Top 10 Toys of 2010……#4

Description of Toy/Toyline: 1:6 scale Large Sash Window.

Like many of the cool things I have this window was made to my specific request & requirements. Mark was particularly patient and although he hated putting it together (it was very fiddly) it looks great.  It is a working sash window.

So why did it make my list? It’s just cool! It’s very detailed and  I needed a window that would fit in my smaller roomset. I’d pretty much wanted it for use in the various student Dorm rooms but I’ve realized I can also use it for some other rooms in the university set up (provided I change all the decor).

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!) There isn’t a downside to this piece.  It’s been slated onto number 4 simply because I got a few other things that I can get more use out of / expect to get more photo-time with. If I had to find something to complain about I’d say that it took a long time to get the window once I put in the “order”. 

General Comments: I love this window.  Mark does really kick ass work when it comes to making architectural stuff for my dioramas.

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Top Ten Toys of 2010 Number ……3

Description of Toy/Toyline: 1:6 scale Wooden Book Cases

These (of course) were made by Mark.  I bet y’all wonder if there’s anything he can’t make! He made these out of some scrap wood he had in his workshed. I was amazed at how quickly he made them (the longest part of the process was the repeated coats of stain he had to give the wood).

So why did they make my list? Cool factor aside, they’re fantastic. He made them so I could use them in my “University Office”. They’re great and I can totally see them being filled with books & curios.  I can easily envision them in an office where students get into trouble & professors get into political mischief.

Downside to these: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!) Can’t complain about these. The construction (which you can’t tell from my crap photos) is very high spec & really well done. They’re 3rd place only because I liked the other 2 things just a bit more.

General Comments: I think I might be a little insane…I can see a library using these bookcases…more bookcases….

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Top Ten Toys of 2010 Number ……2

Are you ready for these? It was a difficult decision placing these at #2 instead of #1.

Description of Toy/Toyline: White Shelving Units

Once more, something made by uber-cool Mark. Yes, I am seeing a definite up-side to marrying someone who is a professional model maker.

So why did they make my list? These made spot #2 on the list for a couple of reasons.

• The 1st reason is that mark cranked these out at hyper-speed. I usually wait between a few weeks to a few months for an item so the fact that these were done in less than a few days really rocked it for me.
• The 2nd, they’re awesome and completely what I needed for my student lounge.  I’d been struggling to get the furnishings I needed to be able to finish it.

Downside to these: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!) There IS no downside! I love them. I could do with having some more!!!
General Comments: I love these to pieces. They are probably my most favorite pieces of furniture at the moment and for the foreseeable future!

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I’ll see you all tomorrow (unless my dental appointment ends in my death!) with number 1!!

Top Ten Toys of 2010 Number ……5

Description of Toy/Toyline: 1/6 scale Yamaha & Vespa Scooters.

There are 2 different kinds shown. These are the  more “modern” looking Yamaha Vino & the more classic Vespa.  Both types were made by New Ray.

A couple of interesting things to note: that although both were termed die-cast the Vespa version is the one which is substantially heavier & contains considerably more metal. The Yamaha Vino has much less metal and is much lighter in weight.  Out of the two I’d feel more confident about the Vespa surviving being knocked off the table.

Also the Yamaha Vinos also seem to vary from each other insofar as the undercarriage of some of them is all fake chrome-metal looking while the other undersides are all black with a little bit of accent “chrome” in places.

So why did they make my list?

I like any vehicles I can find in 1:6 scale! (Ok provided they look close-ish to the real thing). These are perfect for me to use with the 27cm Volks dollfies who are cast as the students in my photostories.  After all, we can’t have the students driving around in Porsche 911s all the time, riiiight?   These are nice little scooters and have some good detailing on them.

You can find out a little bit more about the Vino here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_Vino_125

Downside to these figures: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!) Well, as cool as they may be they aren’t as fantastic as some of the things out there. I think the build quality on the Vinos makes me mark them down a bit lower.  I’d buy another one but I’d probably wait for a good deal on the Vespa.  All of them need some work on the detailing (the Vinos most notably need some work done with regard to the side mirrors and brake cables).

General Comments: Nice to have them, glad I got them (the Vespa & one of the Vinos  were gifts from Mark.  I think I might get more in the future since they take up less space (considerably less!) than my 1:6 cars! (I could fit 6 scooters in the space my 1:6 mini cooper takes up, or the Porsche, or the Porsche Cayenne (that to me looks like a spiffed up station wagon!)

Anyway tomorrow I’ll post #’s 3 &4!

Top Ten Toys of 2010 Number ……6

Description of Toy/Toyline: Fashion Royalty Dolls. Made by Integrity toys.

So why did they make my list?
The main reason they made my list this year was that there was something about their faces that drew me to them. I saw that inside of them there are good characters waiting to be unleashed.

Kyori:
Prior to getting Kyori I had been wanting her for more than a year so this year I did finally breakdown and get her. I think that so far out of all the FR dolls (and heads) I have that this one is my favorite (with Ayumi a close second). If I had money to burn I would totally get a second (and 3rd…and 4th) of this doll.

Natalia:
She was an unexpected addition: I loved how she looked in the promo shots & thought she’d be great.

Colette:
Was so cheap I couldn’t resist and I loved her coloring & thought she would be perfect.

Jordan:

was the best deal out of the lot & I bought her for the challenge of making her over into a doll someone would want to look at.

Eugenia:

She was another deal that I couldn’t resist. Eventually she’ll end up being repainted. I’m not liking the super light eyebrows and cotton candy pink lipstick.

Downside to these figures: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!)
As usual the biggest thing that lets these figures down is their second-rate articulation. If Integrity would just improve the range of motion on the knees and elbows (like double joint them) I swear you wouldn’t be able to stop me from buying them!!! However, they have crummy articulation (the knees suck, and the legs/hip area you have to tweak it if you want them to sit up straight instead of slouching backwards, and of course, the elbows don’t bend enough to allow the doll to “talk” on a phone (cell or otherwise) without looking spectacularly stupid.

My second complaint is that the MSRP on the Fashion Royalty dolls is excessive.
When it comes down to it they’re using the same tooling to create the bodies & heads each time (the exception being when they introduce a new character with a new sculpt—not like introducing Luchia (Isha’s sculpt in a pale skintone) or Count Adrian (Takeo’s sculpt). So the rest of the expense is down to accessories, clothing & paying overhead & salaries.  I know a lot of people buy these dolls & want the “exclusives” simply because they ARE exclusives. And are happy to pay whatever the going rate is on the (primary or on the secondary “jacked up”) market. Good for them, and Integrity–I guess. But not so hot if they want more people to buy each new release they make. *shrug* It’s not my cash-cow so I guess I can’t recommend how I’d go about milking it, I guess…

General Comments:

Overall I’m pleased with the dolls. They each had various issues and I’m dealing with them. For example: Natalia’s promo shots made her skintone & general coloring seem different. Looking at her in RL I decided that she needs to be re-rooted with darker hair to really do something for her complexion (hence she’s decapitated and not in the photo for this). Jordan needed a complete repaint to be a decent looking doll etc. I think if I were a plain vanilla collector I’d be less inclined to buy some of them–but since I like to customise and “tweak” my dolls I am ok with it.

Welcome to  Wednesday & Installment 7 of the Top Ten Toys of 2010!  I’m running a bit late with these so I’ll be doing these straight through the new year (unless I decide to double up some entries!!) 

Top Ten Toys of 2010 #7……

Description of Toy/Toyline: Hot Toys Guys: Specifically HT Sam Worthington (as Marcus Wright from Terminator Salvation) & the HT Slim True Type Body with the big head.

So why did they make my list? Ok, cool factor for Sam. It’s a really nice sculpt. I still have a shortage of male action figures in my collection so his addition is more than welcome.  As for the Slim Bodied Hot Toys Guy he’s a novelty for his smaller stature. It is nice to be able to have more of a range in body types.  As is standard with all Hot toys figures they are very well articulated & highly posable.

Downside to these figures: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!):

There really aren’t any downsides per se. Well, unless you can take into account that I haven’t got much in the way of clothing for them? LOL! Seriously though, they’re good solid figures and I’m happy with them. I’m pretty fussy about what I think constitutes a really great sculpt and although I like them both for various reasons neither of them really bowls me over with “must have it!” urges.

General Comments: These guys came to me via Will over at Silent G’s Onesixthophrenia. He’s an awesome friend and someone who’s always finding some of the best 1:6 stuff out there.

Check out these other Top 10 Toys of 2010 Lists!!! (you might want to look around for ALL their posts!)

• Raven’s Forest: http://ravensforest.wordpress.com
• Mick’s Top 10 List: http://mickbaltes.de/blog
• Will’s List: http://codenamesilentg.blogspot.com
• John’s List: http://kd-230692.livejournal.com/tag/top%20ten%20toys

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Ok, anyway! Here we are at last at #10—always a tough call to make.  What have you got that’s good enough for the list, but meh enough to go at the bottom of it???

Well in this case we have sneakers. 

Description of Toy/Toyline:  ZC Girl Sneakers (aka Chucks)
Produced by ZC (the original Takara CG knock off-makers).

So why did they make my list?
One thing I always have a shortage of for my figures is footwear. These make a nice addition for the collection. With some further detailing on them they could look really, really good IMO.  Plus they’re perfect for the students & artsy people to wear. Yay!
They get extra points because: They fit Takara Cy Girls/ Cool Girls, Volks dollfies (excellent and beauty type) AND they fit Volks Goh Guy dolls too. That’s a real plus since they’re really short on shoes too.

Downside to these: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!)
Well, that’s the thing. When I bought these online (as all of my 1:6 stuff comes from the net) I was under the impression that they were hollow. You know, like able to stuff one of the CG flat feet in (not bootfeet base) or something like that. So when they arrived and I found pegs in one set and holes for peg but no way to fit a whole foot I was a bit bummed.

Of course, the fact that Volks dollies, Neo & Goh guys all have removable feet meant that they were totally usable.

General Comments

And as always I have to send a call out to Shaun Wong over at the Fortress of Testicular Fortitude.  He got me hooked on doing the yearly top ten! Thanks Shaun!

She’s got a lovely sculpt though she does have a slightly different coloration to her than the promo pics I saw online had.  I don’t feel it’s a deal breaker since IMO she’s lovely. Look at that face!

For now I’m going to leave her as she is but I think down the line she’ll end up  getting a re-root with something darker.

Maybe like this? *yes I know the pic is crap*

Maybe not? Maybe it’s too harsh? What if I did a brown mix like Viv has?

Anyway, she’s come with this poufy princess type dress. . . It’s really not to my taste &  looking at it you have to wonder wtf  Integrity/Wu was thinking.  I mean as far as evening gowns go–it’s just not much to look at.  It’s dull, the huge skirt is “meh” at best.

But having said that….. I was thinking that it might be salvageable.  With some tweaking/ re-imaging. It really gets me how many people dissed this doll simply because of her dress. I mean, hello, don’t you change the clothes? and Ok, can’t you use your imagination??

• First I decided to take off the haphazard black netting that was applied to the bodice. It doesn’t serve much/any purpose (except it tied in slightly with the black lace at the bust).
• then I decided that the gigantic, floor sweeping skirt had to go.

All you purists out there–go ahead an stare in shock! LOL

I CUT UP Fashion Royalty Clothes!!!

So we’ve got this now: (sorry it’s on Marissa now, I didn’t feel like trying to re-dress Natalia this morning for this post)

Put on a pair of panties and there you go! a piece of lingerie–or–if I can be bothered to make a pencil skirt out of the remain of her ballroom skirt–a nice outfit! One that no matter what will see a lot more use in my wardrobe than any ol’ ballgown!

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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!!

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.

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!”

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:

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/

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/

#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/

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.     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).

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/

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!

(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.    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* 

So that’s it for Number 8!

#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.

• 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).

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).

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)

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 

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)

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.

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) 

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!

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.