The Flood Gates Open ... #2, #3, #4, and #5 of 2020

If I had to voice one complaint about collecting IT dolls and the W Club, it would be that they there are too many peaks and valleys in availability of product.

Sometimes there are weeks of doll drought when nothing is available ... production delays, hung up in customs, etc.   Then when a shipment arrives, your credit card gets hit really hard.  You may have purchased a W Club Exclusive in February, pre-ordered a couple dolls from a retailer in April, and entered a lottery or two in May to find yourself needing to pay for four or five dolls at one shot!  Ouch!

One hazard of W Club lotteries is that a collector will sometimes enter several lotteries at one time hoping to get trade leverage.  Here is an example:  There were three dolls in the recently released Boudoir  Collection.  You may only want two of these dolls, but you enter for all three hoping that someone did the same thing and will want to trade a doll you want for the one didn't but entered for anyway.  That compounds with multiple memberships.   

PROBLEM:  The W Club has a strict policy regarding payment of dolls you win or pre-order.  If you don't pay, you don't play!  Your membership will be banned from future offers.

SOLUTION:  In the notes section of lottery entry, I always write that I have two memberships and am entering with both; however, if I win with both to please pass one opportunity to another collector.  First, that allows someone else the opportunity to get the doll at retail price.  Second, I don't find myself stuck with additional dolls that I may not be able to sell.  

Some collectors speculate at this point and buy multiple dolls.  Sometimes this works when a doll is very popular and they can sell it on secondary market for a profit.  Sometimes, they get stuck with a poor production run and don't get their money back.  Sometimes the market is flooded with several collectors trying to sell the same doll.  Supply vs. demand and the price drops.   It may balance out in the end, but I don't need that added stress or frustration.

Since I brought up the 2019 Boudoir Collection (advertised in 2019 but not available until 2020), this brings me to the next dolls added to my collection in 2020.  I haven't had the opportunity to debox these yet, so please forgive my photos; they are actual production photos of the dolls received though.

#2 of 2020
Sweet Venom
Jordan Duvall

This was the doll I was most excited about.  She has the dark A-Tone body.   In the box, her head looks somewhat darker than her body.  (Several collectors have commented that the difference isn't that noticeable when she is taken out of the box.)  Integrity Toys has taken the position that since a doll's head is a different material than the body, there is always the chance for slight variances.  These production issues are no longer being considered a quality control issue and replacements are not being offered.

I have sometimes found that the body of one doll can be switched with the body of a different doll and the problem is fixed.  I have also seen instances where the difference is more noticeable or less noticeable because all the bodies and/or heads aren't from the same formula production.  (That is an issue that the factory should be able to control.)

#3 of 2020
Ferocious
Kesenia Valentinova

I really wasn't that impressed with this doll until I saw her promo version at the IT Convention last year.  Although I am not a fan of the black around the outside of the teeth area, she is quite lovely.  I've seen collectors who have fixed this, and I may try as well.

She has the hungarian skin tone, and I don't see a difference in head and body.  I really like her lingerie.  She reminds me a great deal of Irresistible Dania Zarr.

#4 of 2020
Make Me Blush
Natalia Fatale

This one is a surprise to me.  She is overwhelmingly the favorite of the three with most collectors and demands the highest secondary market price.  I have always been a fan of this mold, but I'm not as excited about this particular version even though collectors are comparing her to Nicole Kidman.

This is the first time Natalia has been produced in the Japan skin tone.  She is usually produced with a darker skin tone.  The other exceptions have all been in FR White:  Power Game, a giftset doll from the 2009 Iconic Convention, Bellissima, a 2013 Premiere Convention Centerpiece, Contrasting Proposition from the 2016 A Delicate Bloom mainline, and Luxuriously Gifted from the 2018 Luxe Life Convention (she looks paler than regular FR White).

#5 of 2020
Ocean Drive
Agnes Von Weiss

This doll was a W Club Exclusive from 2019.  This is the first time we've seen Agnes as a black doll, even though she has appeared a few times with a tan: Firefly (Latino), 2008 Dolls in Oz event, Force of Nature (Tan), 2012 Tropicalia Convention Centerpiece, Nightfall (Tan) 2013 Premiere Convention Souvenir doll, Vamp (Light Honey) 2018 W Club Boudoir Collection, and Fresh Perspective (Hungarian) 2019 Fashion Week Convention welcome doll.

Personally, I believe this is an exceptional version of Agnes and is definitely a keeper.

Unfortunately, Ocean Drive arrived closely to the Boudoir dolls.  I entered for all three dolls and won all three.  I decided it was better to have all four shipped together; I could look them over and decide whether or not I needed to let any of them go.  Unfortunately, I tend to lean toward being completist in collection lines.  I have the other five Boudoir dolls, so I needed these three to keep the group complete.  

Now, I need to put my purchases on hold for a few weeks and focus on selling.  If you've noticed the sidebars, you can see that I have sold three dolls this month!   Only two more and I will be even with purchases.  My goal this year is to sell more than comes in.  

Wish me luck!