Jeep Talk

Because there are far more serious problems

A Barbie Fashionista is listed at US$9.99 on the Mattel online shop, so is a Justice League basic doll (both 6-inch and 12-inch). Same price, right? You'd expect the same price for those toys locally  since they are being sold by the same seller, Richprime or Richwell. 

Nope. The Justice League toys cost PhP899.75 each (for both 6-inch and 12-inch) while the Fashionistas cost PhP999.75. The prices are for both online and physical stores. It is very puzzling how toys having the same original price will have different prices after conversion. Having realized this, I feel like I was being duped by Richprime/Richwell.

If one will reason out the size, like the bigger toy will cost more to ship or to display on a shelf, I'd like to point out that the conversion for the 6-inch and 12-inch Justice League toys are consistent.

While Richprime/Richwell has the right to price the items they're selling to whatever they want, it is just interesting to point out the a major difference between the Barbie dolls and the Justice League toys: the Barbie dolls are mainly intended for girls while the Justice League toys are intended for boys. Richprime/Richwell may have not nothing to do with that intention. It's just that local toy store layouts clearly separates toys for boys, girls and infants/toddlers. A big distributor like Richwell/Richprime does have a say on how and where the toys will be displayed.

No matter how offensive that may sound, local Barbie fans like me would probably just shrug it off and continue to support the brand and the local distributor. No big deal. I do live in country where 88% support the drug war even if 73% thinks that extra-judicial killings is involved.

Yes, we need a Wonder Woman.

Rearrangement

After I finished the living room layout, I was ready to create the room box. Since I still have to get the materials in building the room, I decided to design the other rooms to see how those will be connected to the living room. After I included the other rooms in the design, I found out that my initial design for the living room is not acceptable, so I rearranged everything. Good thing it was easy with Planner 5D.

I wanted to keep the space  humble so I didn't want to keep increasing the room just because I could. I also wanted to design the house as if I would actually live in it. Details like the TV should be visible from the kitchen is a must. I also incorporated some feng shui tips I heard about, especially aligning doors, mirrors and beds.

Although I have incorporated the sizes of some items in hand, like the miniature bed, table, door and window, I still have to look for the kitchen set and measure it. If the kitchen set I have is bigger than the one in the plan, I may have to increase the kitchen in the plan, so nothing is set in stone.

The bedrooms are laid out but I still have to decide what wall color works best with a white bed, because that's what I have. The rooms lack any personality but I seem to like the nondescript-ness. There's a disconnect from the other rooms, though.

I wonder how these small spaces translate to an actual doll room box. Would it look too cramped? Can I properly take pictures from different angles?  I don't want to have to exert a lot of effort on the details and not be able to take pictures of it. I have a lot of considerations, I know!

Aside from the desktop version, Planner 5D also has an Android app. There's not much that can be done in the app but it keeps me entertained when I'm away from my desktop.

Virtual Room Box

Have you attempted creating a doll room box, starting from the floor, to the walls, to the little furniture only to find out that they don't match, or the room is too small for the furniture? If only you can get an idea of how things will be laid out or if the colors scheme is to your liking, you'd be more confident in starting a room box project. Since not all of us have an experience in interior design, chances are, our room boxes doesn't end up they way we imagined it.

Now, there is a tool that can help us turn the imagination into a plan. By plan, I mean measurements, layout, and tested color scheme. You can try Planner5d and create a virtual room box in both 2D and 3D.

The site is so easy to use. You can use the metric or English measurement system. For my room, I used the English system so it will be easier for me to convert to the right doll size. Although you need a paid account to access all the items you can add into the room, the free account has enough items you can use to stand in for the actual item you intend to use in your room box. Like the window I used here, it won't be how my window will actually look. I just want the frame to be that size and in that color.

The size and color of the items can be modified. You can move in and around the room in 3D mode. The wall can be made invisible if it blocks your view, like the 4th wall here.

I've been learning more about making dollhouse stuff and I really want to make one. After making this virtual room box, I think I'm gonna go ahead and make one. Even if you are not going to make an actual room box, there's a good chance you'll still enjoy creating a virtual room.

The Doomed God