Alex Russo on Sale at Walmart (NE Tower Center)

Mattel's Alex Russo doll from The Wizards of Waverly Place has been marked down at Walmart to $8.00 for the giftset - the doll and an extra outfit. I saw her at the Walmart, 4600 Roosevelt Boulevard or the Northeast Tower Center. She might be on clearance at other Walmarts, but this is the location where I saw her on sale.

Walmart Visit: MGA Entertainment, Part One

What new did I see during my Walmart visit? Two new Barbies AND the MGA Entertainment outfits for the BFC Ink dolls! Photos below:








Here, I placed a Mattel Stacie and Kelly doll set next to a small MGA Entertainment BFC Ink Addison doll. Stacie is shorter and thinner than Addison. I guess that among the junior set, Skipper would be the oldest, Addison would be next oldest, Stacie next, and then Kelly, the toddlers (Midge's girl and her friends), and the babies. Interesting to know for clothes borrowing.

Summer Shoe Selection

YNU Group's Houda wears her original turquoise lace up sandals. The other Sunset Edition Mixis dolls also wear lace up sandals: Rosa's sandals are white, Opal's are bronze, and Emerald's are dusty pink.

Moving clockwise, the shoes on the table beside Houda are Ken's red sandals, Integrity Dynamite Girls' red sandals, Takara Jenny's light blue platform sandals, Lanard I-Girls' pink sandals, Integrity Queen Adora's gold "leather" sandals, unknown pink sandals, and Hasbro Starlight Girl's orange "jellies."

Which shoes do you think Houda and the other Mixis dolls can wear? The Ken sandals are too BIG. But Houda can wear the I-Girls' sandals and the Starlight Girls' "jellies."

2009 Year End - 2010 Barbie Photos at Angelic Dreamz

Angelic Dreamz has photos and pre-order information regarding the new Dolls of the World, Italian Barbie and Russian Barbie.

Italian Barbie seems to have the Drew face mold; she's very pretty, and her outfit is more sophisticated than I had expected. Thumbs up - the white blouse, the black and white print skirt. I might get her although I am tired of the Drew head mold.

Russian Barbie has the Mackie face mold. Sigh. Her face screening looks nice, but I am even more tired of the Mackie face mold than I am of the Drew mold. Kudos for the outfit - I prefer the long navy greatcoat.

There are plenty of dolls for me to be eager about. I'm glad that these two are allowing me a break.

Space and More Space - the Eternal Quest

When I was a child, I wanted to have dolls and action figures overflowing. I wanted to have a doll and action figure museum that people would come from far and wide to see. So I bought and I bought. From childhood to adulthood, I bought. Behold some results of a lifetime of buying:



and more stuff ...



So while there are dolls and action figures I still want to get, there's something else I seek. Space. More space. The eternal quest for the doll and action figure enthusiast AFTER collecting.

Consolation if the Fashionistas Never Reach USA Shelves

Suppose the Mattel Barbie Fashionistas do NOT come to the U.S.A?

I will not be as disappointed as I initially thought. Sure, I would LOVE to have the new Barbie poser body. But if I check the contents of my collection today, I realize that I have the face of the Barbie Fashionista who most interests me: Artsy. I lucked out and found Desiree during my Fashion Fever Hunt days.

I Have a Face Now - Sort of ....

Had to do something to acknowledge my first anniversary. Decided to give myself a "face" of sorts. Not my real face - I do a mean "invisible" in real life - but a doll who "resembles" me. Of course, the complexion isn't right, but the ones that matched complexion-wise didn't have the right hair type or the rounded features ... yada, yada. So behold, Vanessa of the Get Set Club or G-Five dolls, represents me here, on Twitter, and on a few other online sites.

I might even post her on Facebook. Maybe ....

First Anniversary of A PhillyCollector of Playscale Dolls ...

Last August 21, 2008, I started this blog with a post about the Mattel Rebelde male dolls. One year later, it seems fitting to have this post about the Rebelde guys and show them with two of their local fans.

Goals for my blog this year include:

• Include projects



• Improve photography



• Increase readers



• Provide more news

I have enjoyed writing here and receiving responses from other collectors. The sharing and dialogue enhance my enjoyment of the hobby.

Thanks for your time and efforts.

The Mystery Twins Aliesha and Noelle Roberts of BFC Ink.

Wyncote Walmart this morning and who do I see? The BFC Ink. twins, Aliesha and Noelle Roberts. They are cute, tawny-complected, brown-eyed, and black-haired. Since they are NOT Mattel dolls, I am going to discount any Barbie connection the surname "Roberts" might suggestion. Are they Asian or Middle Eastern or Black or Hispanic or Native American? The Kaylas of MGA Entertainment? Possibly. I cannot tell from the box or the accessories I see which ethnic group - if any - these dolls belong to. And while that could seem disturbing, in another way, it can be seen as a triumph of character over race. Or as a one-doll fits many escape by the manufacturer.

Me ... I feel free to assign them to the ethnic/racial category that pleases me. Or possibly, none at all. Depends on how they fit in my doll and action figure community.

There might be further information in the box or online.

I think ALL the smaller BFC Ink. dolls are cute.

Deboxed Cheetah Girls in Webshots Folder

Finally deboxed the PlayAlong Cheetah Girls. I have a few photos of them in a new Webshots folder.

I like their faces, but their hair is a little sparse in the back. They have different types of boots - but each has at least one pair of T-strap high heels that fit them well. The clothes are less than average quality: mostly velcro closures AND cheap, polyester fabric. Oh and never have I seen so much leopard wear in ONE doll collection.

Poll Results - More Photos Please

The "What would you like to see more of here" poll ended today. I thank my 37 participants.

Drumroll ... the results are

21 votes for more doll and action figure photos

16 votes for more doll and action figure news and/or updates

15 votes for more doll collecting information

13 votes for more photos of older figures

9 votes for more opinion pieces

I'll need to work on my camera technique. More photos coming ;-D

I will leave the poll results up until next Monday.

DAF = Dolls and Action Figures in Danaspeak

Dear Readers and Would Be Poll Responders:

I apologize for not clarifying this abbreviation sooner, but the "DAF" described in my poll about what you would like to see here at PhillyCollector means ...

DOLLS and ACTION FIGURES

A kind collector pointed out that I had not stated what "DAF" abbreviated.

Thanks to those who voted and to those who intend to vote.

Sincerely Me

Ummm ... Dana ;-D

everGirl Dolls by Playmates

"Every Girl's an everGirl ... " the everGirl doll's slogan, 2005

The everGirl dolls by Playmates are part of a Nickelodeon brand for tweens. The everGirl dolls are sold individually; none of the dolls that I own have specific names. (There seems to be four recurring characters in a handheld game associated with this brand - Joy, Hope, Skye, and Starr - but that information does not seem available online now.) Each 10" tall doll wears a corduroy jacket, an everGirl logo tee shirt, unhemmed denim jeans, loafers, and a white over-sized carryall bag. Beneath that outfit, the dolls have painted on white bra and white panties. Their arms bend at the elbows (jointed), and they have click-bend knees like standard modern Barbies.

If you want a blonde, brunette, or red-haired doll, you can choose a doll with any of those hair colors AND a choice of blue, brown, or green eyes.

If you want an ethnic doll, you may choose from an olive complexioned, brown-eyed Asian doll; a caramel complexioned, brown-eyed Hispanic doll; OR a medium brown complexioned, brown-eyed Black doll.

Here's a photo of my four - Asian American, Hispanic American, African American, and European American - everGirls.



The intended child owner could take the everStyle Quiz to determine her everStyle:

Preppy (Green butterfly icon)
Trendy (Hot pink flower icon)
Funky (Purple star icon)
Sporty (Pink lightening bolt icon)

You can see some of those fashions in the photo below:




For additional information on this doll brand, please see

Some of the everGirls on sale

everGirl at 2005 ToyFair for preproduction photos

everGirl Brand information

Wikipedia stub on the everGirl brand

Please note the official everGirl web page is "getting a makeover" according to the message on that page.


Note: some of the everGirls shoes can fit Ideal's Tuesday Taylor and Taylor Jones, the "big feet" swimsuit Barbies, Pedigree Sindy, and YNU Group's Mixis dolls. Some of the everGirls clothes can fit Volks' Who's That Girl dolls and Super Action Jenny dolls.

Pierre Janay and His Six Daughters

Pierre Janay is a Power Team action figure from M & C Toys. The six lovely ladies behind him are my Integrity Fashion Fling Janay dolls. Ordinarily, they would NOT be on the same shelf, but here, I have them as (left to right) Chloe (brown leather cap), Rashida (tan cap), Sable (reddish, center-parted hair), Tynesha (strawberry tight curls), and twins, Sandrine (goldenrod top) and Simone (yellow top).

Please note the variation of the dolls' face screening, the variety of complexions, and the straight to frizzy-curly hair. Integrity playline at its best with these 2004-2005 dolls.

Mattel Ladies of the 80s Info at Denise V. Patten's Blog

Denise Van Patten lists the three dolls of this upcoming Mattel doll series and an approximate date at her Doll Collecting blog.

Ken/Allan and G.I. Joe and the Dominant Male

Poor Ken. While he is the Mattel-designated romantic partner of Barbie, Ken just don't get much respect outside a group of Kenophiles. If you spend any time on the Internet, you have probably seen this famous Nissan commercial. Cute. Funny. But is it fair? Nope.

Someday, I’ll look to see what public opinion said about Ken BEFORE G.I. Joe emerged in 1964. Because although Ken could be said to be the “father” of Joe – hmm … therein lies a problem. G.I. Joe, as central figure to the Joe-verse, parallels Barbie as the central figure in Barbie-ville. Pink Barbie for little girls and green [uniformed] Joe for little boys. Gentleman Ken has always been the secondary character, first among the supporting team for Barbie. Barbie is to G.I. Joe as Ken is to Nurse Jane. As a secondary figure, Ken lacks the authority status of primary G.I. Joe. Thus all the impotent Ken jokes. So it is the social rather than the physical differences that give Joe ranking higher than Ken.

Let us view and compare the bodies of Ken and Joe for proof. In the photo and the table below, a Straight leg Allan replaces Ken – temporarily AWOL - and a Land Adventurer G.I. Joe bare all to show their physical differences and similarities.



Okay, you cannot miss it: Ken (Allan) lacks a penis. Please note though: so does G.I. Joe. There is no way that an anatomically-correct adult male figure for children would sell now or then back in the early 1960s. There have been precious and few anatomically-correct dolls manufactured for children today. Only one such doll comes to mind and that one was/is an infant: Archie Bunker's grandson, Joey Stivic. And I doubt the day will ever come when anatomically-correct adult male action figures are marketed for boys in the United States. The outrage resulting from the suggestion alone would leave the poor, would-be manufacturer reeling and fetal-curled in a padded cell corner.

Here is a chart comparing Ken (Allan) with G.I. Joe.

	Ken	G.I. Joe
Created	1961	1964
Height	12 inches	11 3/4 inches
Articulated	Scant, rigid	Multi-jointed, flexible
Anatomy	Bump	Absent
Relationships	Barbie's boyfriend, supportive	Adventure Team, dominant

I present this information in this manner because, in recent years, I realized that Ken has been socially short-changed. And as a former Ken-basher – I bought a G.I. Joe BEFORE I bought a Ken; I used to think that Ken was Barbie’s best accessory; and even now, I “tease” my action figures with Kenwear (Ken fashions), this post is my penance for past sins of commission and sins of omission. The aspect of Ken that causes him to be ridiculed is NOT the absence of a visible penis. It’s his supportive role that draws fire.

Pity that Ken should suffer for being a gentleman and good sport. Here’s to Kens across the world and the Kenophiles who honor this great, if secondary, character as he should be.

Dancers and Chairs: Maud and Judith Strike Poses

In these two photos, two Mattel fashion doll dancers drape chairs. Behold, Cabaret Dancer Barbie and Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre Barbie.



Maud asserts her ability to stretch like action figures can.




Judith curls her back against her chair and curls her legs up to reveal the elegance of her arched feet.

Second Target Visit - New Target in Cheltenham

This time, I visited the "new" Target near the Cheltenham and Ogontz Avenues intersection. (Note: it's located behind the Shop Rite Supermarket, if you face the market and then walk or drive to the left. It's almost hidden away.)

Target had LOTS of the BFC Ink. Calista's and those cute Moxie Girls. Nice selection of Barbies, too. The H2O dolls with their molded on bras. Some Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Wizards of Waverly Place dolls. A few Only Hearts Club dolls but no Kayla Rae doll.

I would almost not mention this, but I noticed there were a LOT of Black dolls available. I thought: well, I guess I can figure out who this Target expects to visit. Interesting, how stores select merchandise to fit their expected clients. Good, I am NOT complaining, but it made me think, you *get* who the target (ouch, bad pun intended) is for this store.

The official address for this new Target is

2450 Shoppers Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19150
(267) 628-3280

Treats at Target: Calista, Juku Couture, Moxie Girls

I went to Target and got permission from a store clerk to take a few photographs of their stock. Behold the ones that lit up my morning.




Ah Calista! Must have, must buy. Not today, but soon. And I might add a few of the Juku Couture dolls by Jakks Pacific, too. But first, Calista and her friends from the BFC Ink, Group by MGA Entertainment. I like their delicate look.




MGA Entertainment should thank Mattel for the lawsuit. The Moxie girls are MUCH cuter than any of the tarty, freakish-looking Bratz. And the Moxie girls have small noses. Noses! Sigh. The heads are still a little large, but the bodies seem taller and possibly a little wider. I'm tempted by the Art-titude dolls with bicycles included. Another 1:6 scale collector has some Bratz dolls that he describes as "aliens" in his doll setting. I guess there is room for alien dolls here.




Mercy lives: the Liv dolls are too big-headed for me so I have NO interest in them. That's good for me because I save money for others I AM interested in. But they have this playset that just might do for me. I'll have to see more of it before I decide.




There was a Walking Tuesday Taylor doll years ago. I didn't understand the walking fashion doll appeal then; I don't understand it now. But the dog is cute. Then again, there are those acid-vision lollipop trees. I'd have to inflict them on someone else.

Disney Princess Seven Pack - Princess Tiana

Target's newest Disney Princess multi-doll pack - seven Disney princesses in one box - has Princess Tiana. So the princess line-up includes:

Jasmine
Belle
Sleeping Beauty
Tiana
Cinderella
Snow White
Ariel


And what of Mulan? Couldn't eight princesses fit in the box?

New Follower, Hana Frančová - Welcome!

Hello, Hana Frančová, and thanks for following my blog.

I am glad to have a new icon and would love to hear from you.

Roville Update: August 4, 2009

Roville has a new Gia and Timber story.

Going to view it now ....

Dearth of Black and Hispanic Dolls?

This past Wednesday, I read an article titled the "Dearth of Black and Hispanic Dolls" from March 2009 The New York Times. Hmmm ... I thought. Granted there are many more White dolls on shelves, could I describe the Black and other ethnic dolls scene as sparse as "dearth" implies? I have not seen a single Black doll in the Hannah Montana series; Lola and Oliver might be Hispanic so I can't rule out Hispanics from that series. Barbie's friends still include Teresa (Hispanic) and/or Nikki (Black), but Kayla/Lea or the multi-ethnic and the Asian friends seem to have been replaced by "White" Raquelle and "White" Summer. (No objection to either - I am just commenting on the current racial/ethnic Barbie friends line-up.) The High School Musical cast includes Black and Hispanic dolls.

Possibly, the New York Times' authors are referring to dollar stores? But even there, I recall seeing Black and White dolls if none overtly Hispanic. By "overtly Hispanic" I mean black or brunette haired dolls with tan or tawny complexions or dolls with Spanish names.

[Aside, for smaller doll lines like Playmates' everGirl dolls or Chic Boutique's Flower Power line, the Black dolls are distinguished from the Hispanic dolls thus: the Black dolls are medium-dark brown, the Hispanics are caramel brown.]

Below I report what I have seen in two local stores.

Walmart Wyncote -

1. These Mattel Black dolls were available: Beach Party Steven, Clean Up Pup Barbie, Cut & Style Rapunzel Barbie, Happy Birthday for You Barbie, Holiday Barbie 2009, Reissued Julia, Sea World Trainer Barbie, Ultra Tattoo Barbie.

2. I just noticed that the Think Pink Barbie line does NOT seem to have any corresponding ethnic dolls. None were seen here.

3. The larger MGA Entertainment Best Friends Club, Ink. dolls available were Addison and Kaitlin. No large Calista. No smaller dolls.

3. Three Black baby dolls were on the shelves.


Toys R Us Wyncote -

1. These Mattel Black dolls were available: Doggie Park Barbie, Sea World Trainer Barbie, Space Camp Barbie (on clearance), Sponge Bob Barbie, and Twin Musician Prince. Two Grace-Courtney sets from the So in Style available, but NO Trichelle-Janessa or Kara-Kianna sets were out.

2. These Mattel Hispanic dolls were available: Gabriella from High School Musical, Cha Cha from the 30 Years Grease series, and Alex Russo of the Wizards of Waverly Place series as a single doll and as a single doll plus extra outfit package.

3. The MGA Entertainment Best Friends Club, Ink. series had the smaller Addison and Kaitlin dolls. (Oh, they are sooo cute. I must have them ALL.) But NO Calista.

4. New 10" doll series by Playmates, H2O Just Add Water based on the television show with the same name offered three "White" dolls; no recognizably ethnic dolls appear in the series.

5. Hasbro G.I. Joe The Rise of Cobra Ripcord action figure was laid flat behind other figures in this series. My guess is that someone was hiding him, but I can't state that as a fact. I returned him to his hidden spot because I didn't want him at this time. The Best Friends Club, Ink. dolls are higher priority for me now.

As a frequent shopper at these two stores, I would say that they usually have good coverage of Black dolls with a sprinkling of Hispanic dolls, depending on what is available. If I do not see a specific doll or dolls, I assume that the existing stock was bought (for example, the small Calista from the Best Friends Club, Ink. doll.) I take this assumption because I have bought the last Black doll on their shelves before. Shrug. Someone else beat me to that doll today. I'll call or stop by without calling another day.

The stock in these two stores did not support the dearth of Black and Hispanic dolls statement, but I'll check other stores in the area to see how the ethnic doll showing appears.

We, Singers Three - Three Latina Singers

Once upon a time, when I thought of Latina fashion dolls, I would think of Mattel's Teresa (or Kayla sometimes) or of Integrity's Alysa or Isabella from the Get Set Club or more recently, Rosa from YNU Group's Mixis. Today though, I want to show three dolls who have received less coverage online.

Introducing Mattel's Shakira, Haschel Toys' Olga Tanon, and Yaboom's Christina Aguilera ...




Related article:

Hispanic Dolls post from Mi blog es tu blog.

New Doll Series Alert! H2O by Playmates

Toys R Us Wyncote had 3 new fashion dolls under the title "H2O: Just Add Water." These 10" dolls are based on a television show that I have neither seen nor heard about before. There are three characters: two blondes, Rikki and Emma, and brunette Cleo.

They have a separate "mermaid tail" that fits over their human legs.

Here are the Toys R Us links:

Cleo

Emma

Rikki

They're okay. There are two versions of the each doll - a basic doll and a doll with a fashion.

Hair Check Before the Catfight

Maybe I'm influenced by the last article I read, the parody on America's Next Top Model.

Maybe I'm tired of pining after dolls I cannot get just yet.

Maybe I'm tired of Barbie talk - oops, well, yes, most of my recent posts have been Mattel focused.

Whatever the reason ... I gathered some of my Integrity Fashion Royalty dolls and I started shooting (photographs!). Here's my favorite:




Aren't they super divas?

Mock Model Catfight Alert - America's Next Top Model Dolls

I was investigating MGA Entertainment for more information on the Best Friends Ink. line when I came across this amusing send-up:

Top Model Parody

What tickles me is that the guy probably is NOT a doll collector, but there he is creating a scene with dolls. Even non-collectors enjoy a diorama plus story fun.

Saving Ryan Whittaker

Ryan Whittaker ... almost removed from the Final Fantasy outfit.




Next step? I'll heat a knife to remove his feet and one leg from those boots. Glue on the left foot. Allow time for it to set. Then I can re-dress him.

Yay!

Sunday Morning Cruisin' - EP Motorcycle Club

Sunday morning before thunderstorms hit.

Krystal, Dr. Thurman, Kelly, and Mitsuki go for a ride.

The Problem with Some Action Figures

Twelve inch action figures expand my male population. I can pick up female dolls easily. Male dolls are limited so I invade the green aisle or the action figure world. I love my Kens, my Stevens, my Kurts, my Alans, my Blaines, my Jordan, my Tariq, my Lukas, my Moses, my John Smith, my Li Shang, my Paul, and my boys. BUT without my action figure guys, my male population would be near extinction. Can't have that kind of gender imbalance.

However, there can be problems with male action figures. No, not the guns and military clothes. I replace most of the military fashions with Kenwear - for some reason, that statement inspires banshee howls of anguish from guys who used to own G.I. Joes or Star Wars figures - what, are my guys supposed to go around undressed? Ken has some normal looking stuff. Or passably so ....

Guns? Well, my guys won't need them so I set most of them aside. If it's a little gun, and it looks cute, I might let them keep it for the look factor. The tough guy look, but guns aren't relative to most scenes I have the guys in. Reminds me, I need to gather all the useless guns and give them away or sell them. Once I find them, of course.

Oh, but the problem with some action figures? Molded clothes that replace body parts. For example, I have Ryan Whitaker from Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy seems to be a video game. (Even less interesting than guns IMO. So the FF trappings are going, going ....) Anyway, he's cute - eyes a little gimlet, but he has nice features - so I am determined to redress him as a civilian. In Kenwear, yes.

Only he has this horrible body armor encased around his torso. I'm not sure if his arms are separate from the armor or if his calves are calves and NOT just boots attached to thighs. So I might have to find a new body for him. That's MY problem with action figures. Some of them do NOT undress the way they should. They should have flesh-colored limbs.

Here are two photos of Ryan:






He's worthy of a new body.

Thanks to My Followers

Dear

BlackDollEnthusiast
Constance
Bogna
WtsRudi
Holly
Ah Chow
Super Cool Doll House
Dolls of Color
M.J
Niel
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Margaret
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I thank you for following my blog publicly and for your stimulating comments that inspire follow-up posts. Thanks for enriching this hobby for me.

Sincerely,
D7ana

Paucity of Asian American Dolls

While checking online sources about Kayla, Barbie's multi-ethnic friend, I came across an interesting statement regarding the paucity of Asian American ethnic dolls on page 163 from Visible Differences by Dominic J. Pulera.

I have put that book on hold at my free library. The good people at the library will find and set aside the book for me to pick up. (Ah the joys of urban living - grin.) If there are additional points of interest regarding collecting, I will mention them after I have read the book.

Oh, and what about my Kayla research?

A BBC Newsround 2002 article briefly discusses the introduces of Kayla to the Barbie friends group.

A Boston Globe article from 2003 describes Kayla's place in the doll market. (Link 404'd)


And I found a web page showing the Kayla/Lea Facemold by European doll collector, Katti who shows the incredible flexibility of this facemold. Therese, take note: the Sophisticated Wedding Barbie 2002 AA might be that dark complexioned Kayla mold doll of your dreams.