Cupid’s Kisses has Arrived…
…And her hair is the big story. I won’t lie to you folks…it’s a bit of a fixer upper. Let me start by saying, her box is cute. It is streamlined and classic. I like it.
Here is Ms. C.Kisses in her box. Pardon the crappy cell phone pictures…they were all I could manage whens she arrived.
And here was mine and pretty much everyone else’s question….where is the cute little curl that goes on her forehead?? Here is the promo shot
No need to panic folks. The curl is there..you just have to coax it down a bit.
She comes with some adorable accessories
The dress is adequate though I have to be honest…I did not buy her for this dress. I have other fashions in mind for her. It is not Silkstone quality but it works well on her. There is a Velcro closure in the back so there is some room to make the fit better if it isn’t working on your doll. I think the velvet embossing on the dress is cute and appears to be applied correctly. The hair though…was some work. The ponytail does not have a hard curl at the end . Therein lies part of the problem. Mine came out of the box looking a bit like someone took a pair of scissors to the end of the ponytail. I will put a better curl in it when I have some time to hard set it. For now, I am content with getting the curl to come down on her forehead. Want to see how I did it? I figured….so I included pictures
The handy dandy pin trick! I keep these small silk or applique pins in my deboxing kit. They can solve a whole manner of hat and hair dilemmas.
Push the curl down on the forehead to where you would like it. Hold it down and insert a pin. Make sure you are putting the pin into hair and not into the dolls forehead ( that would be bad…especially if you want to move the hair off the forehead later…you would have a lobotomy scar to deal with and nobody wants that LOL). You can try weaving the pin in and out a little so it is catching different pieces of hair as it goes in. It will hold better this way. Be gentle with handling the hair on this one. It gets messy very easily so don’t overwork it.
Push the pin in. On a vinyl head it is so easy. You can do it with your finger. DON’T try this on a Silkstone. You will end up with a hole in your finger {ouch!}. You need a thimble for Silkstone heads.
You can leave it like this if you want. You can barely see the pin unless you are looking straight down at the curl. I photograph from different angles and since I try to avoid photoshopping when I can, I just ever so slightly move the hair over the pin so it is invisible.
Easy peasy right?!
The Agony of “Sold Out”
We have all been there. Something we really want sells out before we get a chance to buy it. In the doll collecting community, it seems to be happening more often lately. Case in point, two dolls that I wrote about previously have sold out rather quickly.
** Photos are property of Mattel, Inc**
Many collectors, it would seem (if talk on the doll boards is a good gage of distress), were caught unaware. It got me to thinking…why does this seem to be happening more often lately? Is it because there are more collectors all of the sudden? More likely, it is the toy companies like Mattel and Integrity Toys figuring out that very tricky supply/demand line and managing it more prudently. Let me clarify that these “sold out” signs are coming up at Barbiecollector.com and not necessarily at all of the dealers and here is my thought. Perhaps Mattel is limiting the supply on their site so as to drive more traffic to their dealer sites. I think this would be a really good thing as I have always thought the dealers kind of get shafted when Mattel’s product is so readily available on the Barbiecollector site. What incentive do buyers have to go through a dealer if they can get it directly from Mattel? It never made sense to me why Mattel would undercut their own dealers. I really like to see the dealers getting some highly anticipated dolls in first..before Mattel’s Barbiecollector.com site. It makes sense to me that the dealers should get some perks and the customers who support these dealers should get it too. I love supporting the local dealer because it feels like you are supporting one of your “tribe”. Typically these local dealers are collectors just like us and it is not only a pleasure to get to know them but it just feels good to support their business.
Okay, my plug for the local dealer is done. 
On to other business…like the next possible “sold out” doll. Tomorrow Mattel will have this lovely lady on their site available for purchase and the news I am getting from various dealers is that she is flying off the shelves. She has been available from dealers for the past week. It was a bit surprising considering her whopping price tag but folks..as a silkie collector I have to say…she is a must have. I think sooner rather than later should be the mantra on this one…she may be gone before you know it.
Limited Edition of no more than 6500 worldwide.
Yuletide Yummies Barbie
If you are a member of the BFC ( Barbie Fan Club) and a fan of the Holiday Hostess Barbie series Bill Greening has been giving us over the past year, tomorrow is a day you should have marked on your calendar. The next installment for this series will be available tomorrow and the fun begins at 9:00AM PT. As this is not a platinum edition….I don’t expect to need my valium. 
She will set you back $75.00 and I suspect this one will sell out quickly so if you want her, get her soon. Christmas is my all time favorite holiday so I plan to be online at 9AM PT with bells on for this one.
** Photos are property of Mattel, Inc.**
How cute are these accessories I ask you??!!! It’s almost worth it for the Santa mugs alone! Here is a shot I took of her at Barbiecon. Hair on this one at Barbiecon looks like its been messed with quite a bit. I am kind of liking the promo shot better than the one we saw at Barbiecon although…the IRL photo makes her look softer. LOVE the cat eye eyeliner and holiday red lips on this one.
Barbie Fan Club 2012 Registration Begins 2/8
We just finished the registration for Integrity Toy’s WClub so now it is Mattel’s turn. The Barbie Fan Club has many perks and another active forum of collectors to participate in but…and you know the drill by now…you have to be a member. One of the lovely things about the BFC is that there is no time limit to sign up. There is , however, a membership limit. Their literature states that they will sell 7500 memberships and that is all. The club doll will also be limited to a specific number and the club doll has sold out the last couple of years. This year, the BFC has a wonderful lineup of club exclusive dolls. The highlight for me is the club doll itself “Afternoon Suit” Barbie. She is a Silkstone and her suit looks to have been inspired by Dior. If you are at all interested in the BFC, I would recommend joining early. My prediction is that this lady will sell out.
** photos are property of Mattel Inc. **
Inspiration? Dior Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2009
Other dolls in the works for the club are: “Rush of Gold ” and “Holiday Hostess”
Rush of gold is listed as a platinum doll ( get your valium ready!)
Whoever inspired the club doll, my hat is off to them. LOVE this lady!!! Will I be buying? Yep! As fast as my little keys can hit the keyboard. Not sure about the doll with her pageboy and bangs hairstyle. In my experience, this hairstyle on the Silkies rarely comes out as nice as the promo photos but I will be more than happy to be wrong on this. She has the look of Anna Wintour don’t you think? Mattel will be releasing additional information on 02/01/2012. For information now , feel free to go to the Barbie Collector sight or just click on the picture bellow.
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 