Thursday, July 13, 2017

Charlotte Olympia Barbie

When this Charlotte Olympia Giftset was released at Barbie Collector last fall, it sold out in minutes.  I didn't even try to get one.  A "Gold Label' Barbie means that less than 10,000 are produced.  In this case, the box states "No more than 2,700 Worldwide".   In Barbie terms, that's a truly limited edition!

Charlotte Olympia Barbie immediately started its eBay run, selling for up to 4x its original retail cost of $125.   I gave up hope.   The prices have come down quite a bit, but the average is still almost double.

Earlier this month, I thought I would do a random eBay search.  You cannot imagine how excited I was to find a seller offering her at original retail price.  Yes, dear reader, that's right!  I actually bought a NRFB Charlotte Olympia Barbie for $125.  And it actually arrived in perfect condition!  I was almost afraid to open it.
But open I did!
Charlotte Olympia is a London based designer who started her business in 2008.  Her products are produced in Italy and are inspired by "old Hollywood Glamour".   They are quite expensive! (If you haven't figured out the spider web connection, think "Charlotte's Web". )  

Here is a photo of the Barbie.  She uses the "Shani" body which is like a twist n turn waist doll with legs that click at the knee.  The head looks like s silkstone head!  She is quite a lovely doll.
Then you have all the accessories that are included.   There is a the small clutch and the iconic banana shoulder bag (that's 3 purses).  There is a pair of cat eye sunglasses and a "web" fascinator/hat.   You get the red shoes which are a miniature version of the "Dolly Shoe" which sells for $795.
Then there are the green "Eve" shoes.  Which are just gorgeous!
Constance couldn't resist the green shoes!
And then there's the iconic kitten flats that can also be purchased on her website.  (Do yourself a favor and just go browse the official website.  It's some very special eye-candy.)
These shoes actually look good on the Made To Move Barbie foot.  Here is a photo.
And then a closeup.
Her earrings are also web-inspired.  She is wearing some very lovely red "leather" gloves that match the purse, but the coolest part is there are plastic protectors inside the gloves!  Love this idea.  (Pay attention IT)
There is also a torso protector under the jacket!  The packaging on this collector's edition is amazing! The details are intricate and superb.  The leopard is the Charlotte Olympia mascot whose name is Bruce.  He has a shopping bag in his teeth.  The set also contains a shoe box with shoe protector bag.
Now, the important question:  Can this ensemble can be shared with IT dolls?  The sheath is closed with velcro, so there is some "give and take".  It looks amazing on Shapeshifter Natalia Fatale.  "Nice kitty!"

This is an exceptional giftset with a lot of fun play time!  Had I been able to secure one last fall, it would have easily made it into my top 10 of 2016.  If you can find one at retail, jump on it!  It's worth every penny!