Heart Family Babies and a few other things....

A quick post about some things I've been playing with:

I got these two Heart Family babies, cute right? but I was not ready for the size of their heads

After a bath and trim 

A better job was done to make the head proportionate to the body then the baby to  Barbie.

Here she is compared to my other babies. Now the Sparkle Girlz baby head is big but flat, While the Heart baby is just bulbous. Big all the way around.

Compared to Mattel only

Compared to a smaller head Barbie

Compared to a Fashionista

I mean what the heck were they thinking?! Did someone just say let's make a baby for Barbie without using the actual doll for scale? While it is annoying, the more I played with them the cuter they became. So they'll be provided loving parents to care for them. and since they're not supposed to be infants you can pose them sitting down/crawling etc.

I've since cut more hair. I figured the less bulk the smaller her hair would appear. It was worth a shot.

Some more playing with hair:

I love the Katniss doll, but not the braid she came with. So it had to go!

Even after a shampoo her hair is still slick so I went with it

Diana Ross once did a magazine or album cover where the only thing shielding her scantily clad covered body was her hair.

I just love Kara's face

Ebay Bender: Part Deux

As previously mentioned in part one, I went down the Ebay rabbit hole and "discovered" some hidden treasures. While looking for the Kwaanzaa doll, Ebay asked if Ive seen the Princess of South Africa doll? Why No..No I had not. After putting her in the cart, I did a little search for all African Dolls of The World and found these ladies. *Drumroll please*

Dolls of The World: Africa

Ghanian and Kenyan

South African and Egyptian Princesses

Moroccan and Asha (African American)

 Out of the box: Some of the boxes came pretty damaged and while I did buy these for display purposes only... err..mostly, I didn't want boxes on my shelf that were all banged up.

The first three of the six have a different face mold from anyone else in my collection. 

I can't get over this doll. I partly blame her for this crusade. Her face? Eyes? The details in her clothing?! it's too much

Again unknown face mold but pretty, and I'm not sure if you can tell but her hair is braided!

She seems like a variation of the Christie with rounder/fuller features

A rounder Shani mold

A Christie with a slight slant in the eyes

Also a Shani (my fourth) LOVE her dress! It's cultural without being too formal

The Shani Welcome Wagon!

There is a Nigerian Barbie I've got my eye on to complete my collection, but for now this is it. To say that I'm bursting with glee would be an understatement.  WEEEEEE!!!! and the best part about these dolls?

Nikki Glam Luxe Doll: Update

It turns out I was right about the Nikki Style/Glam Luxe doll. Apparently Mattel is not as creative as we would hope and like all companies are full of hype and prioritize the bottom line. I'm not sure what the sales strategy is but If I were to guess It goes a little something like this:

(a) Publicize  a new range a dolls
(b) Release one or two (all white) in select markets
(c) In the case of the Glam Luxe dolls, don't even bother showing a picture of Nikki until months after the second wave comes out (Remember no pics of Nikki were even in the pamphlets with the other girls)
(d) Finally release Nikki after waiting close to a year to probably dismal sales because it did not get to capitalize on the initial hype. In retail it's all about momentum.

What this sales strategy insures is that the white dolls (since being the only ones available) get a huge surge in profit because they are sold at top market ($20-$25). By the time the AA doll comes out the previous dolls are on "rollback" at Walmart and on sale at similar retailers, Getting people to still buy them over the newly released dolls of color. So at the end of the sales quarter Mattel can pat themselves on the back about a job well done and predicting a successful launch showing that white dolls always outsell dolls of color. Sound far fetched? Maybe, but I wouldn't put it past them.

Lashes/less chunky highlights were the only things added

With the exception of  articulation in the upper body (which you can a Nikki Fashionista for $6 on Mattels site now) and lashes she is the same doll. It seems since the 1990's, SIS dolls not included Mattel has not really done a good job in doll diversity. Even if were just looking at Skipper and Stacie, How many years has the newer versions of them been out? Yet I've not ever spotted the AA ones. It's disappointing to say the least, but there are other options:

-Prettie Girls

-Kenya's World

-Thrift Stores, Ebay, Amazon usually you can find good deals

Ebay Bender: Part Une

I don't think I placed myself on an Ebay no buy, but if I had this past week would've been a huge fail and the pictures to follow are only half of it.  The search started out with looking for baby/toddler boys, but I ended up finding one boy and two girls instead. It seems the little boys are harder to come by. I also got two more Steve dolls. Those other male characters/athletes I started to collect are a bit too pricey to keep up. . Either way I'm pleased. Hey it's Muff found a Gwen Stefani doll with a cute outfit and great handbag. As a handbag-ista in real life I appreciate the realistic details that went into  crafting it and knew my dolls would as well. It turns out there are about 8 Gwen dolls total, Four from her first Album L.A.M.B. and The Sweet Escape. The outfits copy looks from the music videos released from those projects. I was purely interested in the fashions, I'm not a fan of big headed dolls so for that reason I only have two. A Liv Alexis and Clawdeen.

I liked the dolls even less when I found they were just a less hideous version of Bratz with that awful peg leg.

The dolls will be sold leaving the clothes behind for Clawdeen. She's the only one with that sized head /body in my active doll stash she deserves to be spoiled a little.

Now she's  ready to rule as Constance Billards Queen B!

Finally got an Artsy Fashionista!!

I used to have this Steven back in the day, I miss this face mold.

Ken and Tommy set

I removed the lipstick off of Tommy's lips, got him some shoes and dressed my little girls: