You Really Should Join The W Club - Numbers 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 of Collecting Cycle 2023

 When someone joins the W Club there is a registration fee.  At that time, the W Club offers three membership upgrade dolls representing different lines from Integrity Toys.  There are usually Fashion Royalty, Poppy Parker, and Nuface choices.  You may add one of each to your registration with a small deposit.  It's at your discretion, so you can add one, two, or all three offerings.

For the 2023 W Club Membership Year, the designers gave us some variations on previously popular dolls.  The NuFace doll was a red haired version of Billion Dollar Baddie Alejandra Luna.  I own billion Dollar Baddie and like her quite a bit.  She was in my 2021 Year End Countdown  Number 6 of 2021 Alejandra Luna.  And last year's Varsity showed in my 2022 Countdown Number 6 of 2023 Varsity Alejandra.  Varsity Alexandra is a personal favorite in my collection.  I didn't think 2023's membership upgrade Billion Dollar Beauty was as beautiful as the two previous versions, so I opted to skip her.  Since seeing collector photos being posted, I may have to revisit that decision.

The Fashion Royalty offering was one of my favorite character molds, Eugenia Frost.   It was a variation on the 2019 Live from Fashion Week Convention doll, English Rose.  The 2023 upgrade doll was called Summer Rose and was blonde.  She reminded me of one of my very favorite versions of Eugenia, Secret Garden from 2018.  Both English Rose and Secret Garden are big fan favorites, so I felt I couldn't pass on Summer Rose.  I'm really glad I didn't because she does not disappoint in the least.

Just a stunning doll!  Number 28 of my 2023 Collecting Cycle is Summer Rose Eugenia Frost.

The Poppy Parker offering was the third variation of the peignoir set of 2016's Powder Puff (in pale blue). There was a pink version of this ensemble given to collectors at the Poppy Parker luncheon at the 2019 Live From Fashion Week Convention.  This time it showed up in yellow and the Poppy Parker wearing it in the A-Tone skin option.  Yellow is one of my favorite wardrobe colors for my dolls, so I took a chance on this one.  

Number 29 of 2023 is Lemon Lullaby Poppy Parker.  Isn't she wonderful?!

In addition to the W Club upgrade opportunities, the W Club guarantees there will be at least six "made to order" IT dolls offered to collectors over the course of the membership year.  In past years, the W Club has also offered several "Right To Buy" lotteries. 

Keeping with the theme of "variations" - Integrity Toys released a Nuface mini-capsule as "Right To Buy" lottery opportunities.  I loved every one of them and was able to acquire them all.  They are truly amazing and represent what I love about Integrity Toys dolls.

When 2019's Cool Kid Ayumi Nakamura was offered for sale, she was an easy pass for me as the screening/hair combination looked so much like previous editions.  I did purchase the complete ensemble on secondary market though.  I LOVE the ensemble!  The re-imagined version of this doll is fantastic!  The character Ayumi Nakamura was introduced by IT in 2007.  She has been through two mold revisions and has never appeared in the FR Black skin tone until Naturally Cool.  The original ensemble was blue denim and the variation is pale tan.  I am expecting this doll to hit grail status and her popularity with collectors look like that would be a very safe bet.  

Number 30 of 2023 is Naturally Cool Ayumi Nakamura!

The NuFace twins, Eden and Lilith Blair, are very popular with collectors.  We see them a lot of they are difficult to find on secondary market.   It is always a treat when they are offered together in a giftset.   The last time this happened was for the 2017 Heirloom Collection, Poetic Beauty.  Jessy Ayala, the IT designer for Nuface dolls, revisited this giftset and gave us a phenomenal variation in Poetic Interlude.  A new skin tone was created just for this collection called "blush".  The ensembles in this variation are more natural compared to the dark hues of the original.  I was excited to win the lottery to purchase this giftset at retail price!  This giftset immediately shot up in price on secondary market.

Number 31 and Number 32 of 2023 are Poetic Interlude Eden and Lilith Blair.

Also part of the 2023 Nuface mini capsule was Print it Pink Nadja Rhymes.   The print of this fabric has now been used three times.  The first time was with Checking In Colette Duranger (mold 2.0) from the 2016 IT Supermodel Convention.  It was in blue and I purchased it separately as it is extremely well made.   The print in lavender was used in 2021 for W Club Exclusive Fit To Print Nadja Rhymes.  This time we get Print it Pink Nadja Rhymes with hair similar to the 2019 NYFW doll.   Nadja is a personal favorite of mine, so this was another easy purchase for me.  

Number 33 is Print It Pink Nadja Rhymes.

IT collectors also got a mini collection from East 59th Street this year.  Constance Madssen was offered as a W Club lottery "right to buy" edition.  I was fortunate to get her at retail price.  

This ensemble is so rich and opulent.

Number 34 is Twilight in Blue Topaz Constance Madssen.  (I'm not as excited about the screening of this doll.  I think Luxurious Leisure and Wicked Glamour are better brunette versions with blue eyes and red lips.)

The other dolls were offered through Integrity Toys dealers.  (Another perk of being a member of the W Club is that members are notified of dolls being sold through dealers prior to the general public.   This gives W Club members quite an advantage as many dolls sell out completely before the public is even aware they are available to purchase.)  I really wanted the blonde Victoire Roux, but she reminded me too much of the basic version, Aloha Waikiki, that I purchased earlier this year, so I passed.  I did however get the version of Aurelia Gray (which I think is the best presentation of this mold so far).  Love the ensemble and the little mink coat so much.  

Number 35 of Collecting Cycle 2023 is Enchanting in Amethyst Aurelia Gray.

I either wouldn't have these dolls or would have to sacrifice my hard earned cash to purchase them secondary market hadn't I been a W Club member.  Keep that in mind the next time membership is open to the general public (sometime in the spring).  It's worth every cent.

2021 Ctrl-Alt-Delete Reboot

The last of my convention dolls finally arrived (one of them was mailed on December 7 and just arrived on Wednesday, January 6).   It is fair to say that the IT Legendary Convention hit me hard in my countdown and in my budget.  

I felt like I was doing alright with my rules.  42 dolls left my collection in 2020.  Some of my decisions were difficult but necessary.  I'm not sure how, but 59 dolls made their way into my house this year.

I think I will blame the pandemic!  "Sheltering In Place" was difficult.  Not being able to leave your house caused us to spend more time on the internet.  

Some older collections presented great pricing opportunities.  I was able to add three dolls from the Luxe Life Convention at below original retail cost:

#1 of 2020 Prosperous Complexity Kyori Sato:

#55 of 2020 Subtle Affluence Eugenia Frost:

#56 of 2020 Gilded Oligarch Tatyana Alexandrova (originally purchased as a body donor, but wears Sea Devil's ensemble so well):

Integrity Toys has had a substantial influx of younger collectors over the past couple of years.  Since these collectors were attracted by newer collections, many of them have no experience with the older body types, so they aren't invested in wardrobes to fit those dolls.  (Collectors who have been around longer have different body versions in their collections and are able to upgrade bodies as necessary.)  The prices of older dolls have come down.  I was able to add the following dolls at little cost:

#10 Perfect Skin Adele Makeda:

#15 Heat Seeker Natalia Fatale:

#47 Sweet Smell of Success Veronique Perrin:

#55 Heart Stopper Natalia Fatale:

But I didn't stop there.  Since I was at home on the internet so much, good pricing opportunities popped up on dolls that have been on my radar for several years.  Like:

#6 Heiress Erin Salston:

#14 Elyse Jolie Bergdorf Goodman Daywear:

#16 Chameleon Vanessa Perrin:

#17 Sunny Slickers Poppy Parker

#18 Smoke and Mirrors Lilith Blair

#52 Get Graphic Misaki

#53 Snowstopper Poppy Parker

#54 Origami Girl Misaki

I sort of dropped out of blogging existence from July 4 until the Legendary Convention in November.  I got a new puppy which required a lot of my time.   My mother-in-law lives with us and had some serious medical issues and complications (she is on the mend and doing well).  The Covid19 crisis continued to interrupt my normal life as my husband is part of the essential work force and was working 7 days per week for most of this time period.  Teaching in a digital environment required me to take some hefty staff development courses over the summer.  Things only started settling down a little in November.  (Unfortunately, all of these things caused an abrupt halt to listing and selling dolls from my collection.  The last doll that left here happened in early June.  I need to get my organizing back on track!)

I made up for lost time with the Legendary Convention collection.  It's hard to believe but I actually added 15 dolls from that convention to my collection!

Being a Fashion Royalty collector since 2005, I honestly felt nostalgic over the Style Lab dolls this year.   Fortunately, many newer collectors were quite disappointed in the Style Lab's return to original molds to celebrate their characters' 25th Year Anniversary, so I actually got some of them for retail price!  I couldn't resist that, right?!

#38 of 2020 Radiant Soul Kyori Sato (mold 1.0):

Most of the Style Lab dolls looked like younger versions of the original characters to me.  Radiant Soul is wearing the blouse and jacket from NYFW Karolin Stone (2019) and the shorts, boots, and hose from Sensuous Affair Giselle Diefendorf (2014).

#39 of 2020 Violet Obsidian Vanessa Perrin (mold 1.0) One of my favorite dolls from the convention.

She is wearing the 2016 Pure Love Ensemble from the Supermodel Convention with Walking On Clouds Adele Makeda's boots.

#40 of 2020 Flawless Beauty Adele Makeda (mold 1.0):

I corrected her irises myself!  She is wearing the 2014 Gloss Convention Style Lab Ensemble Night Fever.

A few of the Style Lab girls haven't made it to the redress shelf yet.  

#41 of 2020 Cover Story Veronique Perrin (mold 1.0):

#42 of 2020 Acquired Traits Natalia Fatale (mold 1.0):

#43 of 2020 Exotic Interlude Anja Christensen:

#44 of 2020 Red Reign Korinne Dimas:

Personally, I didn't care for Social Standing Mme Margaret Jolie; however, I did acquire the ensemble "Social Behavior".  Although I was able to get the "...And Scene" ensemble at a great price, Body of Work Isha Kalpana Naryanan became a hit and her secondary market price keeps her out of range to add to my collection.

When I looked at the additions, I was surprised to find that 25% of the new dolls were Poppy Parker and 25% were NuFace.   Only about 1/3 of the new dolls were Fashion Royalty with the remaining coming from various other lines (East 59th Street, Misaki, or Meteor).

As I hit the reset button for 2021, I realize I am behind in sales and  need to find homes for 17 dolls to bring my collection back into balance.   Unfortunately, three other dolls are in the mail: Mothership Dania Zarr, Charmed Child Ayumi Nakamura, and Undercover Angel Poppy Parker.  Being so out of balance, I chose to not participate in the W Club lotteries for The Originals Adele Makeda or Veronique Perrin.  I also didn't pursue purchase of the Poppy Parkers, Enlightened in India or Outback Walkabout.  ... At least I'm trying, right?

History of Color Variations & Re-imaginings

If you were to count color variations, it could be noted that Integrity Toys (IT) has a very long history with re-imaginings.

The very first Fashion Royalty separate ensemble, Toast of Paris, was produced in tones of charcoal with lavender embroidery.  It was recreated in soft tones of gray for "Miss Carroll's Study Group" in an edition size of 100.  The following year the separate ensemble was Soir de Paris, produced in rich wine colors, and Purple Factor Adele Makeda showed up wearing a pale lavender version.

The year after that we got both La Petite Robe Blanche and La Petite Robe Noire.  

There have been many of these. 2005 gave us Flirtatious Veronique Perrin and Bodacious Adele Makeda  in different colourways of the same ensemble.   

2006's Lights, Camera, Royal Veronique lavender gown was produced for the IT convention as Lights, Camera, Royal Blonde ("photo courtesy of Amanda" according to the Fashions Royalty Reference Pages) in black.

2007's High Drama Eugenia Frost's Deep Blue version of Talking Drama Adele Makeda's taupe gown.  

2008 brought us Shirred Not Shaken Vanessa Perrin's black version of the blue gown worn by Most Desired Eugenia Frost, 

as well as Fine Jewel Eugenia's red version of Vanessa Perrin's olive Color Therapy.  

2009 gave us another double whammy of Optic Clash Dania Zarr's black and pink version of Optic Verve Agnes Von Weiss's yellow and gray gown, 

while Silver Zinger Agnes Von Weiss said "turn about is fair play" with Dania Zarr's Red Zinger.

Of course we saw this cross over quickly to the FR2 line with 2011's Evermore Vanessa and Forever Veronique.

IT Basic Editions brought back color variations in  2013 and 2014.  We got Light Strike Natalia Fatale in White, Red Strike Janay, and Night Strike Monogram in Blue.

Then there was Flawless Impact Dania Zarr and Immaculate Finley Prince (only difference is the color of the belt).

The 2015 Integrity Convention brought us High Frequency Kumi (in teal) and Heart Stopper Natalia Fatale in Hot Pink versions of the same gown.

And Santa's Secret Grab boxes of 2015 gave us Wondrous Tatyana Alexandrova (pale lavender), Mirage Ayumi Nakamura (white), and Cloudscape Dominique Makeda (pale blue).  

In 2015 we got an ITBE Ignite Janay with a red version of 2011's Flawless Elyse dress!

But if you consider "re-imaginings" as taking one doll and changing the doll/design to reflect a different take on things, well, that started in 2009 at the IT Convention Iconic.    We got Luxe Life Vanessa Perrin offering an amazing spin on sister Veronique's Lush Life from 2003.

Eugenia Frost's Diamond Society based on 2003's Veronique Perrin Silver Society.

And Poesie Enchantee Agnes Von Weiss taking on the mega Poesie Sans Couleur Vanessa Perrin.

In 2010, things started getting combined.  Flame Bleue Vanessa Perrin took on A Fashionable Life Vanessa from 2005 for hairstyle and face but wore a blue version of 2003's Veronique Perrin Flame Rouge.

Then ... I think there was a temporary shift from re-imaginings because Jason Wu's human lines took off and he started giving us miniaturized versions of some of his favorite designs.  

The idea was resurrected in 2017 with the Design Competition which required the entries be based on a previously issued FR design.  The winner that year was Vasilen Milkov's Passion Week Elyse Jolie based on 2004's Red Blooded Woman worn by Kyori Sato.

And we can't forget the 2018 IT Convention Optic Illusion Giselle Diefendorf taking on the the mighty Optic Verve Agnes Von Weiss.  (The ensemble I'm not so crazy about, but the Giselle is amazing.)

Of course, poor Bergdorf Goodman Poppy Parker from 2010 has been re-issused almost as many times as the original edition size.  2018's Split Decision Poppy Parker solidified the strongest resemblance.

Since that time we've had some direct copies of facial screenings.  Designer Jessy Ayala likes doing this often ... a little too often for my personal taste. In 2019, we even had almost exact replicas of specific "Grail" dolls.

There is the 2019 IT Convention NYFW offering of Spring Romance Adele Makeda which was incredibly close to The Muse from 2008.

And the upgrade W Club doll this year was Le Tuxedo Eugenia Frost ... Going Public's twin.

I guess it was only logical that IT would base all the dolls from it's 25th Anniversary Convention called "Legendary" on previous versions.  Some were obvious choices.  Some were easily recognizable.  Some still have me scratching my head.  There were even a few, I wouldn't consider "legendary".