Water For The Thirsty ...

With the current state of things in the world, most collectors find themselves "sheltering in place" and "social distancing".   It's nice to have a diversion like doll collecting; something to temporarily take our minds off the cares of the world.   

Unfortunately, some collectors find themselves in the difficult place of selling some of their dolls.   With everyone's jobs in such precarious places, buyers are being extremely selective on what they will spend their dolly dollars.  Premium purchases seem to be limited and values on secondary market are beginning to drop.   If a collector originally purchased a doll on secondary market, they are going to be hard-pressed to realize a gain in today's economy; they will be lucky to break even.

If a collector is looking to purchase at retail, there hasn't been a lot of options entering the marketplace.  That is ... until this past weekend.

In the midst of all of this confusion, Integrity Toys and the W Club was able to offer a mini capsule of a collectors' favored doll lines, Poppy Parker.  The theme is "The Model Traveler Collection", and as designer, David Buttry, explains, Poppy Parker is on a promotional tour and is traveling the globe.   The boxes for this collection are amazing and look like doll cases; they are designed to look like pieces of luggage!  (All Photos by Integrity Toys/IT)

The first Poppy of 2020, Pretty Bird, was an upgrade doll that collectors could add to their W Club memberships.  According to Buttry, Pretty Bird represents Poppy in London, England.

This spring's offering, takes us back to the start of her tour.  Ms. Parker begins in New York.  

Hello New York has beautiful strawberry blonde hair and a very fashionable tweed suit.  

What a gorgeous doll!  I believe it is fair to say, Buttry definitely has an eye for the details in this line.  Look at the chain at the waist of the skirt!  And that bag is a "must-have".

What a beautiful face.  Clean and fresh!  Our Poppy is beginning to look a little more grown up.  Here are the accessories.  

Poppy's first international stop was Tokyo, Japan. 

Twilight Tokyo used the inspiration of an actual vintage doll ensemble.   The top layer of the ensemble can be removed to display a lovely sheath underneath.

This doll's hair was inspired by a 2016 OOAK Raffle Doll.  Buttry reported that collectors had been begging him to do this style with a mainline doll, so he has honored their request.

Twilight Tokyo is a very special and unique Poppy.  The accessories continue to show Buttry's attention to detail in this line.

From Tokyo, we head over to Milan, Italy.

Thud ... mic drop ... that leopard coat is everything.

Mad for Milan looks like a darker version of one of my favorite Poppy Parkers ever produced, Powder Puff.    

The necklace is actually a belt that was doubled around her neck!   There are many wonderful items here that can mix and match in Poppy's wardrobe.

The final destination in this line is Paris, France.

Sizzling in Paris is an exclusive for W Club members and will be available through a lottery.  

This doll's screening represents something new and different with Poppy Parker, the eyebrows are actually placed a little higher than normal and I like it!

What a wonderful min-capsule!   Poppy Parker's edition sizes keep inching upwards.  Each doll was produced in an edition size of 1000 (the same as last year's Mission Brazil line).  One would think that should be enough for the Poppy Parker collecting community, but this line sold out immediately with dealers who took pre-orders.

I had originally talked myself out of purchasing anything from this line because I had over-extended my Poppy collecting with last year's Fashion Week Convention Style Lab.  My Poppy Parker collection increased substantially last year, and I have limited display area.  

I even forgot about the Saturday release time.  When I checked my e-mail and read the W Club thread, it was obvious that I missed the purchase window.   I rationalized that it was fate to miss this line.

Then I watched the W Club video interview with David.  Then I pined for at least one!   Then I found out that Couture Dolls out of Toledo, OH didn't take pre-orders but would be listing the collection for purchase live on Sunday at noon, EST.   (They sold out of all three dolls in a little more than 3 minutes!)

I was about to obtain the two that most spoke to me, Hello New York and Mad for Milan.  I will also enter the lottery for Sizzling in Paris.  Poppy Parker was my #1 of 2019.  Looks like she is staking her claim as a contender in 2020!

(By the way, if you are trying to locate one, The Doll Peddlar will list the collection live today, May 18, at 11:00 CST.  Good luck!)

NOTE:  All three dolls sold out at The Doll Peddlar within 15 minutes.  They went in this order:  Mad For Milan, Twilight Tokyo, Hello New York.