Ada and friends...

It is with great pleasure that I can announce that our first DollObservers.com Superstar Member of 2012 is the beautiful,  talented and generous of spirit, Ada. Ada has been with us since the very early days of DollObservers and has always inspired and advised other members of the site.

Ada also has her finger firmly on the pulse of the Barbie world and was generous enough to design our site logo and look of our site for our first birthday last year. Ada you are a Superstar indeed!

Here is our interview with Ada and I hope you enjoy at much as me…

What made you join Doll Observers?

I love doll related websites! I saw the link on Facebook, I think, and when I saw that it was a doll lover’s community I was like: this is the place to be! LOL

When did you start collecting/playing dolls?

Playing with them… I think it was ’87 or ’86 when my mom bought me my first Barbie. Sun Gold Malibu Barbie. I still have her. She always wanted a Barbie when she was a kid but because we were a communist country it was impossible to get one. So she got one for me with the help of a friend of hour who used to smuggle things in and out of the country. My collection grew over the years until I became a teenager. As you may have guessed I started being more interested in boys than dolls by then, so I stopped buying dolls. ) And then, one day in 2008, I saw some Collector Barbies online and my addiction was back!

Tell us about the dolls in your collection.

Well first of all don’t ask me how many I have. I stopped counting after 200. Mostly I have Barbies from the 70′s, 80s, 90s and some Collector Dolls. Besides them I have a growing collection of 80s and 70s dolls such as Maxie, Tuesday Taylor, Candi, Jem, Sindy etc. Now I really am into Darci dolls and I plan on getting some of them.

You are DollObservers’ unofficial Barbie expert. How do you keep up with all the Barbie news and developments?

) I love the unofficial title. ) Well I read a LOT of doll blogs and websites, I’ve joined a lot of Barbie groups on Facebook and I also have a lot of doll collector friends on Facebook so I read their updates every day.

Your love of Barbie is certainly no secret. Even your recent marriage and engagement had a Barbie related elements. Tell us about that?

Well first of all I must thank God for the Marian. ) Because he understands what a collector is and he loves and takes care of my collection. He doesn’t love the bills that come with this collection but he still loves it. That is why he proposed to me, on the 29th of December 2010 with a custom Ninimomo Barbie called The Ada is Getting Married Doll that was made to resemble me in my Marie Claire spread I had done a few month before. He came up with the idea during a trip to Amsterdam where he saw Teresa Barbie Basics 1.0 and he thought to himself: oh, she looks just like Ada! As he already knew my love for Ninimomo’s creations he got in touch with Nik and Marie and they came up with the amazing doll that was given to me as a Christmas present AND a marriage proposal. I had no idea he was going to do that so it was a TOTAL surprise for me.

You are a very talented graphic and web designer (thanks again for our wonderful site design!). How do you combine your skills in these fields with your love of dolls?

Dolls inspire me. The same is with old cartoons. When I don’t have inspiration I look at my doll collection or search through my cartoon collection and watch some episodes from a classic series such as Jem or Saber Rider.

What advice would you give members who are thinking about starting a doll related website or blog?

Get someone to help you with a nice design. If you also want to make some money for your dolls from ads on your site you have to make it eye pleasing. Content is VERY important but the look also plays a big part in the success of a blog. Oh yes…you can email me!!! )

Other than playing with dolls what else do you do to relax?

As I have said before I love watching old cartoons from the 70s and 80s, looking at classic movies and reading books. I love books! Take me to a book store and I’ll spend everything I have there. ) And also spending time with Marian and our 2 cats, 2 hamsters and the neighbour’s dog, talking on the phone with my parents and going to the gym.

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Barbie loves cats. )

Related articles

• Interview with a doll lover, September 2011 (dollobserver.com)

The Integrity Toys IDEX booth

There are 4 dolls in all in the début line in a range of ethnicities and face sculpts. My personal favourite is the gorgeous Latino Freja Mossimo who, according to the publicity lore, is art director for “The Wall” magazine. Her outfit is possibly not the most inspiring (all the girls outfits are just OK) but her sculpt is a chiseled beauty and her accessories and shoes are wonderful. Needless to say I have made my pre-order!

Press Magnate Saskia Tate™ Dressed Doll

Fit to Print Anais McNight™ Dressed Doll

Fit to Print Anais McNight™ Dressed Doll

Perfect Layout Freja Mossimo™ Dressed Doll 

All the FR:16 doll feature applied eyelashes

Accessories to die for...

 

Related articles

• The DollObservers.com Awards go to the Public Vote (dollobserver.com)
• The Poppy Parker W Club Exclusive 2011 (dollobserver.com)
• The Dynamite Girls (and Boy) are hitting the City (dollobserver.com)

The Awards will focus solely on the fashion doll world and there will be 10 categories in all. Each category will capture the best of the last year’s fashion doll industry, including dolls, fashions, designers and retailers.

The round of nominations is now complete and we are have the immense pleasure in announcing the finalists. Voting is now open to the public and the winners will be announced on 19th February 2012. Cast your vote here.

Here are the nominations in full with links to pics/info of the nominees:

1. Best 12″ Scale Fashion Doll

Barbie Basics ‘Model No. 14 – Collection 002.5‘ (Mattel)
Fashion Royalty ‘Modern Comeback‘ Véronique Perrin (Integrity Toys)
NU.FACE ‘Quiet Storm‘ Annik (Integrity Toys)
‘tokidoki‘ Babie Doll (Mattel)
VINTAGE REVLON ‘Blushing Bride‘ (Tonner Doll)

2. Best 16″ Scale Fashion Doll

Related articles

• Why should I join DollObservers.com? (dollobserver.com)
• Say hello to JAMIEshow St. Tropez Angelica (dollobserver.com)
• Barbie & Stardoll Join forces! (dollobserver.com)

The crux of the site is good old fashioned voting for your favourite Tonner Doll photo out of the two presented to you on the screen, hense the nature of the ‘duel’! However don’t worry if you can’t decide, you do have the ability to call off the fight and declare a ‘draw’. The best thing about this site is the fact that all the doll photos are submitted by Tonner Doll fans and lovers themselves.

So be sure to check it out dollduels.com

An analysis of the ‘States 75 most-popular Christmas gifts found that a total of 2,598 shipments of Barbie products were received in the US throughout August and September, when retailers receive Christmas stock.

Barbie’s popularity continues to rise despite competition from other doll brands. Recovering from a slip in 2008, US sales of Barbie went up 4 per cent in 2009 and 14 percent in 2010.

Related articles

• Barbie & Stardoll Join forces! (dollobserver.com)
• Deck The Halls With Fashion Dolls & Holly! (dollobserver.com)

The social networking site for Fashion Doll Lovers, DollObservers.com, is pleased to announce another theme of the month. And what better theme for the wintery month of December than Christmas! The festive season is ripe for theme photos, whether they take in aspects of winter, family, presents or even a hall decked with boughs of holly. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas itself there are still countless ways to creatively interpret this theme. As long as fashion dolls are square and centre and the spirit of the theme is represented then your photo will be in with a chance of winning!

Be sure to check out the December Theme: Christmas group on DollObservers.com.

And the prize just go a whole lot more interesting…

This month we have an even better suprise: the prize is better too! Instead of $20 you will now be in with a chance to win a whopping $50 straight into your PayPal account for splashing out on dolls!

Be sure to vote for a winning photo of last month’s theme: ‘Let’s Go Shopping!’

Find more photos like this on Doll Observers

In order to enter the photo contest you will need to be a member of DollObservers.com the Social Network for Fashion Doll Lovers. A place where every Fashion Doll lover can feel at home…

The “Stardoll^® by Barbie^®” collection will feature eight new fashion dolls, based on four of the most popular virtual Stardoll^® stores in Starplaza. Inspired by Stardoll^® avatars, “Stardoll^® by Barbie^®” dolls come packaged mirroring signature avatar poses. Each doll features amazing details like rooted eyelashes, a unique face and body sculpt, as well as a distinct signature style, for a play experience that is authentically Stardoll^®.

“We’re pleased to be launching a big line of fantastic physical toys, going from virtual to the physical world,” said Mattias Miksche, CEO at Stardoll. “We’re partnering with Mattel because they share our passion for empowering girls and their creativity. We have forged a strong relationship and have lots of exciting things planned – watch this space.”

“This partnership represents two of the world’s largest girls’ brands uniting to create the ultimate fashion play experience,” said Stephanie Cota, Senior Vice President, WorldWide Marketing Barbie and Girls. “We look forward to inviting the Stardoll community into the three-dimensional world of Barbie with new signature dolls and fashions.”

About the “Stardoll® by Barbie^®” Collection

“Stardoll^® by Barbie^®” will be available at retail in the United States beginning November 2011, with another five dolls slated for spring 2012. “Stardoll^® by Barbie^®” will introduce two dolls inspired per Stardoll^® store: Fallen Angel, Bonjour Bizou, Doll Space and Pretty n’ Love. Sample fashions from each line include Fallen Angel, who rocks a gothic look in fingerless gloves and chain accents; Bonjour Bizou, a fashion-forward Stardoll^® sporting ruched miniskirts and graphic prints; Doll Space, in gorgeous ruffled tulle numbers with cropped tweed jackets; and Pretty n’ Love in cozy pink sweaters and heart-patterned tights. Three accessory packs let Stardoll^® fans mix and match the trendy, original fashions and accessories, and give girls the same fun interchangeable closet experience of the Stardoll^® virtual world in the real world.

“Stardoll^® by Barbie^®” dolls will come with a gift card for complimentary membership on Stardoll.com for new and existing members, Stardollars to spend on all Superstar items on the Stardoll^® site as well as free exclusive virtual gifts, connecting the online world to the real world and then back again.

The partnership plans to expand globally with the addition of more collections, products and online extensions in the future. The dolls will retail for $20.99 SRP and accessory packs will retail for $15.99 SRP each.

She is very much in the same vein as the American Girl dolls and as such is a historical doll, taking her place in the court of Henry VIII with a thoughtfully designed period costume and backstory.

Toy maker Frances Cain believes the fashion and music industries are stealing little girls’ childhood forcing them to grow up too quickly. This means there are no toys for the tween age group. As an antidote, Frances Cain has created a doll specifically for eight to twelve-year-olds.

Matilda is the first in a series of tween dolls being launched by Frances’ boutique toy company Daughters Of History. Themed to Tudor times, she comes complete with a range of period clothing and accessories. The aim being to allow girls to play intelligently and femininely without feeling pressured to be skinny and fashion conscious.

Frances takes up the story:

“It was impossible to find a doll for my daughter when she reached the age of ten so I decided to create one. Matilda has a young teenage figure to deliberately challenge aspirational fashion dolls like Bratz and Barbie.

The doll is not just about play. As well as introducing history to young girls, Matilda helps children to get to grips with some real life issues such as coping with loss”.

Standing 16 inches high, Matilda is beautifully crafted out of high-quality vinyl. Whilst looking like a porcelain doll, she has been made with play in mind and has fully-jointed arms and legs. Her extra-long hair will withstand endless brushing and styling.

Frances Cain has also extended the range with other Matilda products. As well as costumes, there’s also a keepsake book brimming with unique ideas such as a Tudor sleepover or making a pre-execution wish list. Matilda’s Secret is the accompanying novel which tells the story of her role as lady-in-waiting to Katherine Howard at the court of Henry VIIIth.

Matilda comes in her own sturdy carry case and costs £89.99 from www.agirlforalltime.com

These new urbanites are certainly proving popular too, with Curt especially, selling out on pre-sale at several online vendors. With his looks its little wonder!

Curt is proving a popular choice for collectors

Meet Joedy, ahem, I mean Jasper...

That changed when I came upon their St Tropez range of dolls earlier this year. The dark beauty of Angelica took my heart and, credit card at the ready; a pre-order was eagerly made. So from this point the wait was on to receive her and after what seems like an eternity and a rude visit to customs, she finally arrived a week ago (see my reveal video below to savour the moment). The long wait between pre-order and delivery was certainly worth the wait for I was far from disappointed and have found myself a little bit in love!

Angelica came in an exquisitely packed box with lots of quality details such as welcome note and finely printed postcards. The doll herself comes packed minus her wig cap and wearing her dressing balled hands, which is a slight shock for the uninitiated. However what a revelation both of these technologies are!  The dressing balls put an end to struggling to get dolls fingers and hands through tiny sleeves (especially for those of us with chunkier fingers lol) and the nightmare pulled sleeve seems. The actual hands which come with Angelica are finely and realistically sculpted as well as surprisingly easy to change and attach. Separately sold hand sets can be purchased from Angelic Dreamz.

The wig cap is also easily attached and gives the doll a smooth and neat hairline without the slightest hint of unsightly plugs. The hair is very long and thick and a variety of separate wig caps can be purchased from the AD site. As if this wasn’t enough JAMIEshow dolls also come with a skull cap so that they can wear conventional wigs. I tried a number of Superfrock wigs on Angelica with great success, although I do find that due to her colouring and exotic beauty darker tones seem to work best. Angelica’s face-up is realistically done with expressive eyes, with applied lashes, as well as sensual pink and glossy lips. She is also able to wear earrings, although the basic dolls do not ship with any.

And now to the body sculpt and what a joy it is! Exquisite resin which is matt and wonderfully hand blushed, yet feels substantial in the hand and not scarily delicate as some BJD fashion dolls can be. This is a doll to be played with, posed and loved! Her 19 points of articulation are stiff enough that she isn’t floppy, yet loose enough that she poses easily and holds the pose well. She feels as if she could even stand unsupported, given the right shoes perhaps! The nuances of her pose-ability make her amazingly realistic, and  I am sure I have only just begun to discover all she can do. Her body is overall is lithe and well proportioned.

As she is a basic doll she comes wearing a 2 piece bikini, sandals and sarong. With the St. Tropez basic Angelica the bikinis come in randomly selected colours of blue/green/purple or orange. I had hoped for blue but my Angelica came wearing orange, but this is rather a minor set back in the scheme of things! I also purchased the separate St Tropez outfit consisting of crisp white shirt, denim pants and matching sandals for those evenings after the beach!

Overall I am mightily impressed with the JAMIEshow range and I am sure this will not be my last foray into this new Fashion Doll territory.

The ability to change wigs adds lots of dimensions to JAMIEshow