Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Color Reveal Day 0, Let's Meet Our Doll!

 Hello Dear Readers,

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and are plunging into the Christmas season. My Thanksgiving was very quiet, I was in the middle of a terrible cold so I ended up sitting it out. I spent the day either blowing my nose or coughing (or both at the same time), so it was best that I stayed home and rested. I'm currently on the mend, but I'll be happier when I'm back to feeling all better. I have a lot to do for Christmas, I don't have time to be sick! 

Today we're going to debox the doll from the Color Reveal advent calendar. She's located in an easy to remove the tube from the center of the calendar. You just tear along the sides of the circular cut out on the top and slide the tube out, being careful of the hook on the top so it doesn't catch on the box and she's free.


 

 Here's the tube by itself:

 

 

It has a clear base with a lavender colored lid. The clear plastic is covered by a plastic sheet with the same drawing of the doll from the front of the box, but with a monochromatic pink design. Using the pull tab that run along the side you can remove that piece to show the clear tube and it's contents. 

 


We've got a large pink bag with black designs and some instructions. 



Opening the bag reveals our doll:



Currently she's rocking a metallic pink painted look with white snowflakes on her face, torso, arms, and legs. I like it, it's actually really pretty. Unfortunately, this finish can't stay. We need to see our doll! When she was still painted I checked her over. She's got a hard plastic head with pretty large earring holes and a large hole in the back of her head for a hair accessory. There's something weird going on with her ring fingers on both hands. Not sure if that's how the hands are or the color reveal paint is doing something weird.



Only one way to find out. Let's bring on the water:

 

 And our lovely assistant goes in feet first:


I took several pictures of the paint coming off. It was really pretty watching it melt into the water. 

 





And the water looked really pretty when it was all mixed in:



And here's our doll after she's been dried, and scrubbed, some of that pink paint did not want to come off. Not all of it came off. She still has paint around her hip joint and seam lines. I'm not sure if the seam line paint will come off.

She's got a medium tan skin tone, painted pink hair with a side part, blue eyes, and medium pink lips. She has a molded on light blue bodysuit with periwinkle colored legs with embedded silver glitter. Her articulation is pretty basic. She can just look left/right and both her legs and arms can move forward and backwards. She's not great at sitting. Overall, not that impressive, but I wasn't expecting to like her. 

 

See everyone tomorrow for the first day of December and our first official door!

 

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Color Reveal Christmas!

 

Hello Dear Readers,


Can you believe it’s the end of the year already??? Time sure does fly. I’ve decided to dust off the blog for a special seasonal surprise. We’re going to do a daily unboxing of an Advent Calendar to ring in the holiday season! For this series we’re going to unbox the following calendar:

 

Fun fact, my photography skills have not improved.

I bought it at Amazon and as of right now you can purchase your own here.

It’s a pretty decent sized box with a tube in the center that’s holding our doll. On the front there are two panels that open up to reveal our doors (these were originally taped down, I assume to keep people from opening the doors in store). With the panels down we can see the doors. Both sides of the box are covered with doors with cute Christmas themed drawings. 

Here's the left side:


And the right:

 

 


The left panel was glued to the front part of the doors at the bottom. It looks like something spilled and when dried left a crusty residue, but it’s actually just the glue and how it tore the paper. It looks grosser than it actually is. What I appreciate about this calendar is that the doll is day 0. There’s actually 24 other surprises, so she's a bonus! Also, the inside of the door panels when extended have printed designs and slots in them. 

 

The doors have tabs on them, so when we take off the doors, we can slide the tab into the spaces and decorate the front of the box. I really love that idea. It’s great that something that normally would be a bit of trash can be used for decoration. Also if someone has a imaginative mind I could see the door images being reused for some sort of craft. Right now the panels are a little empty, but we'll soon start filling them up.

 

 

There’s also a little paper tree decoration that you can fold out on one side. I really appreciate how the box can be used for décor, although it might not look that cute when all the doors are open. I'm not sure how the tree stays together. There's no glue or anything. Also, the overlapping piece is larger than the part of the tree it touches, so you can see the edges. I could be doing it wrong, but I feel like that might need a little more work to be perfect. 


My career aspirations of a hand model are really picking up. 


I think that's it for the box design. There's some cute drawings on the back, but I'm not going to post them just yet because it spoils the contents (hopefully I remember to post them at the end. If I forget, someone remind me). 

Stay tuned for Day 0!

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we take off the doors, we can use them for decorations. I honestly really love that idea. It’s great that something that normally would be a bit of trash can be used for decoration. There’s also a little paper tree decoration that you can fold out. I really appreciate how the box can be used for décor, although it might not look that cute when all the doors are open. 

 

Sunday, November 6, 2022

Come with me to the Salisbury, NC Doll Show!

Hello Dear Readers!


I hope everyone is doing well! I’ve decided to dust off the blog to talk about a doll show I went to yesterday. I haven’t been to too many doll shows in my life. This is actually the second time I’ve gone to a doll show, my first time was this same show last year. It’s in Salisbury, NC, which is about an hour from me. I believe this is their last show of the season, but they also have shows in Asheville, Nashville, and Raleigh during their season. It’s part of the Southeastern Doll & Toy Shows and their website can be found here. You can also find a two dollar off coupon on their website for the entry fee. I will mention that they also had index cards available so people could fill out the information there and get the discount, which I do appreciate them making it more cost effective, but it stings slightly… I used my printer ink to print out the coupon!

 

It’s held at the Salisbury Civic Center:

 

Here’s the doors to the building:

 

And the view from the doorway into the room the show is held in:



That’s the last of the pictures I took in the event. Felt a little self contentious taking pictures in the show. Also, I took a picture of a doll and the woman whose booth it was was staring daggers at me, so that was the end of that.


But it’s not the end of the post. I want to share all the goodies I got!


I started spending pretty early when I got there. You have to jump on a deal when you find it. The first thing I bought was this doll:

I believe she’s Top Model Teresa from several years ago. She was only five dollars, so I decided to get her. I don’t think I’m going to keep her, so I’m going to clean her up and list her on eBay… eventually. I assume the seller didn’t know what they had since a lot of stuff the had was a bit higher priced for me (I am not paying thirty dollars for a Skooter).  

 

I also bought these two bags from the same seller at ten dollars each. Inside there’s a bunch of Kelly and smaller sized doll clothing. I have a real weakness for Kelly stuff even though I just have one Kelly and one Tommy doll that I actually change the clothes on. I haven’t gone through it yet, but I saw enough that I wanted that I didn’t have (and some things that in better shape of what I already have). No shoes though, but I also have quite a stockpile of shoes for them.


The next thing I bought was this miniature American Girl doll. Haven’t done any research on her yet, but she was just ten dollars. Her apron is American Girl, but I assume nothing else is. I’m going to clean her up and list her. She’s cute, but I’m not super into little dolls like that (with an upcoming exception). 


 

After that I bought another Barbie doll. According to the sales tag, she was a convention gift from the 2012 Barbie Convention. I mainly bought her because she has an articulated Belly Button body, and she was just ten dollars. I think her head is a Barbie Basic (I want to say from the Jean series). Her lips have been repainted and the paint is staining her face. I’m planning on removing the chipping paint and using acne cream to try and remove the staining. Hopefully her original lips are under that paint. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with her. I don’t really need another body, so she could be sold as parts or complete. I’ll work on fixing the staining before deciding what to do with her.



Next I bought a Francie outfit. This is Land Ho from 1969. This was more expensive at twenty dollars, but it has the ribbon tie and the circle piece to keep the ribbon in place so I figured it was worth it. I’m missing the hat and the shoes so I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled for those. I’ve been doing a big focus on getting more vintage Barbie clothes. I was tired of running a little nudist colony and I don’t have the energy, desire, or skills to dress everyone. Right now vintage Barbie herself is in a good clothing spot, but I really need to get Francie and Skipper clothes. Unfortunately they can be pretty expensive and I remain cheap (Doll shows not withstanding).



I also bought these super cute little baby dolls. I think they’re hard plastic and they’re both marked Germany. I have a total weakness for these little dolls. I know that they’re simple little inexpensive toys but I find them so incredibly charming. I just love their little sleep eyes. They need some help with their stringing, but aren’t they the cutest? They were only two dollars for both of them.



On the subject of sleep eyes, I also bought this antique doll eye rocker. I have been dabbling slightly in antique dolls (bisque, wooden, and china), so I thought it was worth picking it up at five dollars. I don’t have a doll of that size that needs the eyes replaced, but I thought it would be good having it as a spare. Unfortunately I’m not sure where I can store it, I think it’s a little macabre to keep it with the antique dolls. But look how pretty the eyes are!



I also have dabbled ever so slightly in dollhouse furniture. I have a Strombecker walnut secretary desk that I decided to keep so I’m always on the lookout for things to go along with it. There was a lot of dollhouse stuff at the show, but nothing I really needed, until I saw this. It’s the most adorable frog pitcher. When I found it, I had to have it. Luckily it was just three dollars. It’s ceramic. On the bottom it’s marked “V. Casson” and “France”. I just looked it up, you can get your own frog pitcher here for twenty four euros! (I was not expecting that price). I was hoping to find a chair that worked for the desk and a Barbie sized vase of good quality, but it was not meant to be, but I am patient on those fronts.



I also bought the top and scarf for Barbie’s Cool ‘N Crisp outfit for twelve dollars. It’s another vintage outfit I’ve always liked and don’t own yet. It’s a little dingy and I don’t think you can wash it without the red from the stitching running into the white fabric. I think it’s been washed before since there’s some color transfer, so I might try washing it with a color catcher sheet to see if I can get it a little cleaner. I’m missing the skirt, but it’s a simple red cotton straight skirt I know I can make a stand in from supplies I already have.


I also bought a Suzie Sad Eyes doll for twenty five. She’s one of the few small dolls I’ve made an exception for in my collection. I’ve been pretty lucky stumbling onto them (I’ve found two in thrift stores over the years), so I have a modest collection of them. This one is my most expensive one, but I decided to get her. The seller also had two dressed dolls, but they were more expensive and I was running out of money. I’m not sure if her hair has been cut or just choppy from the factory, but she’s very cute. I mostly have ones with black hair so she is a duplicate but I still like her. Her eyes look less wonky in person, not sure why they look so off in pictures. I’m still on the look out for a redhead and an AA version, but those tend to be expensive (and she’s a casual interest).



From the same seller I also bought these clone cat eye glasses. I don’t have a use for them, but I liked them. That green pair is what got my attention. They were originally two dollars, but the seller bundled them in with the doll so they were technically free!


I also bought this Barbie outfit from the same seller. They also bundled it with the doll, so instead of paying four dollars, it was twenty five for everything. It’s Best Buy 8261. I’m not sure who will wear it. Most of my 70’s dolls have melting issues at the limbs (which I do repair, but isn’t perfect and can keep melting) so I wouldn’t want to dress them in something they could ruin and it’s not era appropriate for the Mod dolls. But, I have it, and can decide who can wear it later. It might end up on a Superstar.



We are now onto the final grouping. This stall was a little … not my favorite. A lot of the stuff in there wasn’t priced and that always makes me uneasy. I think the seller bought a lot of their stuff at auction. There were a lot of things with lot numbers on them. Also, when I was looking through some of the stuff they had a giant live moth flew out of it. I don’t think anyone else saw it, so I just went about my business. They told me they would be willing to make a deal, so I bundled up what I wanted and they made an offer of 20 dollars for everything, which I gladly took. I did ask them later about a vintage Barbie they had that had been repainted with boxy black eyebrows and brown eyes, but they wanted 80 for it. A lot of the customization had been to hide flaws (I could tell her hair had been cut and she had some damage to her hand), so I passed. Also, I didn’t have that much money on me since it was the end of the show, but let’s see what I did get:

I bought a bag that had the white long gloves in it. I can never have enough gloves (even though I rarely have a need for opera length gloves). The Growing Skipper shoe was in the bag and so was the hanger thing (anyone know what that is?). I picked up the Tutti shoe elsewhere. I had hoped to find the match in the pile of stuff, but no luck. I also picked up the 90’s era jewelry box. I have one just like it that I use to keep track of tiny earrings, so I felt like I could use a second.


I also bought this random lot. Most of it isn’t worth anything. It’s mostly solo clone shoes. There are some square toe shoes and a couple TLC open toe shoes (and a pair of Dawn shoes, not sure if they are clones or not), but most of it is just … junk. I wanted it because tucked away in there is Superstar Ken’s bracelet. It’s a pretty small piece and hard to find, so I decided to pick it up. I also like the box of random necklaces. I will most likely just keep the Mattel shoes and the bracelet from the lot.



Another random thing I picked up is this Barbie travel toothbrush that is still sealed in the box. It’s from 1986, not sure why I wanted it. I just thought it was neat. I have like … 10 things from the 1980s in my collection (at most), so it’s not like there’s a lot of things like it around here. Not sure if I will keep it, but I have it for now.



I also bought another doll dress. This is the shirtdress from Smasheroo. I’m slowly building my Mod clothing collection. It’s not my favorite outfit, but a lot of the clothes at the show was pretty expensive and this was in good shape.

 

 
And finally I bought a clone dress. This dress is very clearly based on Movie Date but with a darker striped fabric. I don’t own Movie Date (but it’s on the want list) and while this dress is a bit of a mess, I’d like to see if I could fix it up some. Here’s hoping that stain comes out!

After that I did make another stop at the local Habitat for Humanity store. I almost bought a vintage doll, but when I opened the bag she had the worst hard plastic disease smell to her so I left her behind. I did buy some fabric. I took a long break from it, but I have been getting back into sewing. Little things here and there. If people would like to see some of the things I’ve made recently, please let me know in the comments and I can share some of it.

Overall it was a good day, but let me tell you something that happened at the show. I think I was the only person wearing a mask at the show, I’m vaccinated, but we’re still dealing with it so I don’t feel comfortable going out without one. Especially since my dad caught it in September. A vintage Barbie seller asked me what era I collected, I let her know I collected 1959 to 1976. She asked me if that was the dolls I played with as a kid. I was born in 1986! I know she couldn’t see the lower part of my face, but I was SO offended!

So that was my doll show haul. Does anyone have any favorites from what I bought?

Also, we’ll be seeing each other again at the end of the month. ;)