Top 10 toys of 2009 … #1

So at last, we’re at the top of the list!

Doing this list has been a really good exercise for me…It’s forced me to take stock of what I have and what I really use–and why I use it.  I’ve gotten a lot of little nifty pieces (mostly props & the like) and some cool bigger pieces (many of which are here on the previous list entries) and the ones that have made the list have in common the following attributes:

• They’re cool
• I use them more often than not (pretty useful)
• They inspire me in some way

Anyway I know you just want to see what number one is!

#1

Customized 1:6 kitchen set

The customized kitchen (view one)

Description of Toy/Toyline:

This kitchen is made up of multiple parts. The counters & oven are from an old set of Pedigree Sindy furniture, the refrigerator (not visible in the above shot) and the table & chair set are from mattel for Barbie (from the barbie my house series).  The floor was made by hand staining the wood & hand laying & varnishing it. (Technically the kitchen isn’t finished yet–I still need to make the exhaust fan/over the stove unit, and some “hanging shelves” for the wall next to it).

So why did it make my list?

• I love it! It’s sort of funky & retro and of course it’s actually part of one of the sets for The Quinlan Chronicles. Eventually it’ll interlock to other pieces of Cass’s apartment.
• It fits all of my dolls nicely from my Momoko & Volks dollfies to my Hot toys Guys & CG Takara girls & Fashion Royalty dolls. That usefulness is key!

• It’s been a combined effort between my husband and I.  It’s got the best of both of us in it ;)

• It’s probably the most in-depth prop-project I worked on this year from start to (almost) finish.  And I’ve gotten a lot of use out of it.

If you want to find out more about the process of making the kitchen custom please search my blog using the keyword kitchen.  There are a couple of posts with photos of the furniture in progress.

Ok so….that’s about it! Thanks again to  Shaun Wong over at the Fortress of Testicular Fortitude for initiating the whole Top 10 List idea and inspiring me to actually do it (albeit a bit late). ;)

Just in case you missed one here’s a run down of the previous 9 items on the top 10 list!

#10

#9

#8

#7

#6

#5

#4

#3

#2

Hope you’ve had fun reading! 

This weekend I spent most of my time working on goodies for Etsy. I’m Really glad to say that I got a lot done and I’m going to be happy to share pics of them soon. They’re all valentines day themed (not very exciting I know) but I think they are cute nonetheless.

I’ve also decided that tomorrow is probably the day I’ll finally finish off my top-10 list of 2009 (I know I procrastinate too much)! So stay tuned & see what shows up in the blog!

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?

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/

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/

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/

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/

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

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!

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).

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).

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  :D

Yes it’s very overdue.  But better late than never, right?

This is in response to the original post/ invitation from Shaun Wong over at the Fortress of Testicular Fortitude

(Please don’t mind that I didn’t take new photos.  I’m pretty drained from  the migraine that seems to be my constant companion these days. I guess I should be happy there are brief intermissions, huh?)

The previous toys:

#10 Special Cakes for You by Re-Ment

#9 Hot Toys True Type Bodies (Cauc & Asian)

#8 Nero the Bear

#7 French Restaurant by Re-Ment

#6 Girls Mission Figures

#5 Takara CG Ice (and varied customs of her)

#4  Sniper Guy

Now….for the final three:

So without further ado — here they are!

#3  The Blue Couch

Description of Toy/Toyline: The Blue Couch

This is a 1:6 scaled piece of furniture that I’d made myself.  It was a real pain in the ass to get the pattern on the fabric to line up correctly *in part because it was almost impossible to tell the correct side from the back side of the fabric unless it hit the light a certain way*. The pillows are done correctly but I didn’t bother to make certain the pattern was in line before shooting this photo. :rolleyes:

So why did it make my list?

I love this couch because it’s very neat, perfect for my full range of characters to use–be they Fashion Royalty dolls, Hot Toys action figures or my Volks dollfies. It’s very versatile and that makes it very very important to me.

#2  Minichamps Honda CB 750

Description of Toy/Toyline:

Ok, so I know most people aren’t going to twig this one. But whatever. 

Getting this bike was one of my few holy grails in 1:6. I’ve wanted this bike ever since I saw it on the Minichamps website. For  all the details on the bike look here.  I’d lucked out and got it at a local show & was over the moon about it.

So why did it make my list?

I wanted to have a character who rode a motorcycle but not one of the newer trendier ones that are out there. I wanted her to have an older bike. I’ve always loved the color & it brings back a real feeling of nostalgia for me.  I think there’s something spiffy about the older bikes that is not there in the newer more streamlined ones.

Not to mention that the bike is very nicely detailed. I’m talking keys that fit in the ignition,flip up seat, real chain… and just other coolness! If I could own this bike in 1:1 scale I would.  I admit that I bought the manual for this bike just so that I could scan it and use it as a prop for specific scenes with the bike & Cass.   I’m a dork. I admit it!!!

Now….for the number one toy of my 2008 list!!

#1 Cass  (custom)

Description of Toy/Toyline: Previously a Takara CG Midori Washio customised by me.  There are actually 2 versions of Cass (Cassandra) one being the more casual, everyday look, and the other being a more formal or polished look.

Version 2 (the more polished one)

So why did She make my list?

Cass’s character inspires me to write. That in and of itself is a good thing.   :D

When I first came up with the idea for her character I had hit a stumbling block over finding a doll or action figure head that I felt would fit the personality.  For the most part Cass is a casual, almost tom-boy who’s more focused on her work and her experiences with the paranormal than her physical appearance.

Finding a headsculpt that lent itself towards that was difficult. Many of them are overly feminine (and yea I know there can be uber-feminine detectives & stuff) or else they are just too mannish (and I know there are a few of you who think all CG heads are just mannish so we’ll just have to agree to disagree, ok?)

But Cass–once I managed to paint her seemed to spring to life. That makes her number one in my collection of 2008 toys!

Yea, Ok…I know I didn’t get it finished before 2009 but what the hell. Real life interfered. So, anyway…

Here we are on #4!

Hot Toys Navy Seal Mountain Ops Sniper (PCU ver.) (aka Sniper guy)
Description of Toy/Toyline: Hot Toys Military /Special forces figures.

So why did Sniper Guy make my list?
This is one kick ass figure, that’s why!
I think that to date he is the coolest and best male figure I have in my collection. –and that is due to a combination of his poseability, height, ROM & headsculpt. Yea, he’s got the Hot Toys true type body (which of course means he’s poseable as all hell ) but even better he’s got a fantastic headsculpt. His face is what drew me to the figure, and the potential personality it gives off. He looks good in the clothes from Toy Soldier and actually can wear a lot of the less spaggy looking Ken clothes (never thought I’d have much use for those).

Yes, it’s true that I still haven’t figured out exactly what role he plays…except that obviously it’s cool. Possibly a writer/novelist and undercover espionage agent. Or something…

#5 on my list is Takara’s CG/CY Girl Ice…

(When anyone else thinks of that name are they inflicted with an echo of Vanilla Ice’s Ice Ice Baby–in their head??)

Description of Toy/Toyline: Takara’s line of Cool Girl figures. Back in the old days Takara used to make these figures (in much greater quantity) and they were available on the western market as well. Now they’re primarily (if not totally) made and geared to the Japanese/ east Asian market with smaller production runs and more specialized licensing. And wow, are they priced accordingly…So if you’re not local its uber pricey. :( It’s a pity.

So why did Cy Girl Ice (all of them) end up on my list?
Hmm.. this take a bit of thought. Initially, I thought that the figures were just over priced barbies. When I got one in my hands though…I knew I was wrong. And I can admit that. No, really. I can! ;)

• The mitigating factor was how well she can move & pose. The 2.0 body that Takara used was really pretty damned good. The only one I can really compare it with articulation wise is the Volks Excellent Base body series. The 2.0 is nice because it is a meatier, heftier body.

• Also, although her default face paint is rather bland and below par, she does have IMO a very nice headsculpt. Crooked eyes aside.

Those are the reasons why Ice ends up on my list.

Plus, without Ice as a base figure I wouldn’t have been able to make any of the following characters:

Paloma

Viv

Tori

Downsides to this item:

• I could overlook her basic flaws because I could “fix them”. Things that would matter if I was a MIB/NRFB kind of person. Good thing I’m not, eh?
• By far the most disappointing thing was that her costume (should I call it a uniform??) the neck band often stained the vinyl of her head/neck area. Now part of this may be that I got my figures off the secondary market, that hellish place called feEbay. The figures were already at least 5+ years old when I got them and I suppose that maybe in the beginning they might not have been stained. I don’t know.
• Speaking of costumes…The 2.0 (medium chest that the ICE body sports) in general won’t fit a majority of barbie clothes. If they have some stretch to them it’s more likely, but its more like a 1-in-6 chance of the clothing fitting well. These girls have big (though not quite thunder) thighs.
• Ice, as a default figure isn’t all that fantastic to look at IMO. (No offense to all those folks out there who think she’s hotter than the beam of a plasma cutter). The barbie pink lipstick, the flyaway hair, and the eyes that seem to be staring out into space don’t do it for me. But…I’m a customizer, so those are only small points.
• Spare hands are difficult to find, and she came with “gloved” hands. Which means that generally speaking, if I want to put a pair of normal, gloveless hands on her, I need to use hands from 1.5 figures. And those…well, they’re almost “man hands” (ever see that Seinfeld episode where he goes on the date with the woman with “man hands”? I think these girls must suffer that a lot!) So I have to rate them as a point against.
• Feet. Did we mention feet? All the CY girl figures come with “boot” feet. If you want something resembling normal feet (bare) you need to pick up spare PB feet or else pony up the money for a Reload Action pair of girl feet. Or you can find soem spare foot pegs and use the bratz feet.

Anyway, despite the issues listed above I’m happy to have gotten a few of them in my hands.

It’s nice to have some variety in my figure collection. (I tend to lean very heavily towards the Volks dollfie bodies so anything that is at least comparable in articulation has got to catch my eye). And the 2.0 figure is worth the $$.

#6 Girls Mission action figures (Ai, Mai)

Description of Toy/Toyline: Aoshima/Skynet is pretty well known for their Lady’s Mission figures. These are an offshoot of the LM called Girls Mission. Essentially special forces Teen Girl Action figures. They come wearing some sort of school uniforms depending on the figure. Ai came with a rifle. Mai came with a snub nosed revolver, crappy handcuffs, and a fairly nice cell phone.

So why did they make my list?

• They’re smaller in build & height than CGs and almost comparable build wise with some of the volks dollfies I have.
• They have cute headsculpts.
• Most (if not all) barbie clothes fit them.
• It’s possible that the head can be swapped onto a volks excellent body.
• These were bought with the intention of integrating them and customizing them for use in my photostories. At least one is slated to be Cass’s cousin.
• The Ai figure comes with spare hands and not just gripping hands.

Downside to these figures:

• Ai & Mai both arrived with severe (and I do mean SEVERE!) staining of the feet due to non-colorfast socks they came with. It’s a shame, and although I am trying to treat them, I think it is more likely I will have to paint the feet to ever get them similar to human color. Mark says they look like they have severe cases of frostbite…I think it resembles gangrene…so either way the feet are losers. :(
• The heads are not perfect matches for the body skintones. It’s close-ish, but not really great IMO. But then…I’m a stickler for things like that.

Now, I’m sorry, but I couldn’t be assed after my initial disappointment (re:the staining) to put them into a proper review format. Instead, here’s a mini photostory. You can see in it where I’ve replaced Ai’s feet. (BTW its a crappy story, no plot or anything.)

P.S. And yes, I know one of the panels has a repeat…I’m just too lazy to fix it! ;P

#7 Re-Ment: French Restaurant

French Mitsuboshi by Re-Ment

Description of Toy/Toyline: Re-Ment (www.re-ment.co.jp). This particular series of Re-Ment is meant to simulate the sort of fine food/fine dining experience you’d find at a french restaurant (three star, apparently).

So why did Re-Ment’s French Restaurant make my list?

• First, and foremost, the detail. Even the coffee in the coffee cups is removable… The set is Wonderfully detailed–need I say more on that score?

• Second, it is, in my opinion one of their nicest sets. The pseudo copper, the small touches like napkin rings and real cloth napkins, really make the set.

There are some very nice pieces in the set and it would make a nice mix and match –especially with the previously mentioned “special cakes for me” set.

French food and pretty pastries–I think you can see what I’m saying, right? ;) Although that said, it does include a dessert course as well (see pics).

Downsides to this item: Or why it didn’t rank higher…

• The set includes white & red wine bottles. It includes empty glasses and one not-quite-half full glass with white wine. It would have been nicer IMO if there had also been one for the red wine.
• Also, while the coffee is more than appropriate I’d have been ecstatic if they’d had tea! ;) What can I say? I’m a tea drinker!!!

And again, I admit to having bought 2 sets so that if I wanted, I could have a couple eating the same entrees in a photoshoot. Don’t know if I ever will, but with re-ment it is always cheaper to buy it when it first comes out…rather than buying it piece by piece after it has been discontinued. (witness my foolishness in this regard by not having bought the stationary set!) :(

Top toys of 2008: #8 Nero the Bear
Description of Toy/Toyline: One of A Kind (OOAK) fully jointed bear in 1:6 scale. Created by Cynthia Allen, a deceased toymaker who quite frankly, rocked when it came to making Nero.

So why did Nero make my list?

• Nero (I named him after Nero Wolfe, a detective in the old Rex Stout novels) is jointed just like my old steiff bear. His head turns (yes, he can do an exorcist impression if needed!) as well as his arms & legs.
• He IS 1:6 scale !
• The attention to detail on him is friggin stellar!
• He just looks cool.
• I got him for a song–which, really, who out there doesn’t like to get a good deal, eh? ;)

There you have it! #8. Tomorrow will be a double post with 7 & 6 to make up for the fact that I didn’t post yesterday and I want to wrap this up by the 31st! :D

So who’s up on the platter as #9 on the top 10 list????   :D
It’s the guys of course! (By the guys I mean those excellent figures by the HT gang!)

#9 Hot Toys True Type Asian & Caucasian figures: (Gil Young & Thom Tazzo)

Description of Toy/Toyline: Hot Toys True Type Action figures. Asian & Caucasian versions that come nekkid and without a scrap of clothing to their name.


So why did these guys make my list?

• They’ve got excellent headsculpts
• The bodies have fantastic ROM and articulation.
• They seem to be fairly expressive, and I’m looking forward to giving a try at repainting them *the “spares”*

Plus, I’m pretty limited in respect to what hot male figures have I got to pair with my girls? Hmmm??? (sorry, but not everyone in Quinlan is enamored of the Volks Goh guy or the dragon/bbi male body.)

I am however hopeful that Hot Toys will eventually release the slimmer and more slight version of the male body in 2009! (and hopefully I will be able to use if for a “grown up” version of Merrit for flash forwards!)