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Doll

Doll Observers / Superstar Members

An Interview With a Doll Lover, January 2012

Doll Lover Ada and friends

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. :D 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. :) )

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Doll Shows / FR:16 / IDEX

Integrity Toys Introduces the FR:16 Doll Line at IDEX

Integrity Toys have unveiled an unprecedented number of dolls and doll lines at this weekends IDEX show. Amongst the usual Fashion Royalty, Poppy Parker and Nu Fantasy dolls was the brand new FR:16 line of 16″ fashion dolls. The 1/4 scale doll fraternity, as well as enthusiastic Integrity Toys fans, have long anticipated the unveiling of the FR:16 line which is IT’s latest attempt at the 16″ doll market.  Their last line, the AdventGuards, a line of cutting edge 16″ dolls were a moderate success which eventually fizzled out. The FR:16 dolls take their name from their smaller 12″ sisters and do attempt to tie the lines together by putting them in the same story line universe. These gals run a fashion mag called “The Wall” which, as expected, is a runaway success and a must have for any self-respecting fashionista.

Integrity Toys IDEX Booth

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

Press Magnate Saskia Tate™ Dressed Doll

Main Feature Elsa Lin™ Dressed Doll

Fit to Print Anais McNight™ Dressed Doll

Fit to Print Anais McNight™ Dressed Doll

Fit to Print Anais McNight™ Dressed Doll

Perfect Layout Freja Mossimo™ Dressed Doll Perfect Layout Freja Mossimo™ Dressed Doll 
Freja Mossimo 'Perfect Layout'

All the FR:16 doll feature applied eyelashes

Freja Mossimo 'Perfect Layout' Accessories

Accessories to die for...

 

Doll Stuff / Fun / News / Robert Tonner

Challenged to a Duel, Tonner Dolls Style!

Tonner Doll Duels websiteTonner Dolls launched a brand new website which is sure to whet fans appetites prior to the upcoming revamp of the main Tonnerdolls.com website. And what a bundle of fun it is too, even whilst still in beta!

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

Barbie / Mattel / News

US: Barbie is the number one Christmas import

Barbie fashion dollAccording to Toy News Fashion doll Barbie is the US’ most imported Christmas gift, according to a survey comissioned by Bloomberg Businessweek.

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.

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Doll Observers / News / Theme of the Month

Deck The Halls With Fashion Dolls & Holly!

Christmas 2011 Barbie Fashion DollThe December fashion doll Theme And Photo Contest gets festive

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…

Angelica / Doll Stuff / JAMIEshow / Reviews

Say hello to JAMIEshow St. Tropez Angelica


Regular visitors to my blog will know that I am a huge fan of articulation in my dolls and like to keep a keen eye out on any developments in this field. To this end I had my sights on JAMIEshow dolls, available through the fantastic Angelic Dreamz, for sometime. However until recently I was not as taken with the face-ups as much as I was with their amazing physiques.

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.

St. Tropez JAMiEshow Angelica dollSt. Tropez JAMIEshow Angelica fashion doll

St. Tropez JAMIEshow Angelica fashion doll wearing sybarite wig

The ability to change wigs adds lots of dimensions to JAMIEshow

Barbie / Barbie Collector

Barbie Collector Introduces the Sinatra Barbie Doll

Barbie Collector Sinatra Barbie Doll

Barbie and Frank Sinatra: two American icons, one classic look.

Inspired by one of the world’s greatest and most iconic performers of all time, Sinatra Barbie® is the definition of class and sophistication as she takes center stage in Fall 2011.

Beloved not only for his melodic voice, Frank Sinatra did things “his way” with refined style and effortless grace. In a tribute to Ol’ Blue Eyes, Barbie® puts a spin on one of Sinatra’s most iconic looks, a custom-fitted suit as seen on many of the singer’s album covers, including “Nothing But The Best.”

Looking dapper in tweed, Barbie® wears a tailored houndstooth printed suit complete with a black tie, polished white shirt, and Frank-inspired fedora. Barbie® adds a twist of her own style to the classic look with bejeweled matching earrings and high- heeled saddle shoes. Barbie® also pays tribute to Frank Sinatra with her chic pocket square in orange, Frank’s favorite color.

Available September 2011, the Sinatra Barbie® doll will be a truly tasteful touch to any Barbie® collection and is a must-have for Barbie® and Frank Sinatra fans alike.

Available September 2011 at www.barbiecollector.com

Integrity Toys / W Club

The Poppy Parker W Club Exclusive 2011

Sweet Confection Poppy ParkerIntegrity Toys W Club recently announced their second exclusive doll, and this time it’s a Poppy Parker! For anyone who loves Poppy’s vintage vibe, you will not be disappointed as she is a real beauty. With lot’s of accessories too (drool…). Here’s the official blurb:

Doll collectors everywhere have found that they have fallen in love with everyone’s favorite teen model…Poppy Parker!  When a new Poppy is unveiled by Integrity Toys, you can be sure that this doll will sell out before the end of the day.  The W Club has offered members a variety of Exclusive W Club dolls in previous years like Fashion Royalty, Nu.Face and AG dolls.  But, never before have our members been offered their very own Exclusive W Club Poppy Parker… until now.  From posts in the W Club forum, we know that everyone has been anxiously awaiting the next 2011 Exclusive W Club doll, and here she is!

 

Sweet Confection Poppy Parker is a delicious dish wearing a darling turquoise and white chiffon mini dress with belted bow and button accents.  She wears lace tights and turquoise shoes that match her lovely dress.  Her “leather” white coat protects her from the chill of spring morning.  Topping off her frothy look is a pair of mod white sunglasses, chiffon head scarf and delicate jewelry.   What a lovely treat!

“Sweet Confection” Poppy has platinum blonde hair and beautiful turquoise blue eyes.  Poppy has applied lashes and due to popular request, Poppy comes in a lovely sunkissed tan skin tone.  This Poppy is extra special because this is the very first time that Poppy has been available in this fabulous skin tone.  After all, it’s still summer!

 


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Community / Doll Observers / Doll Stuff / News

Why should I join DollObservers.com?

“The BEST doll site on the web” – Mark, USA

DollObservers.com is the social network site for Fashion Doll Lovers. Whether your passion is Barbie, Tonner, Sybarite, Fashion Royalty or all of the above! Or whether you prefer your dolls Vintage or New, then this is the site for you. This is a true community of doll lovers and together we can discover a whole world of Fashion Dolls!

Once you sign up you will be able to enjoy and join in with the following activities and features:

  • Have your own ‘My Page’ which you can customise, rearrange and choose from a range of cool apps to add right there on your page
  • See a member you like? Add them as a friend! The more you engage with other members the more friends you will make. Invite your non-member friends to join you too!
  • Active members stand the chance of being nominated as a Superstar Member!
  • Connect DollObservers.com to your Facebook and Twitter accounts and post to all 3!
  • Add your Doll Photos and arrange them into albums. Other members can comment and socially engage with them
  • Upload Doll Videos or embed YouTube movies. Other members can comment and socially engage with them
  • Read member Fashion Doll Articles (blogs) and add your own
  • Join in and engage with the fashion doll discussions in the Forum
  • Join a specific Doll Groups such as ‘Barbie”, “Buy & Sell’, ‘Tonner Dolls‘, ‘Moxie Teenz‘ and more. Don’t see a group for you? Then create and maintain your own!
  • Do you run or know of Fashion Doll events? Then add them to our events page and invite your friends too!
  • Follow all the action in the Activity Feed on the front page in order to keep up with members’ posts. Add Photos, Videos, Articles, Discussions and Events as well as Status Updates right there in the feed
  • Every month we have a different Doll Theme. Previous themes have included ‘Science Fiction’, ‘In The Sun’, ‘Love’ and lots more. Members can enter a theme pic for a chance to win a $20 cash prize! It lots of fun and a very popular feature
  • Look out for occasional offers and competitions to win cool Fashion Doll prizes!
  • Our site is ever evolving and new features are added all the time.

Phew, as if that wasn’t enough, DollObservers.com is absolutely FREE to join. All we ask is that you consider donating an amount of your choice in order to help with upkeep and running costs. The suggested donation is just $11.95 for 12 months of membership. That amounts to less than $1 per month!

Regardless of whether you donate or not, everyone who joins or signs up for our newsletter will receive a FREE Barbie eBook. Cool!

Still not convinced? Then check out some Member Testimonials:

“When you join DollObservers, as I did one year ago, you find those people, you got those friends all over the globe, and you share the passion, the friendship, the fun” – Lilly, Superstar Member, Spain

“I want to share my joy over dolls with others, and in real life I just can’t. And right here it works in two directions; I can post photos of my dolls that I’m proud of and receive comments, and I can enjoy other people’s beautiful dolls and be inspired :) ” – Evelien, Netherlands

“Users can enjoy the camaraderie of doll collecting with a multi-faceted group rather than just one certain doll being in the spotlight. You can be exposed to dolly joys you wouldn’t otherwise notice through the eyes of their admirers and maybe even fall in love with a new doll yourself… And of course, my favorite: “Theme of the Month Group” allows you to fully participate with other collectors in a healthy and friendly competition in which you can show off not only your favorite dolls & collections but their wardrobes, accessories, props and dioramas that go hand in hand with doll collecting!” – Mark, USA

“It’s really great to meet doll lovers from all over the world. As for me, the atmosphere is very important. Of course there are people who collect fashion dolls, BJD, reborn dolls and antiques at the same time but generally I see the collectors with strong preferences for one type of dolls over the others. My own collection is 95% fashion dolls, so I love being among people with the same doll preferences. Thank you Simon, for giving the fashion doll lovers from all over the world the chance to unite on such a website!” – Katie, Russian Federation

Doll Reader / Doll Stuff / DOTY Awards / News

Doll Reader Announces its 2011 DOTY Public’s Choice Winners

Following the January announcement of the 2011 Doll of the Year® (DOTY®) Industry’s Choice® awards winners at IDEX Premiere in Orlando, Fla., 83 dolls went on to compete for the esteemed DOTY®Public’s Choice® awards. Over the last few months, readers and members of the collecting public were asked to select their favorite dolls from this pool of Industry’s Choice® winners. And so, DollReader proudly presents the 2011 Doll of the Year® Public’s Choice® award winners.

Check out pictures of all this year’s award winners in the August/September issue of Doll Reader magazine, and stay tuned for the October issue where interview each award winner about their prize-winning doll and what’s next for them.

Children’s Play Doll
Black Velvet – Adora, Charisma Brands

Collectible Baby Doll
Amy – Doris Stannat, MasterPiece Dolls

Collectible Fashion Doll
Ava Gardner Hearts Ablaze - Tonner Doll Company

Collectible Ball-Jointed Doll
Alice - Ashton-Drake Galleries

Collectible Vinyl/Plastic Doll, Less than $175
Little Red Riding Hood – Joanne Flitton, Heartstring Dolls

Collectible Vinyl/Plastic Doll, More than $175
Jethe - Heidi Plusczok

Collectible Porcelain Doll
Journey – Karen Alderson, Charisma Brands

Collectible Miniature Doll, 8 Inches or Less
Tiny Bundle - Camille Allen

Collectible Manufacturer’s Artist Doll, Less than $250
Flame Blue Vanessa Perrin Dressed Doll – Jason Wu, Integrity Toys

Collectible Manufacturer’s Artist Doll, More than $250
Victoria Rose – Luciana Miglioranzi, Babies N Bubbles

Artist Ball-Jointed Doll
Mia – Lorella Falconi, Lorella Falconi Dolls

Artist Baby Doll
Sweet AlyMarie – Lori Ivanovic, Silver Spoon Nursery

Artist Miniature Doll
Katherine – Anna Hardman, Anna Hardman Dolls

Artist Doll, Less than $1,250
Apolonia - Zawieruszynski Originals

Artist Doll, More than $1,250 + BEST IN SHOW!
Little Red Riding Hood - Hildegard Gunzel

One-Of-A-Kind Doll, Less than $1,250
Karley - Annette Hermann Originals

One-Of-A-Kind Doll, More than $1,250
Little Apache - Lynn Cartwright

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