Enchanted Evening Barbie

Enchanted Evening Barbie, originally uploaded by alington.

This is my very first "vintage sculpt" Barbie. She's from 1995, and a great buy from Ebay, Enchanted Evening. She was also available as a brunette.

You can see more photos of her on Flickr, including her see-through sparkling "glass" slippers.

1983 Lovin' You Barbie

Lovin' You Barbie, originally uploaded by alington.

Here is a close-up of Lovin' You's adorable Superstar face. She's so friendly! (She's another doll from re-created childhood collection--I found her  used (and a great deal) from Joe Blitman.)

Plus, you can see her hair--an interesting dark golden blonde, almost a reddish color. I love it. I styled her hair in a wrapped ponytail for now, but I'm not sure I'll keep it like this.

I still need shoes and some jewelry for her. Plus I might rebody this doll--her legs have some pretty serious discoloration (spots and fading). But later. Her face is still adorable.

See the rest of her photoshoot on Flickr.

And here is her "before" photo:

1970s era PJ

1974 or 1975 PJ, originally uploaded by alington.

She was a $5 thrift store find, who needed a little help with clean up and some hair restyling. She is a little loose at the torso, and has a bite mark on one of her legs. But I couldn't pass up her sweet face.

My second ever Barbie "restoration," and my very first "real vintage" Barbie. It hardly counts, as she cleaned up so easily, it was almost scary. I had a blast! I'm totally going to be stalking yard sales now.

For ID purposes--maybe you, dear readers, can help:

• She has "Mattel 1974 Taiwan" (or possibly 1971) printed on the inside rim of her head. 
• No pull tab on her back torso, so unless she's been rebodied, I don't think she's the Free Movin' PJ (1975), though she looks a lot like her.
• Her hair curls easily, but it doesn't feel very wiry, even though she also looks like a Quick Curl Deluxe PJ from 1975.

She's dressed in a Dressmaker Details gown here (Blushing Bride). You can see more of this photo shoot on Flickr.

Oh yes, and her before photo here:

1983 Fabulous Fur

1983 Fabulous Fur, originally uploaded by alington.

Fabulous Fur Barbie, restyled and cleaned-up. I'm so happy with how she's turned out. (My first attempt at restoration!) She's a doll that's been in my family since 1983, when my sister bought her with her own money (when she was... seven maybe?). I don't think I can save much of her outfit--just a few pieces. She still has her ring, though. And her body is in great shape, and her hair--wonderful!

And I think she loves her new look, courtesy of Jason Wu of Fashion Royalty (Integrity Toys). Details are:

• Dress is from Paparazzi Bait (Adele)
• Earrings and trench from Bewitching Hour (Luchia)
• Shoes from Flight Pattern (Kyori)

Check out her before photo here (I hope she's forgiven me all these years of neglect, in my mother's closet):

So, which do you prefer? You can check out the rest of her photo shoot on my Flickr photostream.

Heidi Klum Barbie

Heidi Klum, originally uploaded by alington.

Meet one of my new additions, from the Blonde Ambition series, Heidi Klum. I picked her up for just $15 at a local Ross Dress for Less. Her box was damaged, but who cares if you're deboxing anyway?

I think she is fabulous. She is due for a better photoshoot, but I wanted to post a photo of the fabulous supermodel just the same. I adore this doll!

Terrific resource for toy reference photos.

Have you ever searched online for older real-life photos of toys? You might want to check out the website oldtoys-on-line.com. They have lists of action figures, dolls, TV toys, games, sport, and and other vintage toys, all for your reference. Pay them a visit!

Jonathan Adler Barbie

Jonathan Adler, originally uploaded by alington.

In case any of you are sitting on the fence on the Jonathan Adler Barbie or sofa set, don't! They are both amazing in person.

These photos were taken at the doll meet last week. I couldn't believe how much detail each of the items had. Even the print on Barbie's dress was scaled perfectly.

Barbie Basic No 5

Basic Black No 5, Lea, originally uploaded by alington.

I've foolishly taken the plunge into Barbie Basics. For a $20 investment, you get a gorgeous doll with a basic black dress. I also found the Trends Accessories pack, filled with hot pink, turquoise and black and white shoes, belts, a purse, scarf and other items. It's a really fun combination.

This is Barbie Basic #5, the Lea sculpt. I think I'll take her hair down from the pony tail at some point. But she is just lovely as she is, too.

See the rest of her photo shoot on Flickr.

Monsieur Z

Monsieur Z, originally uploaded by alington.

Gorgeous Monsieur Z dolls by Integrity Toys, taken at the doll meet on Sunday, from our hostess's display. All are from Wave I.

From the left, First Class. Center is Super Fly. Right is Flaunt It. I think I will have to add Flaunt it to my collection. She is so cool!

Alice, redressed

Alice, redressed, originally uploaded by alington.

This is Mattel's Alice in Wonderland (from 2007). Her hair has been taking down. If you do the same, be aware it's pretty thin on top.

Alice has been rebodied onto a Fashion Royalty Nu.Face body, which is a shade or two too light for her skin tone.

She's dressed in a Fashion Fever dress by Mattel, and shoes from the Trends Accessories pack, also by Mattel.

See the rest of her photo shoot on Flickr.

It's her night.

It's her night., originally uploaded by alington.

Trying out one of the new Fashion Fever dresses I picked up at Target, this is Boogie Beach Jasper, a Dynamite Girl by Integrity Toys. The little award came with the pack of three dresses. I think she can wear gold quite well, and she seems to be enjoying herself.

This doll belongs to my six year-old daughter Lauren, who received her as a gift for her birthday in December. Jasper's hair certainly has seen better days, but I need to just let her alone, I suppose.

See more photos on my photostream in Flickr.

Hershey's Barbie

Hershey's, originally uploaded by alington.

Finally, she's out of the box. She was a Christmas gift for me from my sister. So lovely in her box--it took me a little while to debox her. She's just so lovely! Her hair is perfect. I do wish she was more posable, but I think her skin tone is fantastic.

I think she would be a great candidate for a body swap with one of our Fashionista girls, but I'd need to get permission from my daughter to do that. :)

See the rest of her photo shoot on Flickr.

She's so unusual!

Cyndi Lauper, originally uploaded by alington.

Meet Cyndi Lauper, one of Mattel's Ladies of the 80s series. I saw her at Toys R Us, and I'm embarrassed to admit that I couldn't pass her up!

Her outfit is really well done--and her hair is fantastic. It has a little braid on one side, and it's "shaved" on the other. Plus, she's wearing fishnet stockings. Her make-up is authentic, too: gold glitter eye shadow (yes, I had some back in the day). I was a little disappointed that Van Gogh's "Starry Night" wasn't painted on the soles of her shoes, however.

See the rest of her photo shoot on Flickr.

Barbie Superstar Barbie Doll - Mattel - Toys "R" Us

Barbie Superstar Barbie Doll - Mattel - Toys "R" Us

If you can't find this $3 birthday doll at your local Target or Toys R Us, you can always shop online, too.

She's got straight plastic legs, just so you know (they don't bend). But really--what do you want for $3? She's a steal of a deal!

Mad Men Barbies announced for 2010

Three new Barbies have been announced for 2010 with a Mad Men theme from the Fashion Model Collection. They are available for preorder now from your favorite Mattel dealer:

• Don Draper (shipping June) retail $74.95. Don comes dressed in a spiffy gray suit, white dress shirt, striped tie, fedora hat, brown trench coat and faux leather briefcase.
• Joan Halloway (shipping June) retail $74.95. June is dressed in a navy knee-length skirt and blouse with a belt, red scarf with gold pin and gold jewelry, and black bag and pumps.
• Betty Draper (shipping June) retail $74.95. Betty is dressed in a floral printed cocktail dress with a bubble hem, with a gray ruched bodice and large bow and shoes. She's wearing a string of elegant pearls for accessories.

Image property of Mattel.

Interesting story about shopping at Walmart.

Walmart: Black Barbie Sold Cheaper Than White Barbie at Store - ABC News

I am on several survey panels, and one of the questions is, "Have you ever avoided a brand or a retailer because of their business practice conflicted with yours?" The choices given are something like "yes, within the past year," "yes, within the past 1-2 years," and so forth. Well, here is one store I avoid.

I don't care if they call it "inventory management." What message is it sending? And doesn't that message overpower your business practices? There are lots of ways to manage your inventory, such as to mark down both dolls, and sell both at a discount. Wake up, people. We're in the 21st century.

2010 Fashion Royalty - Be dazzled!

Two new lines have been posted in the Fashion Royalty section of Integrity Toys' website. The dolls are ready for pre-order from your Integrity dealers. First, the Foundation collection:

• Model Citizen, Lukas M. LE 500. Brown hair. Dressed in a black, gray and white pin-striped suit with a bow tie.
• Staying Power, Darius Reid. LE 500. Black hair. Navy blue suit with subtle pin-stripe, white shirt with removable collar.
• Fire Within, Jordan. LE 600. Black hair. Pale pink skirt and jacket, sheer black mesh top, dramatic hat.
• Tricks of the Trade, Eugenia Perrin Frost. LE 600. Auburn hair. Faux fur wrap over gray bustier dress with dotted chiffon overlay. Feathered shoes.
• Private Goddess, Natalia Fatalé. LE 500. Golden brown hair. Blue taffeta gown with black mesh overlay on bodice.
• Winning Ensemble Luxury Wear, LE 300. Coral skirt with white sequined top, black trench coat.

Next, the Dazzle Collection:

• Temptation Vanessa. LE 500. Platinum hair. Pink sequined cocktail dress with 3/4 length sleeves.
• Soul Deep Adele. LE 500. Brown hair. Gold sequined sleeveless sheath cocktail dress. 
• Careless Love Dania. LE 500. Titian hair. Silver sequined sleeveless sheath with rounded neckline.
• Deceptively Yours Kyori gift set. LE 500. Raven hair. Sleeveless red sequined cocktail dress, black and white tweed suit, red ruffled strapless gown with nude bow at the waist.
• Flash Star Luxury Wear, LE 300. White sleeveless cocktail dress with black and white embroidered wrap.

2010 Nu.Face dolls

The 2010 Nu.Face dolls are posted on Integrity's website. Three new dressed dolls are available for preorder from your favorite Integrity Toys dealer (all are limited editions of 800):

• The Great Pretender, Lilith. A platinum doll, dressed in a pink and black boucle jacket, over a long-sleeved mesh top and matching layered tulle and satin skirt.
• Perk! Colette. Raven-haired doll dressed in a layered black and white ribbon skirt, long-sleeved blouse and gray faux-fur jacket.
• Mais Oui! Giselle Diefendorf. Auburn-haired doll, dressed in a purple blouse under a black satin jacket, with a short forest green tiered lace skirt.

Photo property of Integrity Toys.

2010 FR Monogram Dolls

Five new wigged and rooted dressed dolls will be available from this line from Integrity Toys, the FR Monogram collection. For full descriptions and photos, visit Integrity Toys' website:

• Enigmatic, limited edition of 250. She's a wigged red-head, dressed in black cocktail dress and a leopard print fur coat. Her black pumps have red soles.
• Brilliance, limited edition of 250. This doll is available now. She's a wigged brunette, dressed in a houndstooth suit.
• Dreamscape, limited edition of 250. This doll has a raven bobbed wig, and is dressed in a gorgeous pastel pink gown.
• Incandescent, limited edition of 250. This doll has rooted auburn hair, and is dressed in sleeveless pink and white sheath dress with a white jacket.
• Disclosure, limited edition of 350. This doll has rooted raven hair, and is dressed in an off-the-shoulder black bodysuit with attached garters, black fishnet stocking and pumps.

Photo property of Integrity Toys.

2010 Poppy Parker is up!

With new facial screening, featuring 1960s era cat-eye make-up, be sure to check out Poppy's new line. Several new dressed dolls and outfits are available:

• Coney Island Poppy is a basic brunette doll with bangs and her hair in a ponytail. She's a limited edition of 600. She's dressed in shorts and a shirt with a sailor collar.
• Beatnik Blues is a platinum doll with bangs, dressed in a pastel blue suit with a black beret and matching turtleneck. She's super cute, and a limited edition of 500.
• The Look of Love is a auburn haired doll with an up-do, dressed in a gorgeous white and cream gown with a beaded bodice and lots of tulle and satin layers for the skirt. Limited edition of 500.
• She's Arrived is a bobbed blonde doll gift-set with mix-and-match pieces, featuring a fuchsia suit and a gorgeous patterned day dress, two pairs of shoes, luggage and shopping bag. Limited edition 350.
• A Night to Remember is a gorgeous yellow evening gown fashion with a white satin overcoat. Limited edition of 300.
• Sealed with a Kiss is a fun day dress with a scaled teal and navy print over white. Limited edition of 300. (I love the prototype doll modeling this dress!)

Check out Integrity's website for all the promotional photos.

2010 Dynamite Girls Vintage Vinyl

Be sure to visit the Integrity Toys Dynamite Girls page today to see the full collection details, including photos. The dolls have new leg and knee sculpts as well as new facial sculpts. Four new Dynamite Girls have been announced in their thrift store chic outfits, all are limited editions of 500 and retail for $40:

• Rufus Blue, long brunette hair in twin ponytails, this year you'll see her dressed in pink shorts and a white blouse patterned with pink and black polkadots, tied with a tie. Over all that she wears a short-sleeved vest, belted with a patent belt. Black pumps complete her ensemble.
• Reese looks super sweet with her long black hair tied back with a green bow, in green button-trimmed shorts and a chiffon blouse with a ruffled neckline and puffed sleeves. Yellow socks and turquoise open toe sling-backs give her just the right vintage feel.
• Sooki makes her first appearance as a blonde, with her hair long and wavy. She's wearing a belted mod purple patterned dress with ruffled trim and white thigh highs, with black sling-backs completing her sweet and sexy look.
• Gavin wears her gorgeous red hair tied back with an oversized navy bow. She's dressed in a chic layered chiffon floral dress with ruffled trim down the front. Navy leggings and pink pumps finish her look.

Photo property of Integrity Toys.

2010 ITBE photos are up!

Integrity Toys is busy updating the website with its 2010 collection. The first new additions I've found are the new 2010 Integrity Toys Basic Editions. There are five new dressed dolls. All are limited editions of 1000:

• Desirable, a platinum caucasian dressed in a black cocktail dress with matching belt and pumps, and silver bracelet.
• Luscious, an African American doll with black hair piled in a dramatic up-do, dressed in an elegant white dress with puffed shoulders, belt and bracelet, and white pumps.
• Complicated, a caucasian doll with honey blonde hair in a double-layer royal blue dress with black trim, black pumps.
• Confident, a caucasian doll with light red hair, in a chic belted pink shirt dress, gold bracelets and pink platform sandals.
• Romantic, a caucasian brunette doll with long hair, wearing a flowing pink day dress with ruffled trim at the neckline, bracelet, and pink open-toe sling back shoes. 

If the clothing looks half as good as the promotional photos, I think we'll be in for a real treat for these lovelies. Last year, ITBEs ran for $25 each. I wonder if they will be increasing the price, due to the detailing of the outfits. They look really nice, I have to admit!

Update: Since this original post, I have discovered that these new 2010 ITBE dolls will be sold for $25 retail. Hooray!
Photo property of Integrity Toys.

Kyori, redressed

Kyori, redressed, originally uploaded by alington.

Flight Pattern Kyori is getting ready for spring in this Tiny Kitty fashion (which barely snaps in the back). It's called Party Mint. The shoes belong to Lana Turner, but she doesn't mind sharing for the sake of style.

I think it gives Kyori a fun little prim look--sort of a grown-up Easter dress, if you will. More photos in my Flickr photostream.

2010 Barbie Holiday Dolls

The lovely new 2010 Holiday Barbie has been announced and preview pictures are up. She retails for $45.99 and is available for pre-order. She's dressed in a gorgeous gown with a full white tulle skirt, gold, red and white embroidered bodice with a red ribbon bow trim, and a long red wrap. Accessories include chandelier earrings and a cute wreath headpiece.

Tulle and ribbon gown for Fashion Royalty by Jenny Grey

Check out this gorgeous gown available for sale for your Fashion Royalty or Barbie-sized dolls.

It's created from black tulle and lined with bright blue knit, with black ribbon trim. The long underskirt detaches, so you have the option of making it into a short cocktail length dress as well.

It has a cute triple beaded strap, and includes the tri-color bracelet, too. You can buy it today, from Jenny Grey's Etsy shop. It's a one-of-a-kind creation that appeared in the Couture Doll competition.

Mad Hatter by Mattel

February Doll Meet, originally uploaded by alington.

I got to see the Mad Hatter by Mattel in person at our doll meet on Saturday. I have to admit, he was very well done. Everything from his outfit--detailed with tiny spools of thread to his boots--to the packaging design, I was amazed.

I can't wait to see Mattel's version of Alice. I hope she's equally as fabulous. They may both end up coming to join my ever-growing collection. Will they end up staying in the boxes?

I have another full-size shot of the Mad Hatter on Flickr as well.

Just for your information, I still have not yet deboxed my The Birds Barbie. I just can't bring myself to do it. It's too difficult: the packaging is too lovely.