The Best Place to Begin ... Veronique Perrin

After last year's purchasing frenzy and attending the IT Convention in Baltimore, I was hit hard with the realization that major changes had to occur in my collection.   I have too much of everything!  

I'm not sure why, but modern doll collectors seem like locusts.  We get totally consumed by a doll for a few short weeks and then move on to something new.  That causes dolls to lie around in boxes, be shoved to the back of the display, or just go neglected.   I'm just as guilty of this as the next collector, but I have made up my mind that it is time to stop.

I have decided to take a very serious look at my collection, and only keep those dolls that seem to stand the test of time - those dolls that still bring me joy when I look at them, that I still play with regularly, that still make me want to redress, admire, and photograph them.  

But when I look at my collection, I am completely overwhelmed.  Instead of dealing with the situation head-on, I have been neglecting my doll area.  (Out of sight, out of mind!)   Any success story though starts with the first step.

I decided my first step would be to begin at the beginning.  I need to evaluate each character separately, and then compare them to similar dolls of different molds.  So, I guess I need to start with the very first character I collected, Veronique Perrin.

It's hard to believe but six years ago, I made the same decision.  I actually created a collage of my collection of each mold.  

Please notice how many red "X's" there are.  As a collector though, I know that new girls often arrive to replace those that have left.   There were sixteen dolls living here in 2014.  Ten of those are no longer here.

In addition to this collage, I had already owned and sold:
2003 Silver Society, 2003 Midnight in Monaco, 2004 Social Call, 2005 She Means Business, 2006 Lights, Camera, Royal, 2006 Shine, 2007 Mastermind, 2011 Modern Comeback Noir, 2011 Style Counsel, 2011 Air Apparent.

So, last year I decided to make a new collage:

There were five versions of mold 1.0 living here.  Last year, I repurchased Stylish Escape at an insanely cheap price, primarily for her ensembles, which increased my number to six.

I sold two of the ten versions of mold 2.0 (see red "X's" again); however, I added a version that I had been watching for a long time, Stage Presence.

New total for mold 2.0 is now nine.   That's a grand total of 15 Veronique Perrin dolls living here.   Even though they represent two different molds, I need to cut that number.  I would like to keep it below 10 total.  So, who goes ...

Diamond Dusted was the first FR doll I ever purchased, right after my divorce.  It was a financial sacrifice at the time, but I couldn't resist her.  She remains a favorite, so she isn't going anywhere.

Sheer Goddess has been the subject of many photo sessions and actually has her own name, Eris.  She has the shortest rooted hair of any FR doll living here (she reminds me of Lisa Rinna).  She's staying...

My version of Sound Advice is a OOAK by Vin Trapini.  I won the "repaint of any doll" when I participated in the "America's Next Top Doll" competition online.  I chose Sound Advice and told Vin what I imagined; he created it perfectly.  She's sticking around also.

Although I have no strong connection to Shanghai In Bloom, she is the only doll on her original short body.  I put her in my favorite Mattel gown, Serenade in Satin, and have her in a glass display.

Buxom is the only black version of Veronique ever produced, so she rounds out my first five.  

Stylish Escape has already been listed on e-bay.

It seems odd to me, but I don't have as strong feelings for mold 2.0.  If I am going to only keep five of them, I guess my list would be:

1.  Stage Presence 
2.  Fetish Fatale
3.  Nocturnal Glow (Seriously under-rated doll)

The main reason I was keeping Breathless was the ensemble, so I stripped her and listed her nude.  Likewise for Reception Versailles, except I really like her hair.   Breaking the Mold was getting no attention here, so she will be going somewhere she can be more appreciated.  

That leave me with Royal Treatment, Full Spectrum, Reception Versailles, and Love of Luxe.  What do you think?  Which should stay, if any?