Vivid Impact Agnes
Many collectors panned this Agnes at convention. I suppose her hair was not what everyone was expecting. On one of the doll boards the hair was compared to Endora of Bewitched….ouch! When I first removed her from the box, I could see what some were saying. The curls did sit a bit too high on her head. I decided to try and tame it down some and I like the end result. I love me a high updo and you add red hair and curls to this and I’m a happy camper. I LOVE her. Oh and added bonus…the gown is purple…my daughters favorite color. 
The gown is simple and elegant and the jewelry is fabulous. A little tiara comes with the jewelry and while it was cute, I just didn’t think she needed it. I like the option of having it though.
Supply and Demand…Barbie Economics 101
I worked in the stock market for many years before I left the private sector. I enjoyed many a frenetic day watching stocks take off during various IPO’s ( Initial public offerings ). It was always thrilling to gage the “when to buy” and “when to sell” in those exciting times. Some times you gambled and won…sometimes you didn’t ( those days were usually followed by a half a bottle of wine and a “better luck next time” pep talk to myself LOL!). Even though I have been “out of the business” for many years, I still like to watch the markets and enjoy seeing the rules of economics play out. We are seeing a prime example of the laws of economics playing out in the Collector Barbie world as we speak and there has been a lot of angst displayed on various doll boards. If you have not be following, here is a bit of background.
The TokiDoki Barbie was introduced in late September and many adult collectors were excited to see this product.
** Photo property of Mattel, Inc. **
She is cute with her leopard leggings, pink pageboy, silver glitter stilettos and…well…is that a dog? Anywhoo..she is cute. I was aware of the tattoos on this lovely lady and I thought they made her look hip and edgy certainly not trashy. Well apparently there are those who would disagree and feel that the tattoos degrade the wholesome value of Barbie. Some have enlisted the help of the press and gone on to imply that this pink haired tattooed Barbie could be a negative influence on their dear and impressionable children. Really??!! Maybe… if she was smoking a cigarette and downing a six-pack…but I fail to believe leopard leggings and tattoos on a Barbie could do more damage than the average night of American reality TV. Just my opinion but I digress.
Now here is where it gets interesting and those rules of economics come into play. We have a limited supply of these lovely tattooed ladies. Visibility, increases the demand for said product. Even though the press, so to speak, is negative it is still press and additional demand is realized. As the negative comments get bigger press coverage ( this story was carried on NBC and CBS)demand continues to increase until demand exceeds supply so that a shortage is established and price of product increases. We now have a sellers market and this Barbie that sold for $50.00 two days ago is currently selling on ebay for an average of $250.00…. A Barbie commodity.
So I guess my question is this. How did we get here? Did it really only take a few negative comments by a couple of puritan parents to set off a series of events that created a Barbie commodity? I realize you needed a slow news day and some very thirsty for content editors out there but still. Is it really that easy to create a “run on the bank” with collectibles these days? I know many collectors are very upset that these dolls are going for such an extreme price on ebay and some are blaming the sellers. I hate to point it out but there wouldn’t be inflated prices unless there were buyers out there paying those inflated prices. It all comes back to supply and demand and …. I guess… a few parents who simply draw the line at tattoos and leopard leggings.
An Updo Hair Tutorial
Over a year ago, a very nice woman wrote to me and asked if I would share some tips on a certain hairstyle I had done. I was all enthused to do a hair tutorial and had every intention of posting the information. Well…of course…I never got around to posting it. My bad! While at the recent Fashion Royalty convention in Chicago, I met a very lovely woman from France and yes…you guessed it….she was the one who had originally asked for information on how to do a certain hairstyle. Now, having met this person face to face and having promised to post a tutorial, I hereby dispatch my duty LOL!
And for the lovely Rebecca V. from Paris, this one is for you . Merci beaucoup pour votre patience en attendant que cette information.
Here is a photo of the restyled table dolls I gave at the last Barbie Convention:
*** A word of caution about this tutorial. Once I do the dolls hair in an updo, it is not coming down. It is a permanent hairstyle change. If you are looking for temporary hairstyle changes, this is not the tutorial for you. ** Also…it is highly recommended to practice on a less expensive vinyl doll first. I practiced on some older playline dolls of my daughters before I tackled the Silkstones.
I use the following products when I restyle doll hair:
1. Firm Hold Hair Gel
2. brush and rat tail comb
3. Straight pins ( nickel plated…so far no reaction with Silkstone vinyl)
4. Small clear rubber bands
5. A thimble
First, I liberally apply the gel to the section of hair that I will be styling and rubber band it at the top/back of head.
Then I put a rubber band about an inch and 1/2 down from the other rubber band and leave a small section out from the right side of the hair bundle. This will be used to cover up the rubber band …you will see what I mean.
Next, I pull the section of hair around the rubber band…..
The gel will help keep it in place for a bit but I try to hold it there while I work on the rest.
The next step is the one that normally bothers people…yes…I cut the hair. Please avert your eyes if you can’t handle it.
Once the hair is cut, I fold it forward towards the face. Notice that piece of hair that I left out of the bundle is wound around the bottom rubber band and hanging off to the right side of the dolls head.
Fold the hair forward, concealing the ends of the hair under the bundle.
Hold firmly and insert pin on top of hair bundle. I use a thimble to push the pin down into the head.
I usually use 3-5 straight pins for this updo but you may need more or less depending on the doll and the amount of hair. I put one in the middle and one a little bit to the left and right. Keep in mind that if you are working on a Silkstone head, you will need to use a fair bit of force to get that pin in her head. I highly recommend a thimble if working with Silkstones.
Once you have put in enough pins and the hair is staying up on it’s own without you holding it, you can take care of the section of hair that should still be hanging out the back from where you covered the rubber band.
I use very sharp small sewing scissors for this .
Then I fix the end of the cut hair with a dab of hair gel to “glue” it in place.
Et Voilà!
I usually spend a few minutes snipping stray hairs and smoothing bumpy hair with the hair gel if needed.
I typically finish the hairstyle with a very fine mist hairspray. Make sure you protect the dolls face when you spray as some sprays can affect the face paint or finish.
Here are some of the ladies hanging out while they dry after I sprayed them.
Hope this helps explain it! If there are any questions, feel free to contact me…otherwise, have fun styling those ladies.
Beautiful Beaux–Part Deux
I felt the need to photograph the new Fashion Royalty convention exclusive by Dressmaker Details on a Silkstone. I also wanted to photograph the adorable dress beneath the shrug….my previous photos really didn’t show off that. Also, the gloves are leather-like and fit really, really well on a silkie. LOVE them! I am starting to pull out the holiday stuff for photos so be prepared….Christmas trees will show up randomly from now through January LOL! I am also looking forward to photographing the Fashion Royalty Convention collection when it arrives ( taps foot impatiently while waiting 
). Oh and not to mention…but I will definitely mention…I have a couple of new hats by the talented Allyrenee to showcase in some upcoming photos.
Model: Restyled Silkstone Verushka
Ensemble: Dressmaker Details “Beautiful Beaux” ( available at www.windycitydolls.com )
Beyond the Still Monogram
Thanks to a very gracious table mate, I was able to purchase this lovely lady at the F.R. Convention this year. I love the high couture look of the Monogram line by Integrity and this lady fits in very well with my collection. I was also impressed with the promotional photos of the up and coming Monograms for the holidays so I thought I would play around with some more dramatic lighting. Here is my first attempt at trying to sculpt the light into something different. While it isn’t perfect yet, I am liking the direction it’s taking.
This ladies jewelry is TO DIE FOR!
Beautiful Beaux–Dressmaker Details Convention Exclusive
I am a huge fan of Steven Fraser’s work so it can be no surprise that I purchased his Fashion Royalty Convention exclusive this year. He named it Beautiful Beaux and it is indeed beautiful. I adore the faux mink shrug with this.
The fashion is available at Windy City Dolls ( http://www.windycitydolls.com/dressmaker.htm)
**note** the necklace on the mannequin is NOT a part of this fashion. The gloves and the purse are.
After Convention–The Doll Hangover
I have run into this before with the National Barbie Convention so I have some experience with it. I must say though, the hangover from the Fashion Royalty Convention was and is…MAJOR. I think with Barbie conventions in the past, I have always had to ship my loot home so there was a delay between the actual convention and when I received all the goodies at home. This time, I was smart and packed a duffel bag for my clothing and was able to pack all the dolls in my suitcase. I am a deboxer so I had the luxury of deboxing at the hotel and having room to pack everything and take it home immediately. The instant gratification of all that convention swag was a dolly high such as I had never experienced before. I’m still reeling. 
Here is the third day’s accumulation picture.
Now add in Day one and Day two…….
And here is the resulting doll explosion when I arrived home. Each item was removed from the suitcase and shared with my daughter….a show and tell of my convention experience.
And when we had exceeded the capacity of the Family Room, it spilled into the kitchen as well.
How on earth did I manage to get all this home??!! Sometimes it’s just better to accept and not ask LOL!
Fashion Royalty Convention 2011–Day Three
The third and last day of convention started with great anticipation. Who would the convention doll be???? We had received pieces at each meal to complete a giftset on the last night of the convention. I was under the assumption that that was the convention doll but oh noooooo. The giftset, I was told the night before, was in ADDITION to a separate convention doll. I was in shock. Therefore, I awoke with great anticipation of not one but two fantastic dolls at the evening event.
My schedule was as follows:
Wake up and consume massive amounts of coffee to get me going.
Morning – hit the competition and raffle rooms to take photos and visit the museum for photos.
Lunch – WClub FR2 luncheon
Afternoon – Workshop/seminar on how Integrity toy dolls are made.
Evening – Gala diner
I started out in the competition room where some serious diorama artists showed off their amazing work.
This one was my favorite and done by the amazing Audrey of Diva Details. It was a complete and unexpected gift to get to meet and spend some time with her at this convention. One of the many highlights of my convention experience!
Next up was a trip to the museum and what an experience that was. Since I am not the best with words, I will just let the pictures tell the story. This museum showcased some rare prototype items from Alain Tremblay’s ( Market Director for Integrity Toys) personal collection.
Here was one item in the the museum that I would just die to see produced….I don’t care how much it would cost ( well I do care but I would pay big bucks LOL!).
LUGGAGE!! I mean there is a steamer trunk!!!!
And a portable bar!!!! Oh please could they produce these….contact Alain Tremblay at Integrity Toys if you want to see these produced. If enough of us beg him, he may relent and get them produced heeeehee.
Okay enough of me and my luggage fetish…on to the rest of the museum.
The new Breakfast at Tiffany’s line was there as well as the new Monograms coming out for the holiday’s. Also, the new Poppy Parker and Darla prototypes that have not been released were there and they were really cute. I think they look better in real life than in their promo shots.
After the museum, it was time for the luncheon. This was an event where we did not have assigned seating so it was find a friend and sit down. Once you found a table you were greeted with this fantastic centerpiece doll. A lovely FR2 Tatyana “Exceptional” Three people from each table were selected at random to win a chance to buy her. Thanks to the lovely and gracious Judy at our table, I was able to purchase her…yipeeee!
Each place setting was set with this.
The box was a set of mini acrylic ghost chairs. How adorable! The envelope was a surprise……oh what could it be?!
** Photo is a snapshot of photo that is property of Integrity Toys Inc. **
Surprise!! Many people were upset by the recent change in the Vanessa face mold so Integrity Toys made an old sculpt Vanessa doll on a FR2 body available for purchase by all WClub Convention attendees. How exciting!! Did I buy her you ask? Well Duh!
Well…once I retrieved my “smoking” credit card back from Integrity Toys, I awaited the start of a workshop/seminar on how Integrity Dolls are made. They did not allow any photos or videos of this workshop. It was very informative and I enjoyed learning about the different processes and components that go into manufacturing each and every doll. Given the number of steps they go through and how many of those steps have to be redone because something is not right, I am amazed that they are able to produce the number of dolls that they do. From time to time there can be errors in production such as the trouble with Malicious’ necklace. It was a production error for which they take full and complete responsibility. After this seminar, and understanding a bit more about the process, I am shocked that there have not been many more production issues. It really is a fairly complex and many times a frustrating process. At the end of the seminar, we learned that we had been seeing photos of a doll being produced and it was available for purchase by anyone who attended the workshop. Yep…got in the line for that one too heehee. I think she is gorgeous!
At last, it was time to get ready for the Gala Diner and see the unveiling of the giftset doll AND find out who the convention doll is. I had some fun with some dear convention friends old and new before the ballroom opened up.
We entered the ball room and were immediately struck by the centerpiece dolls. Oh my word!! I instantly fell in love. I mean it was PINK! Ladies and Gentleman, may I present Beyond the Still Monogram.
A huge and heartfelt “Thank You!!” to Bittersweet who was sitting at my table. She graciously allowed me to purchase this lovely lady. This is one of my favorites from the convention. Just love her!
At each of our place settings there was the giftset doll “Point of Departure”Eugenia! ( ** pardon the blurry photos….it’s the best I could do with a cell phone camera…but hey…I could upload it directly to flickr that way 
)
** Photo is a snapshot of photo that is property of Integrity Toys Inc. **
After a lovely dinner, Jason Wu took the stage with his Integrity team and announced as they were celebrating their 10 year anniversary, it was only fitting that the convention doll should be the lady that started it all off for them…….Veronique. Fashion Royalty 2011 Convention doll “ Air Apparent” Veronique
** Photo is a snapshot of photo that is property of Integrity Toys Inc. **
Now…..how on earth do I get all this stuff home???!!!! To be continued…..
Fashion Royalty Convention Day two continued….
It was a packed day and it started early. Chicago at dawn.
I wanted to get down to the sales room to pick up the IT direct exclusives that I had tickets for. The process to pick up everything was incredibly organized and well run. I had my bag of goodies in no time and was off to my next event.
Next stop was Design a Doll Studio. There were 8 different dolls you could choose, four outfits and four jewelry packs. The selection was amazing and there were additional jewelry and clothing packs for purchase. You could choose to have your dolls eyes enhanced by the amazing Jon Copeland . His work simply blows me away. I am in absolute awe of the repaint work that he does.
Once you dressed your doll, you could pose them in one of two fantastic dioramas done by Jakki Peters
Soooo much fun!
After playing with the Dynamite Girls, I headed to the Poppy Luncheon. The centerpiece doll was a stunner.
I was not eligible to win another centerpiece since I had already won one ( Kyori, yeah!) but I was really excited for whoever was going to win this beauty. That honor went to a dear tablemate…lucky dog. At the luncheon, David Buttry gave us some information on the direction his Poppy designs are taking in the future. Poppy will be moving into the 60’s and the Mod era. We were also given a small preview of “Chip” Poppy’s boyfriend. Mr. Buttry announced he should be arriving next year. I am not sure how a new Mod era Poppy is going to fit into my collection but David assured the crowd that he will still be doing some more classic 50’s era styling along with the Mod era. I was happy to hear that.
** Photos are snapshots of photo that is property of Integrity Toys Inc. **
At the end of the luncheon, we were gifted with a Poppy Parker doll. She is absolutely adorable!
I spent the rest of the afternoon in a rerooting workshop and photographing the competition room and museum ( pictures tomorrow). The evening dinner was The Color Infusion Groovy Pucci Fashion Party. The centerpiece doll was called “ Psychedelic Splash” and was a Color Infusion doll.
** Photo is a snapshot of photo that is property of Integrity Toys Inc. **
We learned that there will be three new Monogram dolls ( yipeeee!) for the holidays. They are gown dolls and they shared photos.
** Photos are snapshots of photos that is property of Integrity Toys Inc. **
These lovely ladies are gorgeous! I contacted my dealer immediately. It was extremely convenient that she was sitting at the table with me LOL!
We were also given a lovely Color Infusion doll called “Sunset Rave”
** Photo is a snapshot of photo that is property of Integrity Toys Inc. **
It was another incredible day for me at my first Fashion Royalty convention. Here is a photo of todays accumulation. I can’t get over the amount of stuff we are getting as gifts and new products were are able to purchase. I believe a trip to the UPS shipping room is in my future. 
Fashion Royalty Convention 2011–Day Two
Well I’m off and running this morning. The schedule is as follows:
Sales Room( picking up the new silhouettes!!), Competition Room and Raffle Room in the morning
Poppy Parker Luncheon
Rerooting workshop in the afternoon
The Color Infusion Dinner and Pucci Fashion Party
I will try my best to get photos processed and posted but it may well be tomorrow before I am able to post. Keep an eye on my flickr for cell phone snaps of the centerpieces at todays functions.
Fashion Royalty Convention 2011–Living the Jet Set Life Welcome Dinner
All I can say is WOW what an evening!! I started out meeting up with some friends before dinner. Here are the lovely Barb of Windy City Dolls, Steven Fraser of Dressmaker Details and Hilda of Bellissima Couture.
Someone had dressed the new Most Wanted Elise in Steven’s new convention fashion and she looked fabulous!
We entered the ballroom and saw that the centerpiece was a gorgeous Kyori in red and black with a black hat. You know me and hats. LOVED IT…and…I won the right to purchase her. Yipeeee.
After dinner, Integrity introduced a couple of new direct exclusive products that would available to conventioners in limited editions of 300 per item.
First up were Bare Essentials Night and Day dolls. ** pictures are screenshots of photos that are property of Integrity Toys, Inc. **
Next up was the City Girl
Then a new guy…Backstage Ambition
The next couple of products literally had me hyperventilating. The new line is called Les Silhouettes and it is so exactly what I love that I was instantly in love. The first new character in this line is called Victoire Roux.
And there is one new fashion in this line called Avenue Montaigne
Because of the limited availability of these direct IT products, each table host handed out envelopes to each member at the table with 4 random tickets for the right to purchase these products. I was so wanting to get tickets for the silhouette products and I was lucky to get tickets for both plus the right to purchase Backstage Ambition and Bare Essentials Night. I can’t wait to see these dolls!!! We will have the opportunity to purchase these in the sales room tomorrow. I hope to have real life photos up tomorrow!
Last but certainly not least, we all received a beautiful doll with Anja face sculpt and I am sorry to say I did not catch her name because I was too busy admiring the doll LOL!
We were also given the first piece of our convention gift set which was a lovely yellow pant outfit with peach shoes. I believe I heard that the doll will be a new sculpt but don’t quote me on it.
The beautiful things I brought back to my room from this dinner are amazing.
The amazing collection for the day is mind boggling!!
And this is just for today!!! I am officially having an amazing time. 
Fashion Royalty Convention 2011–Registration and Salesroom
Registration went very smoothly. Here is a picture of what we received
We received our nametag, a sling backpack ( very cool!), mini combs, a little survival pack with band aids, Tylenol and wetwipes ( very useful ) and the all important empty box. This box signifies we will be getting components to fill it. Exciting!
After Registration, we waited in line for the sales room to open.
For many, the waiting was a fun party and a chance to visit with friends.
Kimberly is excited about the box….or more importantly what is going to go IN the box.
I love the interactive maps they have at the hotel. Clarence is checking it out.
Finally the wait was over and we could enter the sales room. The convention collection was as follows
Vivid Impact Agnes Von Weiss Dressed Doll
Most Wanted Elise Jolie Dress Doll FR2
Style Counsel Adèle Makéda and Véronique Perrin Two Doll Giftset
Mission Control Imogen Dressed Doll ( Nu.Face Collection)
High Toned Rayna Dressed Doll ( Nu.Face Collection)
Brightness Calls Isha Dressed Doll
Simply Simpatico Poppy Parker and Darla Two Doll Gift Set
I would have to say the Elise Jolie is my favorite so far.
I love the ball gowns so she really stood out for me. I also liked Agnes
I left the sales room with some gorgeous Dressmaker Details outfits and the DD Convention exclusive “ Beautiful Beaux”. They had some new shoe packs for FR2 and Poppy Parker. Here is the sales room loot for the day
That’s it for now. I will try and post a short entry this evening to share the evening events. I will be attending the “Living the Jet Set Life Welcome Dinner”
Fashion Royalty Convention–Day One
I arrived in Chicago yesterday evening and am looking forward to sharing the experience of my first F.R. convention. The schedule this morning and afternoon is as follows:
Registration 9:00AM
Run around taking pictures until 11:00AM – (let’s be honest folks…I’m going to be talking to people for a good chunk of this too LOL!)
Grab some lunch 11:30AM
Get in line for Salesroom 12:00PM
Sales Room Opens…..what we are all waiting for! 1:00PM
I hope to be able to post photos soon after I leave the salesroom so everyone can see real life photos of the convention collection. Will see how it goes.
In the meantime…here is a little glimpse of how Rebecca starts her day….command central for convention.
Live from Chicago….It’s Fashion Royalty Convention 2011
I will be flying to Chicago today for my very first Fashion Royalty convention and I am sooooo excited. I can’t wait to reconnect with and meet the many new friends I have made online and at other doll conventions. This convention is smaller than the mega convention that is Barbiecon. There will be 450 attendees and it is a sold out event. I will be attending a workshop on rerooting (very excited to learn a better technique) and a workshop on the Integrity doll process – how things are made. I am not carting my big camera gear to this convention so will have to make do with my trusty point and shoot. I anticipate uploading some photos directly to my flickr account from my phone. I hope to update the blog daily but will have to see how it goes.
More Grace from Mattel!
Mattel has just announced a new addition to the vinyl Grace Kelly Barbie line. Robert Best has designed her wearing the incredibly beautiful black and white Rear Window “fresh from the Paris plane” gown designed by Edith Head. I am jumping up and down excited….squeeeeeeeel! Many costume historians put this gown down as one of the most copied and iconic gowns ever worn by Grace Kelly. She is listed as a “pink label” doll and is scheduled for release in December. She is listed for $34.95 currently on www.pinkponytail.com
Dear Santa….please put one of these under the Christmas tree for me 
**Note** Photo is property of Mattel, Inc.
Mattel also released photos of a new Barbie designed by Robert Best called Hope Diamond Barbie. Here name may change down the road but here are the first photos of her. She will retail for $74.95 and is due out in Spring of 2012. Steep price but it is the Hope Diamond after all. LOVE the gown and the gorgeous red hair. I hope the production doll looks very similar to this!
**Note** Photo is property of Mattel, Inc.
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 