Integrity Toys introduced "The New Close-Ups Collection" in their 2011 line. It was a surprise and shock. I know that IT must continuously move forward and revamp the line to keep collectors interested, but they may have done some damage.
There are seven doll in this line. In the original Close Ups line we had Veronique and Adele. They are here again; Adele with her revised mold from 2004 and a newly redone Veronique. Although many collectors who are fans of the original Vero were outraged, this doll is really quite stunning.
The Adele was intended to pay tribute to Miss Royaltini but is a cross between that doll and Something Sexy. She's nice, but not that great. I sold the head, kept the outfit and used the hand speak body for Bodacious. I also sold the head from Kesenia, the second doll produced in that character. I did not purchase the Eugenia because I couldn't get past the face up and severe hair cut. I did purchase the outfit, however.
IT introduced a new character, Korinne, who is supposed to be Mediterannean. She is quite unique and interesting. Some collectors have voiced their opinion that the dolls looks very masculine. She does have strong features, but I believe her mold adds some variety to the "melting of looks" lately.
We also saw the reappearance of Isha, although she seems to have lost her ethnicity and looks like a tan Luchia. Here is a picture of her in her coat. The outfit is quite nice. And the accessories are beginning to look "canned" between the seven dolls in the line
She is obviously quite confident in her appearance, choosing to wear a see-through blouse and no foundation garment! I doubt if any woman that well endowed would go nude under such a sheer piece of fabric.
When I turned her around ... "OH NO!! The dreaded 'worm hair'!" Sometimes when Integrity produces dolls with long curls, their hair looks like those worms dried up on a sidewalk in the summer time. I hate worm hair. Other dolls that often suffer from this condition are Ginza Kyori and Runway Right Away Vanessa.
And this is from the front.
I may wind up boil perming the hair straight. I have trouble "loving" curly hair on dolls. Fly-aways drive me crazy.
Here is a photo of both my Isha dolls for you to see the difference with the change in skin tone.
I guess my overall review would be that I LOVE the seven outfits and the fact that they merge into one collection with so many mix n match possibilities. I'm not crazy about the dolls. There is nothing spectacular here; nothing unexpected or dramatic; nothing I can't live without. The re-imagined Vero and Vanessa are nice, but are so different from their predecessors it is hard to relate them to the original character. Each doll retailed for $110. I purchased five of the dolls ... two have moved on to other homes ... I'm not sure what to do with the remaining three. The next blog will continue this dilemma.
As I develop my posts, I try to make sure that they encompass playline, limited edition, Mattel, Fashion Royalty, etc. I think I may be spreading myself too thin ... however, my collection really does reflect all things of beauty in 1/6 scale. I don't discriminate against dolls for any reason.
I was disappointed in my last post. It was simply a review of a new doll I acquired. There wasn't anything of real interest to anyone. Furthermore, I should've shared where the outfit come from. A rookie mistake that I will not let happen again.
The photo was selected as the spotlight photo on Pink Parlor/Vinyl Lounge. I appreciate that honor more than anyone could know.
The denim pants and jacket were purchased from BIC before the owner went out of business. I purchased two pair. They were manufactured by a company called Sakurana. I'm not sure how anyone could find these now, but I bet an industrious collector could! They were abour $40 each set.
They have incredible little metal rivets (that will fall out and are a b***h to find!). They are distressed and fit the taller girls beautifully as they ride low on the hips. The jackets are a little long in the sleeve, but are remarkable as well. They are a little loose on the small busted girls but fit the regular FR line very nicely. (BTW, Going West is wearing the bodice from Blue Blood Elise.)
The sweater is one of most beautiful pieces of clothing ever produced by Integrity. It is an incredibly knit sweater and closes with buttons in the back. It came from the Blonde Ginza Kyori giftset.
Although it was made for a larger busted girl, it looks better on the smaller girls (in my opinion).
Now ... I am going to include something for everyone. Many of you may know this trick, but I wanted to put it out there for those who do not. I was thinking about things I use regularly in my collecting that may help others.
First ... there is the dental brush one uses to clean braces. If you've ever had braces you recognize this! They come in a pack of 16 at Walmart for less than $4. I purchased one of these on e-bay for $3 plus shipping. When it got it here, I immediately realized I had wasted some money!
They are great for ..... fixing the eyelashes on my FR dolls. They separate and lengthen eyelashes that have gotten mashed from redressing. But you must be careful. If you are too agressive it could pull the eyelash right off. It has only happened to me once, so I am more careful now. The results are quite good though. It can take an otherwise helpless situation and make it easier to live with.
I want to end with an individual photo of Going West. I thought she would be difficult to redress and enjoy. Boy, was I wrong!!
