Basaak: Blythe’s Clone? Let’s look inside!

1:6 scale Dolls & Action Figures, Reviews, Something to share 3 Responses »
Jun 252010

Despite feeling pretty crummy my day improved with the arrival of the mail. Today my 2 Basaak heads came.  These are the ones that are being sold on feebay.  They look like this (in the auction):

I got my 2 heads from  Dollyhospital and I found them well packed. They shipped pretty quickly too, considering they came from Thailand. These are they:

I couldn’t be bothered the other day when the Basaak came (on the body) to take pics of the inside of the head. So I checked em out (they seem to be about the same size as the coin bank heads).  For about 13 dollars a head I think they’re a good deal.  Here are the insides:

They came with “sleep eyes” too.  Which is nice since my other Basaak & Blythe didn’t come with those)

And the scalp (you can see how it fits together, right?)

I want to note that the coin-bank Basaaks seemed to have nicer hair & the scalps fit on a lot better than the one that came on the body.

Ok so now it’s a case of getting a couple (2) obitsu 23 cm bodies to pop em on.

For shits & giggles here’s a pic of the one head on a volks Beauty body:

Now….at some point in the next week or so I’ll actually start the fun part—customizing!! :D

Posted by corset_kitten at 7:11 pm

Blythe & Basaak: *pics & comparisons*

1:6 scale Dolls & Action Figures, Reviews, Something to share 9 Responses »
Jun 232010

Following up from my previous post I wanted to discuss Blythe’s body & how it compares to one of the Blythe Clones that is out there:  Basaak.

At first glance I really didn’t think there’d be much of a difference.  Call me cynical or whatever but I pretty much assumed that these knock offs were being made from “lost” (stolen) or rejected plates meant originally for Takara Blythe.  (I’m wrong apparently).

So looking at them…
I mean ok, there’s some difference in the face molds…(actually I’m sure there’s a considerable difference but I just can’t see much of it yet).  But was there anything really different???

This was a pretty important question to me since I’ve been looking at the prices for Blythes ($$$–$$$$$$) and if there wasn’t then why the difference in pricing? It couldn’t be for the body, since people seem to get rid of them frequently (changing them out for Takara Licca, Obitsu and other bodies). It could be for the name of course…But no.

Well……. if you’re going to talk about “build quality” there’s a big difference. Huuuuuge. (IMO at least).  Points of difference: (these are more than likely stating the obvious to anyone reading but I feel I should line them out anyway).

  • The quality of the plastic used on the dolls is different.
  • Blythe has a narrower nose bridge etc.
  • Hands on Basaak are not well defined (sorry no close up pics right now)
  • Legs on Basaak are a different type of vinyl–harder/more dense. It was an actual struggle to bend her legs. Blythe’s clicked uber-easily into place.
  • Blythe appears to be slightly (marginally) shorter than Basaak.
  • Basaak just isn’t built very sturdily–upon undressing her I found her torso beginning to crack apart at the side seams. :(
  • Basaak’s face is definitely a different color than her head/scalp. It’s not as obvious in the photos as it is in person. Blythe may have that problem too but Emily doesn’t so I can’t judge for certain.

  • Basaak can do an awesome imitation of Linda Blair in The Exorcist.
  • Unlike Blythe Basaak can not only move her arms up and down (ala swinging them) but she can move them outwards & up & down (like a bird flapping its wings).
  • Because the Basaak’s legs are made of harder material her feet aren’t as squidgy as Blythe’s. I’m guessing this may make the body mildly more posable in shoes etc.
  • Her headscalp is easy to remove (although it took me a couple of tries to get it back on after).  She came to me with stains on her vinyl head scalp thing. And her hair is greasy and ratty (like a little kid cut her hair–its got chunks out of here and there).  I’ve since washed her hair & tried to give it a trim to even it out and I have to say that it’s not that bad.

One thing that I cannot stand about Basaak is whatever the vinyl/ plastic is that they used to make her legs out of is exceptionally stinky. I’d have said it was just me (I’m extra sensitive when it comes to odors) but Mark actually commented on it too (like the fact that when he picked her up and put her down his hands came away smelling like the plastic).   In an attempt to remedy that I did wash her legs (since I was going to wash her hair anyway) but no dice. Still uber smelly :(

Blythe vs. Basaak?

No.

That’s not really a fair match (and don’t even get me started with comparing them to volks LOL).  Considering you can get a Basaak off of feebay pretty cheap (or the heads for just about 12 bucks a pop) I’d say it’s a good way to get some practice in on this unique doll type.   Since I’ve determined how I’m going to work them into things I think it’s ok. They won’t be stuck on the shelf like the FR girls.

Posted by corset_kitten at 6:41 pm

Exploring Blythe?

1:6 scale Dolls & Action Figures, Eh, what?, Reviews, Something to share 7 Responses »
Jun 192010

Have you ever found yourself saying “Oh no, I’d NEVER get a (fill in blank) doll” with regard to your doll & action figure collecting? :whistle:

I do it sometimes… and on a couple of occasions I’ve had to eat those words: namely when I started adding Takara CGs and  Fashion Royalty Dolls to my collection.  In both cases I said I’d never collect them (or conceivably want them).  Of course now, if you look at my collection you’ll see that I have quite a few CGs, and 4 Fashion Royalty dolls to my name (It was 5 but I chucked one on feebay last week).

When I first  looked at Blythe I thought “No way!! That Big Headed Doll is not ever going to be something that I am going to add to my collection!”

Right?

Oh, that’s not to say that there weren’t some out there that I thought were cute.

Or downright funky….

Let me lay out some of the reasons why I started thinking about getting one.  They might not make sense, and you might not agree with them, but hey it’s still a free world (in my part of it anyway)! I’m not asking you to agree, or to like them…..just to tolerate, Ok?

  • Looking at different photos of Blythes, Blythe Clone/Knock offs I saw a real range of creativity & openness.
  • Something else is that many of the people who have them really play with them and take photos of them. Not just a couple of “look at my new dress” pics but like taking them out and about. That mentality appeals to me.
  • People who are willing to play with their dolls. And create things for them. And they’re friendly on the boards I’ve checked out. People didn’t snub me because I was buying a knock-off. I liked that egalitarianism.
  • Even though these dolls are expensive people are willing to customize them across the scale from simple mods to crazy things. I like that.

I decided to welcome the Big Headed girl into my Small Head collection.  I bought a knock off on feebay for pretty cheap (am waiting for it to arrive) and Mark, being the guy he is decided to get me one as well (although not a knock off). So–from a no Blythe collector I’ve suddenly become one overnight!

Mark got me a secondhand Natasha Moore Blythe.

I liked her haircolor but I’ll say that once I’m comfortable w/ experimenting on the clone I’ll work on her to make her more my thing.  She did come with most of that stuff seen in the pic (that’s a web found pic btw not my actual doll).  She arrived on Thursday and was a really nice pick me up after the bad news from the oral surgeon.  Yes, doll therapy! :silly:

Blythe’s big downfall in my eyes was/is her apparent lack of articulation.

Why would I go forward and then step backwards???

I think if I have to answer that I’ll say because she’s a different avenue for me to walk down & explore.   Something different.  A way to stretch my creative muscles without getting out of dolls all together.  I doubt I’ll ever be one of those people with shelves full of them, but the face/ head does have a certain charm & interest for me.

Ok so let’s talk basics here.

What is Blythe’s body like?

IMO it’s not good. It’s kind of like barbie back in the 70′s except that her arms only go up & down. No side up & down movement. (I’ve heard that some of the clones have that though)

  • I’ve read across the web that her body can be replaced with a Takara Licca body (though I’m not sure the point in bothering with that since the ROM & posability isn’t improved that greatly.
  • I have seen them popped onto 21 & 23 cm obitsu bodies and size and height comparisons make that seem a good option. More posability & if you reinforce the body torso interior it can even manage to support her big head & pose freestanding.

C was asking me about how Blythe compared in size with Momoko & other dolls. So here are a few shots.

Note that I’m using the fishing line method on Blythe for now. If I don’t prop her against furniture or a wall she just falls over.

And for giggles:

Blythe has semi-arched feet which are very squidgy.

One last thing….

Just remember that old adage:  “A mind is like a parachute: it works best when open!”

Posted by corset_kitten at 4:32 pm

Top 10 toys of 2009 … #2 Schwinn Bike

1:6 Props & Miscellany, Reviews, Something to share, Top 10 Lists 6 Responses »
Jan 062010

Top 10 toys of 2009 … #2

So at last, we’re down to the big 2!

It’s been a hard decision to make. Cool toys & props–all of them are interesting or useful or just cool in their own way.

2

Schwinn Black Phantom Bicycle (not xonex version)

Description of Toy/Toyline:

This is something of a mystery.  The only 1:6 Schwinn bicycles I’ve been able to find reference to online are those made by Xonex.  Mark bought one of those on ebay and was gutted to find that the quality of it varied greatly from my version.  Someone suggested to me that it might be an ex-salesman’s sample that was brought around to show clients.  I don’t know?

So why did it make my list?

  • It’s amazingly detailed   :love:   (leather seat, chain, key, on/off switch for the headlight, the tires have their size & type on them, there’s a linked chain,  etc)
  • It’s shiny & pretty (It’s just asking to be caressed it’s that nice!)
  • It works! (yes if I had a 1:6 automaton/animatronic doll It could literally ride the bike around!) How cool is that? Functional and in scale!

What didn’t I like–or why isn’t it no.1 on the list?

That’s pretty hard to say.  I’ve been swinging back-and-forth all week about whether this should be number 1 or not.  It’s got a lot on it’s side.  It’s 1:6 scale, it’s cool, it’s pretty…..As far as cost goes it wasn’t that bad– only about 37 bucks (not including postage). Well worth it in my opinion. I guess the reason it’s in the number 2 slot is that I don’t get to use it as much as I’d like…as in it’s a great prop (fantastic) but I don’t build a lot of photostories around it at this point.

Ok folks! That’s number 2 down!

Maybe tomorrow I’ll do number one? :whistle:

Posted by corset_kitten at 8:34 am

Top 10 toys of 2009 … #3 Wong Ka Kui

1:6 scale Dolls & Action Figures, Reviews, Top 10 Lists 4 Responses »
Jan 052010

Top 10 toys of 2009 … #3  (almost to the end here! oh no!)  :woot:

3

Wong Ka Kui -1993 Album version

Description of Toy/Toyline:

Wong Ka Kui was made by Hot Toys. They made 2 (maybe 3) different versions of him (I liked this one best due to the shorter hair). I don’t know much about the actual guy it’s supposed to be other than that he was born in Hong Kong & was a pretty popular musician with an eye towards philanthropy. He’s got the usual Hot Toys body.

So why did he make my list?
He looked good. No. He looked better than good–he looked interesting!  :woot:   I didn’t see his action figure face plastered all over various doll & action figure forums. He was different.  I liked the sculpt & I liked the fact that he was on a hot toys body = good articulation.  His skin is something nifty (and nicely enough it’s a good match to the actual body he’s on). He also had some nifty accessories of a guitar, picks, mic. jewelry, extra hands (with rings on them) and high top sneakers. Gotta love it!

What I didn’t like AKA why he isn’t number 1 on the list:
Ah. Well to be fair it was a difficult decision. He’s a nice figure, and the sculpting is up there for me. He looks interesting & is going to make a great character in my photostories.
I guess if I had to give a reason his price would be why he’s not in the top 2. I’m not rich & money spent on figures is something I think, re-think and then think again before actually doing. (and I usually have to justify 8 ways to sunday). Wong Ka Kui was expensive–he is without a doubt the most expensive figure in my collection. He cost me 155.00 + shipping and I sat on the fence about it at the time.  Still, I don’t regret buying him & enjoy having him as part of the 1:6 crew.

As always, this post is sparked by Shaun Wong’s invite over at the Fortress of Testicular Fortitude.
And here are some other folks I know who are taking part in the Top 10 Toys of 2009 (please check em out as we all have different tastes in our toys!)

D7ana http://phillycollector.blogspot.com/
Mick http://mickbaltes.de/blog/
And C —whose list is up and finished! Check out her blog!  http://smidgehouse.blogspot.com/

Posted by corset_kitten at 7:13 pm

Top 10 toys of 2009 … #4 *music please!*

1:6 Props & Miscellany, Reviews, Top 10 Lists 3 Responses »
Jan 032010

Here we are hitting number 4 on the list of my 2009 top 10 toys!  :D

Read on (and eventually–maybe even soon–I’ll get to number one!)

#4

Guitars
Stratocaster, Jazz Bass & Violin Bass & Amp

Description of Toy/Toyline:
The two Fender guitars are were produced by SD Toys with exclusive U.S. distribution by Dark Horse Comics. They  also included miniature accessories: three guitar picks, a strap, a shielded cable, a remote transmitter and a guitar stand.

The Violin Bass was produced by Media Factory and is actually 1:8 scale though it works as 1:6 with the Volks dollfies. Media Factory also produced an 8thscale amp (which I have but didn’t dig out for the photos).

So why did these make my list?
Oh, c’mon! These are cool!   :woot:   And seeing as I have a few musically inclined characters it seemed only fair that I splash out the money and get them some decent instruments. (I will need to justify in the photostories how these kids can afford such expensive instruments…but I will, I promise!)

The detailing on all 3 guitars is particularly nice & well done. I’m particularly appreciative of the violin bass (Paul McCartney used one of these) and think it will be good when I manage to paint the female musician-student.

What I didn’t like (if anything) why didn’t it make number one on the list:
They’re nice props.  Nice.
Not spectacular…
The 2 Fenders were over priced IMO but still nice. So basically they scored lower than #1 because of the pricing. That’s just me, a frugal *cough cheap cough* collector.

As always, this post is sparked by Shaun Wong’s invite over at the Fortress of Testicular Fortitude.
And here are some other folks I know who are taking part in the Top 10 Toys of 2009 (please check em out as we all have different tastes in our toys!)

D7ana http://phillycollector.blogspot.com/
Mick http://mickbaltes.de/blog/
And C – make sure to check out her blog!  http://smidgehouse.blogspot.com/

Posted by corset_kitten at 10:24 pm

Top 10 toys of 2009 … #5

1:6 scale Dolls & Action Figures, Reviews, Top 10 Lists 4 Responses »
Jan 012010

Happy New Year & Welcome to 2010~ Following my usual guidelines I had no intention of wrapping up the top 10 before the new year (why? because!) :P

#5

Lori & Stella Vanderhoff


Description of Toy/Toyline: Stella & Lori are made using Volks Dollfies & the older C type head pre-rooted with platinum blond hair. Lori is on a Volks Excellent Base J Body & Stella is on an excellent B type body.

So why did they make my list?
They made my list because they filled my requirements as characters. Also, I was particularly proud of myself for being able to paint them and capture at least some hint of a family resemblance.  Stella’s personality is one that I’m having a lot of fun thinking about–while Lori….Lori is quick to becoming the Bad girl everyone hates (or wants to know). Yes, they’re fun characters for me.

What I didn’t like AKA why they aren’t number 1 on the list:
Well, part of it is the painting. I still feel I could have done better in a technical sense. They’re both successes as I think their personalities are pretty clear from their faces, but as an artist I find certain aspects lacking. And in Lori’s case there is a more pronounced skin tone difference between her head & body than I like.

As always, this post is sparked by Shaun Wong’s invite over at the Fortress of Testicular Fortitude.
And here are some other folks I know who are taking part in the Top 10 Toys of 2009 (please check em out as we all have different tastes in our toys!)

D7ana http://phillycollector.blogspot.com/
Mick http://mickbaltes.de/blog/
And C —whose list is up and finished! Check out her blog!  http://smidgehouse.blogspot.com/

Posted by corset_kitten at 8:23 pm

Top 10 toys of 2009 … #6 Easel

1:6 Props & Miscellany, Reviews, Something to share, Top 10 Lists 5 Responses »
Dec 312009

Welcome back for another installment of the Top 10 list! :D Hope you folks are enjoying it (or at least getting some ideas of stuff you might want too?)

This one is pretty short & sweet:

#6

H-frame Easel (in 1:6 scale)

Description of Toy/Toyline: As with some of the coolest things in my collection this is a custom piece made for my by my husband, Mark :kiss: .

So why did it make my list?
It’s practical & useful ( I had wanted a working 1:6 scale easel to use for painting–something I can’t do in 1:1 scale due to size/space constraints in our place). Conveniently the upper part is adjustable for various size canvases.

I also want to develop an art studio room set / diorama and easels among other things are on the prop list. So far to date the only sixthscale easels I’ve seen are the ones that came with barbie (and they’re crummy at best).

What I didn’t like AKA why it’s still below #5 on the on the list:
Although Mark did a marvelous job on it, the easel’s measurements are somewhat off from what I wanted.  Yes, I know that H frames tend to be fairly large (I’ve used and lusted after my fair share of them) but this one isn’t quite spot on. I wanted it to be in scale for use with Volks Dollfies as well as Takara CG figures but it really looks oversize with the volks figures.

I also wanted the bottom rack to be adjustable but somehow that got lost in the translation from my plans to his making.   :P   I’m ok with it since it works &  I’m using it but hope in the future to get a second try out of Mark (or else I’ll just do it myself but it’s a bit easier for him since he has more tools than I do). :P

As always, this post is sparked by Shaun Wong’s invite over at the Fortress of Testicular Fortitude.
And here are some other folks I know who are taking part in the Top 10 Toys of 2009 (please check em out as we all have different tastes in our toys!)

D7ana http://phillycollector.blogspot.com/
Mick http://mickbaltes.de/blog/
And C —whose list isn’t up _quite_ yet but she is working on it so make sure to check out her blog!  http://smidgehouse.blogspot.com/

Posted by corset_kitten at 2:27 pm

Top 10 toys of 2009 …#7

1:6 scale Dolls & Action Figures, Reviews, Top 10 Lists 2 Responses »
Dec 292009

Top 10 toys of 2009 … #7

Sometimes it’s not easy deciding what’s really worth mentioning in a top-10 list.   No, really. I have a good number of pretty snazzy toys  but which ones are worth the writing?
Dolls?  Sure.
Action Figures?   Of course.
Clothing? Hmmm…  maybe?

I’ll continue to brood over this while I share with you entry number 7:

#7

Jillian Carmichael

Description of Toy/Toyline:

Jillian is a combination of pieces from Volks.   They have a line of 27 cm dollfies (doll+figures=dollfies) that are meant primarily for customizing.  It’s a wonderful mix n’ match system.  Jillian varies between the Volks excellent B body & Volks Beauty B body (different shots get different bodies).

She has the old version of the C head (when the nose was still thin and narrow before it became more defined & full).

So why did she make my list?
Jillian has attitude.

Despite the flaws in her appearance & face up–she just speaks to me and I gotta love that in any of my figures.  So much so that although I see her flaws I am reluctant to try to repaint her in case I can’t recapture the attitude.

Volks has long been my favorite doll/body manufacturer.  They have offered many types & kinds of bodies (back in the good old days they offered not only dolls with different bust sizes (and shapes) but also different Butt sizes too!  Of course, now, sadly it seems that Volks is either planning on a re-tool of the whole line or possibly dumping more of the figure choices from it.

I’m not sure how many more of them will be around in the future.  I can only cross my fingers for luck & hope mightily that they realize there are more collectors out there than just the BJD folks. (and no, volks & 1:6 obitsu dolls are NOT BDJs. They are NOT strung.**sorry pet peeve there**)

What I didn’t like AKA why she’s low on the on the list:
Did I mention her face up?


Her eyes are wonky.

Hher lips a little too rough…
I could do a better job on her now that I have some decent brushes–but as stated above I’d really worry about not getting it right.

Anyway that’s number 7!

As always, this post is sparked by Shaun Wong’s invite over at the Fortress of Testicular Fortitude.
And here are some other folks I know who are taking part in the Top 10 Toys of 2009 (please check em out as we all have different tastes in our toys!)

D7ana http://phillycollector.blogspot.com/
Mick http://mickbaltes.de/blog/
And C —whose list isn’t up _quite_ yet but she is working on it so make sure to check out her blog!  http://smidgehouse.blogspot.com/

If you’re someone who reads my blog and you have a top 10 list feel free to share it with me and I’ll include it! :D

Posted by corset_kitten at 11:59 pm

Top 10 toys of 2009 …. #8

1:6 scale Dolls & Action Figures, Reviews, Top 10 Lists 3 Responses »
Dec 282009

Here we are hitting number 8! Yay!  :D

(as per the invite from ShaunWong)
I’m afraid the toy collecting for this year has been rather sparse–and although I could separate them to better fill out the list — I think a couple of figures fall in the same spot on the list so I’m forcing them to share the spotlight.

#8 London by Night Ayumi & Old is New Giselle

Description of Toy/Toyline:
London by Night Ayumi & Old is New Giselle are part of the Fashion Royalty Nu Face line.  Fashion Royalty dolls are pricey but occasionally come with good accessories (most notably their shoes & highly detailed purses & nicely made clothing).  Integrity toys are the makers of the Fashion Royalty Doll line btw.

Prices for FR dolls range between $99 USD — upwards (I’ve seen them for 500+) and can sometimes be gotten off doll boards for a decent price.  It does pay to shop around.  :wink:  Ayumi was bought off a board (nude but new) &  Giselle was bought as an anniversary present in November.

(I was going to link to the FR site but frankly it’s so out of date I don’t know wtf they’re upto. Giselle isn’t even listed!! You want more info — search the web, I guess?)

So why did they make my list?

1) They have fantastic facemolds, and they also have a lot of potential for customizing if I ever get bored of their current faces. Ayumi is a favorite facemold & I can probably admit to getting any future releases of her. That might also hold true for Giselle.

2) Giselle is part of the new “Hand speak System” (This is Integrity’s way of saying oh! We’ll give the dolls replaceable hands) IMO it’s a step in the right direction although I’d have expected either a better selection of hands or bubble packs/accessory packs selling additional hand styles.

Hello, Integrity? Want to make some money? Make more hand poses!

3) Giselle’s outfit. I love the Blazer & Sheer floral Blouse. (see below)

What I didn’t like AKA why they’re low on the on the list:

  • Articulation (or lack thereof).

They still have “fashion doll” bodies & the half-assed articulation that goes with them. IMO there really isn’t any reason in this day & age (and with all the examples out there) for them not being better articulated and still aesthetically pleasing. (Although I’ve seen other people body swap them with relative success:   I will likely leave these two on their current bodies–and keep an eye out on feebay & the boards for heads for sale to body swap) Jendini has done a good comparison here.

  • Eyelashes

Maybe it’s just me but so far, to date on the 3 FR dolls I’ve gotten so far the eyelashes have been screwed up a bit (or totally) on all of them… which means I have to

1) go back and fix them or 2) remove them.  I like the look they add it would just be nice if the Quality Control could be more on their toes.

  • Handspeak system is pretty limited with (as of yet) no additional hand sets to be bought. I think this is an area that Integrity Toys / Fashion Royalty dolls would do well to expand upon *and yea, I know it’s a step in the right direction towards articulation…I know*  :P

So that’s it for Number 8!

Posted by corset_kitten at 6:45 am

Top 10 toys of 2009 …#9 (So in Style Trichelle)

1:6 scale Dolls & Action Figures, Reviews, Top 10 Lists 4 Responses »
Dec 272009

Here we are with The Top 10….. (as per Shaun Wong’s post)

#9

Description of Toy/Toyline: So in Style Trichelle:  Mattel’s 2009 attempt at …um…Diversity? :?

Why is she on the list:

I liked her headsculpt.  It’s as simple as that.

I hoped to use her as a cast member for my photostories.  My current cast is short on other ethnicities aside from Hot Toys’ Terrence Howard & Claudia and some Hot Toys guys.

Why is she so low on the list?
Let me count the ways…  :undecided:

  • The body.  She comes with a crummy playline body that although it has articulated arms (wrists, elbows) it does not have articulated knees/legs. That to me is a big bummer. Because of that I swapped her head onto a Barbie Fashionista Body (Fashionista Sassy is a very good skintone match not Artsy as one would be led to believe see photo below). I should note that even with the body swap her still body sucks–just not as horribly as the original. :P

  • The hair. Her hair is disappointing. I wanted hair with body or at least curls that were promised by the packaging (I’d have preferred her to have come with Generation Girl Nichelle’s hair).
  • Price.   Even though I got her on sale she was still more than I would like to spend on a playline doll (especially when you consider I bought her only for her head).
Posted by corset_kitten at 3:41 pm

Top 10 toys of 2009 …. #10

1:6 scale Dolls & Action Figures, Reviews, Top 10 Lists 6 Responses »
Dec 252009

Ah! At last! After spending the entire day sorting out my husband’s computer I finally get a chance to say good night to my own! (Ok and post this real quick-like!)

Here is the beginning of my top 10 toys of 2009! (as followed up from the original invite via Shaun Wong)

#10


Description of Toy/Toyline: Momoko. This is a Japanese fashion doll produced by Sekiguchi. Momoko has a strong & devoted following in the doll world. Pricey is the keyword to remember about Momoko. Everything about her is expensive from her clothes onward.

So why did they make my list?

Hmm…Well I have to admit that I got my first Momoko partly to get a real sense of her size & scale (so I could make furniture & clothes & stuff), and partly out of a strong sense of curiosity.  I ended up getting 2 Momokos this year Everyday B-girl & Day off Delight (Day off Delight is shown above in her original appearance, and below with her customized appearance).

So many people extol the virtues of this little doll that I really wondered if I was missing something. (I’m often slow to come into the game where new dolls or figures are concerned).

Momoko dolls do have nice headsculpts that IMO have a lot of potential. It is unfortunate that they are so expensive as I’d like the chance to experiment more with them (but the $$$ they cost makes that unlikely).

Day off delight momoko customized

I think the strongest things that Momoko has going for her is her facial sculpt & the detail of her clothing & accessories. Do I think they’re enough to justify her price? No. Definitely not. That said, her headsculpts are the reason Momoko is on the top 10 for 2009.

Downsides to Momoko -AKA why she’s only 10th on the list

(yes you can tell I’m not a die-hard fan, right?) are the fact that her body articulation is severely lacking. Yes, she has some but it is very limited.  I’m not comparing her to a volks or a Takara CG.  I am in this instance, comparing her to a Fashionista Barbie.  Her wrists only flip up or down, if you want to rotate her hand you need to do the whole arm at the elbow joint. Things like that won’t matter to many collectors–but to me–someone who primarily plays with my figures by setting them up in dioramas, that’s a major point.

My favorite Momoko head (Everyday B-girl which I got in trade from E’mila –see photo below) was quickly popped onto a Volks Beauty B body.  I find that the skintones are a good match and the improved articulation well worth it to me. (I know a lot of Momoko fans would be disappointed about the body swap)

Momoko on a volks dollfie body

Will I be buying more Momokos in the future?
It’s unlikely unless one comes out who for one reason or another really speaks to me. But even then– $50–100+ dollars for a head to pop onto another body sounds a bit crazy to me.

I’ll update tomorrow with #9 on the Top 10 List  :D

Posted by corset_kitten at 8:08 pm

Fashionista barbie + So in Style = Useable?

1:6 scale Dolls & Action Figures, Customs & Re-stylings, Reviews, Something to share 1 Response »
Nov 022009

At last! A doll related post! :woot:

I promised to show what I picked up while I was home re: 1:6/doll hobby. Obviously it wasn’t much (or else I’d have been raving about it from the get go).  What I did find keys in nicely with my desire to have a more diverse population being represented by my collection.

Things I was on the look out for: the Fashionistas barbies (supposedly more articulated than usual and possibly fodder for Frankenstein-ing some body variations)

barbie-fash

I did find them but wasn’t overwhelmed by them. However I did want to pick up their “aa” version since I was hopeful that the body would be a good match for a couple of heads I have.

In my search for them in the capital district (I was riding all around)  I stumbled across the (Barbie) So in Style dolls. They were pricey, and came with mostly junk that I’d never use.

so-instyle-boxed

BUT…I have to admit that I did like the face-molds quite a bit. However–although I was pleased to see that they had the jointed arms & wrists–i was really disappointed to see that they had the bend-and-click legs. Bleh! I thought. xD

So I went back to my plan on buying a couple of Fashionista Barbies.  I wasn’t thrilled with their oversize heads (not quite as huge as the old my scene heads but a damned sight bigger than regular ‘old school’ FF barbies).  Of course, it occurred to me that one of the SIS heads might be a decent match for the “aa” Fashionista body.

Which of course led to me fence-sitting about whether or not it was worth the money to get 1 workable doll by buying two, one of which I only wanted the head of?! I actually spent the entire time I was there having an internal argument with myself about this (I’m very frugal y’know?) I eventually caved, and bought the so in style Kara, figuring her to be the closest match skin-tone wise for the AA body.  However, when I got her (and the fashionistas in the rental car and was maniacally ripping them out of boxes –I earned quite a few looks from the suburban moms in the cars around me)  :D

SISbody-swap

Can you say surprised? The SIS Kara was a better match for the Fashionista Sassy rather than the AA!  Heh.(it’s not the best pic, I know) I’m overall pleased (plus I’d found the SIS on sale at target for a few bucks less than it was at TRU)

Ok, that’s about it on the doll front for now!

Posted by corset_kitten at 3:56 pm

Otaku revisited

1:6 scale Dolls & Action Figures, Reviews 2 Responses »
Jul 222008

A follow up to my previous post regarding the Otaku figure I received. If you’re a Triad Fan-Boy skip this and read something else…

I went to pick the Otaku up last night from the shelf she was on.
It’s a fairly simple action. Non-invasive. Not rough. Not stressful.
However, somehow–don’t ask me how–in the process– HER LEG FELL OFF!!! :(

WTF?
Ok I can understand Triad saying the hands & feet needed heat and careful handling to remove–but their Quality control REALLLLLLLY must SUCK. I’m sorry, I can’t name another action figure OR doll that I picked it up and a permanently attached body part came off! (with no assistance!)

Looking at the broken joint it is difficult to tell if it was caused by a glue/adhesive failure or if the small bit of resin/plastic just gave up the ghost. It doesn’t look like the plastic has stress-fractures but due to the small size (and I’m not willing to waste my time studying it with a jewelers loupe).

I think I can safely say I am NOT going to be getting any of them in the future unless they are in trade for services or other goods. I AM NOT willing to spend money on something that seems to be lacking.

And yea, I can fix it if I want to put the effort into it. I might. But right now I think I might well be playing frankenstein a lot sooner than I planned. I mean, the figure’s essentially bust (a pisser when I consider the amount of time I spent trying to mod it).

Also another point:as I mentioned previously I am very sensitive to some chemicals and to a lot of agents used in fragrances, cleaners, plastics (yes even some mega house & re-ment product plastics). I commented that the Otaku was very smelly when she arrived.

It’s been a couple weeks now and she’s still stinky enough that I have to keep her on the other side of the room from me. I dunno. I had held out some hope of being able to use these figures as replacements for the FR Ayumi body but the more I deal with it the less likely that seems. I may have to bite the bullet and try to paint a body to match her skintone to get the look I want.

So for me…I just have to say

OTAKU–JUST SAY NO!!!!

Please note that as with everything else posted in this blog & website–these are my opinions only and all readers are welcome to their own opinions. This is my flame-free zone where I am allowed to post my thoughts and reviews on products I’ve obtained.

Posted by corset_kitten at 11:01 am Tagged with:

Otaku: are they worth it? *action figure /action doll review*

1:6 scale Dolls & Action Figures, Customs & Re-stylings, Eh, what?, Reviews 7 Responses »
Jun 252008

Meet the Otaku 1.0 : Triad Toys newest entry on the market.

the otaku 1.0

So, these figures are supposed to be the next best thing since sliced bread…

Triad Toys has put them out as the most recent offering in the 1:6 scale fem figure market. Anyone involved with the market knows that it’s been slim pickings for a while, and there hasn’t really been the promise of anything new on the horizon (to make the price point drop anyway).

Triad took pre-orders and decided to to a limited run of 1000 figures per skin tone (slated to have 3 skin tones in total) . IMO The preliminary pictures looked ok. Nothing that I personally would rush out to buy, nor, did I feel, it was something that I’d really kick myself in the ass for later if I didn’t get one. Right now a messa folks are going totally ga-ga over them. But I had my reservations… so much so that I didn’t buy one.

I’ve been seeing a lot of pictures of them in the different action figure forums.

Some good. Some bad.

So, how did I end up with one? I, who thought from the get-go the otaku wouldn’t be my cuppa tea? Serendipity. A kind friend and fellow collector let me have one and I have now gotten it in my hot little hands. What do I think?

Ok, I’m spoiled. I’ll admit it. Between the takara cool girls/ cy girls and the volks dollfies I have I’m expecting a high stardard and level of posability.

Let me start with the plus side as I see it:

  • The obvious plus side to it is that it’s 1:6, and its busty.
  • It has a pretty sturdy build which makes for some diversity in the figure pool.
  • The more 1:6 figures out there the better off we, the collectors are. :)
  • The hands are nicely sculpted (for the most part-they still aren’t really feminine enough for my tastes but what the hell. At least it is another pair to add to the supply bin. (I’m going to see if I can change out the pins so i can stick them on the cy girl hands.)
  • whatever resin or plastic the figure is made out of is fairly soft. This is good because it means subtractive modding (such as I have done) is more easily done than with the harder resins and plastics out there.

Now the down sides–as I see them:

  • But the posability seemed to be an issue from the start. I mean, Triad marketed these figures as the type to primarily display clothes (lingerie) or nothing at all. They lack the waist and bust joints of the takara cy girl 2.0 and I think that’s a major draw back. These aren’t going to be major players when it comes to using them in photostories and displays (at least not without some serious Frankenstein-ing) I like functional toys-if I wanted pretty-but-useless I’d be collecting porcelain dolls or something along those lines.

I’d like to make a point here that right now the torso of the Otaku is similar to that of the original super dollfies made by volks back around 2000. It’s one piece, no joints and limits how the figure can sit and pose. I’m sure volks wasn’t the first company to use the design, and Triad won’t be the last, but I wanted to comment on it anyway.

  • They have giraffe necks if you want to put any head on it other than the default head. To fix this requires more patience, and a willingness to sand down the neck, and adjust the pegs a bit. Angryboot has shown some pictures of successful headswap & mods and I can see that being something I’ll try on it eventually)
  • They’re smelly. (I know this probably won’t be an issue for anyone else, but I’m very sensitive to smells, especially those of specific plastics & resins (ok and perfumes, and hairsprays & paints …just about everything – LOL) I’ve aired it out for a bit and it isn’t as smelly 3 days later, but it remains to be seen.
  • The figure has a problem keeping her legs closed. :o Seriously. (the plus side to this is that again, the figure is made of carve-able material. See below for the modification outcome).
  • The paint ops the body have been given baffle me a bit. I’m not entirely sure if they’re meant to cover the overall tone of color of the resin/plastic body? Or what. IMO I think the color of the resin without the “body paint” is nicer. Certainly without it and using some chalk pastels you could get some nice effects.
  • The legs are a bit dumpy and short compared to the body. Proportionally the figure is a bit off. Also, the shoulders are really not the kind that will look good in sweaters!

Ok, some pictures now:

Before leg/crotch area modification: Note: this is the maximum her legs can close while seated!!!!

I know, some folks think that’s fine… But you know me… give me a scalpel and off I go! Yea, I could have screwed it up. But…if the figure doesn’t meet all my needs anyway, what is the harm in trying to improve it?

So here are some shots of her after her “surgery”.

They still don’t close enough for my complete satisfaction so I will probably continue to work on them. However I do think that the current mod is an improvement!

So at the end of the day will I be buying any of the next ones to be released?

Yes. Why?

Because I have found out how soft/easy to carve they are and I think I might end up doing a really sever mod so that my Ayumi can have a decent body. Maybe. It depends…I think the new bodies are coming out at the same time as the new Hot Toys figures. And I know I want those.

Posted by corset_kitten at 5:07 pm Tagged with: , , ,
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