Together Again

They were like this before.

A Doll of The World Entry

There are a lot of Dolls of the World (DOTW) peg warmers in the various local toy stores. There is no news of any upcoming dolls in that line. It might as well be dead. Ever wonder how that happened?

Starting 1980, Mattel released Barbie dolls with various ethnicities, like the first Black and Oriental Barbie dolls. Although criticized for a lot of cultural misappropriations or lack of authenticity, it wasn't enough to totally kill the line. It brought different faces to Barbie's circle. It was actually one of the major selling points for these dolls.

Now, ethnic diversity can be had from different Barbie lines. This was one of the reasons why the Barbie Basics was a hit. It was the same for the university cheerleader dolls. (The Barbie look flopped partly because they insisted on including the Mackie and Aphrodite molds a number of times.) With these lines, you get the diversity in ethnicity without the cultural misappropriation. Plus, the idea of getting just one doll is not enough. Collectors welcome the diversity so most bought a few, if not all, of the dolls in a line.

Now the same formula is being used for the current Fashionista line up. You don't have to pay a "collector" price for a DOTW doll just to harvest the head. It is now easier to snag a Lea/Kayla, Mbili or Goddess face molds. These are usually reserved for the collector and exclusive dolls. You also get a reusable piece of clothing with no cultural issues, hopefully.

So what's the point of collectors buying DOTW these days? I'm really fine with them gone AS LONG AS the diversity is present in at least one of their lines available globally.

Plus Size Problems

Dear Niel,

I'm happy you didn't make a sock dress for me. You took time to create a pattern just for me. I feel special knowing that unlike others, the patterns cannot be shared by a number of dolls. It's especially made for me.

I know my love for fashion doesn't show because I don't aspire to be anorexic like some fashion models but I do appreciate beautiful clothes and styling. Not a lot of fashion designers would want to dress me. Manufacturers would rather not risk spending extra capital on to solve plus size problems in fashion.

They stereotyped us as people who doesn't care about the way we look just because of our size. They think we can settle with dated and shapeless clothes that lacks character. I even heard someone say that I can just borrow Ken's pants. The nerve!

My love affair with fashion is unrequited but you loved me back.

I'm glad you didn't style me like Melissa McCarthy, fully covered. I like showing my arms even if they're big. I'm also happy that you didn't make me wear dyke fashion like Rosie O'Donnell even if we have the same body and we're both lesbians.

I really appreciate what you have done for me. Please don't take it the wrong way if I expected more. Let's be honest. The clothes the you've made me are pretty basic. I know I need to build my basic wardrobe, too, but I'm looking forward to you making something that shows my character. You know how I am. I'm far from basic.

Feeling Loved,

Vernie

The Color of Satisfaction

If you were raised in the Philippines, there's a good chance that you were conditioned to think that dark skin is ugly. Skin whitening products are one of the best selling beauty products here.  "Nognog" is a local word similar to "nigger" and is used as a derogatory word to describe one of a current presidential candidate without raising a debate on political correctness. This is my reality and I don't want it in my deluded doll world.

One thing I've learned from collecting dolls is that beauty comes in different shades and color. I knew it the moment I saw a photo of the Princess of South Africa. I instantly felt the need to have her, so I did. But her playability is limited. She had limited clothing options with an older busty body. She cannot do many poses. She eventually was kept in storage.

Spideypool

It's a funny ship.

Deadpool

I'm not a Deadpool fan, not yet anyways. The movie trailer got me interested. I was also intrigued by the multitude of Deadpool fans. He has quite a following. There's got to be a reason why people like him so much. Maybe I'll find out when I see the movie.

Being a popular character, Deadpool toys are easily sold out from toy stores, with the help of toy scalpers, of course. A lot of Deadpool toys are exorbitantly priced. This includes the 4-inch action dolls.  It was a good thing that I'm no fan otherwise I would be pissed about acquiring a Deadpool toy.

I saw an ad online about this possibly unlicensed version of Deadpool. It came loose so there is no way of verifying its authenticity. It looks and feels like the original, including the Hasbro markings. I checked one of the offline stores the online seller uses for his transactions. It wasn't on display. He could just have displayed a couple toys on the offline stores and I would have bought immediately. I wanted to verify some things before actually purchasing it. The seller was too lazy to post actual photos or comparison photos with other figures, so he might be to lazy to answer my queries. Plus, the seller gives off a certain attitude that I don't like. 

Since the seller is doubting if the toy is a clone or not, he must have gotten it from where most things sold are clones, Divisoria. Divisoria is a big place to look for a small action doll. I saw a number of Deadpool merchandise in different stores but I saw only one store selling the 4-inch doll. There was also the gray version but since I'm no fan, I just bought the one with the popular color scheme.

I'm just happy that I didn't have to pay a crazy amount for this toy. I'd be happier if it was indeed a clone. That means someone out there can do what Hasbro is doing. Since Hasbro is doing a stellar job in disappointing the fans of the 4-inch Marvel toys, I don't mind an alternative option, even if it is unlicensed. If these are indeed authentic toys that someone just hoarded for a profit to later find out that not a lot of people are willing to pay an arm for so it is being sold at a more reasonable price in time with the upcoming movie, that would be the best.

And Now

I noticed that the Get Real Girls body is a tall body. Note that she is wearing flats in the photo. If she were to wear heels, she'll be a lot taller. She has big feet.

Another alternative to the tall Barbie bodies are the Integrity doll bodies, like the African-American on the left. Of the 3 new Barbie body types, the tall body is receiving the least amount of praise since there are better articulated tall dolls around. If ever I will be getting any tall Barbie, I only will be getting it for the head, so I will wait until they are on sale. If stocks run out, it's no big deal.

Athletic Doll

I don't have a tall Asian doll yet. What I do have is an athletic Asian doll (left-most in the photo above). See those arms? Her body is from another doll line. The guessing game starts now.

If I were designing Barbie dolls for Wonder Woman, Misty Copeland or Abby Wambach, I will make  the body look more athletic. Well, that is if I want to promote athleticism and a healthy lifestyle. If I'm just in it for the money, I can just use any thin body. Doll collectors have impressive imagination so let them imagine that those dolls are athletic enough.

Go Make Your Own Happiness

I have always felt alienated from the privileged collectors from the West. Whenever they post something that is not available locally I am overcome with this sense of materialistic envy. I'm not saying that others should stop flaunting their toy hauls. I have no right to say that. Plus, placing the responsibility of my happiness on others is just so wrong. I just want to name what I'm feeling: alienation and envy. I'm just owning it. Like I've said before, I can handle some negativity. 

They say that the first step in transforming anything is owning it. One cannot change what one has no control over. One way of taking control is owning it. I have made use of other's toy photos to make myself a petite doll. I can do the same to make an overweight doll.  The envy can be transformed into creativity. The alienation is what offers this different perspective and flavor to my blog. I haven't read a doll blog like mine. So there.

The stiff Barbie Fashionista with the new body types are not yet available locally. I like the concept but not the lack of articulation. Lammily isn't available locally at a reasonable price. There is a someone selling a Rosie O'Donnell doll since last year but I have been putting off buying it.  The seller then offered it at a lower price so that sealed the deal. I'm not a Rosie fan and I have a spare Raquelle head. I'm glad that I don't have to shrink another huge head. After a wardrobe change, I was inspired to make this video:

Dressing her up is more challenging than dressing the new curvy Barbie.  The curvy Barbie can share a lot of the original Barbie's clothes. My overweight doll can't but she is inspiring enough to make me sew more clothes for her. 

Rachel

I learned from fellow hobbyists that the petite dolls are about the current Skipper's height, which is shorter than the teen Skipper dolls. Susie isn't my first petite, Rachel is.

Since there is no assurance that the new bodies will land locally and since I have a headless Skipper body lying around and a shrunken Raquelle head, too, I might as well make my own petite.

Melting Peace Clone

The Peace clone melted after it was stored along with a belly button body. The melted parts were in contact with the soft vinyl.

My First Petite

It's Susie. She has better articulation. She's able to fit in a lot of Barbie clothes and shoes. I've had her for years although I seldom play with her. She seemed out of place in Barbie's circle of friends.

I don't know if I'll be getting any of the new petite dolls. I have dolls that can stand in for petites like the teen Skipper size dolls.

Just another goddess

I made this gown a couple of years ago. I don't remember posting it here so here it is.

Because I cannot make the glitter to sparkle in a photo

Keeping Appearances

I saw a me-you meme circulating a few days ago. It got me thinking. A lot of people who are into fashion dolls know how to be judgemental based on looks. That includes me.

Lammily has a boring wardrobe compared to Barbie. Let's be honest. But so does Mark Zuckerberg.

Read this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mark-zuckerberg-paternity-leave-outfit_us_56a65980e4b076aadcc74d33

Maybe someone who has bigger things to do doesn't want to sweat the small stuff.

Why do we want to look a certain way? A lot of times, it is because we are manipulated to follow certain rules. We have a dress code at work. We have a dress code in life. If you fail to comply, you are punished or shamed. If you follow the rules, you are rewarded.

Mark Zuckerberg can get away with a boring wardrobe because he is more or less a powerful person. A lot of rules, like fashion rules, are really meant to control the plebeians, to keep the powerful in power. People who break the rules and not experience ill repercussions are the powerful ones. So if you want to know how powerful you are, go break a rule.

The next time you judge a person for breaking some fashion rule, ask yourself. Is that person exercising or testing his/her power? Or are you just being a fashionable commoner? Somebody has to worry about the petty things.

More good vibes in the article below:

10 Amazing Things That Start Happening When You Stop Giving A Sh*t About Being Weird

Sorry

She is not nominated for the best dressed award.

Average Shaming

1. I sometimes want to be average. Anyone who is not average knows that not being average involves more challenges. A lot of things, laws and belief systems have been designed with an average person in mind.
2. Mattel being not the original company to create curvy dolls only has to learn from the mistakes of the pioneers. Lammily was criticized partly for shaming the slim body type of Barbie. Mattel only has to learn the lesson and include more body types. Plus, smaller companies have less resources  to produce diversity in both dolls and fashion. 
3. The criticism on Barbie's body was already there long before the inception of Lammily. Mattel did not act on that so some other company had to. Should Mattel and the Barbie brand be disparaged? Definitely. They ignored the critics. They could have released the curvy Barbie long before but they just don't want to (for whatever reason) until they learned that it can be profitable. It's all about the money.
4. I just hope that the person who wrote the above entry didn't resort to average shaming. I didn't like that it implied being average is a bad thing that nobody wants. (I could have posted this entry as a comment to the original entry but I felt that would be shaming the person who wrote it. That is why the source was withheld.)

Unfair

If Mattel makes a doll using a small company's idea (even if Mattel's version has a lower quality, like less articulation), it is celebrated.

If a small company makes a doll like Mattel's (especially if it has lower quality), it's a knockoff.

Flake

As if my buyer's remorse on the Hervé Léger Barbie was not enough, one of the doll's bags is deteriorating. I just checked.

(Insert offensively creative rant against Mattel here.)

Yeah, haters gonna hate.

Topper Dolls

According to Who's That Doll?, these dolls are both Longlocks.

They have been in storage for a while now. They came nude and I wasn't in the mood to sew such small clothes. I got their fashion from another doll line. I forgot which one, They are wearing clone Barbie fairy shoes.

I got them from a swap with another collector from another country. I believe they were swapped for a Barbie size wig. I wish I can play with them more but I just have too many toys to play with. And to think I still plan to buy more toys.

I wonder if other people get that feeling that they have more than enough toys yet they want more.  I wonder if other people play with a toy while thinking of or wanting another toy to play with.

Friends

It should be apparent that I'm no millennial. I don't strive to get a number of likes or followers. It's easy to find people who has the same fashion sense or hobby as I do but I don't call them friends. Friends enrich each others lives by sharing their selves, their ideas and experiences. Who doesn't want that?  Who doesn't want meaningful relationships?

Negative

You may have noticed that sometimes, this blog leaves a negative aftertaste.  I can understand that for someone who has the same view as the posted commentary below, this blog can be unsavory. Not everyone is strong enough to handle a little unprettiness. It takes a lot to see the pretty in the "unpretty". We all have our weaknesses.

Maybe it's not about the ability to handle negativity but opting not to handle it. Real life has enough negativity that some people need respite. One word comes to mind: escapism. I have no inkling about the tragedies one underwent to resort to escapism so let's leave it at that.

I'm a self-confessed pessimist. If you give me a plan, I can usually come up with scenarios on how it will not work. The process of engaging the negative doesn't end there. The weak usually gets demotivated while the stronger ones come up with better plans. Be reminded that it was a pessimist who invented things like the parachute and the airbag.

Western culture values the positive over the negative. I prefer the the Eastern view of balancing both sides.

Do dolls really make you happy?

Let me rephrase the question. When the going gets tough, when you cannot sustain everything, which source of happiness will you let go first? Will your pet be the first to go? Will it be the family? Will it be your work? Will it be your jewelries? Will it be your car? Will it be your internet connection? Will it be your TV? Will it be your smart phone? Life has a strange way of asking the question. I have answered it a number of times. For me it's the dolls that I will let go first.

Messy fit

One of my fashion related pet peeves is ill-fitting clothes, especially those that could lead to a "wardrobe malfunction" (read:hello booobies). Sometimes, I'd like to tell others, "there is supposed to be a waist (for the sheath silhouette),"  or "I don't think there should be draping or ruching on the crotch (for pants)," or "her boobs are too small for that bodice, you can fit another set of boobs in there," but saying things like that can hurt feelings. So we participate in deluding one another by giving false praises. It's part of fitting in.

I like well-fitted clothes more than fitting in certain societies. I rarely leave praises so other people don't have to feel obliged to return the favor.

Sequinspamore

Happy is she who is wardrobe-malfunction-free.

Recreating Moments

Wait for It

There is no new toy release for the first two months of the year in our country, at least from the toy lines I'm interested in. It is a good time to rest from the mindless spending or one can use the time to look for older releases. Not being able to buy the desired toy right away is not the end of the world. Sometimes, it is just a test for the must needed ingredient for anyone's peace of mind, patience. 

The 4-inch Black Cat action doll was released locally last year. I held off buying then because of the price increase. She immediately vanished from the toy aisles and made her way to online sellers and toy conventions with a mark up. I didn't buy with the suggested retail price (SRP) and there is no way I'm buying with a higher price. I waited for the day some sensible seller got wise and realize that it's not going to sell at a higher price. I got it for for a price lower than SRP. 

Inspired by...

Sequinspamore

Find a reason to smile.

No.Fuzz.

Have. Enough.

Not yet enough...

Get. It?

You get the idea...

Stop. Hate.

More talk to follow.

Where. Here.

to be continued...

Marvelee Avengerses 2 Age of Ultron Titan Hero Tech

Marvelee? Avengerses?  They are not the usual typographical errors you encounter in this blog. It's a way around copyright laws, I guess. Some countries have their own versions of copyright laws and I guess in some country they only cover names but not the design. They can copy a design but not the name, I guess. I guess a lot, don't I? I just don't get why they have to change the "Avengers" to "Avengerses" when they kept using the word "Avengers" all throughout the box. I also find it funny and cute how they "translate" Hasbro in Chinese. Harharhar.

front and back of knock off Titan Hero Tech Hulk Buster box

I forgot to take pictures of the earlier 3 Titan Hero Tech knock offs in their boxes before I gave them away. Knock offs need to be documented as well, as a validation of their existence. I have these two left to be given away later on so I decided to document them.

front and back of knock off Titan Hero Tech Thor box

The three earlier characters came in a box similar to the Hulk Buster box above. The back of Thor's box is different. One thing lacking about clones and knock off's is the consistency. It could be because a number of manufacturers are copying the same products and they each have their own recipe. Since they are copying the same product, they generally look the same but some details vary with each copy.

When one buys knock offs, limitations are to be expected. For one, the recorded sounds are not appropriate for the characters. They are actually from a Transformers movie. For Thor, the hip joint is done away with. The metallic plates on his chest doesn't look metal. Mjolnir also has a different color from the original. 

The Hulk Buster on the other hand is too short. The size of the box is totally misleading. It has the biggest box but it has the shortest figure inside! The steel parts which are supposed to be in silver are in plastic gold.  The hands are in gold instead of red. The punching action from the original is not copied. The sculpt is also different from the back, with some details removed. (I forgot to take a picture of that.)

With those limitations, one has to weigh things if these toys are worth getting. Personal criteria may vary but after some thought, I personally think that they are worth the price and is still a better alternative than the original. The intended kids who will play with this don't understand English very well, so the recorded voices will be alien to them. They don't understand what they are saying. The removal of some features (the hip joint and  the punching action) is okay. I've seen how the kids play with these toys and those features adds little value. We don't buy these toys for their articulation or life-like action, right? Moving parts tend to break easily as well so less moving parts, less breakage. As for the different colors in some details, I honestly didn't realized them until I nitpick. The size of the Hulk Buster is a let down but it still is a big figure that looks like a match for Hulk.

The original Titan Hero Tech Hulk Buster retails for about PhP1200+, while the knock off is just PhP350. That is less than a third of the price. The knock off Thor is even lower at PhP250. Original regular (not Tech series) Titan Hero (comics version) are priced at PhP600+. The sculpt on these knock offs are good enough. Personally, I like the sculpt of the knock off  Hulk better than the original. For the price of these knock offs, I can get the original 2.5-inch figures at their current discounted rate but those small toys can easily be lost by the kids I intended to give them to.  Plus, buying these knock offs feels a lot better especially for someone who has been disappointed by Hasbro a number of times.

comparison with Ken doll

Titan Knock Off

I understand the need for less articulation.

I have two nephews. While one can properly play with brick sets, the younger one (age: 3) tends to "ruin" those and lose some parts. It's a good thing that I didn't spend a fortune on their toys. I know sooner or later the toys will be lost or destroyed.

Instead of toy bricks, I wanted to give them something more durable and big, so it won't easily get lost. The Hasbro's Titan Heroes action dolls seems to satisfy all that but they are priced unreasonably. Good thing, there are knock offs!

They cost about a third or less the of original's price. With that, expect the quality to be lower. I picked the Titan Tech Heroes knock offs because they are based on the movie version. Regular Titan Heroes are based on comics version. The "tech" part refers to the light and sound effects. There is a button on the chest and a pre-recorded sound is played as the chest lights up. The recorded sounds do not match the characters on these knock off dolls, though. They also don't have the hip joints and the hollowed plastic is visible from under the feet. Despite all that the kids loved it.

They loved it more than the 12-inch articulated Spider-Man I gave them. They find it difficult to make Spider-Man stand. When kids simulate a fight scene, they don't pose the dolls in different fighting poses. They try to smash the toys together. The jointed body of Spider-Man leaves him posed like a broken doll, looking like he's defeated. The knock offs, without hip joints, retains their strong stance after the "fight", looking very much like a winner.

So having less articulation has it's benefits especially for kids. The same goes for fashion dolls. How often do our dolls need to do yoga poses? Even with higher articulation, have you seen how many people still pose their dolls like the  model muse bodies with one or both hands on the waist? It's like the articulation is wasted.

Looking Forward

During the every of the year a few years back, I was looking forward to the upcoming doll releases. Once it was the Barbie Basics, then the Fashionistas and so on. This year there are a few dolls I'm looking forward to get but not with much eagerness I used to.

If you noticed, I don't blog about upcoming releases. It's a way to control my desire to get the new dolls. If there is one thing I've learned from collecting dolls, it's to not get too emotional.

There is little logic used in collecting toys. A lot has to do with sentiments and emotions in deciding what to buy or dispose. The way we value dolls does not depend on need nor functionality. Emotionally healthy adults can live without dolls. 

I have been too excited about some toys. It wasn't pretty. It was crass actually! I hunted like crazy for the toy everywhere--every physical toy stores and online. When I can't get the toy, I feel sad and then mad at the people who made it impossible for me to get them. Imagine all that energy wasted just to get a desired toy. And for what, a few hours of enjoyment? After which you find another toy to desire so the cycle continues.

When I started to write this entry, I wanted to discuss how not buying any Barbie Look doll could be my greatest hobby-related accomplishment this year. I realized that there is a bigger accomplishment. It's the certain maturity. It's the realization that whether or not you get the toy you desire, things will be fine.

I still look forward to buying new dolls but I look forward to being okay even if I can't have it. I don't want the emotional baggage of wanting something bad. I look forward to not be emotionally manipulated by ads and promotions. I want this hobby to be stress-free.

----
update:
It's like the recent Ms Universe pageant result. I was fine with Pia not taking home the crown but I 'm okay with her winning. No matter what the outcome, I'll be fine.

Lanard Toys The Corps Storm Strike

This is another unplanned purchase. While buying Christmas gifts, I saw this Total Soldier Storm Strike jet. I'm not a fan of military toys but my Marvel Universe action dolls fit in it so I bought it. It didn't come with an action doll so Black Widow will model for us.

There is also an available chopper but it only fits one figure so I'm not interested in that. Plus, a fighter jet seems like a better choice in fighting Marvel supervillains. A toy review in Youtube (posted 4 years ago) shows another variant in black but it's not available locally. I would have preferred the black.

The jet looks stubby with a bulging canopy and short fuselage. The orange color seems funny especially now that I plan to paint the jet black. Black and orange seems Halloween-y. Maybe, I'll just retain the color.

I like that it has variable-sweep wings. The landing gears are retractable but don't roll. The missiles can be easily clipped on the underside. Another cute feature is the light and sound effect for the afterburners.

I still don't know what to do with this toy. Maybe, I should have waited for the sale season before buying this. It is around US$17 (PhP800). 

Another mouth shut

but with something



to say.

Habibti

Although Mattel didn't make a Muslim friend for Barbie, I can have any doll in my collection be a Muslim. Why didn't I?

I'm not a Muslim and any Muslim doll I make will just be a product of my ignorance. The image I depict may be offensive because of it. Still, I have to do something about the non-existence of Muslim doll in my collection. It's like saying they don't exist, that they're not part of my reality, or simply being apathetic, which is worse than hating. I felt I need to do something.

I'm not a corporation that can hire and consult experts. I have to rely on what I see online and on the streets.

Characterization of a Muslim is difficult and tricky for me so I won't go there. I can only try at a superficial level like the fashion. So, none of my dolls will be a Muslim. They do get modeling jobs for hijab fashion sometimes.


The first to get such job is my favorite doll, Kayla.

Changing Faces

Before moving on to the next year, I'm looking back to my little accomplishments this year. Aside from making doll dresses, I have customized a number of doll faces this year. By customizing, I don't mean just repainting. Most of them underwent head shrinking. A couple had dental extraction. I'm currently happy with how these dolls look for now. Taste change in time so I might modify some of them later on.

As much I like expressing myself by changing the faces of my dolls, hopefully next year, I don't have to repaint a new doll. Repainting new dolls means I'm not satisfied with what I bought. Who buys something only to be not satisfied? Plus, I have a number of old doll heads that could use an update.

I want to be able to use these dolls more, not necessarily to model new doll clothes (as I plan to do doll clothes for other body types) but for something else. There's gotta be more to life than modeling, right? And I don't mean beauty pageants. Excuse me, Donald Trump!

These faces nor the doll dresses are not what I consider my biggest doll accomplishment for this year. I'll talk about that some other time.

Comparing Barbie, Donald Trump and Richprime

"Harry Potter" author, J.K. Rowling, recently compared Donald Trump to her fictional villain, the Dark Lord Voldemort, saying the presidential wannabe is worse. This was in response to Trump's statement on banning Muslims from entering his country.

This got me thinking, did Barbie ever had a Muslim friend? There are the Arabian Nights dolls but they are not really in Barbie's circle of friends. Marvel comics is at least trying. They have included a young Muslim superhero, Kamala Khan in a title role. With the lack of Muslim friends, Barbie may not be saying it out loudly but she may be siding with Donald Trump.

Of course, it's not really as simple as that. Mattel sells dolls and they don't want to sell what people won't buy. It's the same for the sole licensed local Barbie distributor, Richprime. They haven't sold any playline African-American dolls since the Barbie Style Resort Grace. Black dolls don't sell well in a country with a lot of people pre-occupied in skin whitening. 

Forget about introducing a different view of beauty transcending skin color or race or religion. Forget about humanity and the spirit of of inclusion, as long as profits are being made. It's all about the money and property--making more and protecting it.