the right portion of the skirt.

The violet dress is worn by another OOAK doll. It is actually a Generation Girl Barbie with bright red hair on a model muse body. She was repainted and her smile was closed using the dental extraction method. She also has a blouse and skirt. Her blouse has slightly puffy short sleeves and a V-neckline. Her sheath skirt has a ruching or gathering detail at the center to give it some texture.

random thought:
Was that a thousand words? Nope. Just a little over 600. I did a word count. Hehehe. But I left out describing the jewelries. Oh well, it's about the dresses.

Peg: Red Black Barbie Dress

2011-09-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last week, I learned a new word--peg. From what I understand, in local gay lingo (I'm gay but I'm no good in gay lingo), it roughly means 'inspiration'. It can be a song, a movie, a person, whatever as long as it somewhat intentionally reflects something one is doing/feeling.

For the red dress, I used Black Barbie's red dress as the inspiration or peg. It has a peek-a-boo sleeve but just one. I find it more interesting to be asymmetrical. The shape of the sleeve is reminiscent of Japanese kimonos. I already had this red skirt made before to go with another blouse and I wanted to check if the red dress can be versatile just like that of the original Black Barbie so I tried it. See for yourself. :)

Instead of the gold detail on the collar of the peg dress, I made a BIG "silver" necklace out of human earrings. I didn't let the doll wear any earrings as, to me, it look over accessorized with earrings. I bought these cheap earrings and with the help of some tools I turned it into a doll necklace. I wanted to share this to those who haven't done this so they could get an idea.

I also finished a blue dress but I would like to show more of it once I have completed my rainbow collection. Below is a preview. The indigo (I'll let you in on a secret, I'm indigo-blind. I can't tell if something is indigo or not.) will still have some more details to be added. I thinking of making another violet dress altogether as I don't think this one shows a different character from the other dresses. I wanted each dress to have each own character. So I'm going back to the drawing board on that one.

------------------------
UPDATE:

I'm posting this picture in response to Ms Leo's request. :)

Dad is here (but where's the boy?)

2011-08-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

I claimed my eBay purchase last night. He's Kenneth Duremdes doll. He used to be a Filipino basketball celebrity. The doll is from a series of PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) dolls. Back in the days, basketball was so huge here that they make dolls in the athlete's image.

Upon getting home, I immediately assembled the dolls I think could compose my Asian family and took a picture. Looking at the picture, I'm not convinced that Haiku is Kira's daughter nor she recently got pregnant. Kira looks too young to have had 3 childbirths. Although it is fun looking at a picture of a big family, I'm thinking a family of four will do. I do support family planning, population control and the RH Bill. Maybe Haiku can be a sister to Lea and/or Kira. I'm still not sure with how the family is composed or how my dolls are related so things will change.

I'm sure about one thing though, I need an older boy. I was trying a number of Kelly heads on a Harry Potter body and the one below (Kelly clone) seems to work good enough. I was trying to figure out why this one works while the rest didn't. I'm thinking it's the higher hairline. It gives an illusion that the face is bigger.

This Kelly clone is a girl (at least that was how she was sold). I hid her/his hair in a helmet in the test shot above. She/He will have a transgender operation which mainly involve a head-swap (done), a hair cut and some minor repaint. I want to give him/her a pointy anime hairstyle and thicker brows. No pink lips, of course!

I don't think I can do all the work until next month so I decided to just do it in a photo editor. Hehehe.

My Little Haiku and Friends

2011-08-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

I couldn't wait to go home last night. I wanted to complete the hair plugs for my new doll Haiku. She stands next to Skipper in the above comparison photo. She is a hybrid doll. She used to be a Kelly clone wearing the blue cheongsam (below). For her body I used a Juku Couture doll.

Ever since I got the Juku Couture doll, I removed her head and tried on some Kelly heads. It didn't look okay for me so the body remained headless while I hunted for an appropriately sized head. I was looking for weeks, especially on eBay.

The funny thing is I already had the Kelly clone for about a year now and I never tried her. I only looked for her to get her blue dress (for the photo in the previous blog entry). When I got her, I figured there's no harm trying her head on the Juku body. I thought initially it was too big so I wanted to shrink it a little but just a little. I'm a bit hesitant in shrinking as per my experience, I have a 50-50 chance of success. But now, I don't think I have to shrink her head. I do have to adjust the skin tone of Haiku's head as it is too pale for her body.

So now that I'm head-swapping across age brackets, I decided to try Tyra (that's what I call her) on a BFC Calista body. She looks okay but her head size might work better on a Stacie size body. Stacie's head I think could work better on a taller body.

My next concern now is Haiku's dress size. I might not have that much time sewing so buying is an option. I want to know which ones I can buy. I found out that Stacie's clothes fit Haiku! Stacie's friend (in the 1st pic abaove) is actually wearing a Juku Couture dress. I think some Bratz dolls fashion also can work with Haiku, Stacie and Stacie's friends.

Now I'm looking at my Kelly size dolls and thinking which one I could turn into an Asian boy...

=D

Building a Family

2011-08-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Every time I see family oriented entries from fellow doll collectors and bloggers such as Dana, Ms Leo, and especially Van, I'm inspired to make my own family of dolls. Since I'm Asian, the family members has got to at least look remotely Asian. I have a number of female dolls that can look Asian from the Mattel line but not enough male.

Do you know that the Asian Ken (DOTW Japan) was not sold here? His female counterpart is currently being sold for months now locally. I don't want to buy from eBay. I'm not that fixated in building my Asian family. Plus, there are alternatives. Hurray!

One alternative is the male Barbie Basics model 15. I know I said sometime ago that I'm not buying him. But he has been standing on the display case for months now (as if waiting for me) and I wanted an Asian Ken. I finally bought him just last Sunday. There are some OOAK work on him that made him look Asian. I'm still not sure if I want to make mine look like that. (And currently, I don't have the time to make mine look like that, hehehe.) In his original state, I can already sense some Asian flavor (a mixed race maybe). I especially "like" the character his hair gives him. (Take note: I said, I like the character, I didn't say I like the hair.) He seems to fit in a fictional group of Asian men (called the F4) that popularized that hairstyle in our country late nineties to early 2000.

I'm also on a lookout for Asian children dolls. I wanted Kelly to have more Asian friends but these two I've found seem too anime to fit in Kelly's world, IMO. They do fit perfectly in Jenny's world. Now, I'm tempted to buy a male partner for Jenny!

I also bought another doll that could pass as an Asian guy. He is in fact, supposed to be a former Filipino sports celebrity. He looks okay in the eBay pics but I don't know in person. I got him at a good price. I'll claim him before this week ends.

Currently, I'm working on a doll that could possibly be (pre-teen) Skipper's Asian friend. I already have a name for her--Haiku. I still need to add some hair plugs and slightly shrink her head. And she has this infectious smile on her. I just hope I don't ruin her during my OOAK work.

Hello Yellow

2011-08-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

I intended to make a simple yellow dress with a distinct neckline. Other than the neckline, the dress looked too simple even with a gold chain belt. Not that it's bad but I wanted to complicate it a bit more. One thing I like about simple dresses is that one can adorn it and make it look slightly different (whereas it's a risky idea to take apart a complicated dress).

This yellow dress, I thought, is not something you'd like to wear with a necklace as it distracts from the detailed neckline although I think it's a good dress to show off the belt. I was suppose to take a picture of this dress along with different belts including the narrow blue belt that came with the Barbie Basics fashion pack but I think I misplaced mine. I was even thinking of making an obi belt but I wanted to post this entry right away. I did make a belt from the same yellow fabric with a peplum detail that makes it look like it's part of the dress. It doesn't look too simple anymore.

The next color will be red. I initially wanted to make it an overtly sexy dress with a deep V-neckline but then I thought it would be more challenging to make a sexy red dress and have the torso completely covered. We'll see...

The Secondaries

2011-08-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, I've been planning to make gowns representing the colors of the rainbow but then I realized I'm not so much of a gown person. Then I planned to make Filipiniana dresses still representing the colors or the rainbow. I got stuck at violet since I wanted it to be more complicated but it was more than I could handle. Plus, they are still gowns.

There was also a time when I wanted to make dresses of different colors for Superstar/Shani bodies. I didn't even have that large variety of dolls with that body back then. Who would wear them?

Ladies' Drink

Now I'm here again planning to do that Rainbow Collection, this time on model muse dolls. Since I don't have that much time these days, my mom helps a lot. She did most of the work for these 3 new dresses. I only did most of the finishing touches.

So far I only have the secondary colors of orange, green and violet and I like how they turned out so far. The green dress will be repaired since I find the skirt too revealing.

The next color should be yellow. The challenge is to do it right the first time since I don't have that much yellow fabric. the design can't be too complicated either but it can't be too plain. You know that feeling when a lot of things can go wrong and you just want to stop? That's what I feel about yellow now.

Piano Duo

2011-07-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

Just for smiles... :)

Shani

2011-07-13T06:29:00.000-07:00

Another doll that changed ownership because the former owner was making room for new dolls, is my first doll with a Shani headmold, the Ghanian Barbie. She'll be simply called Shani since she's the only one I have, Shani-wise.

She got some photo time tonight. I decide to have a Christie doll join her in one pic because (1) there was a time I didn't know how they were different (2) these two dolls reminded me of my relatives (my late aunt and cousin, if only the dolls' skintone were lighter).

While reviewing the pics, I made a mental tandem of the following face molds...

Superstar and Shani
Mackie and Nichelle
Generation Girl and Christie
Ana/Lara and Asha

And I'm like hmmmm...

Jifeng

2011-07-12T06:41:00.000-07:00

Even if I'm not very much interested in the new dolls that has been coming out, the arrival of these new dolls still spells good news to me. Other collectors make room for the new dolls by selling their older dolls. Hurray for me!

That was how I got the Doll of The World Princess of China. I got her nude. It saved me the trouble of removing the costume and it also lowered the cost.

I wanted to redress her the moment I got her. I wanted to use plain clothes, not gowns, nor Asian costumes. I was intentionally making her look less exotic. I figured Asian dolls have been exoticized enough, I wanted to make them look ordinary...but I don't think I was that successful. I kept imagining Mulan. I had to keep myself from letting her hold a sword!

Heck, I even picked out an exotic name for her: Jifeng which means auspicious wind! How about you, do you like your dolls to look exotic or familiar?

With dolls and a vibrator, how could you go wrong?

2011-06-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't used a vibrator so I don't know how much fun that would bring. Just put dolls on the picture and you'll have me smiling. A mini web series combining the two surely sounds interesting, to say the least. The first episode already had me cracking.

I'm talking about The Power Object, a story of three friends and their magic vibrator. This was introduced to me by no less than the creator herself, Claire-Dee Lim. She's a Filipino based in the US. She noticed my interest for dolls so she informed me about her project. I appreciate her gesture. I appreciate her more for the effort she put in this project to offer free entertainment for us!

She filmed the series herself. Everything looks simple from the dolls, to the set, to the props but the jokes pack a punch. You don't need the coolest set design if it's not the point, right? It's the comedy! The props, even the characters, are out of proportions which added to the humor. Trolls as babies are way funnier that those cute Barbie babies, don't you think?

So if you're ready to lighten up, click here.

My Smiling Asian

2011-06-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'm really interested on how Asian faces are represented in Barbie-sized dolls. Most dolls, especially from Mattel, use closed-mouth faces for dolls with Asian heritage.

I used to think that Asian doll always have their mouths closed. Thanks to Dana for introducing me to Asian dolls with their mouths open.

I really won't go to great lengths to get me one. I'll just take what comes along. Luckily, I saw a Cathay Pacific Flight Attendant doll at the thrift. I got her for about $5. I'm not willing to pay for more and good thing I didn't. She comes in a clone belly button body that doesn't even have the click bend legs and her dangerous red dress has stained on her body. Even her bonnet stained on her forehead. Her old body was a mess so I decided to re-body and redress her.

Here she is enjoying her new clothes (she re-used her jacket). I call her Cathy. She is joined by Yue-sai in one picture.

Semi-random note:

If you like flight attendant dolls, you might like viewing this collection.

Nichelle?

2011-06-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

I realized that my collecting preference has changed. I am now trying to get JUST a sample of each headmold from the Barbie line. I prefer those with not so big eyes and black hair, if possible. In case, I find a better (this is subjective) version, I'll dispose the older one. My fave head molds (Lea/Kayla, Oriental, Mbili, Goddess etc) are of course exempted from that rule.

Now, I can finally say that my fixation on getting a doll with a Nichelle head mold has ended. I'm happy with my doll. The thing is, I don't know her. Can anybody identify her for me? I'm not sure if she was redressed but her earrings match her dress. I did pour boiling water on her hair to flatten it. I think a kid used to tie it in a ponytail so she was a mess when I got it.

Any info about this doll will be appreciated. :)

It's June. It's Time...

2011-06-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

...to go back to school!

June is the month where students go back to school here in the Philippines. To go with the season, I had my big-headed dolls dressed in school uniforms made by me and my mom. When I was 5 and 6, I used to wear similar uniform in green. Today, my nephew will experience his first day in cool and I'm excited for him.

...for Independence Day.

There has been a renewal of of Filipino pride lately. Although there are lots of Filipinos to be proud of out there, I'd like to mention one (of many) from the doll community: Cholo. One of his latest works involved couture dresses with a touch of Filipiniana, a collection he calls POP Pilipino Op da Pyutyur. How can I not be proud of that?

...for the ToyCon.

This year, the Philippine Toys Hobbies and Collectibles Convention celebrates it's 10th year. For those doll hobbyist who are in the mood for a little competition, they can join the Dressed Up Doll Contest. Will I join? Nope. I'm just to busy. Will I be at the ToyCon? No, Maybe and Yes. :)

My Favorite Career...NOT

2011-05-16T02:30:00.000-07:00

Last year, Mattel released the My Favorite Career Barbie repro. There's three in the series-- the astronaut, the student teacher and the nurse. I heard (but I could be wrong) those didn't sell that well abroad making stores drop the prices. Just recently those dolls from so last year has been made available locally. Some questions came to mind. (1) Why just now especially that the fuss about the dolls has died down? (2) Who would buy them at such high prices knowing they were on sale? (I know, inexperienced collectors.) (3) Is our country the dumping ground of less popular dolls?

I'm over-thinking again. I know.

PNN Filipiniana Doll Meet

2011-05-16T00:25:00.000-07:00

Another wonderful doll meet for PNN members with lotsa gorgeous Filipiniana dresses! The event was hosted by Cholo. He also made the cool back drop. Too bad, my cam's battery died so I wasn't able to take many pictures. Some pics below were taken using my phone (which I didn't really buy for the camera).

Chichi enjoyed the meet. Being the only big headed doll, she felt so special that day. Unlike my other dolls, I think Chichi is more sociable. She interacts with the other dolls! I even heard her discussing the benefits of cross-breeding with one of the homme.

A Wazak Filipiniana Dress

2011-05-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

I like the Filipiniana dresses. I like the unique shape of the sleeves not found in other dresses. I have been inspired from time to time to make some. Here are some of the photos of the dresses I've done (in case you're new to my blog). :)

You know how a person's taste change with time? Well, let's just say, I'm not into making gowns for the past few months. I may appreciate them but I'm not inspired to make them right now. I currently like the informal dresses or maybe the offbeat look.

This Saturday, PNN will have another doll met with Modern Filipiniana as the theme. Filipiniana dresses are usually associated with a certain level of formality, something I'm not keen on doing so I took it as a challenge to make a Filipiniana dress that is not just informal but is rebellious, crazy and wonderfully wazak. What better doll to model it than an equally quirky big headed Chichi.

From the back it looks like a Balintawak except that those dresses are usually in vibrant and lively colors. I decided to use black. But wait until you see the front. It's so...WAZAK!

This dress is no one-trick pony, which is a plus in my book. Even if it is informal, one can make it look decent with the right styling. It can be mixed and matched with a different skirt or pants.

______________

Wazak was derived from the Filipino word 'wasak'. Wasak means to destroy. Wasak can also mean other things colloquially.

Spanish face?

2011-05-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Coming from a country ruled by Spain for about 300 years, I have this image (I'm not saying it's a politically correct image) of what a Spanish person looks like. The Spanish face mold of Barbie is far from it.

I actually felt the 1983 Spanish Barbie looks closer to a Filipina in a cartoonish way. She doesn't have a high bridged nose. She has relatively dark skin. She has full lips but not too full. She has gorgoues black hair.

Because of that, I have been wanting to have a doll with the Spanish head mold. Luckily I found one. I don't know what doll she was before since I got her from the thrift. She originally came with a PTR body and without piercings on the ears. I dressed her in the black outfit that came with the Superstar Barbie repro.

* * *

(Random thought)

Although I'm not an avid (another relative adjective) collector of Barbie dolls, I do want to have a sample of each head sculpt of Barbie's friends (except for my favorite sculpts which I have a number of versions). I mentioned earlier that most of the new Barbie dolls that are being released don't excite me as much. Select older dolls are different but I'm not in a hurry to buy those older dolls because just imagine... if I already acquired all of them I might already get bored. I realized that part of collecting dolls is the excitement of acquiring them. So what happens when you already acquired them?

Colored Heidi Ott Dolls

2011-05-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

The problem (at least my problem) with Heidi Ott dolls is that these dolls don't come in a wide range of skin tones. For a while now, I have been trying to change the skin color of my Heidi Ott dolls, attempting to make them look vaguely Asian. I have been failing miserably in my previous attempts. I tried so many things to color them--ink, oil pastel, colored pencil, all of which led to undesirable results. I even boiled one doll in a fabric dye since I read somewhere that they worked on some BJD's. I wanted to spray paint them but the color I wanted was not available. Water based acrylic was not an option earlier since the dolls have a smooth finish, the paint will not adhere properly.

I tried the body blushing technique using soft pastel which started okay at first but since I don't want to end with just blushing, I tried applying more pigments (sealing after every application). As the layers of pigment became thicker, I find it hard to make the color even. The dolls ended looking like they're suffering from vitiligo.

All those attempts were time consuming and ended up disappointing but I was not going to give up just yet. Running out of ideas I decided to give it a rest. I decided to focus on other doll projects. Every time I want to try a new way of coloring them, I fear that it would end up in another mistake.

Last weekend, unable to do my planned spring cleaning because my back ached, I decided to sit down and give one more try in coloring my 12th scale dolls. Since the texture of the dolls have changed with the layers of pastel and sealer, I figured acrylic might cling to the surface better. I was right. And I was happy with how things turned out.

BEFORE

AFTER

The pale skinned Edeline (12 Dancing Princesses) doll serves as the baseline for comparison. For the male doll on the left, I used a mixture of white, burnt sienna and a small amount of yellow ocher. For the male doll on the right, a mixture of white, burnt sienna and burnt umber was used. The paint job doesn't look smooth which I really like. They don't look shiny and very plastic. The paint chips off in some jointed areas like the hip joint in one doll but is okay in another. I guess I have to apply a thinner paint and sealer. Or maybe I shouldn't bother since it will be covered by the clothes anyways.

This got me thinking. Remember the wonderfully poseable Barbie Fashionista body that came with a wide range of TWO colors? Maybe I could paint them as well so that I can rebody my other dolls. Edeline sure could use some poseable body. We'll see...

Little Mimi Pretty Fashion Shop

2011-04-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

I thought she was Miki after reading Theresa's entry. Apparently she's Mimi (Mimi World), a Korean doll.

She came with a pink fashion shop pictured, pet dog and all the accessories and dresses below.

It's not that I collect anime dolls but I don't mind getting them at a good price. At the moment I have three (Licca, Riku, if I remember correctly, and Mimi).

comparison

The reason why I bought the playset is because I think it could work well with my petite LPS Blythe doll.

The Mimi dresses don't fit the LPS Blythes but they fit Kelly dolls. What's a fashion shop if my Blythes have nothing to shop for, right? Now I'm motivated to make dresses for them!

Return to Innocence

2011-04-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Age indeterminate, they can look like kids and they can look like young adults, definitely not a one-trick pony. That is just one of the things I like about my CCE Blythe clone. Rebodying them in highly sexual-ized Barbie or Obitsu bodies is not an option for me. The Licca body is just fine with enough curves which one can flaunt or down play. I also didn't seal their face paint so I can change them when I feel like it.

There are times when I get fed up with too much play on sexuality from dolls. (It makes me think, are they the new sex toys? Maybe. I personally use them to act out my sex fantasies. Lol.) My other dolls can serve as a breather. After making dresses for model muse bodies I felt I have to do something childlike.

I decided to create dresses for Potpot and Chichi. I think they love it.

Twigs and Blooms

2011-04-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

I realized that I don't have that much non-pink printed dresses. The ones I made last January for the Runway doll meet were sold to friends. So I took some time to make a couple JUST for myself.

I wanted refreshing colors of blue and green. I don't hate pink but I felt it can be done in moderation. I wanted the dresses to look simple and open to mix-and-match possibilities. Add a jacket or shrug, a new skirt or a pair of leggings and these dresses will look differently.

I call the floral dress as "Blooms" and the other one as "Twigs". Blooms has a neckline designed to show some cleavage. Twigs is actually inspired by Mod fashion, something Twiggy would wear, minus the loose fit. Here they are on Lea and Midge with some simple styling with the help of the Barbie basics fashion pack.

Golden Rust

2011-04-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed the recent 4-day weekend. No, I didn't go to any exotic location most Filipino do at that time of the year. I stayed at home, bonded with my family and then later with a friend. I was also able to make six dresses--four for model muse Barbie dolls and two for Skipper/Blythe sized bodies.

The first of the dress, which I call Golden Rust, was made specially for Marisa, not my own Marisa but a friend's Marisa. I normally don't like taking commissions lately since I don't find it cost efficient (considering how much I should earn per hour) but I felt I owe the friend so I made this for him.

Before I hand the dress to my friend, I had to do a trial fitting and photo shoot with my own Marisa (which used to be owned by my friend.)

The shades are from a Barbie Basics fashion pack. The bracelet, I think is from Hanna Montana while the purse is a vintage repro from Mattel. The shoes came with a Barbie Fashionista doll. I forgot which one. :)

I'm Pretensious. Are you?

2011-04-18T01:13:00.000-07:00

Playing with dolls is part of pretend play. I pretend like I'm a stylist, fashion designer, interior designer, make-up artist AND MORE. I'm no expert in those fields nor do I want to be part of those industries. I guess I thought it would be fun to make-believe some time. I like it best when I get to pretend more, like getting a beaten up doll and do a marvel of a make-over, like in Pimp My Ride. I guess it takes much more pretending (imagination) if I have a doll that looks different from what I pretend it to be (like in my previous entry, an Asian Blythe clone) and much more fun.

I know I'm just pretending and I know the limits of my pretension. What's the value of a doll without pretension?

Chichita

2011-04-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

I finally had some time to work on my numerous pending doll projects. I plan to do the sewing projects this coming 4 day weekend. I decide to work on my Blythe clone last Saturday.

I always wanted dolls with an Asian flavor even with big headed dolls. Since there is no way I could make those big eyes look Asian, I could at least make them look like another Asian doll called Pullip. (Why don't I just get a Pullip? The answer deserves a separate blog entry, if I feel like it.)

I reshaped the eyes with the help of a triangular file. I also filed the nose to make them smaller. I sanded the chin to make them softer. I find the shape of the eyes can make this doll look catty so I decided to carve a slight smile on her lips to make her look more friendly. I call her Chichita.

You can see the difference between the old mold and the reshaped face in the above photo. Now I have to learn how to replace the lashes and find a way to score some cool eye chips.

Blythe Loves Polly Pocket Fashion

2011-04-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to bring all my LPS Blythes to the last doll meet but they didn't have appropriate dresses. It was just yesterday that I scored some glittery fashion for them (Fab-tastic fashion from Polly Pocket). To think that their clothes should be easier to make (in the sense that it would take less stitches) but I wasn't able to.

These dolls have side-tracked me from working on my shelf dollhouse. Working. Yes, sometimes the hobby can feel like work and I have to drop it and do something else, something that could really make me smile a childlike smile, like these little Blythe. To me they're like little kids, trying to act (but not forced into being a) grown up. How cute is that?

PNN in the House

2011-04-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

This video is advised to be played on the background while reading this entry.

LITTLE Beebee joined tonight's PNN Doll Meet. Dressed in a green Polly Pocket dress (since I still have to find time to make doll dresses), she is joined by her fellow big headed doll, Pullip, in a Hed Kandi themed doll meet.

House music such as from Hed Kandi played in the background while we took pictures so PNN members get the club vibe. (I'm reminded how much I miss the club scene.) This doll meet was organized by Jason and Kenneth. They also made the fun set for our dolls.

'Cause your free to do what you want to do

More photos would probably be uploaded in other PNN members' FB account.

Sunsun and Seasea

2011-04-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Long before Blythe Loves Littlest Pet Shop dolls were sold here, I already ordered one for myself at eBay. Yes, it cost me more (money and patience) but I thought they were never gonna be sold here. (It's not my loss really. I'll explain in another post if I feel like it.) It was only yesterday that I was able to claim the 1st LPS Blythe I ever bought!

The thing with Blythe Loves LPS Swim & Sun is that it was not my favorite. I really like Playfully Plaid (with her darker hair) but since Swim & Sun has a more buyer friendly shipping rate (since it has a smaller box), I chose it. I was okay with having my 3rd LPS Blythe, but then on my way home yesterday I passed by the toy store and saw LPS Sunshine Island. It looked like my favorite Playfully Plaid but I like it more because it has brown eyes! Although there was one thing I didn't like, the painted on leggings.

I thought I'll just head swap the two and sell the Swim and Sun head on the Sunshine Island body but while de-boxing both I felt that these two are twin sisters never to be parted! I decided to keep them both. Sunshine Island will now be called Sunsun and Swim & Sun will be Seasea.

Sunsun: Seasea, you look cute in your swimsuit.
Seasea: I know, right. I really can't wait to swim.
Sunsun: You're favorite activity must be swimming.
Seasea: Since we don't have a pool and live far from the beach, I find it too much of a hassle. I like bowling better.

Sunsun: Bowling?
Seasea: Yes. We don't have to go far to go bowling and it's indoors so we'll be safe from sun damage.
Sunsun: I guess you're right but you can't go like that bowling.
Seasea: Of course I can. I'll show you. Follow me to the kitchen. (<- click that...*wink*)

Touchy Exclusivity

2011-04-07T00:09:00.000-07:00

The truth is, some dolls cost more that others, not because of their superior quality but because of the sense of exclusivity attached to the doll. Exclusivity (which could mean limited to a low supply) comes with a high price.

This, I think is a point (although not the only point) of this "notification". When the exclusivity enjoyed by the buyer is put at risk with the emergence low cost dolls, it becomes an issue.

...each of us is purchasing every doll at very high prices. I was shocked when I heard this... The dropping dolls are not allowed to come into the market. If keep happening like this, what’s the value of collecting these luxuries products.

The concern of the writer lies in the value of the item, not on the copyright issues. There was little or no concern for the toy company who could lose profits which could lead to their business closing down (or downsizing), hence more people out of jobs and less doll options for us collectors-- none of that complication, just a glaring concern for preserving exclusivity.

I cannot blame the writer for being concerned with the sense of exclusivity in danger. It is what the company was selling in the first place.

Pay Pal Pak

2011-04-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

One major reason why eBay, Paypal and the like is not a big hit in the Philippines is its lack of protection for both the buyer and the seller.

Two months ago, maybe earlier, I bought some miniature item from a Chinese seller. After a month and a half of not receiving the item, I notified the seller and the seller was nice enough to refund me. Last Monday, I received a notice to pick up some items at the post office. I went this morning and I was surprised to receive the miniature item mentioned. As much as I want to pay back the seller, I can't. The problem is, I never really got the refund. My Paypal account reflected the refund and Paypal automatically remit it to my bank account. Somewhere from PayPal to my Unionbank Eon account, the fund disappeared! The refund transaction did not reflect my bank transaction history.

Here's a long line to follow whenever I buy anything online, thru Paypal:

buyer -> Unionbank -> Paypal -> seller -> post office -> buyer

With so many things to factor, many things can go wrong! Something can go wrong with the buyer, with the bank, with Paypal, with the seller, with the post office (and related services). Furthermore, the buyer can claim he/she didn't get the item. How will the seller know?

Honestly, I don't want to deal with that right now, so I'm refraining from using my Paypal. I wanna keep it simple, seller <-> buyer. Of course, I have this attitude since no new dolls (being sold online) really (I mean really) interests me lately.

___________

Palpak is a Tagalog slang for a moment of failure.

Beebee

2011-04-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

It looks like the toy price discrepancy is not isolated in our country. I saw this at Flickr.

LPS Blythe here cost a little less here compared in Finland. That's glass half-full. I also found out that there are other variants aside from B13 and B14 being sold here. They cost less than B13 and B14 as they only come with one pet only.

I got myself Blythe Loves Littlest PetShop Lemons' n Honey (B11). I like her because of her bright hair color and she doesn't have painted-on clothing like the others. I think the bee pet is cute and unusual (who has bees for pets?).

(Beware: More crappy pics from the phonecam.)

Petpet: What a hot day! I could use some refreshments.

Petpet: Oh, goody, a lemonade stand!

Beebee: I hope you enjoy my lemonade. It is sweetened by honey made by my pet, Yellow.

PetPet: Yellow is so sweet, offering drinks to my pets Pink and Lilac.

Beebee: And so is his honey.

Petpet: Speaking of sweets, I’m craving for some. Do you know where I can get some sugar rush?

Beebee: Down the road, you’ll find a donut shop.

Petpet: Just what I need. Thanks. See you again. Bye.

Petpet: This must be the place. Hello…

Yellow: Welcome. Go ahead and choose a donut while I get my master.

Petpet: Be back soon, okay.

Petpet: Wait. Don’t tell me you own this shop, too.

Beebee: What can I say? I like wearing different hats!

Petpet: You should consider not covering your very cool hair.

Beebee: Why, thank you! For that dog muffins for Lilac and Pink...

Beebee: ...and a donut for you. On the house!

Petpet: Thank you for the treat! I wouldn’t be surprised if I see you at the next shop.

Beebee: You bet, as long as it’s THE LITTLEST PETSHOP!

Exception

2011-03-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Rule: Barbie, friends, and similar dolls are to be sold at a higher price here in the Philippines.

Let's take for example the Fashionista dolls (being sold by AngelicDreamz at $17). They get sold here for $20. Barbie Basics get sold here for about $33 compared to AngelicDreamz's $25. I'm comparing the local prices with the prices from AngelicDreamz which we all know does not usually offer the best prices and those are estimates based on a low dollar-peso exchange rate of $1=PhP45. Of course, we pay more if the price of the dollar increase. Do you see how much, much more we pay for a doll?

(ASIDE: I'm not complaining. I'm just stating facts. Sometimes we still save some by buying locally than buying online because of the can't-argue-with-that shipping fee. And these facts also apply to other toys (not just dolls) from foreign manufacturers. It also doesn't help the Filipino consumer that most foreign toy brands have exclusive distributorship contracts (read: monopoly by contract) with a local company. The idea of "competitive prices" doesn't really work with a monopoly, do they? In other countries, toys easily get sold with a big discount if they don't sell well in months. Here toys get offered with a big discount if they don't get sold for about 48 years. That was an exaggeration but you get the point.)

As with any rule, there is bound to be an exception and I'm really surprised to see one. My Favorite Ken Doll (50th Anniversary repro) is being sold locally for about $40 as compared to AngelicDreamz's price of $45. Another surprising thing is that I usually see just one piece per repro per store (being on the 'limited' edition side) on display on the shelf. But with these Ken dolls there were six of them in one store. I thought it was really peculiar. I decided to get myself one as I don't have a brunette repro Ken yet. And the best part is I got mine at 10% off regular price. (Now it's back to its regular price.)

A fellow collector tried to make sense of this strangeness. For one, Ken doesn't really sell as well as Barbie. (Then why did they started selling 6 in one store and not the usual one per store?) He said maybe this is a test on how local consumers will take limited edition Ken dolls. If we are more open to buying Ken dolls, maybe they will offer the male Barbie Basics here. The last time I checked the male Basics are either sold out or they weren't even offered here, while all the ladies in the jeans series, including the Louboutin mold are still available. And maybe if we are not as receptive with the Ken dolls, we won't get to see the Asian Ken being sold locally. That's a lot of speculation from a fellow collector.

I have some speculation of my own. Maybe these Ken dolls did not sell well abroad so they were offered (read: dumped them) to our local distributor at a lower price. Come to think of it, there wasn't much noise from fellow collectors in the online community about this repro Ken. Most of what I heard is that they are only interested with the outfit. It (at the moment) doesn't even have a decent customer review at Amazon. It is understandable since similar looking Ken dolls have been issued in the past. Umm... repro! :)

I haven't bought a male playscale doll for awhile even if a friend was offering me a male Basics at a "good" "rule" price because I have realized I don't get to play with them that much... but this is an exception.

Small Steps

2011-03-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

The shelf I bought two weeks ago is slowly looking like a dollhouse. The main occupants of the shelf/dollhouse are my two male Heidi Ott dolls but the population of my 12th scale dolls has grown courtesy of a friend.

I'm also slowly procuring more 12th scale furniture, most of which are locally bought. They cost a little more than the ones I can get from eBay but eBay shopping is risky and requires a lot of waiting, things I don't want to deal with right now, so I settled for the local store even if the design options are very limited and the stocks lacking.

Toilet fixtures like the bowl and sink are not available locally so I have to rely on eBay for that. I also noted on each picture things I want to do. Of course, other than what I noted, there are more things to make or acquire like the miniature bedside lamp, changing the sheets etc.

I'm trying to make the dollhouse look like a home for an ordinary couple without kids. I'd like to use less opulent looking furniture and the space for each area of the house will seem cramped, like regular people making do of the little spaces they live in.

I initially planned to use the 1st floor as the living room but I later decided to divide the floor into two areas (area not room)--the living area and the study area. I'm thinking that the occupants of this house are not very much into entertaining guest. They do like surfing the net to maybe blog or shop online. One of them likes books so there must be a big bookshelf. They also like to cuddle while watching a good movie at home.

Both of them agreed that take outs are unhealthy so they rely mainly on home cooked dinner. And just like any Filipino family, they bond over food. They keep up to date with each other over dinner. That is why the second floor is just for that.

Did I say Filipino? But Heidi Ott dolls are too pale to look Filipino. So I'm trying different methods of dyeing the dolls. I've tried dyes for clothes, oil pastel and even ink (yes permanent markers) but they weren't so permanent after all. Some of the ideas I tried are really stupid. I should have put more research into it. I tried to use watercolor pencil and it turned out okay. I just need to find a way making the color even.

And I was able to try my hands on making clothes for these small dolls. Their size limits the things I can to with their clothes but with dollhouse dolls, it's not really about the fashion. :)

Blythe Loves Littlest PetShop

2011-03-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

I think Blythe dolls are cute but Petite Blythes are so much cuter! I didn't expect the "Blythe Loves Littlest PetShop (LPS)" toy series to be available here since Blythe is not really a popular doll locally. (Heck, I don't even have a Blythe. I settled for a clone!) So imagine my surprise when I saw a couple at the Toy Kingdom. I was thinking it over since I already ordered one from eBay and should be with me by the month's end...but this is a different variant from what I ordered. And she has two cute sunglasses! Forget the pets.

Sold at PhP1200, it a good price compared to those from eBay (including shipping) minus the long wait. Unlike the non-LPS Petite Blythe, these one don't have the sleeping eyes. Good enough for me.

Now Potpot has a littlest sister. I'm gonna call her Petpet.

Work in Progress

2011-03-11T07:36:00.000-08:00

I decided to buy a shelf and turn it into a 1:12 scale doll house. I find smaller things more cute plus this would take too much space if I were to use Barbie-sized dolls! The living room will be on the 1st level. I'm still waiting for my miniature computer table. I'm thinking maybe I can make a home office in one corner. But I also bought a mini sewing machine. Where would that end up? Maybe in another room box? The second floor is for the kitchen and dining room while the 3rd is for the bedroom, toilet and shower. I'm not really into bath tubs. And the roof top will be a pocket garden!

As for my Heidi Ott dolls, I have removed their hair, chipping my fingernails (but it's all good). I'm a bit hesitant in dyeing/tanning them because any mistake might become irreversible. I'm afraid the color won't be even. I guess I'll just start sewing for my two little boys (while I muster the courage to color them). I want to make board shorts or at least something that looks like one.

With the little time I have for my dolls, I want to do something I really like and not exert any effort on just something others expect me to do.

Heidi Ott dolls and some dolly delights

2011-03-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

I have been working for a promotion that's why I have less time for dolls lately but when my Heidi Ott dolls finally arrived, I felt I have to give in to some play time!

Heidi Ott Dolls are high quality 1/12th (dollhouse) scale dolls that can be redressed. The adult dollhouse dolls are made of 34 body parts which are manufactured in Germany, then assembled, and ultra sonically welded together and hand finished in Switzerland. The body has 14 movable joints, the heads are hand-painted and some have mohair wigs. The elderly dolls have a soft cloth pose-able body instead. Some outfits are sold separately.

I got myself two male dolls. The above photo shows the size comparison with other dolls (Takara Compact doll, Britney Spears doll and Aaron Carter doll). The first doll on the left is a mini clone while the jointed lady is unknown to me.

I have plans for my two Ott dolls. I want to tan them, repaint their faces and create new hairstyles for them. I'll sew clothes and make them shoes and build them a small dollhouse or room boxes, and I don't mean the ones made of cardboard like I did for dolls their size before. I want these new ones to be more permanent so I need to plan carefully. I want a rooftop garden, something like Tuesday Taylor's penthouse apartment. Sounds ambitious enough? Oh well, I have to start somewhere. I'll just change my plans as I go along. :)

This of course doesn't mean I'm going to ignore my bigger dolls. In fact, I have an on-going project with Michael and Melinda. I saw from a Flickr pal artworks of different fashion packs for the couple.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/topdollmanagement/5492528393/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/topdollmanagement/5493121068/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/topdollmanagement/5493120996/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/topdollmanagement/5492528221/

I instantly got inspired to make my own. I still have to make the closures for the clothes but then I saw an episode on Glee about sex education. The cast had a number where they sang "Afternoon Delight" and they wore outfits similar to "Party Day Blue" so I was inspired to take a picture of Michael and Melinda having some afternoon delight! :)

Going Banana

2011-02-27T19:29:00.000-08:00

(This should have been posted last week but my work schedule won't allow me.)

Our local doll group PNN's theme for March is outdoor/adventure/safari fashion. Knowing how busy I'll be this week, I've been rummaging through my doll clothes stash, looking for what can work. The only thing I made for the theme is Kayla's wig and Ken's shirt.

I went with the Banana Republic look and shot these in our backyard, hence I call the series Backyard Republic. :)

I must say I like the theme since I've never done that before and it made me use my old stuff that I have neglected and made them work.

Articulated Barbie Basics

2011-02-13T16:38:00.000-08:00

I'm definitely not gonna buy the Basics Jeans. I'm gonna wait for these beauties!

Knowing inside my head...

2011-02-13T05:35:00.000-08:00

...a name
I speak of without surprise,

that which feels like I never have
to say it out loud, only to myself, in silence
but rings clear above my head

like a neon sign that tells me,
"We're here. We're here."

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!!

Fave

2011-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Fellow doll bloggers Nicole and Dana, enumerates their favorite black dolls. I decided to follow suit. I'm really glad I have enough AA dolls considering they are rarely sold on local primary market. I got mine mostly from the secondary market.

First on the list is Storm (X-men). She is actually my 1st AA doll. I repainted her eyes trying to make her look normal but I wasn't really that skilled at repainting back then (hence the lame eyes). I love her anyways. She looks sooooo cool!

Next is a Kelly-sized doll I fondly call Puypuy. I use her as a character in my comic strip (which I rarely pay attention to these days). She's my wittiest character!

The token action-figure comes next. He is actually my only AA action figure and my 1st GI Joe. He's a repro.

Then there's Calista from BFC Ink. She has been rebodied using a flat-footed gymnast body. She looks so innocent and sweet. I also like her hair. She's my only playline doll sporting an afro. Most of my AA playline dolls sports straight or wavy hair.

Next is teen Nikki, teen Skipper's friend. I really find her pretty and her hair is interesting, too. I know they are have the same face mold but I think Nikki is prettier than teen Skipper (at least the teen Skipper I have).

Before I actually saw Barbie Basics model #10, I didn't like her. I changed my mind after seeing her. It takes a lot to change my mind!

Sleeping Beauty is another favorite. I like the AA version better. Her sleeping eyes never ceases to amaze me. She reminds me of vintage Miss Barbie. Hmmmm... should I cut off her hair and make her some cool wigs?

If you have been reading my blog, you'll know how much I like wigs. Having a wig-able doll makes me want less other dolls which are just variations of a face mold. So the Dynamite Girl Design-a-Doll-Studio should be on my list.

Do I need to explain why the last two dolls made it to my list? Sure, the Mbili doll has a touch of exoticization going on bordering on camp but I like the fantastic take on this doll. I do like a little ostentation from time to time.

If you strip of the exotic clothes off the Princess of South Africa and make her dress normal clothes, I can still sense that regal feel about her. She's not too proud or snooty nor too happy. She is just so composed and calm like a well-mannered princess.

* * *

Now, I actually am considering adding Barbie Basics model #4. I really like her. The reason why I haven't is because I'm not sure if I like her because she's black or because of her face mold. Of course, I like her black features, especially the full lips, curly hair and skin tone. I also like the goddess face mold very much. Heck, if I could get all versions, I would but since I have limited resources, I only pick out those which I think are best from the options available to me.

Here is Edeline from the 12 Dancing Princesses and Barbie Basics Black model #4. I believe they respectively have the palest and darkest skin tone Mattel produced (at least for the Barbie line).

I have a question. Is the Goddess face mold, the only face mold that used the two extreme skin tones? I'm thinking maybe my other favorite mold Lea/Kayla, too. The Princess of Japan was one of the palest. What about a Lea/Kayla having the darkest skin tone? There's a number of AA Lea/Kayla mold but I don't know if they have it in the darkest skin tone Mattel made.

On Hate

2011-02-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

I like opinionated people, especially if they are open-minded. I don't have to agree with everything they say but when they start to stimulate me to think, I really appreciate it.

An example is this Flickr entry. After reading, one question first came to mind: Doesn't hating the haters makes you a hater yourself? It's a sick cycle.

Anyone is free to simplify things to black and white, eliminating all the shades of gray or brown or simply saying "a doll is just a doll". You are free to think that way, especially if you are educated to think that way.

Or you can think harder. If you start to think that a doll can be part of the ideological state apparatuses then you might understand where some of the hate came from. You might even love the hate.

_________
I believe that dolls can be more than just dolls. It can be used to send a message, like what was done here.

Catsuit Mission

2011-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Jenny (or her friend) on Liv body. Vest was borrowed from Storm (X-men)

You find a fabric that you think would work great on sixth scale dolls outfits so you instantly bought it only to find out that it's a pain to sew and worse, it stains the doll!

But with pictures like those above, you can say not bad for a first try! You think of ways to make it work better. You have to make it work. You make it your mission.

Prom Ready

2011-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

I wanted to postpone posting this until our prom doll meet but then I thought by next week, I might be more excited talking about other things I plan to do this coming weekend. :)

Darla is ready for the prom. She has a new dress and will just ask Jerjer to be her date. Her dress was inspired by the vintage Barbie Fraternity Dance. I realized that when making dresses for Darla (with Takara Licca-chan body), it would be more practical to use the vintage Skipper body (which is slightly bigger than Licca) so that the dress can also fit Skipper. We want our dolls to share dresses, don't we?

If you're tired of your old doll, try giving her a new look. There's nothing like a new dress to help one enjoy an old doll!

New Year, New Notes To Self

2011-02-02T21:24:00.000-08:00

It's a new lunar year. Forecast for the year of the metal rabbit is not really all that hopeful.

"Although the world economy will technically be out of recession, many countries will still be marred in debt and subject to high taxation. Unrest will grow and governments will be forced to place their dometic agendas above the demands of international co-operation. This will place great strain upon the European Community, the Russian Federation, the Chinese Communist Party and the economic co-operation between Canada, the USA and Mexico.

This is because the Yin Metal Rabbit is an introspective, home loving pacifist with a sharp business acumen who will ensure the preservation of his own creature comforts to the exclusion of outsiders. It is a year in which the family will come first. Expect moves by some States in the USA and China to demand greater autonomy, and for pressure to grow in Britain to withdraw from the European Community."

from Metal Rabbit Forecast 2011 from MyQualities.com

Introspective. Peaceful. Exclusion of others. Hmmm... I think I'm feeling the effects already especially in my attitude towards dolls.

Last year saw me buying more and I mean more. Lately I have been focusing more on what I have and rethinking if I really want the new stuff being sold. Let's take for example the Barbie Basics Jeans collection. I initially wanted the two non-blond male dolls but then I asked myself, "Do I really want them?" I have to be honest with myself. I don't get to play that much with my male dolls! With my hundreds of blog entries, only a small percentage is devoted to male dolls.
(Note to self: Play more with Ken dolls.)

Of the female dolls in the Barbie Basics Jeans, I initially wanted the one with the Louboutin and Goddess face molds. I was ready to buy them but then I saw the pictures on Flickr. Although the Louboutin Barbie Basics is lovely, I personally think that my modified Lois Lane looks better. For one, when it comes to hair, I prefer wavy with side-parts than straight hair parted in the middle. I also like the green eyes.
(Note to self: When repainting eyes try green.)

That leaves the Goddess. I really like the head mold and the striking hair color. (Next to the dark-brown-or-black haired, I like redheads). I like her even if she used to be black in the earlier collection. I was ready to buy her but I was lucky to get Edeline (12 dancing Princesses) at a low price. With some head shrinking, I really like her. I think her skin tone is one of the fairest from Mattel while the Barbie Basics Goddess from the 1st collection was one of the darkest. I just love the striking contrast!
(Note to self: Take pictures of the two goddess dolls together.)

It is also an auspicious year for the Dragon, especially those who are working abroad and seeking greener pastures.

Business and money will come easily for those born under this sign, but they need to focus more on their health because they are prone to illnesses.
From SunStar.com

Last year, I was blogging about my health. It got me scared for a while and now this horoscope??? Late last year, I was really taking a lot of break from dolls. Now, I feel like I'm back to my old self. I have been doing a lot of doll customizations and doll dresses (although I don't blog about them). I've been sleeping at 2am once again almost everyday because of dolls. That is really bad for my health.
(Note to self: Sleep early!!!)

You might think what's this silly guy talking about silly horoscopes? Well, I'm not hear to convince anyone that those are true but I do appreciate the warning. Like last year, my horoscope told me to take special care of the older members of my family since they might get sick seriously. They mentioned that it might happen at the later part of the year. It did. As much as I tried to prepare or prevent things from happening, I can only do so much given a tragedy.
(Note to self: Move on.)

What really gave me the goosebumps today is when I tried the personal forecast from MyQualities.com. It was pretty accurate, it's scary.

2006	Year of the Dog	This was an awkward year for Niel as his plans were scuppered by problems he had not foreseen. Such problems might have been caused by his employees, or by subordinates at work who challenge his authority.
	Niel's Personal Year 3	In Niel's 3 Personal Year, he enjoyed a happy, carefree existence in which he made new friends and developed new interests. Work continued as normal, but Niel's aim was above all to pursue a vigorous social life. (Yikes, they got that right. I really spent a lot of time meeting new people in the hopes of finding a partner.)
2007	Year of the Pig	Niel had a much better year, although his career or business interests took a somewhat uneven path. However, his love life or family commitments did not cause him any major problems.
	Niel's Personal Year 4	In his 4 Personal Year, Niel wanted to achieve something much more serious. He wanted to achieve a specific goal, and by the end of the year, difficult though it might have been, the goal was reached.(I don't know if they meant my commitment with my partner.)
2008	Year of the Rat	A promising year for Niel. His love life improved in a powerfully romantic way, and business or career interests fluctuated wildly. Fortunately, any big financial problem was avoided.
	Niel's Personal Year 5	Niel's 5 Personal Year was one of change and variety. This might have been a change of career, home or partner. Whatever it was, a 5 Personal Year ushers in an unexpected change of direction.(They might be referring to the doll direction. Before 2008, I didn't have a doll.)
2009	Year of the Ox	Niel enjoyed a reasonably good year. His family life was calm and secure, and though he had to steer his career interests through troubled waters he did not suffer directly from the storms. (I don't know if this is about the recession and yes personally, it didn't affect me.)
	Niel's Personal Year 6	In his 6 Personal Year, Niel's life was concentrated on home and family matters. He might have been married (or divorced) or have moved in with a new partner. It might have been a year for a birth in the family, or a year in which he made improvements to his home. (I never lose focus with my loved ones, so this is a given with any year. My partner and I moved in together in 2008. No new babies, too.)
2010	Year of the Tiger	The Dragon Niel did not fare well in the year of the Tiger. No specific course of action was obvious, and it was difficult to make choices. There might have been a death in his family.(Eeek! They got right! Goosebumps.)
	Niel's Personal Year 7	For Niel, this 7 Personal Year was a year of learning and development. He was less interested in material possessions, and much more concerned with spiritual analysis or philosophy. It was a year to develop his mind.
2011	Year of the Hare	In the quieter atmosphere of a Rabbit year, Niel will make better progress. He will suffer no great financial loss, and his home and love life will appear to be settled.
	Niel's Personal Year 8	In his 8 Personal Year, Niel will direct his mind to financial matters. This is the year in which he will reap the rewards of earlier years, depending of course on how hard he has worked. Nevertheless, it is a year in which he will get good value for money in his dealings. NOTE TO SELF: LET'S MAKE THIS TRUE!
2012	Year of the Dragon	A brilliant year in which Niel will make substantial progress on all fronts. He will achieve recognition for his work, money for his labour, and the adoration of his friends.NOTE TO SELF: LET'S MAKE THIS TRUE, AGAIN!
	Niel's Personal Year 9	Niel is in his 9 Personal Year, and during this time he will look back over the previous nine years to decide what must be discarded, and what retained for the future. It is a period of re-evaluation that culminates in the last three months of the year in a much clearer idea of how the next nine years will be spent.

A Case of Kawaii

2011-01-30T07:10:00.000-08:00

I've seen Jenny dolls (by Takara) from online photos and from fellow collectors who brings them during doll meets but until recently, I didn't care much for them. I didn't like the big anime eyes and that's the major reason why I repaint some Barbie dolls.

I don't know who the two Takara dolls are. If you can ID them, I'd appreciate it. They are with their designated aunt, Yue-Sai Wawa.

But then I saw some episodes of Kawaii Jenny. I knew, I want a doll to help me recall those fun videos. They have to be non-blonds though!

(Random thought: Did Mattel have a stop motion animation video series for Barbie?)

__________________

Kawaii means cute

My Other Dolls

2011-01-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

I don't hate Barbie but ever since reading that statement from Mattel, I was really disappointed. So disappointed that I decided to focus my attention to my other dolls. Next month, PNN's doll meet theme will be related to the prom. I initially wanted to bring the teen-aged looking dolls from Mattel but I have decided to bring my Blythe clone, Potpot.

She was really excited with the idea, she tried restyling her hair (it's the same wig as the before pic, just restyled), putting on make-up and wearing adult clothes. Here she is with her new look. The black dress and hairstyle is inspired by Audrey Hepburn. The eye make-up is inspired by Barbie. She's even practicing how to dance. She wants to be really ready for the prom.

AFTER

I'm really surprised with her new look. She has grown! Know what? She doesn't even want to be called Potpot any longer. "Call me Darla," she said.

BEFORE

I'll be making her a prom dress over the weekend. The dress will also be inspired by one of Barbie's vintage dresses. Her new dress will be posted next month after Valentine's day.

Other than Darla, I'm currently am excited about working again with miniature or dollhouse scale toys. I haven't been blogging about it but I've been acquiring little by little stuff that I can use in my 12th scale dioramas. I really want to give more focus on this size for now. Recently, I have made major purchases related to this.

I want to style the room as if it was my own room. I'm very picky with the furniture I buy. I don't want it too ornate nor too old nor too modern looking. I might repaint the items above. I want the colors to be lighter but still on the neutral side. Most of the items I've seen don't fit my taste. I guess I just have to make them. Like the sofa, I want a specific sofa. Since I know I can't buy what I want, I'm thinking of making one. Good thing I came across a tutorial. It's not exactly what I want but the basic idea is what I just need.

PayPal: Lost In Conversion

2011-01-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a screen shot from my eBay account showing the price in the currencies of both the seller (in GBP) and buyer (in PhP). This was taken moments after the payment was made (on the same day).

This is the screen shot during payment. It displays how much I will be credited for the transaction.

Notice the PhP43.06 difference.

Kiss Goodbye

2011-01-25T00:33:00.000-08:00

They, too, like most Michael and Melinda I have seen (err...I have seen more Michael's without their Melinda's), will be parted.

I don't know which one is better, the 1st pic or the one below, so I'm posting them both. The 1st pic was edited using Paint.NET to give that vintage vibe that I think suits the dolls but I love the bright green from the second pic (unedited except for the watermark).

A Day at The Runway

2011-01-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

PNN members once again gathered to share their dolls with fellow collectors. This months theme was "2011 Fashion Forecast." I'm amazed by the range of the looks created--from the casual to the off-beat. Here's the sample of what we came up with.

Marky was the only one who made an all-male collection. He used blocks of black, white, gray and purple.

Marc's work was reminiscent of the music videos from the 80's with black net like fabric over metallic pieces.

I created dresses in matching plain and printed fabrics, highlighting one color in the printed fabric.

The dresses are loose at the bottom while a the belt was added to emphasize the narrow waist.

More maxi dresses of varied lengths and prints from Steph, Alet and Jason, respectively.

Here are some more of other members work.

On Barbie, War and Other Stuff

2011-01-21T00:27:00.000-08:00

Since last night, me and my partner were talking about the cover design of his soon-to-be-published book. I was telling him why I don't like his options and why I prefer other options. He felt that I was attacking him, saying that I always could make him feel that his choices were no good. I tried to explain that I wasn't attacking him. I was just voicing out my opinions (which he asked for, anyways) and I wasn't at all trying to convince him to change his decision. It's his book anyways.

In one instance, I told him that his choice felt like a cover of a psycho-thriller novel. He felt offended since his work is far from that genre. He translated what I said to mean that I thought his choice was bad. I , of course, didn't mean that. I said what I said without intending to label his choice as either good nor bad. I pointed out that his colleague's book cover felt like a psycho-thriller, too, but I told him I liked it.

I really take a conscious effort not to label anything as good or bad impulsively. I can say, "I don't like your taste in dolls" or "Your dolls remind me of hookers and drag queens," but I won't say, "Your dolls are bad." Just because I don't like something, it doesn't mean they are bad. I don't like going to the dentist.

I am also very doubtful of people who are quick to judge someone or something as "good" or "bad". Imagine how I felt when I read a blog entry from Doll Head.

"This is war and sides must be taken: Barbie stands for good. All others stand for evil." - Mattel

War. Good. Others. Evil. Those are mighty strong words, so strong I don't know where to start. I was composing a comment and I felt that I had too much to say, I decided to write this entry.

This is war.
Barbie. War. Violent. Barbie. War. Aggression. Barbie. War. Casualties. Barbie. Domination. Those images comes to mind and for what? A bigger market share? I'm am not saying Mattel doesn't have enough reason to engage in this war but to speak of it with an air of pride and associating it with an icon for little girls is disconcerting.

Sides must be taken: Barbie stands for good.
Here Mattel is using the binary opposition of good and evil, aligning Barbie on the good side--the dominant or preferred role. Unlike the Eastern concept of Yin and Yang, which symbolizes balance and co-existence, the concept of binary oppositions involves oppression and inequality. Binary oppositions have long been deconstructed hence the idea that Barbie is good is impossible. (By that I meant Barbie is neither good nor bad. Heck, she can be both.)

All other stand for evil.
They didn't say, "Bratz/MGA stands for evil ." They said all other! To me, that includes the clones and the Fashion Royalty dolls under one umbrella called the "Other". The I (or self) and the Other is another binary opposition. Othering has been a human way to exclude the Other, highlighting their difference (read: weakness) which will eventually lead to subordination of the Other, justified by the moral duty of the I (Mattel). To oversimplify it, bullying.

Random Post

2011-01-18T05:38:00.000-08:00

I'm just so happy. I went with my mom shopping for fabric today. She needed help carrying all those fabric. (She's doing a bridal gown and the 7 bridesmaids' dresses.)

There's so many beautiful fabric that would look great on dolls. I wanted to buy a lot of them but then I thought, when will I have the time to make the dresses? So I passed up on all of them except for one. Of all the dozen fabric store we visited, only one store was carrying it in black, which can lend versatility. It might run out of stock. I'm really excited to start working on it but I can't just yet. My sched will only allow me to do so on 29Jan2011. I'll have to wait until then. For now, I'll just think of the possibilities...

Maxi?

2011-01-17T05:13:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make maxi dresses for Barbie. I tried searching the web for authentic maxi dresses for Barbie made by Mattel but I think Google misunderstood me. Not even Nichelle's (Model of the Moment) sexy white maxi dress landed in the search result. She's wearing a maxi dress, right?

How about you, do you know any maxi dress Barbie or her friends have worn?

18Jan2011 Update

I forgot to mention that my wanting to make maxi dresses for Barbie was inspired by Alrunia and her photos: this and this one. :)

Audrey's Dilemma

2011-01-13T08:01:00.000-08:00

Erica totally feels less matronly with her new hair. With her signature slight, she tries to convince Audrey to change her hairstyle. Audrey realizes that she really can't wear a lot of dresses with her hair and a funny tiara. Woman can't live on gown alone but Audrey feels she'll lose her identity.

What should she do (hairdo)?

My Michael and Melinda

2011-01-10T04:54:00.000-08:00

When I first met Mat'to, a doll collector friend, one of the personal info he asked me for was the year I was born. He then tried to recall Barbie dolls that came out around 1976, my birth year. He has this idea that it would be nice to have a doll that was released on the year I was born. It's like having a simple connection with that doll. I thought the idea was cute. I always believe that you should have a certain connection with the things you collect for it to be more enjoyable.

I researched about Barbie dolls that came out in 1976. Most of them didn't really interest me. A lot of them used the Stacie or Malibu face mold. I simply had no connection with those dolls nor do i find anything special with them. The Superstar Barbie was not ready for release until the year after although the head are marked 1976.

I simply wanted something historical, or ground-breaking, or note-worthy. Is that too much to ask for a doll? LOL. One day, Dana posted an entry about Michael. A male doll from 1976? Cool! I went to search for more info about the doll and found out that he is articulated. He was manufactured by Mattel but he didn't belong in the Barbie line. If you want to find out what's so cool about this doll is, go ahead and click here:

http://dollcollector.wordpress.com/2010/12/22/youngsweethearts/

Since then, I have been on a lookout for Michael. Seeing how these dolls were priced on ebay and Amazon. I almost gave up hope. I decided to wait and hunt for other dolls until a few months back I saw the boxed couple being offered at eBay. I was very lucky to be the only bidder!

After the long wait, they are finally here and I didn't have to break my piggy bank!

They were marked 1975 but were released in 1976.

(It's okay. I was conceived in 1975 but born in 1976.)

Not only that these dolls could have been the precursor to Mattel's recent releases of articulated dolls, I think they are also the ancestors of big headed Barbie dolls. What do you think? :)

Barbie Basics Grapevine

2011-01-10T01:41:00.000-08:00

Barbie Basics with articulation? Really, now?

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1243903@N25/discuss/72157625779096874/

I think I read somewhere (I forgot where) that ONLY the knees will be articulated, like the 2010 Harley Davidson Barbie. Yay!

Buying online

2011-01-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

Late last year saw me doing nothing creative for my dolls. Most of my doll activities included bidding and buying. I'm getting the hang of International eBay and Paypal. These activities brought me the beauties below but not every transaction is a happy story.

I still haven't heard from some deliveries. I tried opening a non-receipt dispute on Paypal and my case was automatically closed. The reason: "This dispute closed because it was opened for more than 45 days after the transaction date or did not meet other filing criteria."

Copied from a Paypal site:

Tip: If your purchase was made from a seller outside of your country, it may take longer for your item to arrive. Before you file a dispute or a claim, make sure you've left adequate time for delivery which could take several weeks, depending on where the seller is located.

What the hell is "adequate time"? A note on the same site has this to say. "(Note: Your dispute must be raised within 45 days of the payment date)." I'm sorry I was too patient. I should have had a short fuse. Next time, I'll let my fuse blow in 30 days! (I think eBay only gives 30 days to leave a feedback for your transactions.)

I'm well aware that these things happen and the seller, eBay nor Paypal can't completely control them. It could be the post office personnel's fault, for all we know. I do believe in Karma.

Nevertheless, this won't stop me from transacting online/internationally. Whenever I make a deposit at Unionbank to pay for my online purchases, I make sure it's the money I'm willing to lose.

Online buying isn't really big yet in the Philippines. I can count using the fingers on my hands people I know who have bought anything online. There are so many ways of buying, paying and shipping items bought online but today, for the benefit of my fellow local collectors, I'll be talking about the methods that I have tried.

Even before I had my own Paypal account, I was able to purchase online with the help of my friends' Paypal account. Later I realized how troublesome this is for me and my friends. I had to rely on them, synch with their schedules, do favors in return and all that stuff. I know it's quite a hassle initially getting my own account but then again it will be easier for me in the long run.

To get my own account here's what I did. I first created an account on Paypal. I then opened an Eon account at Unionbank. I made sure that the name and address on both accounts are identical. There might be a problem linking the two if there is any mismatching info. It takes one trip to the bank to open an Eon account, just make sure you have all the requirements.

After nine days, I got a notice that I could claim my card at the bank. That's another trip to the bank. I also deposited some cash for my Paypal verification. Only after 24 hours can I use my card. After changing my PIN in an ATM, I used my Eon account to verify my Paypal account. The procedure I learned from here.

I had to register my Eon card for a internet banking since this is the only way to get the bank statement. Registering took me three days before I got approved and Unionbank didn't send me any notice that the registration process was successful. I just knew when I was able to log in. So imagine how many times I wasted trying to log in for the span of 3 days!

All these hassles and the minimal sense of security when purchasing for the items makes Paypal and online buying not very popular (at least not as popular as Facebook or Twitter or even Multiply) in the Philippines.

This entry is not really to recommend Paypal nor eBay but if you really want something, you have to work for it, take a risk (like losing money), or just wait (and do nothing) until you have a better idea.

The Plan

2011-01-04T00:37:00.000-08:00

How do I warm myself up to start doing something creative for my dolls after a long break? It has been a while after I've done something creative. In the past two months most of my dolls activities involved bidding and buying. When I allow myself to buy, I prevent myself to create.

Before the month ends I plan to be able to finish at least 3 dresses for my dolls and repaint a doll for my friend but I only have two weekends to do them! (A wig should go with the repainted doll but I think the wig will have to wait until next month.) I'm bit overwhelmed preventing me to dive right in, nevertheless, I think it's doable as long as I keep the designs simple.

On the days I can't actually work on my projects, I try at least to plan them. The sense of being overwhelmed I feel comes from not knowing what to do or when to do them. A good solution is to have a plan. That includes researching (about the methods and materials needed) and scheduling of tasks. Planning includes foreseeing problems that I might encounter and the workaround in case they arise and allotting time to solve them. Like tonight, I will only give myself 2 hours maximum for painting a blank face. The rest of the work will have to be done on another day.

A little guidance and inspiration wouldn't hurt either. Things look a lot easier with them. I came across a blog that is both inspirational and has load of information to guide me make doll dresses: The Weekend Designer. Although most projects are designed for real people, a lot methods is still applicable with dolls.

With a blog like that, I don't have any plans of posting any new patterns here. It's like it's all there. There's just no need.

Smiling Asian

2010-12-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

A lot of dolls in my collection undoubtedly looks a Asian. While I really like their closed mouth, I noticed I don't have an Asian doll will a generous smile! Maybe that is why I wanted a Banee doll, from the Jem line.

In the absence of a smiling Asian doll, I decided to designate some doll that has even the littlest Asian vibe. The Sporty Fashionista Barbie could also pass as Asian (no wonder they sell better than the other Fashionista's here) but I haven't taken her picture. The actress playing Gabriela from HSM has Asian roots so she fits the role. The Superstar mold can look Asian if she was an anime character. And yes, I forgot, the Teresa face mold (mainly associated with Latina dolls) can pass as Asian with the right facial screening but there is no mold closely associated with Asian Barbie dolls having an open-mouth smile, is there?

I also got myself a clone Hannah Montana doll using the same face mold as Gabriela and thought she can look Asian. At the first glance she did but then again when place side by side with a more Asian looking doll, she seems to be lacking Asian features.

Not that I want a smiling Asian doll, I was just wondering if there is some stereotype hiding behind the scarcity.

Googling lead me to the following:
Opening Profile: Oriental Poker Face: Eastern Deception or Western Inscrutability?

Liz

2010-12-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

I don't pretend to be an ordinary housewife. - Elizabeth Taylor

Just to make it clear, I'm not really a Liz Taylor fan but I do appreciate her beauty which was attempted to be captured in some Barbie dolls. I know little about her. I didn't even know she had a beauty mark on her right cheek (near the jaw line) which was reflected in the doll. I initially though it was a speck of dirt or paint and I was ready to erase it. Luckily, I searched for other pictures and found out that she indeed had a beauty mark.

Being one of the few Barbie dolls with a face that resembles the actual person, I couldn't resist the beauty of the doll so I was watching out for her on eBay for weeks and finally I was able to get her at a reasonable price. I waited for someone to sell her out of the box since NRFB dolls can cost up to 5x more. I'm a deboxer anyway.

Having no back ground on her, I decided to watch Butterfield 8 (which was just laying around with the pile of disc in the house). The slip dress below and the fur coat above, although have the wrong design altogether, can still help capture her vibe from that movie. (Well maybe not the poses below... She's just enjoying her new found articulation.)

Evidently I have rebodied her using a body similar to the Modern Circle Barbie body. (Is there a shorter name for that?) I already forgot what doll the body originally was since I used so many heads on it. I wanted to give Liz ample articulation but I didn't want her to look starved so the Pivotal body is not an option. Even though I don't have an FR, I never considered the body since they are too tall for the dame (or my taste) who was supposed to stand 5'2". I'm still on the look out for better body for her.

Being a relatively new collector, I have a long list of old (not necessarily vintage) dolls I wanted. I'm still waiting to my hands on Diana Ross and Audrey Hepburn dolls (although I think the Audrey doll looks too cartoon-ish). Good thing there's not much exciting Barbie dolls for next year, except maybe for one or two Barbie Basics and maybe the Ken repro. I can align my budget for older dolls that have classic timeless beauty.

Is it old age?

2010-11-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been visiting the doctor for some tests and although they came out negative, the doctor said that I'm at risk of developing certain diseases that are usually associated with old age. I'm not even 35 yet! The prescription: a lifestyle change. My doctor cannot over emphasize how much better preventive medicine is than curative.

That means sleeping early. That means going to the gym again. That means cooking (yes, I cook) healthier food and not just having take-outs. And of course all that time doing those healthier things could only mean less time for dolls! I haven't forgotten about dolls and this blog or the online doll communities including the blogs I follow. Or have I forgotten?

I really have to admit it. I'm growing old. I'm forgetting things.

There's this one doll site I'm trying to remember. I've been searching the web for the site but to no avail. Maybe you can help this old guy remember. :)

I'm looking for a site with a gallery of OOAK celebrity dolls. I don't think they were for sale. I think it was from his (I remember the site owner to be male, but I could be wrong) collection. I remember there was Bette Midler, Halle Berry (not using the Jinx face mold), Sophia Loren, Barbra (not using the Barbra face mold) and others. I can't remember if they were all Barbie-sized. I remember the doll photos were arranged in a simple grid or tabular form with borders. It's not Magia 2000.

Wishlist 001

2010-11-16T07:45:00.000-08:00

They say, I have to name it before I can claim it.

1. Banee doll from the Jem doll line. I'm fine if I can get her nude.
2. Black Barbie. A loose repro will do as long as she has her red dress on.
3. Cha cha (Grease) Barbie. I just want her head.
4. Cinco de Mayo Barbie. I just want her head.
5. Top Model Nikki. I'd settle for a loose doll as long as she's dressed as shown above.

Now, how do I plan to claim them? The idea came from a fellow doll hobbyist from Canada: swapping! I can swap some of my work (doll dresses, wigs, or shoes) in exchange for doll items that I like. The thing is, I can only start next year. There's just so much to do these days.

Yue-Sai Wa Wa

2010-11-15T02:31:00.000-08:00

A recent trip to the thrift store lead me to this doll. I was having second thoughts about buying her. My initial impression was that she looked plain. (She was being sold nude.) She cannot raise her arms sideways. Her hair seems like nylon and not soft saran. (I find nylon hair more difficult to tame.) I checked the knees and found out they don't click-bend! I read the markings on the back and saw "Yue-Sei". I remember Dana's entry on her and was curious. Despite her short-comings, I decided to buy her.

For years now, I've been complaining about less and less Asian dolls in the market and there in front of me is one, but I was not going to buy her just because she is Asian. So why did I buy her? She looks different than Barbie's Asian friends, for one. (My favorite face mold Lea/Kayla is starting to look bland as their population in my collection grows.) She's the only one in my collection having that face mold making her unique and a little more special.

She doesn't have that typical beautiful face which I find refreshing. Her lips are not too full. The Mackie face mold, I think, has fuller lips. Her cheeks seems flat, not the usual round or with prominent cheek bones. While they don't have click-bend knees, forcing her knees to bend lead me to find out that she has a sturdy wire frame to help her bend her arms and legs!

And who knows, what other possibilities she can lead to when I decided to customize her?

Dolly Meet

2010-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

I haven't been active lately in doll communities, both online and local doll meet-ups. I do try whenever I get the chance. Last Saturday, I was able to join again in a doll meet. The girls I decided to bring with me dolled up in a newly acquired My Scene playset.

Although she was dressed in a simple fashion, Aliesha (rightmost above) was a hit with my fellow doll collectors. I thought other local doll hobbyists had been head swapping since this series of BFC dolls are slowly running out. I thought my friends already bought some for themselves. Immediately after the doll meet, we went to different toy stores (even the following day) to hunt for these dolls. Luckily we were able to find the doll of our liking. I got myself Aliesha's twin, Noelle. They currently sport a Barbie Fashionista body, below.

The PnN group is really growing. I'm glad to meet the new members last Saturday. I also got to know the older members on a more personal level. Of course, getting ideas from the creative group of people is a major incentive!

An example is Anj's work below. I'm simply inspired by his works. In time, he could be a great doll designer.

Aliesha Grows Up

2010-11-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I saw the BFC Ink dolls on local toy shelves but they don't seem to get sold. I always have wanted to buy one but only for the head. I was thinking of transferring it to a Barbie body. I specially like that they have square jaws unlike typical Barbie dolls and friends. I also like the flip flops although it won't work for Barbie's arched feet. I didn't like that their heads are too big for their original bodies which is typical for MGA dolls. I wasn't going to pay full price for a doll that I only partially like. I waited for the price to be marked down.

The long wait is over. They have slashed the price to half (at Toy Kingdom), so I bought two (Aliesha and Calista). I proceeded with my original plans and saw that Aliesha was gorgeous as a grown woman. I still don't know what to do with Calista so she stays in the box. As for Aliesha's original body, my decapitated Skipper found some use for it.

I must say that I really like a doll when lend itself to other possibilities!

Metro Manila Toy Sale Schedule

2010-11-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

A local doll collector (Thank you Quichie) shared these dates with me. Local toy collectors might also be interested.

Richwell Trading Warehouse Annual Christmas Sale
(Creative Trade Center No.6 Industria St., Bagumbayan Quezon City)
November 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28
December 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 19 to 22
Time: 9am to 6pm Saturdays and Sundays
1pm to 6pm Weekdays & Fridays

Toy Kingdom Warehouse Sale
(SM Megatrade Hall 1 & 2)

November 5, 6, 7

The 5th Christmas Toy Fair (and Mom's Holiday Finds)
(SM Megatrade Hall 2)
December 17, 18, 19

Ken Be Better

2010-10-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

Playline Ken with jointed wrists? This make me lose interest with the male basics more and more.

Seamless!

2010-10-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECClIgcV81g *

A different bust size would have made it more interesting for me...but then again maybe not. It definitely doesn't have that fashion doll feel to me.

More talks about that here and here.

_________

* Thanks to Otaku for sharing the link to the video.

Wise Up

2010-10-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

It was like I'm being forced to grow up all over again and after my not-long-enough absence from blogging, I felt older and hopefully wiser. With the things that has been happening, I decided that my hobby will have to take a back seat. That meant I'm SERIOUSLY cutting my toy budget and even the playtime (doll meets and blogging included). Whether this will be temporary or not, I could not say. I remembered that I had a goal and although the dolls provided some rest, they have been increasingly distracting. It's time to wise up and reach that goal.

I didn't say I was not gonna buy dolls again. I'm just cutting my budget. I (more or less) have the dolls that I want and I realized that I could pass up on the new dolls. Well, they are interesting but to me they are not interesting enough. I told you I was feeling old. It's like everything is a rehash of something else.

It my last purchase I really had to battle with myself if I really have to buy a certain doll. I had to ask myself a lot of questions like...

- Can it wait? (A lot of my wiser purchases were made during the sale season. As much as I wanted the product, I waited for it to be on sale. Waiting also works in eBay. A vintage fashion queen Barbie I've been eying for some time was re-listed twice and the price dropped every time. I finally clicked the "Buy it Now" on the 3rd time because I knew the price was good (over $30 lower from the initial price). This blog entry was actually triggered by a photo posted by a Flickr buddy. She's a doll collector who patiently waited until the price was good. The waiting game is also the key idea behind auction snipping.)

- Is it a good price? (Knowing the good price requires researching. I usually ask around. I also look at eBay's history of sold items just to get an idea. I wish there was a blog dedicated purely to dolls on sale noting the price and the store it was bought from. It would be interesting to know how low the price can go when a doll is stripped of any illusions of exclusivity, collect-ability and sentimentality.)

- Do you really want it? (Since this is about dolls, questions like "Do I need it?" do not apply. I mean, 5 years from now, do you think you still want it? If not can you at least sell it with minimal loses due to depreciation?)

- Am I buying this doll because fellow collectors (read:advertisers) said it's the 'in' thing? Or am I buying this doll to outdo my peer's collection? (I think, I have asked enough.)

Like I said, these were the questions I asked myself before my last purchase. Different people are motivated differently so these question may not apply to you.

Sense of Size

2010-09-16T22:06:00.000-07:00

Is my Lois Lane doll head really big? I thought it looked good on a skinny model muse body. I saw pictures of the same doll head on a belly button body and the head looked out of proportion. Then again, it could be just the angle of the camera or the way the hair was styled.

I had to try placing a big head on a model muse body and check if it can look "okay" on a skinny body. The big head (rightmost above), to me, seems okay on a model muse body. The angle of the camera may have something to do with it again. I was asking before if there is something different about my Lois doll worth noticing. I tried shrinking it, that's why. I guess the shrinking for that doll head was not noticeable enough.

I have learned the three basic words (acetone, soak, overnight) associated with shrunken Barbie heads even before I started repainting. I was just afraid to try it since I know acetone can be bad for dolls. I try to avoid it even for erasing the factory paint on my dolls. I don't know the long term effect of acetone on dolls and on my health, more importantly. With the recent abundance my big headed dolls in my collection, I had to give in. I was fine ruining them since I don't feel like playing with them in their current state anyways.

I tried soaking the big heads from the Fashion Fever line. That didn't work! They remained big. One of my later attempts was on the Sporty Fashionista doll head. I thought it didn't work... again. It was really hard to tell if it I cannot compare it with a same doll in the original size. I guess the shrink was not noticeable so I kept her stored for a while. I got the chance to look at her again after a while and that time I noticed that her head has shrunk.

Having found success on that Fashionista head, I tried it on another one, this time the Artsy doll. The middle head (below) is in the original size (although the mouth was closed). The doll on the right is from the Barbie Basics. The shrunken head (left) now has almost the same size as the Basics head.

Other that the three basic words on shrinking Barbie head, one must also be concerned "concentration" and "airtight". I failed to cover the acetone so the acetone must have evaporated over time losing its effect. Simply covering the container won't do. It had to be airtight since acetone is volatile. The concentration also affects the outcome. I read some people had bad results with this procedure but some attributed it to the high concentration of acetone. It is best to use a lower concentration although it may mean having to soak longer. I soak my Artsy head for 48 hours. The reduction in size will be noticeable after about 24 hours drying and the head feels more rigid. Head swapping and rerooting will be a little more difficult.

Going back to my Lois doll, she was soaked for 24 hours with low concentration acetone. She may still have a slightly bigger head and I can further soak her but I thought that won't be necessary.

Notice Something?

2010-09-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Below is a comparison photo of a doll using a Steffie face mold and the Lois Lane doll (with partially repainted eyes on a model muse body). The dolls were posed back to back but judging from Lois' arm, she is slightly in front.

Do you notice anything? If you notice anything, I'll explain next week on another post. If there is nothing worth noticing, I guess it's not worth blogging about, right? =)

Clues:

1. The grid lines were superimposed on the image as a clue.

2. Here is another photo including the same head molds as above. I didn't took it but I thought it is another good comparison photo.

That will be all the clues I can give for now. In the mean time, you might also enjoy this photo. (It's from an old event but if you have been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that this is not a "what's new" blog.) I just thought that using human size Blythe dolls in a fashion show was a cool idea! Whether you love or hate those dolls, I must say the size of their heads are really interesting, to say the least.

I was wondering...

2010-09-08T01:19:00.000-07:00

Lois' eyes were partially repainted.

... if the Zac Posen Barbie uses the same face mold as the Lois Lane doll. The Lois Lane head doesn't have the Mattel mark (only the original body).

Update:

I now think they are not. According to this site, the Zac Posen doll uses the Nichelle II face mold. Clearly this is not Lois Lane's mold.

Mixed Emotions on the Asian Ken

2010-09-06T00:21:00.000-07:00

It has been a long wait for the first Asian male doll in the Barbie line. Now that he will be released soon as the first male doll in the Dolls of the World line (representing Japan), it is difficult to tell if I should be pleased or not. Clearly authenticity nor cultural accuracy is not the goal here. That being said, he looks like an anime villain sans the big eyes. He also looks fat (not that it's bad).

I guess I was expecting the first Asian Ken to have that oval face and androgenous look like a lot of current Asian male pop celebrities. I'm not a fan of the wide jaw in earlier Ken dolls. This is of course a personal preference that does not reflect all Asian doll hobbyists' view. The mean looking sword wielding doll, of course, doesn't help with the image that Asian men are traitorous.

This doll was made to be sold so the more important question should be, will I buy it? Had it been just another Asian Ken, I definitely won't, but this is the first Asian Ken and judging from the things that went wrong with that doll, there might not be another one, so I guess I have to buy it. I did ask for an Asian Ken and Mattel might get the idea that Asian dolls don't sell like what some blogger proliferates (although I'm doubting if ethnicity has something to do with it or there might me something wrong with the design or the marketing strategy), so I guess I have to buy it.

Fashionista Ken and other blahs

2010-09-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's been what...months since Fashionista Ken hit the toy stores but in the Philippines stores, it just debuted. Local price is the same as their female counterpart (so nobody should buy that overpriced Fashionista Ken on local eBay). Other stores like Toy Kingdom will probably release them within this week. I don't know if the long wait has something to do with it but I wasn't as excited. I'm thinking I'd buy the one with the hat and sell the nude doll but then I thought my Blaine doll could use a new body. It's a go if the skin tone matched. Head swapping Ken dolls is more difficult than Barbie dolls making me a bit lazy to do it as often.

From Keeping Ken News, I read about the possibility of two other male Fashionista's but I'm doubting that will push through. You already have Darren in the SiS line and the brunette looks like Speedracer but then again Mattel can be redundant. The three guys pictured above somewhat reminds me of the upcoming male Barbie Basics. I don't think they will sell two of each dolls, one with male model muse bod and the other articulated, right? If that will happen, I would easily ignore the Basics! They wouldn't want that,do they?

Speaking of the Barbie Basics, some local toy store has replenished their Barbie Basics stocks, Kidz Station at the Shang-rila Mall to be exact. As usual, the favorites #4, 5, 8 and 12 were instantly sold out! I saw someone hoarding them. Who knows, they might restock in other stores as well. As for me, I'm good.

Rhyme

2010-09-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

Lady of light, be their guide. They soon will be by our side.

Keep us safe by your will and might. Keep us always in your sight.

She doesn't look her age

2010-08-31T00:05:00.000-07:00

Midge: Are you sure she's THAT old???
Barbie: I know, right? She doesn't look her age.
Skipper:

The Skipper doll above was soaked in bleach and then her lips was retouched.

Basics Sneak Peek?

2010-08-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Jason for the link...

http://myscene.freeforums.org/barbie-basics-t2899-325.html

03Sep2010 update:
Whoops! The 12 Barbie Basics Jeans are now available for pre-order.

Random thoughts on each models:
#1 Um duh!
#2 I actually like the hair cut although I think it's bordering on plain.
#3 The AA dolls decreased. If they made #4 white, they could have at least made #3 dark skinned.
#4 She reminds me of this. I do like her brightly colored hair.
#5 I didn't really like #3's hair from the 1st collection.
#7 When sequels look like a repackaged 1st version, chances are, they won't sell but who am I to know?
#8 I like her hair but at the same time don't like it.
#11 Have I seen her in the FashionFever line before?
#14 Like
#15 Like
#16 QaF
#17 Like

The dolls will be out by December 2010. Just like the 1st collection this may reach Asia and the Pacific next year by March, that is if they want to release them here. If not, then it's not really my loss.

Discolored Dolls Part II

2010-08-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

She has discolored with age. Her face looked like she visited Malibu for a decade. (I didn't take 'before' photos as I didn't think I'd be successful.) I like colored dolls but I didn't mean discolored. I got a tip from a Flickr contact about soaking Skipper in CLR to lighten her skin tone. We don't have CLR so I used a different brand. I initially tried the head and seeing the effect of one night of soaking just the head made me try to soak the arms as well.

I was afraid that the paint might be erased from her face or her hair will become brittle. Luckily, I didn't encounter that. Her face used to be darker than her arms. Now, her face has lightened significantly after two nights of continuous soaking. I already rinsed her head and I'm thinking the lips could use some retouching. The paint was partially rubbed off when I got her. That will have to wait for a while. The arms are still being soaked as of the moment.

I still don't know the long term effect of this process on the doll. *fingers crossed*

PayPal Frustrations? Nah, PayPal Challenges

2010-08-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

Online Filipinos were introduced to PayPal (PP) years ago and people have blogged about it over and over. I guess I just didn't do my research well enough to have know right away the limitations of PP, especially in my country. I did read blogs about opening a PP account then having it verified and linked to a local bank account which I followed and was in successful doing so. What I failed to know early on was how to add funds to my PayPal account. There are so many blogs about withdrawing money from PP but as an online shopper, I really would like to learn how to transfer funds from my local bank account to my PP account. I found out too late that I can't!

They say that there are only two ways I can transfer funds to my PP account that is (1) if I have a US bank account, I can transfer funds from there (2) somebody with his/her own PP account will transfer funds to my account. I read that I can make purchases with PP if I link it to my credit card (which I recently got but don't want to use).

I have friends with PayPal and have used their account for purchasing but they have limited balance. They earned it by doing those online pay-per-service stuff but have stopped doing so since it's not as profitable as back then. Eventually their funds will run out if I decide to continuously tap into them.

So how am I supposed to pay with PP when I can't add funds to that account? Arrrgghhh, it's really frustrating. All that trips to the bank and then what?

I was told that if there's a will, there's a way. If there's a way, for me to find it, I should first stop being frustrated. And then I had an idea!

Days back, a friend asked me, "Why don't you sell the doll dresses you make?" "Because I like them for myself to keep," I answered.

Seeing the balance in my PP account, I asked myself my friend's question again. Why don't I sell some of the doll dresses I made? I was also told that if you really don't want to do something, you can make up a lot of excuses for not doing it. These are mine.
1. I don't know how to sell online.
2. I don't think my work will sell online. They're not good enough. Plus, other people are already doing it and they're doing a good job.
3. I'm lazy.
4. When I hear dolls, I'm reminded of a relaxing hobby, not another job. (I'm really okay with my job and would not like to have another one.)
5. I don't think I have the time. My play time will suffer. Selling in general takes time and effort. In short, I'm lazy.
6. What if I ship the dress and the buyer didn't get it? My reputation will be ruined!
7. I have a short temper. I really don't like annoying buyers/prospects. I actually tried to sell doll stuff once but I got annoyed by this one customer. I'm definitely not selling him anything again.

I personally don't like selling as a profession. I stay away from it as much as possible. I may have to change my mind if I want to change how I do things.

Target

2010-08-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Although I didn't like the Fashion Queen reproduction, I still like some of the vintage Fashion Queen Barbie dolls, except maybe the high-color version. I'm still on the look out for a good deal. I recently got informed about a local seller of that doll but I turned it down since I felt the price was too steep.

I have been searching at international eBay and I think I can get a Fashion Queen at a lower price (lower than the local seller's price) including the price for international shipping. I recently am enjoying eBay as I scored some great deals on vintage Barbie items. I've made some mistakes but I made sure it didn't cost me much. In the end I still felt successful in my hunt for those items.

Other than having the opportunity to buy, I think I'm learning more from eBay, especially on how much some people are willing to spend for certain items. It really surprises me. What we see as valuable dolls maybe in fact just a regular doll to a lot of people and a little loose piece of accessory could be worth more.

My enjoyment of eBay is limited since I don't have my own PayPal account. This prompted me to open an account in a local bank that can allow me to transact using PayPal with ease. I don't have a success story in that area yet as I'm still waiting for the verification/registration process to finish which they say could take from 5 days to 2 weeks. I really am not hoping for much since I don't feel that the bank could offer high quality service unlike my other bank (which unfortunately doesn't link to PayPal).

This made me realized that this doll collecting hobby is not as easy as just buying every doll being sold. It is more than that. It's having a realistic target and working hard to reach that target! This hobby requires strategy/planning and patience. For now my short-term targets are (1) to have my PayPal account verified and then (2) start buying the dolls, like that vintage Fashion Queen.

If I can do to that, I can no longer be dependent on Richwell (local distributor of Barbie) and local eBay sellers, a lot of whom are really trying to make unreasonably big profits from less informed people.

_______
I did not buy nor sell the item pictured above.

Unexcited

2010-08-23T01:11:00.000-07:00

This weekend, PNN will have another doll meet with "National Costume" as the theme, since probably its the Miss Universe season. Unlike the previous dolls meets, I haven't finished customizing any doll for the event. I was reflecting on my lack of motivation about the activity and came up with the following reasons.

1. I'm not into beauty pageants.
2. I don't want to exert too much effort on a costume my doll is going to use just once.
3. There are times I want somebody else's doll to stand out.
4. I really want to sew basic dresses. In short, I'm torn between what I want to do and what's expected of me.
5. I don't get what's in it for me.
6. The costumes I have in mind are silly, sexualized, and may misrepresent the country I intended them for, considering the lack of info I have about the country.

The Dreamies

2010-08-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

While my friends are enjoying their new dolls, which I must say are pretty, I on the other hand, am enjoying these old dolls. With the help of my mom (she did most of the sewing) and fabric courtesy of Ma'tto, a doll collector friend, I have 3 new doll dresses! These dresses were inspired by the vintage Dreamy Blues fashion.

I have been wanting the purple Sparkle Lights dress and have been considering to buy the doll just for the dress but I thought it was very impractical. Good thing my friend gave me scrap fabric of varying colors and I instantly knew what to do.

The one with the Marlo flip is Ma'tto's. She stays with me while I try to "fix" her discoloration.

Foresight

2010-08-16T01:08:00.000-07:00

I've been contemplating on a purchase. Somebody posted a vintage doll that I like but I don't think I like it that much to pay over US$150. I can see myself getting bored with the doll eventually. It's not Barbie.

Shouldn't it be an easy decision? I don't like it that much to pay that price then I shouldn't buy it. It's supposed to be that easy, right?

The thing is, the doll is very hard to find and in can go up to US$250. It's not mint but it can go that high. The mint version is priced at least US$400. The starting bid was just US$10. The seller didn't know what was being sold. One bidder, knowing the market value of the doll and afraid to be outbid, placed a high US$150 bid! Should I outbid him/her or not?

I was thinking, if I get tired of the doll which I should expect, I can still sell it at the same or higher price. One good thing of buying vintage dolls, unless you ruined them, their price rarely drops. She's a classic. I can style her a number of ways without being concern if I can resell her at a good price, unlike most modern collector edition dolls (although not all) which can drop its price once it has been deboxed or played with.

I'm just wondering if the doll would be easy to sell. I saw a similar doll (which I think was in a better condition) with starting bid of just US$1 and it was ignored! It wasn't re-listed. I just don't know if there was a transaction outside eBay that prompted the seller to end the bidding without any bidding. There are a couple more days before the bidding ends and the price could still go up. For now, I'll think about it further.

Because it makes me cringe

2010-08-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

A lot of local toy stores are currently selling old Barbie dolls at marked down prices (from 30% to 70% off the original). When I say old, I mean dolls initially released 2 years ago or older. Local toy stores never give discount of more than 10% for newer dolls. There is an exclusive (read: monopoly) distributor of Mattel products here, that's why. Only the local distributor, during their annual warehouse sale, can give higher discounts for newer items.

The dolls currently on sale go as low as PhP200. There was nothing really special about these dolls and they weren't my taste so I decided to pass. I was really surprised that these dolls are now being sold on local eBay for more than twice that price!

Initially, I thought these SHOPper/sellers were selling from their collection. They mainly sell used Barbie dolls. A fellow collector told me that they actually just re-sell stuff they buy as some sort of business. They buy dolls wholesale at our local thrift shop for about PhP100 each and sell them for over PhP200 on eBay. From the looks of it, they don't really play with the toys they buy. If they enjoy and play with the things they buy, that's good but they just buy to sell. They don't even add value to the product, like fixing the hair. The hair was messed up when they bought it and that's how they are going to sell it.

Ideally, this is a good business idea: buy low, sell high. Observing how slow their stocks are moving on eBay, I'd say they buy more than what they can sell. They have to charge higher to cover for the losses from the unsold items. I could only imagine how much storage space they have to maintain and the cost for maintaining it.

These people really are forgetting why the items they are buying (to be resold) are sold to them at a low prices. The toy stores and thrift shops are avoiding excess inventory. They want to dispose these less wanted items. And if you buy those less wanted items to sell them, who will buy them from you? How caN you WIN with that?

I'm happy that there are alternative doll dealers around. I'd hate to see them become extinct because personally, I want options, but it really makes me cringe seeing them making a big mistake, huge!

Discolored Doll Tutorial

2010-08-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

As doll collectors, we have encountered at one time or another, discolored dolls. This doesn't only happen to vintage dolls. I have a 90's Ken whose head turned pale as if it saw a ghost. I tried different methods on changing his color like using different staining products but I never thought of ink. I always had an idea that ink is bad for dolls. It is very time consuming to remove ink on dolls so it never occurred to me to use ink to color my dolls.

I came across a tutorial on restoring Mods Barbie dolls. In that tutorial, PrismaColor markers were used to even out the skin tone on a repaired portion. I figured maybe I can do the same for the discolored parts.

I don't really know what PrismaColor markers are, but I do know colored markers from other brands. For the doll below, I used a pink Dong-A Playon Color marker. I was only able to get three colors (red, pink, brown). Another brand that has a wider range of color is Stabilo Pen68. I recently got them so I haven't tried it.

I suggest that this method be tried first on less noticeable areas like the nape or near the armpits especially if you are unsure of the color you'll apply. Also remember that ink stains can be removed with the help of acne products containing benzoyl perozide.

The idea is to "stain" the doll with a desired color. (Random thought: We call an undesired color as stain and a desired color as dye. This is actually one method of dyeing a doll.) As can be seen in the photo below, the arms and head started out as yellowish. I decided to give it a tint of pink. I wrote small squiggles at a time on the discolored part then smearing the ink with the help of a cotton bud. I didn't want the ink to dry as is because it left a dark pink color. I wanted the color to be light so I spread it. If there a scratches on the doll, the ink will make them more visible as the ink will be trapped in the scratches.

The head is of different material than the arms and the shape (not flat) makes it difficult to spread the ink so I decided to color the face a small area at a time. Instead squiggles, I dotted the face with ink then spread the ink. Needless to say, the painted parts should not be inked.

Although I like how the doll turned out, I'm not sure of the long term effect of this method. There might be some risks involved so please be warned.

_________________

Another discoloration problem...

Some dolls become lighter while others become darker. I still am looking for a way to "return" the color of the darkened dolls. If you have any info on that, please leave a comment. :) Thank you.

Dear Dana

2010-08-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

We arrived safely.

This was my first time buying from an international seller. I have learned a lot from this experience. I'll do a number of blog post regarding those later. I just want to say "Thank you" to my fellow collector and blogger Dana for the two dolls above. I'll be offline for the weekend as I spend time with my loved ones and, of course, enjoy my new dolls. :)

I'll be back next Monday with a post about my attempt at "fixing" a doll based on a tutorial I saw online and I wouldn't be able to do that without the help of Dana. :)

She walks in beauty, like the night

2010-08-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

TADA!

Mbili means "two" in Swahili and is so named being the second doll in the Treasures of Africa series. (The first is Moja, meaning "one", which uses the angel/goddess face mold.) This is the 1st doll using this face mold hence the mold was called the Mbili mold. This mold is usually used in African American dolls.

The doll was a prize I won after joining the Sunset Fashion Contest by Therese (Dolls of Color). I couldn't say enough "Thank you!"

Hurray! Hurray!

2010-08-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

I finally was able to claim the package from the post office. I got the notice last Friday but the post was already closed for the weekend by then. I was really excited so I picked it up before I went to work this morning.

The package came from Therese of Dolls of Color. (Thank you, Therese!)

Now, I can't wait to go home, open the package and take pictures.

______________
(Late Night Update)

Just finished taking some pics of Mbili Treasures of Africa by Byron Lars. I just like to share some sample. I'll post more tomorrow.

Hush-Hush

2010-07-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to a couple of things, doll things, of course. I've been expecting doll stuff from my fellows bloggers. (Yup, plural.) I am well aware of how crappy the postal service is in our country so I saved up on some patience to be used for this occasion. Despite the wait, I'm still in a happy and excited mode.

Another thing I'm looking forward to is this Saturday. I don't want to jinx anything so I want keep everything hush-hush. If everything went well this Saturday, I'm still considering if its going to land in the front page of my blog. Maybe not; but if you're following, chances are, you won't miss anything. Wink-wink.

You dress sophisticated women. I dress sluts. -- Gianni Versace

2010-07-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

The theme for the most recent doll meet was "Slut". I really didn't have time to make new fashion so I had to mix and match what I already had to achieve that slutty look. These were what I came up with.

Those are really on the conservative side compared to what others did. While I was expecting Versace inspired fashion pronouncing the curves of the female form or showing a little more skin, I was really surprised what other members came up with. See for yourself.

(Warning: The succeeding photos require some maturity.)

PNN Anniversary

2010-07-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Pinoy na Nagmamanyika (PnN), a local group of doll collectors, just turned one year old. PnN members collects a wide range of dolls--BJD's, Tonner, Integrity, Mattel, MGA, Takara and even clone dolls to name a few. Collectors specializing on a specific type of dolls might (I said might) not enjoy this kind of group. Some people collects with exclusivity and discrimination. This is definitely not the group for them.

I'm a collector who specializes in Barbie-sized dolls but I'm immensely enjoy the group and the wide array of dolls. When I see a non-Barbie type doll in the group, I enjoy the work that was put in it. I try to study it and see if I can translate those to the dolls of my liking. It is okay to discriminate a good work from a mediocre one but to discriminate based on size, shape or color, like what Suki from True Blood said about humans discriminating against vampires--it's racism. That was a joke...but it was half-meant.

Inspiration and ideas--those are what I get from this creative bunch. With the group, I train my eyes to look for beauty in any shape or size and not just in the form of a pageant queen. In a world where you do unto others what has been done unto you, learning not to discriminate among dolls is a tough lesson especially when you grew up with discrimination.

If I at least learn one lesson like that, I could say it was indeed a happy anniversary.