Here is the list of my Top 10 Toys of 2011!

Counting down to my favorites–beginning with #10

#10 Ishani rebodied on a Hot Toys Female True Type body

Description of Toy/Toyline: Ishani’s got a Fashion Royalty Isha head that I repainted, but I’d been struggling to find a body that was going to match her skintone and give her a better range of motion than the default FR body. Will was kind enough to send me the True Type body to see if it would work (he’s a great guy!). I did some operating on the HT body to make it workable with the FR head.

So why did she make my list? Ishani (rebodied) made the list because she’s now got a much more posable body with an increased range of motion. That is a very good thing!

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): Well the truth is that I have a few issues with the Hot toys body. While it is IMO a vast improvement over the Fashion Royalty default body, I can’t say that I love it. For one thing, nothing I have fits it with the exception of some Ken clothes! I had foolishly thought that the clothes I made for my Takara CG female action figures would fit. I was wrong. So Ishani has moved up into the ranks of “needy” dolls. Meaning I need to sew a mini wardrobe for her before I can start using her in photostories and shoots. The other thing that makes it rank low for me is that the torso is vinyl and is prone to staining, and it’s kind of a pain to wrestle into and out of clothing.

Here is the original post dealing with Ishani: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4540

#9 Tristan

Description of Toy/Toyline: Tristan is a Neo Goh Guy body & head made by volks. I re-rooted him with a mix of restoredoll hair and NDR hair.

So why did he make my list? Strangely enough Tristan has made the list because I think he’s my best “guy” custom this year. I don’t do so well when it comes to painting guy faces and his is one that I didn’t get the immediate urge to wipe off! Also I have a serious shortage of guys and Tristan helps lessen it a bit.

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): He’s still pretty girly and there are some flaws with his face-up. My rooting skills are only so-so and it shows.

Here is the original post dealing with Tristan: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4575

#8 Art Nouveau vase in 1:6

Description of Toy/Toyline: Who made it is a mystery although it does have “Germany” stamped on the backside of it. It’s made of metal–possibly tin or lead/or an alloy. It’s a hefty little vase for its size–which makes me think it could be lead. It was an ebay find that was listed under 1/12 dollhouse stuff. It may be 1/12 but I find that it works perfectly well for 1:6. It’s 1 3/4 inches tall (about 43.5mm)

So why did it make my list?: Come on! It’s art nouveau and 1:6? What could be better? You’re bound to see it making various “background” appearances. I love the cattail design! (see it in the background pic of Tirrem?)

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): Frankly it’s in pretty poor condition (although not so bad when you assume it’s probably more than 15 years old, right?). When I move and have a proper workshop I may try to determine what it’s made out of and what the chances of me applying enamel to it. Depending on what I find out I might try to sculpt and cast something similar that I can then enamel. It’s certainly a nice excuse to get into metal enameling!

#7 Nerissa’s & Mallory’s Quilts

Description of Toy/Toyline: Err..I am the toyline, I guess? They were all made out of 100% cotton fabric, sewn and quilted by myself.

So why did they make my list? Two reasons: 1) They are needed pieces to complete other dorm room set ups and 2) They’re just nifty. I learned a lot in the process of making them and I like it when i manage to do that.

Downside to it: (aka why they aren’t #1 toy on the list!): There were a lot of mistakes I made on both of them, especially Mallory’s quilt. Because of those mistakes they really aren’t up to the quality I expected of myself.

Here are the original posts dealing with the quilts: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4826 (nerissa’s) and http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4843 (mallory’s)

#6 Ezio : Hot Toys head

Description of Toy/Toyline: Ezio is the head from one of Hot Toys action figure releases. I’m not too clear on what he is except that he’s a video game character. He was a great gift from Will when things were going spectacularly crap (and even if the head had been a flaming piece of crap I’d have appreciated it for the intention behind it). His sculpt makes him look like a moody bastard.

So why did he make my list? As I mentioned earlier there’s a chronic shortage of the male species in my 1:6 collection. Ezio (I keep wanting to refer to him as Enzio LOL) is slated to be a rival of Cass’s and a sometime lover. He might come to a bad end I don’t know yet. I do know he’ll be getting a new name.

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): The head is nicely sculpted but the coloring was way off to use on one of my regular HT true type bodies (did I mention he looks like a linebacker with those shoulders?) so I had to give him one of my 2 Hot Toys True Type Asian bodies. It was a much, much better match (although that now means that Gill’s only got one body–but he’d be ok with that since it means one less rival for Viv’s attention).

#5 Volks Excellent Base Bodies

Description of Toy/Toyline: Volks 27cm/1:6 scale dollfie bodies.  These are old bodies made pre-2005. These 2 bodies in particular are gifts from the IFDC convention.  For more information about the bodies (volks) check out The Volks Perfect File.

So why did they make my list?

They made the list for 2 reasons — 1) they’re more bodies for me to make customs out of, and 2) they have the bust types that I have been trying to get for a long, long time. The busts on them are smaller than the Volks EB-J and have a more natural look to them (you can’t tell from these photos, sorry!)

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): These are the old version of Volks excellent base bodies. That means that they have big gaps around their hip/thigh area (where the joint-age is). They’re shiny (which means I will have to sandmatte them) and chances are that if they are going to one of my more beloved figures that they’re going to need thigh/torso surgery. But that’s down to my personal preference. Of course the biggest downside to these excellent body volks is that volks has discontinued their production! Which means I scoop them up whenever I find them (and can afford to. These were my xmas gift for this year).

 #4 My 1:6 dorm beds

Description of Toy/Toyline: Set of 2 flat-pack able 1:6 beds that I made for my dorm room sets. Pretty Basic and meant to be a stop-gap until I get back home and can make proper ones.

So why did they make my list? Like the quilts they were needed for the Dorm room sets. The best thing about them is that they’re flat-packable so I won’t have a hard time packing them up.

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): The biggest gripe I have with them is that I made the bottom out of wood…I wanted to make them with metal and springs but didn’t have the $$ at the time to buy the supplies I needed so I went with the wood. They work as they are, but they’re not exactly how I want them so they’ll get re-vamped in the future. Also, my application of varnish wasn’t so even and I’d consider sanding them down (eh, maybe) in the future.
Here is the original post dealing with the beds: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4565

 #3 Chair & table from Carmen

Description of Toy/Toyline: A lovely arm chair & table set from Carmen. From the get-go she knew that I really loved the colors used in the armchair and it was among my faves. We periodically swap and make stuff for each other and these were just perfect! (there were also some 1:6 sheep pillows for Raven but I didn’t pull them out in time for this post)

So why did they make my list? Durr! They’re great stuff! I love the fact that they’re nicely made and I didn’t have to make it myself, or beg Mark to make it for me!

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): There isn’t really a downside to the pieces–only the fact that I had a few other things that edged them out of 1st place!

 #2 1:6 Dresser & Desks

Description of Toy/Toyline: Custom made Desks & Dressers made by Mark of MHModelmaking .Yes that’s his blog but it’s mostly about airplanes–I’m trying to convince him he needs to start a 1:6 blog for making stuff! He doesn’t think anyone would read it or comment…IF you folks who read this blog would be interested in him writing about 1:6 stuff please leave a comment on his most recent post on his blog!

He made them all out of wood and spent a lot of time on them (they were my Valentines Day gift for 2011–they do indeed last longer than a box of tasty, delicious chocolate!)

So why did they make my list? I’d think it’d be pretty obvious that the build quality, the detailing and the overall usefulness made them hit really high in the rankings. All the drawers open and close, and the desk can be reconfigured 2 different ways. I might complain about how hard it is to get Mark to see how much I neeeeed something –but once he decides to do it he does a freakin fantastic job. I mean amazing.  The guy could be building 1:1 furniture with the care and precision that he puts in. I just wish I could clone him!

Downside to it: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!): Hmm, if I told you that I might have to kill you! No, seriously, the only reason they’re not #1 is that I fell in love with 2 of the customs I did this year. They beat everything.  Anyway, here is the original post dealing with the dorm room: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4262
and you can check out the website for more info about the process:  http://www.corsetkitten.com/dioramas/

And the #1 slot for 2011 goes to…… Astrid  & Nerissa

Description of Toy/Toyline: Both Astrid and Nerissa are custom volks dollfies. Astrid is an Old Type C head on a hybrid Neo-Excellent J body. Nerissa is a pale Neo volks head on a volks pale excellent A body. She was rooted with restoredoll Black Orchid saran.

So why did they make my list? They made it to number one on the list because there’s something about the way they’re painted that just speaks to me. I get a lot of joy out of posing them and planning storylines for them. They’re usually located somewhere in my desk-workspace.

Downside to it: (yes even at #1 there’s a downside!): I think I could have painted both of them better/more cleanly. I don’t however want to wipe their faces and try again since I might lose that little spark that makes them so special!
Here is the original post dealing with Astrid: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/3971
Here is the original post dealing with Nerissa: http://corsetkitten.com/blog/archives/4677

There you have it. My Top 10 for 2011.Comments anyone?

Since this year has been especially tight financially this year’s list won’t be about many things that I bought, but mostly about things that I made or was given, or traded for. Hope folks won’t be too disappointed in that. Also, this year I’m going to do it all in one single post (it’s easier that way).

Look for the post on the 30th!!

My #1 toy for 2010 …..isn’t a single toy.

It is the combination of different customs I’ve created during the year.  These were predominantly volks 27cm dollfies but also a few Fashion Royalty dolls were included too.

(Click the image and then click white [X] to see the image larger)

This might seem like a cop-out. Like I should have picked my favorite out of the lot and called it a day…but no.

So why did they make my list?

Although I like some of them better than others they’re all pretty important for one reason or another.  Specifically, having them is getting me a couple of steps closer to doing the photostories I have planned. And ANYTHING that gets me closer to shooting stories is a gooooood thing!

Downside to it: (yes even at #1 there’s a downside!)

The biggest downside is of course the fact that it seems that Volks has (apparently) decided that they are not going to produce the Volks Excellent body dollfie figures any longer. I know there was talk of a re-tool & re-boot but that was supposed to have happened in the spring 2010 and it’s the new year 2011 and still nada on that count.  I assume that that line is now dead in the water.

General Comments:

If we were going to talk favorites of favorites then I’d have to admit that Bianca, Claudia, Raven & Rupert are my faves of the lot.  I enjoyed making Steampunk Natalia but the whole IFDC BS really made me glad that I sold the outfit to someone who really wanted it.

Ok, so there you have it! My top 10 Toys of 2010! If you missed any of the previous entries you can find them below:

#10

#9

#8

#7

#6

#5

#4, 3, & 2

Thanks everyone (and anyone) who bothered to read & keep up with my list!!!

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.

It makes sense and I have to agree that it could be seen that way. So this has meant a slight re-shuffle of my list.

I really appreciate every gift that I’m given and I don’t want anyone thinking that someone else’s gift means more to me or is “cooler”. Well, except for Mark who totally expects to be the “coolest” LOL.

So tomorrow I’ll be back on schedule! Thanks for bearing with me!!!

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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Description of Toy/Toyline: Takara Blythe
Specifically: Pow Wow Poncho, Natasha Moore & Bohemian Peace

So why did they make my list?
Surprisingly I feel sort of in love with Blythe dolls this year. I think partly because they are soooo very different than my usual dolls. They have a certain something about them that I find appealing. And for the first time in a while they’ve challenged me creatively, and forced me to consider other aspects –in sewing, photographing, and customizing them. I like the fact that I can change eyechips and scalps. And I can with some effort change her body. Thankfully!

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

Ok, as much as I really like Blythe, I absolutely hate, loathe and despise her crappy body! It’s total crap. I know I’m a hard customer to please (because I’m all about articulation & posing) but the Takara Blythe body is a POS.

General Comments:

I like Blythe but why Takara can’t put her on a better body (Hello, Takara Jenny & Licca anyone?) Not that they’re great but they’d be a well & away improvement. When I have some spare money (ha ha) I’d like to try one out on a Pure Neemo Flection body and see how that goes. I know they wouldn’t be as good as a CG body but I think I could cope.

Real life got in the way.  Hopefully it’s about done with the drama.

I don’t know why but I am finding doing my Top 10 list particularly difficult this year. There are some really good things that I’ve gotten but it’s so difficult to actually assign them a position! ((no offense to anyone))
Anyway Number 9 on the list is………….

Description of Toy/Toyline: Barbie Convention Chair

So why did it make my list?

I had been after that office-type chair for years! I never could bring myself to pay the $$$ that I usually saw it listed for on feebay & on various doll boards.  When all is said & done it’s a pretty nice little chair which is perfect for my Fashion Royalty girls as well as any of my Volks Dollfies.

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

We all know I’m pretty fussy, right? The chair although nice did have some issues that sprang from its construction. The spring in the chair was wonky and caused the chair to pop up off the base. (Thank you Mark for fixing it!).  So because of that and it’s weird color scheme of red, grey & black I have to put it at number 9.

General Comments:

This was received as a holiday swap gift. It really did make my holiday season and no matter where it ranks on the list I really do appreciate having gotten it!! Also I plan on changing the upholstery of the chair in the not far off future .

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/2010/12/27/top-ten-2010-platz-5/
• Mick’s Top 10 List: http://mickbaltes.de/blog/?p=380
• Will’s List: http://codenamesilentg.blogspot.com/2010/12/top-ten-toys-of-2010-5.html
• John’s List: http://kd-230692.livejournal.com/tag/top%20ten%20toys

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!

Ok, so as usual here’s the basic format:

• Description of Toy/Toyline:
• So why did they make my list?
• Downside to these figures: (aka why it isn’t the #1 toy on the list!)
• General Comments

Anyway I noticed as I was going through my goodies that most of them are similar/groupable. And to allow me to share a bit more stuff I’m going to list them that way. (I’m sure this will make more sense as I go along, really!)

Tomorrow morning I’ll be starting with #10 on the list! (aiming to get them all squished in before Jan 1st). So feel free to join in doing an inventory of your Top 10 of 2010 (I figure everyone else can have until the end of January 2011 to do this–I’m understanding that way!)

This is also a heads up to all my fellow doll & action figure collectors—you ought to take part in this this year too! It’s all Shaun Wong’s idea * see his original post here: * http://testicular-fortitude.blogspot.com/2008/11/lets-all-do-2008-top-10-fave-toys-list.html

Anyway, this usually gets done in December *hence the count-down* but since I know this xmas will be rather like the last one I’m starting this earlier (I want to finish it before Jan. 1st).

Onto other hobby related news:

• I’m working on a few more books for my Etsy shop (which I’m afraid is getting short shrift right now what with the new job & all).

• I’ve made some great headway today in reorganizing & clearing up my “workroom”/Office. Which is good! It means I have some room to sew, paint or whatever if I manage to find the energy for it this week.

• And best of all–yesterday I managed to write the script for a new Friday Monologue!   If time & energy permit I will try shooting it this week (but I’m not promising!)

Anyway that’s it for now!
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So at last, we’re at the top of the list! :biggrin:

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!  :biggrin: :biggrin:

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!

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/