Sorta Paperdolls

Hero Machine version 3 is an online application that allows you to design your own comic book character. Aside from mixing and matching available costumes, one can also mix and match body parts. This allows you to create a variety of poses for your character.

It is like playing with paper dolls only you can do more. All of these three characters were created using HM3.

To try HM3 go here: http://www.heromachine.com/heromachine-3-lab/

I don't get it

I don't get...

(1) why some local collectors are selling (to local buyers) Rhino, Mysterio and other Marvel Universe action figures with a high mark-up when there are stocks available in the local stores at a lower price.

(2) why these figures are made available just recently in the local toy stores when they have been released last year and the toy line has been discontinued/re-branded.

(3) why a change in name warrants an increase in price without changing the quality, only the packaging,

(4) why the official distributor of the new/re-branded Marvel Universe figures insists on selling them at a high price when other small-time sellers are offering them at a lower price especially those obscure characters like the Death's Head.

I didn't get the Death Head and the Guardians of the Galaxy figures. They will be peg warmers eventually. I'll wait for them to lower their prices. If they run out of stock, it's okay. I don't really want those figures that bad.

I did get for myself the three figures in the above photo. They are cheaper than the re-branded line.  I'm keeping my lust for these toys under control.

Mattel's Barbie Marketing 2014

After the recent poor sales of Barbie items, especially earlier this year, let's see how Mattel is promoting the brand to promote sales.

Styling by Rachel Zoe
The Good: They used a playline doll and made her look like a collectible.

The Bad: The doll maybe playline but the clothes and accessories are mostly collectible.


Muse for a Moschino Collection
The Good: The runway was used blatantly to promote the Barbie brand.

The Bad: The 80's is an acquired taste.


Instagram Campaign
The Good: We get to know Barbie's personality more, what lifestyle and brands she likes to promote.

The Bad: She may have a split personality if she likes both Rachel Zoe's style sensibilities and the Moschino collection inspired by her.

It is obvious that Barbie is trying to reclaim her role as a fashion doll. She could just be successful. I just don't know how she can manage that if she thinks she can be anything she wants to be or take on any job. What's that phrase, "jack of all trades and master of none"?

That's just the brand image promotion. What's about the actual products? Will there be an improvement especially in the playline dolls (their biggest and most important market)?

The Holidays are coming and it is the time of the year where toys sell the most. Toy companies are doing their darndest to promote their products. How will Barbie's marketing team fare? We'll soon find out. It's just fun to take down notes, for history lessons at least.

One of the seven

Have you caught yourself while you examine publicity photos for the new must-have doll? Your eyes widen with excitement. Your mouth open for more air. The heart races while the fingers help you navigate through the irresistible. You imagine the pleasure that will be. You want it. Bad.

Hold it. Take a selfie. That's lust. And you're consuming porn.

Eventually, you'll give in.

That Day, That Day

It's supposed to be like this and it's all okay, like that song.

All About That queen

I was browsing FB profiles and I came across a local beauty queen's. She's also an unpopular actress and a public figure so she shares photos of her family. I like that she's a doll hobbyist and shares her work via FB. She makes clothes and customizes dolls. I like some of her dolly jewelries. Great work.

She also shares her sense of humor on her FB page. The thing is, the jokes she posted were mostly about fat women. She is a beauty queen. I was expecting more beauty queen jokes. Oh wait, there was a joke about contesting the winner of a Muslim beauty pageant. Fat women and Muslim women, she finds them funny.

Somebody cue Meghan Trainor's All About That Bass.

One Direction Singing Dolls Review

I have been seeing the One Direction (1D) Dolls by Hasbro in toy stores for some time now. They were initially sold at US$50 locally. As expected, they became peg warmers. Now, they are being sold at US$18 each. The Harry and  Niall dolls were already sold out.

Unfamiliar with the quality of these dolls, I initially both just one (Zayn). I was satisfied with the quality. I decided to get two more. Zayn was already out of the box when I thought of making this review.

Team Building

The membership of the Peace Operation and Strategic Espionage Reserve (POSER) is slowly growing. The newest agent is Angel. She is a tech expert.

 

Agent Angel

The ranks are filled by a meticulous screening conducted by Edeline. Knowing the abilities and weaknesses of each agent, she is also in charge of building a team for each mission.

 

Agent Edeline

Peace Clone

It's like one of those moments you exhale, "Finally!" 

I accidentally came across a clone with a body similar to the Barbie Fashionista earlier this year. What is unique to this clone is its color. It is compatible to Edeline, one of the 12 dancing princesses. Her skin tone is similar to Fan Bingbing's, "Peace" skin tone as Mattel calls it. (I have something to say about the political correctness of the name but then again, Mattel has little concern for correctness compared to profit-making, so why bother?) Below is the comparison photo. 

Since I didn't know that it was a good match when I bought it, I only bought one. (From now on, let's call it the Peace clone.) I decided to buy another when I saw that it works. The second one will be for Fan Bingbing. When I returned to the toy store I got it from, they were sold out!

At the last toy convention, I chance upon a doll that looked like the Peace clone--same packaging, same character, same dress. I decided to buy two, knowing that I might never get the chance to buy again. When I got home, I learned that it was a different doll. It looked like the older Barbie Fashionista. Let's call it clone 2 and a comparison photo is shown below.

I figured that these toy stores could have sourced these clones from another city, the locally famous marketplace of clones, Divisoria. I went there and, as expected, I was able find a clone that looked like the Peace clone (clone 4). I was also able to find another clone (clone 3) that I initially thought to have the same skin tone as Raquelle's. I bought 2 of each since Divisoria is too out of the way to come back for seconds. Unfortunately, the clone 2 was not a match. Fortunately, clone 3 was a good match for other dolls. My customized Lois Lane Barbie got rebodied using clone 3. The other clone 3 body went to Audrey (not in photo). Comparison photos below.

I got 4 dolls (2 each of clones 2 & 4) that are too pale for any doll head I appreciate. I felt that it's a lot of wasted money. I decided to stop hunting for the Peace clone and just appreciate the only one I had.

Yesterday, I was in an obscure section of an old forgotten mall to buy some supplies. I saw two dolls on sale that looked like the Peace clone. I was tempted to buy both but previous experiences made me buy just one. I was glad to find out that it was the Peace clone I was looking for. It is the headless doll on the first photo.

_______________________
Update (2015):

The Peace Clones are no longer available in any store that I know of.

Words To Live By