Monday, June 9, 2014

Summer Vacation Day 47

When looking over my collection, I realized that I had more "short" Fashion Royalty dolls than I thought - there are still 20 living here!  When initially released in 2001-2002, Integrity Toys (IT) produced their dolls on a body about the size and shape of a vintage Barbie.  The only real difference was the added articulation of a knee joint.  These bodies have yellowed terribly and become brittle - so brittle in fact that the plastic will sometimes just crumble in your hands.  (Far left in photo below)

IT added articulation to the dolls' bodies in 2004 with the addition of hand, elbow, upper arm, waist, and torso joints.  (2nd body from the left)   It was a welcome change, but the mobility of the joints was very limited.  The design team at IT realized they could increase "poseability" by lengthening the limbs a little.  That's how we got the taller body which was released in 2006.  (3rd in photo)  The taller body received an additional enhancement in 2009 with the handspeak system.  Almost all of my older Fashion Royalty dolls are on the third body with the handspeak system.  All three of these bodies can share most of the same clothing.  The only difference being the length of sleeves, slacks and some gowns which didn't transfer to the taller body.

In 2010, IT released a new line called FR2 with the last body in the photo.   They announced last year all future releases would be produced on this body - then they started the ITBE line again using the older FR body - so I don't know what exactly is going on.  I'm confused, but I thought I would include a  photo for reference.  This body cannot wear many of the clothing pieces created for the FR body - the waist of the FR2 body is higher and wider, the hips and thighs thicker, the bust smaller.

Back to my statement about many of my favorite dolls being produced prior to 2006, which was a surprise to me.  The next doll to be showcased is from 2004.  She is Glam Slam Kyori Sato, was released in an edition size of 1200, and retailed for $60.   She is wearing a blouse and skirt from the Black as Night gift set from the 2006 Integrity Convention.
Again, this is a doll that does not have the enhancement of the added eyelashes, but I think she is one gorgeous face up!

3 comments:

Vanessa said...

The comparison photo really helps in understanding these bodies. I've heard about the FR2 body, but had yet to see it. It is super nice.

Carrickters said...

I agree with Vanessa - I had heard about the different bodies but had never really seen a comparison before. It is very helpful to be able to see the differences.

Anonymous said...

I think the FR2 body is nicer nude (mainly because of the more realistic waist), but I don't collect dolls to display them nude. It's a real pity that the older Fashion Royalty clothes don't fit the FR2 body and vice versa.

I also agree with your comments about the beauty of the earlier dolls. It makes me so sad to see how badly the bodies have discolored, especially in the case of two of my favorites, Haute Luxuries Veronique and Cosmetic Takeover Natalia. I haven't noticed the vinyl becoming brittle yet. I dread the day that happens.

A question, has anyone else noticed the second FR body type turning matt? I have the Final Cut Isha. The head, torso and hands are fine, but he arms and legs are chalky and have completely lost their shine.