Jianidi Doll (Out of the box)

Since it has a different foot compared to a regular Barbie doll, the fit of Barbie shoes on a Jianidi doll is a concern. Luckily, the shoe fits.

It wasn't apparent in the previous blog post that the name of the doll is Jianidi. The collage below shows the Jianidi label, on the lower back of the doll, the dress, and the top cover of the box.

Jianidi Doll (Box Photos)

This doll was bought from a seller based in Divisoria.  Their store is located in one of those older buildings (not 168 nor 999), the name of which I have forgotten.

It is the same size as a Barbie doll, and its joints are similar to Barbie Fashionista. I guess it can be called a Barbie clone.

Here is the doll in the box and the back of the box. The doll did not came with any footwear, probably to showcase its jointed ankle.

Did it flop in Korea?

I saw a Mattel item that had stickers in Korean. It obviously was intended for the Korean market.

It's a long way from Korea.  I can't help but think that the item was a flop in its intended market. They're just trying to sell it here just in case it sells.

I might buy it if they offer it at a discounted price. Why pay full price for something that looks like a flop?

3D Printing: Changing the World of Dolls

3D printing is a process of building a 3D object by depositing a thin layer of material at a time. For 3D printed toys, the materials are usually plastics. The linked Wikipedia page shows a time lapse video sample of 3D printing.

The application of 3D printing is as limitless as the imagination. This technology can allow anyone to start a small manufacturing business. There are already a number of entrepreneurs who have used the technology on doll manufacturing. Here are some examples:

Makies
These are customizable dolls. They have a set of "templates" from which a customer can choose from. The dolls look like kids so these are not something I'm interested in.

Mariage Poupee
The dolls (or figurines) have great likeness of the people they are being modeled from. The dolls have the play value of a cake topper, though. People who are vain enough to think that they deserve a mini-monument will really find this idea important.

Mary Magpie by Joey Versaw
This quirky looking doll with a taste for vintage fashion is about the size of a Barbie doll. Joey has created a new line of gay male dolls called "First Love" (also 3D printed) but the male dolls have better articulation.

With the recent developments, acquiring this technology has been made cheaper. For a price of a couple of expensive dolls, one can get a 3D printer. This is not only applicable to printing dolls. One can also print doll accessories like shoes, buckles, bracelets, necklaces or even doll house parts! (3D printed houses for real people have been done.) This brings the power to manufacture in our own backyards. We don't have to rely on just one country to manufacture the things we want.

For those who would rather not buy a printer, they can go to companies that offer 3D printing services. Locally, 3D Printing Manila is one such business.

When I say "printing dolls", I also mean action figures. I approached a 3D printing shop in a local mall a few months back to find out if they can print toys. They can and they showed me a toy robot part they were trying to replicate. The tricky part was modeling it exactly like the original. This will not be a problem if one is starting to design from scratch, without the intention of infringing on someone else's copyrights.

Think about it. The possibilities...

I'll leave you with a link to a time lapse video of the 3D printing process of a doll.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HtHuRUeGWM

Villains

Some of my Marvel Universe super-villain action figures

The Marvel universe has a lot of interesting villains. My two favorite villains are Mystique and Magneto. The storytellers explained to us where they are coming from, the hardships they have to endure. I get them. Other villains need back-stories like theirs.

If there is something we learn from villains it's passion--not taking 'no' for an answer, getting what you want no matter what the cost. Hmmm... reminds me of die-hard collectors.