Valium Wasn’t Enough
Nope…Can’t touch this
Classic Evening Gown Barbie® Doll
Apparently even Valium wasn’t enough to carry the day for Mattel’s latest scheduled platinum sale. According to Mattel, a server error before the sale even started was enough to cancel the entire thing for that day and no date has been named for its release as of this posting. I have experienced Mattel and Barbiecollector system issues for years (YEARS!) before this hence my previous blog post “Get your Valium Ready” but even I did not anticipate a complete customer fail.
Customer Fail = to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved.
What?!!! This begs the question, if one server error was enough to bring this sale down, exactly how many servers were allotted to this event? I am thinking….2. Come on people. It is a platinum sale. You hold it once a year. You know…I can believe that weird system things happen. Believe me, I have experienced just such a thing. The system issues that Mattel and BC experience at these platinum sales are consistent not just a “one-off” thing. To come in two minutes before kick-off and say “We are sorry, but we have a system problem”, just comes off as poor planning to me.
Don’t want to arm chair quarterback here but, if you don’t have the server capacity or you have had problems previously with the capacity, one would think you would have a back up plan…perhaps RENT some additional server space or start to question the ability of your system to handle the load you place on it during these high volume sales. There are companies like Amazon and Microsoft that offer up services to handle and solve such issues each and every day. If you can’t diagnose and treat the issue, perhaps it is time to seek outside help. Just a thought. In the meantime, Mattel and the BFC have left their most avid and loyal collector customers with a decidedly sour taste in their mouths. I have no idea if it is the IT staff at Barbie collector who plan poorly or Mattel Inc. itself that simply has not allocated the funding and resources necessary to handle these sales. It is entirely possible that Mattel has told Barbie Collector and its IT staff they must make bricks with no straw on this one. If that is the case, I feel for them. Either way, it leaves the collectors questioning whether they want to purchase the product or not. Not a positive customer experience. Not a good day for Mattel and the BarbieCollector brand.
As of this posting, no available date of sale has been given by Mattel or Barbiecollector for this doll.
Get Your Valium Ready
Mattel is serving up their first platinum edition doll of 2015 to BFC members next week. You have to be a BFC member to have a chance at this doll and you have to be a prepared and ready BFC member to have a chance at her. I highly recommend valium while doing this LOL! There will be system delays ( cough…crashes…cough), there will be frustrated collectors, there will be disappointed collectors and there will be euphoric “ I made it through the obstacles and got it” collectors. There will also be, I suspect, a fair number of scalpers in there just trying to score a doll they know they will be able to make a profit on later. It is the nature of the beast when you have low supply and high demand. So what is all this fuss about you ask…..let me show you.
Classic Evening Gown Barbie® Doll
Designed by Linda Kyaw
Release Date: 5/13/2015
Product Code: CGT31
No more than 1000 units produced worldwide.
Retail: $85.00
Doll Details
Body Type:
ModelMuse
Skin Tone:
Neutra
Facial Sculpt:
Aphrodite
Fashion Sewn On?:
No
Eyelashes:
Painted
Included with doll:
Shoes, Earrings, Bracelet, Doll Stand
I have to admit…she is pretty. I would not expect anything less from Linda and her beautiful and classic sense of style. The jury is still out in my mind if I will enter the shark tank for this one but I wish luck to everyone who wants to try for her. May the force, fast internet connection and the healthy spirit of the hunt be with you.
Sneaks for 2014!
Finally Mattel ( or apparently Mattel marketing) has given us a look at upcoming dolls from 2014. A number of items were sneaked to the BFC members a couple of days ago. Here are the public images ready for our greedy collector consumption.
Designed by: Bill Greening
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $29.95
source:www.barbiecollector.com
Adorable right?!! Shug…if it’s a girl…I am sending you one of these 
The Wizard of Oz™ Fantasy Glamour Wicked Witch of the West™ Doll
Designed by: Linda Kyaw
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $100.00
Direct Exclusive from Barbiecollector.com
source:www.Barbie collector.com
Wow!! I thought WOZ dolls were totally overdone…until I saw this one. Linda, I salute you. She is a beauty!
Bob Mackie® Princess Stargazer™ Barbie® Doll
Designed by: Robert Best
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $100.00
Directly Exclusive from Barbiecollector.com
source: www.barbiecollector.com
Ummm…..I could be diplomatic and say this doll is unique. I have to be honest though and say this doll creeps me out. No disrespect to the amazing talents of Robert Best but…I find nothing compelling about this doll. No stargazing for this collector.
Designed by: Linda Kyaw
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $75.00
source: www.barbiecollector.com
Well Linda, you have given us another home run! I adore this doll. I love the gown, the facial screening and the elegant updo. She will be joining the collection for sure. Thanks to the super sleuthing of fellow blogger Rogier of Dutch Barbie World, we have the inspiration for this fashion
Zuhair Murad Spring Summer Couture 2012
source: www.wwd.com
And last but not least….we have a look at the Alta Moda theme for this years BFMC Silkstone line.
Designed by: Robert Best
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $50.00
source: www.barbiecollector.com
It pains me to say this but…I am not a fan. First of all, I don’t care for this particular facial screening. I think it is the big spiky bottom lashes. Secondly, the black bows have GOT to go. Are we going for the school girl look with the knee socks and hair bows? Thirdly, I am not a big fan of large floral jewelry. As a rule, I am not a big floral person period so perhaps that is what is coloring my whole dislike of this look. I have to say though that the $50 price tag is very reasonable for a dressed Silkstone. Thanks again to our super fashion sleuth Rogier, we perhaps have a look into the inspiration for this look.
Dolce and Gabbana 2012 Fall RTW
source: www.Style.com
BFC members were also given a sneak of the second Silkstone in the 2014 lineup but those photos are not yet public. The look however is taken almost directly from this same D&G fashion show above. I confess, when Robert Best announced that the 2014 Silkstone theme was going to be Alta Moda, my mind went to the beautiful couture of Eliza Schiaparelli or vintage Valentino so I was eagerly anticipating something like these
I am thinking….we are not going to see that. {Rebecca heaves a big sign of sadness}. I seriously would die if that pink striped number were produced.
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 