davidd's A DOLL A DAY 2023

19th o' Septemb'aaar - A Doll a Day MMXXXIII

Well at least if she falls overboard she won't need flotation devices

CatDragonStorm wrote:Well at least if she falls overboard she won't need flotation devices

Landlubber lasses: always envious of the seafaring gals!

Now for a dose of reality:

20 September - A Doll A Day 2023:

Triv and Janie celebrated their Talk Like a Pirate Day by engaging in some real life pirate-style adventures: scraping and sanding deck planks.


Yo ho! Yo ho! Maybe a Pirate's Life isn't for me, after all!

Alliecat wrote:

CatDragonStorm wrote:Well at least if she falls overboard she won't need flotation devices

22 September - A Doll A Day 2023:



Taking advantage of the last "long" day of the summer season (tomorrow being the Autumn Equinox, or Mabon) in an effort to remove a stain from a doll head using the benzoyle peroxide plus sunshine method.

So I saw this as a head washed up on a sandy shoreline with little ripples of water in the corner.

What?
I'm tired.

Alliecat wrote:So I saw this as a head washed up on a sandy shoreline with little ripples of water in the corner.

It does look like a head floating up on the beach, now that you mention. So now I kinda want to try this pic again, only find rocks with edges that will sit more flush with the surface to better emulate the water on a rocky shore effect.

But the weather is turning rainy, so... too late!

---

23 September - A Doll A Day 2023:


Appropriately, the wind blew the box lid closed as I was snapping the photo of this Gone With The Wind Barbie doll.

This "Hollywood Legends" Barbie doll commemorating the motion picture Gone With The Wind was released back in 1994 -- thirty years ago for those of you who may be keeping track. Today these dolls are practically worthless. Nicely boxed examples of these thirty year old "collectable" dolls are frequently available for ten bucks or less (plus fifteen for shipping) online.

See, what's happening with some of this stuff, particularly the "collector editions," is that the collectors who purchased these things thirty years ago are "leaving the hobby" (a polite euphemism for dying off), and nobody wants their stuff. The collectors kept their collectibles in nicely preserved, boxed condition. Now all those like-new examples are showing up on the secondary market at the same time. Supply outpaces demand.

Meanwhile,  I recently sold a ten year old Novi Stars doll for $275 on eBay. It sold in under an hour. I probably had it underpriced, since some people ask $500 and up, but the one I sold was unboxed and was missing its accessories. One of the differences is that Novi Stars dolls were "playline dolls" marketed to kids. They weren't sold as items for collectors. Thus, fewer of them survived intact.

Plus, of course, the Novi Stars doll had three eyes and skeleton wings. Sorry, Barbie, you can't compete with that, no way!

The future secondary market is difficult to predict. Some dolls and toys escalate in price immediately upon being discontinued and continue to increase in price for years. Other items -- usually the ones designed to be "collector items" -- fail to hold even their original retail price.

Note: rational discussion about the pricing issue does not pertain to dolls released by Integrity Toys. That's an entirely different world in which sanity does not exist.

Meh, I'm rambling. But having picked this doll up myself on eBay in conjunction with another "collector" Barbie for under twenty bucks for the pair, I'm just kinda moodily musing over the value, or lack of value, of the things we buy, save, treasure, or discard.

Anyway... I'm gonna rip open the box and see if the cool red dress fits on a TBLeague seamless figure. Poor ol' nekkid Scarlett O'Barbie will be sent off to a donation station... which is probably a worse fate than would have befallen a nekkid Scarlett at the grubby hands of the Union Army back in the day.

23 September - A Doll A Day 2023

P.S.: and why, you ask, did I sell the Novi Stars doll? Because two-hunnert senny-five bucks for a seven inch tall plastic doll, that's why!

24 September - A Doll A Day 2023:


I'm not sure if the front of the carton is scuffed, or just dirty or if that's just light glare or what. I haven't looked at it that closely yet. One of those stupid impulse buys that I shouldn't have, y'know?

I had one Scarlett and Rhett and sold them many years ago at a doll sale. Mattel really knows how to mess up a brand (Barbie, Monster High).

It's really crazy how much different brands can fluctuate and drop in price. I always thought Novi stars were very underestimated and I regret never buying one but other obsessions just always took priority. Holiday Barbie has a beautiful dress!

CatDragonStorm wrote:It's really crazy how much different brands can fluctuate and drop in price. I always thought Novi stars were very underestimated and I regret never buying one but other obsessions just always took priority.

Novi Stars were relatively expensive when they were released, which possibly contributed to the failure of the line. They cost somewhat more than Monster High while being made of a hard plastic with extremely limited articulation. The knees and elbows were fixed position. The included accessories were minimal.

---

25 September - A Doll A Day 2023:



Circa 2016 release, Bratz Selfie-Snaps Yasmin was part of an unsuccessful attempt by MGAE to re-boot the Bratz franchise. These "New Bratz" dolls only lasted a season or two before being discontinued. A more classic style of Bratz dollz has since been released to somewhat greater success, although they have achieved nothing on par with the once stratospheric popularity of the Bratz brand.

Selfie-Snaps Yasmin is an example of how not every old doll or toy that is kept "mint-in-package" appreciates in value. These particular dolls are practically worthless on eBay right now.

I purchased Selfie-Snaps Yasmin back in 2016 to participate in an online "Summer of Bratz" photo challenge. Since then, Yasmin has become one of my favorite "travel dolls" and has been a part of a number of adventurous trips and treks. Well... a Yasmin has; the one pictured here is my "back-up" Yas, in case anything dire happened to the first one. But the original is still going strong seven years later, after numerous hiking adventures and even a cruise through the Caribbean.

25 September - A Doll A Day 2023

I do love robots.

Kinda looks like the robot is trying to explain to a disappointed customer why the bar is closed

I've been helping a neighbor/relative with a carpentry project. Haven't had time for much of anything else.

I'll try to get caught up with A Doll A Day if or when I can.

Silly me, thinking I could stay caught up.

Maybe my Doll A Day days are over.

What are you building this time?

Alliecat wrote:

davidd wrote:Inside your goggles? That's truly terrifying!

It was indeed quite ridiculous.  Swears were said in the scramble that followed to get them off.

I once got a yellow jacket inside a glove when I was shelling black walnuts. That was ... not fun.

22 October - A Doll A Day 2023:


I have yet to be tempted to pick up any of the new, redesigned Monster High releases.

---

---

CATCHIN' UP TIME – A DOLL A DAY 2023:

---

---

And... OMG! We're back on track!

I also have not been tempted to buy any of the new Monster High.

I'm constantly astonished at how much work you do around your place. At least you make it fun and take photos. I should do that. *makes note*

TrueFan wrote:At least you make it fun and take photos. I should do that. *makes note*

You should! I find that the time I take to set up and snap photos seems to help me think about whatever I'm working on, so the few minutes "wasted" by playing with dolls actually helps the task move along faster.

---

23 October - A Doll A Day 2023:

Snow Fence Removal:

D'you remember that old snow fence that Janie and Triv worked so hard on putting up last season? Well, the winter did a number on it, to the point where it was no longer worth trying to repair, so they decided to take it down.

I have only been slightly tempted by Draculaura, but not really the other new monster high dolls. It has prompted me to do a bit of restoration on my old frankie doll but I'll save that for my own post. Addie has a very sweet face but Janie is still my favourite. I appreciate you taking pictures in the store because it's interesting to see how things are displayed over the pond.

The "working" shots always look so realistic.
I can't imagine taking time to do dolly pix in the middle of most of my chores -- while I have done the odd one, generally I'd be too easily distracted from doing the work and just want to do photos instead. I mean, who wouldn't?