The Profs

 Looking forward to the Harry Potter HBO Max reunion special on New Year's Day, and it has put me in a bit of a Harry Potter mood. I haven't photographed the professors from the most current Mattel Potter collection much, so decided to get them out and photograph them together and then do some close ups.

I read Sirius Black and Bellatrix will be the next installments in the Mattel Series. I haven't collected all the dolls in this series as I have the Star Ace figures in this scale, but I wanted McGonagall when she came out and I got a deal where I got Dumbledore in the set with her. I liked this version of Snape, so I added him as well.

McGonagall is my favorite professor so I had to add her when I saw her. Not long after I bought this version Star Ace released their own version of her, who I have on the way. I think Mattel did a good job with her likeness for the price point! I look forward to seeing the Star Ace version in hand. They can be a bit hit or miss with their likenesses.

Dumbledore reminds me very much of the Star Ace version, although the likeness is a little better on the Star Ace version. It is one of the sculpts they did right. Still I think Mattel did a nice job with the likeness for a playline doll.

The Looks

 I've liked the dolls in the Mattel "Looks" collection since their premiere earlier this year, but I kept missing them at retail. I finally decided I would just go ahead and spring for this guy (#5- using the new Sean sculpt) when I saw him for right around $30 on Amazon. I do have a soft spot for the guys, and I really did like everything about this guy. I've also been complaining about the lack of male dolls on the made to move bodies, so decided I should put my money where my mouth is when Mattel finally did release one I loved. I finally released him from his packaging today and got him in front of the camera.

I really do like this new sculpt quite a bit. I like how they did his hair too, with the partial flocking.

I like the basic clothing pieces he comes with. While I liked the idea that the BMR1959 line was on the made to move bodies in various sizes, I wasn't a huge fan of the clothing for most of those dolls. I love that we get basic mix and matches pieces from this new Looks line. Sean comes in black "pleather" pants and a sleeveless black tee with plain white tennis shoes.

His clothing pieces will be really easy to mix and match with other Ken clothing I have in my arsenal. His hairstyle will also lend him to lots of redressing potential as well.

I have already ordered the new AA sculpt #4- Jon, who I'm really looking forward to getting in hand and I'd like to add the girls in the first wave as well before they become completely impossible to find.

I have seen some photos of three new dolls coming soon in wave 2. Only one guy in that grouping so far, and he appears to have Native American inspiration. Really looking forward to seeing some owner pics of those dolls when they start hitting stores. I hope this is a line that sticks around for a while.

A Current Muse

 When Jamieshow released their 12" resin "Muses" I was intrigued (as I love their 16" dolls as well as their rooted wig caps), but I was determined to talk myself out of "going there", as I didn't want to start yet another collection. To be honest, I knew I would go a little crazy with the wig caps, as I have with the 16" , and I didn't want to find storage space for yet another size of wigs. I have however learned never to say never on my doll collecting journey, so when I saw one of my favorite dolls from the Summer Kisses Muse collection (Sasha) in stock a couple of weeks back, along with wigs already stocked, in a moment of weakness I hit the buy button and haven't looked back.  In fact I've been back a couple of times to order, yes you guessed it ..........MORE wig caps!!  Now I wish I would have caved during the pre-order period so I could have added Ginnie as well! I am however VERY happy with Summer Kisses Sasha and have had the best time playing with her since her arrival. Here she is as she came right out of the box. The Summer Kisses girls came with a long, straight wig in varying colors, and various styles/colors of swim wear.

The face up on Sasha is really beautiful, and her body is beautifully sculpted as well.

I've found she can wear both Barbie and Fashion Royalty clothing quite well. The shoes for the FR/Nuface dolls seem to work well on her too. Here she is modeling a beautiful gown from the East 59th collection.

She is quite stunning as a brunette as well as her original blonde.

I'm really hoping that Jamieshow will eventually offer the gloved hands, as they have with the 16" size dolls. The Muses have gorgeous hands, with delicate nails but I find them extremely difficult, or for me it was impossible, to get them into any of the existing 12" gloves I have on hand.  I quite like Sasha in the auburn wig color as well. Here she is modeling one of my all time favorite FR ensembles, Travelor by Nature.

And lastly back she goes to blonde in this Barbie ensemble.

Word is 12" Muse Hommes are on the horizon, and according to Instagram, there will be a couple of ladies joining them in their debut release. I hear the new collection will debut the end of this month. I have a feeling my pocket book is going to be screaming.................... I haven't had this much fun with a new doll line in quite a long time though, so I believe I'll need to just invest in some ear plugs and let it scream on, lol!

Back to the Beginninng

 In April Chris Stoeckel and Integrity Toys announced the new mini collection of dolls in the East 59th lineup, in a collection that took the dolls back to where they first met in the late 40's. I love 40's fashion so I was very excited that I was able to secure all three dolls, and eagerly anticipated their arrival. Mine arrived the first part of July and I have to say I'm thrilled with all three dolls.

I just love the Victoire sculpt, so was very excited to get another version of her. I also love suits and New York Bound Victoire's suit doesn't disappoint. It is sublime. The chevron pattern in the coat is beautifully executed. Each doll also comes with alternate mix and match options. Victoire's happens to be a lame gown (which I haven't put on her yet, as I've been enjoying her in her suit too much.

Home at Last Aurelia also is in a stunning blue velvet suit. I love Aurelia's side glancing eyes and elegant updo. She is my favorite Aurelia to date! Aurelia's mix and match outfit piece consists of tomato red trousers. This Victoire also ranks among my favorites. I love the victory roll hairstyle. She is a stunning doll.

This collection also heralded the debut of the second male doll in the East 59th lineup, and he is also the return of a fan favorite sculpt (previously known as Darius).  He is Aurelia's brother Augustus, aka Gus. Romance in the Air Augustus debuts in a beautiful plaid suit. Gus's mix and match optional clothing item is a brown sweater vest to match the brown pin striping in his suit. It was revealed to us that Gus is the love of Laird's life.................so does that mean we will see a Laird/Gus giftset in the future? One can hope. I missed out on the original version of Laird and now "need" one to go with Gus.

I'm very happy with this collection and only hope that we see more forays into the 40's time period, as I'd love to see the other dolls in the line wearing 40's fashions as well!

Threezero Game of Thrones

 I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Game of Thrones. Like more than a few folks, I loved the show up until the last season. I won't spoil anything for those of you that haven't seen it and might want too, but I was just disappointed in how several of the characters storylines ended up. I did start collecting Threezero's figures representing the line a few years ago though.  While not on par with say Hot Toys, there are a few of the characters I think they have done really well. Arya, from the early seasons, and Hound are two of them. I've recently started reading the books for the first time, and it has sparked my interest in the Threezero figures again, so I thought I would share some photos here on my blog. I have read complaints on some of the action figure discussion boards about The Hound's hair, but I like that they didn't use sculpted hair for him. I think it adds to his realism.  As I said previously, I think he is one of their best likenesses (that I own) to date.

Arya is another good likeness IMHO. Threezero has announced a version of her from Season 8 of the show, that I will need to add to my collection as well. Here is the version of her from the early seasons. Again, a very well done figure.

She's a lot of fun to pose and play with. I was inspired by this photo of her I found on the net to have a play session with her and her sword.

I should have put a different hand on her to see if I could achieve a closer resemblance to the photo above, but below is my interpretation of the above shot of the actress.

Her joints move smoothly and easily, making it fun to pose her in various positions.

All the Threezero figures come with minimal accessories when compared to Hot Toys for instance, or even Star Ace and the Harry Potter line, but the price points are a bit less than Hot Toys for the most part as well. Arya comes with her sword Needle, and a short dagger, and several different styles of hands.

More "inspired by" play time...........this time I was inspired by the photo above. The Clegane figure didn't come with a regular set of hands, both of his options were the armored/gloved style.

Victoire Musings

 I'm a bit late to the East 59th party, after just deciding to take the leap to collect the line this year. The line is designed by Chris Stoeckel, a man whose designs I have admired  for years. I first saw his designs  on the Studio Commissary, ( a wonderful doll board mostly devoted to Gene Marshall and her friends) through fellow collectors lucky enough to own his work in 16" scale.  When I became aware of Chris designing for Victoire Roux, through Integrity Toys, I had moved away from the 12" scale and was determined not to be sucked back into that vortex again. I admired the dolls from afar, through other collectors for years. This past year I found a couple of the East 59th dolls for sale for a price that was just too good to resist, and  feeling the need for something different in my collection,   I decided to take the plunge and place an order. The rest, as they say is history.....................I have jumped completely down the rabbit hole, and am totally enamored of the line. I have been scouring Ebay and dealer sites trying to play "catch up" on what I have missed out on since the East 59th line was introduced in 2017.  This morning I was looking at my collection thus far, specifically my different Victoire's' and decided it might be a fun installment for the blog to look at her character, the different sculpts and screenings as she has been portrayed thus far. I'll start at the beginning, with the only doll I have from the original Victoire line, Pret a Partir, from 2014. I was lucky to acquire her from a friend. The original sculpt is a bit more stylized than Victoire's current incarnation. I think both versions are beautiful.

I believe the original Victoire line issued the last dolls in the regular line in 2014. East 59th was introduced in 2017, but Victoire did not make her appearance in the East 59th line until 2018 with the introduction of Blue Gold Victoire seen below. The sculpt was completely redone to fit in with the more realistic aesthetic of the other characters in the line.

A shot of both sculpts side by side. I love both versions, but am partial to the more realistic features of Victoire 2.0.

In 2019 we got an updated screening for Victoire. The first version of the new screening was featured on Late Night Dream Victoire. This screening features forward glancing eyes, and lips painted a little fuller.

In 2020, we were given two beautiful versions of Victoire in the Integrity basics series, (a raven and a redhead) both with the second forward glance screening. Pin Up Allure is one of those basics. She has been a favorite for me to play with and redress. Below she is redressed  in Mid Day Venture Aurelia's suit.

Next is a comparison of screenings one and two.  Pin Up Allure (screening two) is on the left. Lunch at 21, with the original screening on the right.

And a shot including the original Victoire sculpt.

The 2020 holiday collection introduced us to Della Roux, Victoire's sister. Della also uses the Victoire head sculpt. I saw an interview with Chris recently where he stated that people had been asking for Victoire in a darker skin tone, but as Chris is very committed to the "stories" of the East 59th characters, Victoire in one of the darker skin tones just didn't ring true to the character. Della was the perfect solution. She has a completely different screening than Victoire to further differentiate the characters.  She was a huge hit with collectors and sold out very quickly. A shot below of the sisters, Della on the left (redressed in a Barbie reproduction ensemble), Dramatic Evening Victoire on the right.

And in closing a final shot with Della added to the line up showing all the different screenings of this beautiful sculpt(s) since her debut. I am very much looking forward to what the future brings for both Victoire and Della Roux.

@BarbieStyle Doll 1 Review

 I received the first doll in the @BarbieStyle series, where collectors vote on the items to be included in the giftset. Admittedly, I was a bit late to this party and just found out about the dolls on this girls release date.  Luckily, I got my order in in time for her to arrive this week. Her price point is $100, but I had $20 off  on my account, so I got her for $80 plus shipping. There are a lot of things I really like about this doll, and a few I'm disappointed in. I thought I'd review her on the blog, for those of you that don't have her, or would be interested in her.  I'll start with the packaging. The packaging is some of the best I've seen from Mattel. The box is a trifold faux "marble" with a magnetic clasp with the Barbie @BarbieStyle Logo. Very nice. If anyone is familiar with Integrity's E59th line, the way the box closes is very reminiscent of that line. I typically throw out all my Barbie packaging. This box I will keep.

When you open up the box  the middle is a 3 part section housing the doll in the middle, and each of the 2 outfits on either side. I unboxed my Barbie before I shot a picture of her in the packaging, but the middle section where Barbie was housed is covered by an easily removable plastic insert with a pink "foggy" look bottom, for modesty I suppose, although she is wearing underwear, as shown below.

I love the pictures from the BarbieStyle Instagram site on the fold out top right and left sides of the box. The packaging is also surprisingly easy to  remove the clothing from. The clothing is on cardboard cut outs that insert into the back of the box. The plastic covering the clothing also has tabs that slot into the cardboard, where you can easily remove without damage to the box. I like this. A stand is included in the back of the box. Also easily removeable. It is just a generic waist gripper type of stand used with many of Mattel's collectible dolls.

Barbie herself is on a made to move body. She comes wearing plain white panties and t-shirt with her sunglasses on. One of the cons I see with the set is that her sunglasses are sewn onto strips of hair at the sides of her head as well as the top. I wish they would have packaged them separately with the rest of the accessories, as not to risk cutting the hair while trying to get the sunglasses off her.  A plus is that Mattel gave her a manicure and pedicure, using white "polish." A nice added touch.

A shot of her manicure.

And her pedicure

Accessories include the aforementioned sunglasses, 2 pairs of shoes, black strappy heels and gray and black trainers. Her phone, which is gold and has a picture of her "apps" on the front. There is also a black handbag.  Jewelry would have been nice. She looks sort of unfinished in the dress especially without earrings.

A shot of the accessories minus the sunglasses. I like the way the trainers are accented with black. Gives them a more "realistic" vibe.

Main outfit pieces include a blue dress/black faux leather jacket and  pink suit jacket and pants. The dress is pull up style.

And here is my BIGGEST gripe with the set...........VELCRO. Why, oh why would Mattel take so much care with how well done the packaging is, give us a beautiful made to move doll with mani/pedi, and put VELCRO on the clothing. Ughhh........If I am going to buy a high end item I DO NOT want to see velcro used! For me, it "cheapens" the product. The white tee closes with velcro, as do the pants in the suit set. I will say it again. UGHHH........come on Mattel.

Barbie herself is quite lovely. Her lips are a very pretty shade of pink. She has blue side glancing eyes that are screened well IMHO. Her hair is in a very cute style, and it is very soft, no noticeable product in it to make it stiff. And I for one LOVE the made to move bodies!

Another shot of her dressed in the pink suit. Both jackets are actually lined except for the sleeves, and the pink jacket has a Barbie Signature tag in it.

And since she can't wear both outfits at once, I pulled BMR1959 Kira out to wear the other outfit. While I love the pleather jacket, I hate they used a huge zipper for the main zip. The accent zippers on the sides are smaller and in scale, but that huge zipper on the front  just takes away from the realistic look of the outfit 

(for me anyway).

All in all I'm really pleased with the set and will buy the other offerings in the series. I've wanted to see a play friendly set targeted for collectors for a long time now, and I have followed and loved the Barbie Style Instagram page and wished that Mattel would produce some of the clothing pictured for collectors.  I want to support them now that they have finally put this set out there. As I have noted above, there are things I really like about the set and a few things I really wish were different, but overall I'm really glad I got it and I look forward to the other offerings in the series.