Best of 2011

In order to be fair, I need to state that this list is from my personal collecting habits this year.  Although I have seen many dolls first hand, there were many I did not.  (Integrity Toys put over 110 dolls into collectors hands this year alone!)

The most important part of a doll for me is his/her faceup.  Next would be hair, followed by the clothing and accessories.  When all of these things were considered, this is my top ten list for 2011. 

Number 10:  Representing Mattel is a Barbie Basics Target Exclusive:

Number 9:  I really do like this doll.  Her hair is a lovely color and set.  She came in a nice giftset; however, the pieces of clothing weren't so great.  Had her clothing been better choices, she would've been much higher on my list.  Number 9 is Point of Departure Eugenia.

Number 8:  Another doll who suffers from a poor wardrobe choice is Number 8, Regal Solstice Anja.  I really disliked the colors and cut of her evening dress.  This was one hot mess and one of the worst outfits ever produced by Integrity in my opinion.  But ... oh that face!

Number 7:  It pains me to put this doll as Number 7, but she came only wearing lingerie.  I'm not a fan of bangs on dolls, but this doll's face up is exquisite.  Number 7 is Bare Essentials Dania. 

Number 6:  This is another doll that I would prefer to have higher on my list, but her outfit and accessories put Carol Roth at Number 6.  She also has the Anja face mold.

Number 5:  I guess it would be almost impossible to make a list without one Poppy Parker on it.  The giftset clothing and accessories on this doll was nothing short of perfection.  From the Baby Doll pajamas and slippers all the way to the textured hose that came with the red jumper, I Love How You Love Me Poppy was fantastic.  (Her hair has been relaxed.)

Number 4:  This doll does not fit the typical definition of beautiful, but she is so striking that I could not leave her off my list.  She is from a new Integrity line called Les Silhouettes Collection.  She is the first doll in this line and is called Fauboug Saint-Honore Victoire Roux.  This line was exclusive to the Integrity Convention and sold out there quickly.  The outfit is very tailored and the little fur stole is wonderful.

Number 3:  I was very surprised for the next doll to have made it so high on my list. I didn't expect it.  her outfit was simple but quite lovely. Her hair mirrored that simplicity.  However, her faceup is remarkable.  The only Fashion Royalty doll sold through dealers to make it on my list is Number 3, Breaking the Mold Veronique.

Number 2:  I have never collected Male dolls, but I simply cannot ignore this doll.  His presentation was total perfection.  His outfit, hair, faceup.  He can stay in the box and still look incredible.  My Number 2 is Most Beautiful Boy Auden from Integrity Toys' Dynamite Girls line.

Number 1:  The minute I first saw this doll, I knew she was the perfect doll for me.  Everything about her screams "Old Integrity".  She has all the qualities that first attracted me to collecting Fashion Royalty dolls.  She is total class:  two-toned hair in a perfect style, gorgeous tailored outfit, great accessories, and an incredible face-up.  I scored a NRFB version (#17 out of 150).  My favorite doll of 2011 was No Reservations Kyori.  

 What a gorgeous creature.

Like I said, these reflect my personal taste.  I know many will disagree, but that is alright.  We all have our own favorites, which makes this hobby such a joy for all of us.

2011 - The Year of Insanity

Hold on to your seats, it's going to be a bumpy ride! 

If you look at the sidebar, you will see a total of 33 dolls added to my collection in 2011.  Being the fickle doll collector I am, 2 dolls from this list were dropped:  Jakks Pacific and Charity Ball.  (I had to edit this post because I deboxed Current Pursuits Vanessa and No Reservations Kyori.)  I should add the other 3 that were Christmas gifts for a total of 36.

Have you ever seen such a mess! As I have found homes for 45 dolls, it would seem I came out ahead 9 dolls.  Then I opened my closets to check the new dolls that had arrived and remained boxed this year.  It appears I have 15 dolls hiding in my closets (although pictured, Current Pursuits and No Reservations are in the other total)!

Four Dynamite Girls/Boys:  Most Beautiful Boy Auden, Rock Candy Rufus Blue, Aqua Bella Jett, and Beach Bunny Sooki.

Three FR Exclusives:  Bergdorf Goodman FNO FR2,  Modern Comeback Noir Veronique, and Sweet Confection Poppy.

Two Regular Retail FR: (Current Pursuits Vanessa released), Flawless Elise and Color Infusion Rebel Spirit Amelie.

Four FR Convention Dolls:  Vivid Impact Agnes, Style Counsel Adele and Veronique Giftset, and Victoire Roux Faubourg Saint-Honore (No Reservation Kyori has been released).

Two Monograms:  Magnificent and Extravagance.

I missed my goal by six dolls!  However, I did release 16 dolls from their boxes in 2011 as a trade-off:

I guess, I came very close to meeting all of my rules for 2011.

Rule 1:  I really haven't added a new line since I started the rules.  Rule 1 was successfully met.

Rule 2:  There hasn't been any impulse buying.

Rule 3: I missed this rule by six dolls.  Some of the dolls shown though will not be staying.

Rule 4:  Successful!  16 dolls were released from box this year.  Only 15 dolls remained in their boxes and 16 older dolls were released!

Rule 5:  I have been able to purchase all of my dolls at retail price this year since that rule was made.

Rule 6:  No more pre-purchase of convention dolls.

I am going to change my "Rules" to "Guidelines" because I believe the term "Guideline" is friendlier and more in line with the intent.  I want to make my collecting less stressful, not more stressful.

The Last of 2011

I had really hoped to get this posted yesterday, but I was unable to find the time.

I am quite a geek when it comes to lists.  I love them.  I keep lists of everything.  It is the OCD in me.  I have a list of the movies we own.  A list of all of my dolls and outfits.  If there are multiples, then there is a list. 

At the end of 2011, everyone started coming out with lists.  "Best of" lists, "Worst of" lists, "Purchased this year" lists, you name it.  I am always interested to see who I share opinions with and with whom I disagree. 

On the W Club, I tallied all of the dolls that appeared on the "Best of 2011" lists.  There were almost 75 dolls that made it on the lists which proved that there is a lot of diversity in the W Club. There was one doll that stood out though ... one doll that appeared on over 20 top five lists.  It was a doll I didn't own.

This is the Basic Essentials Dania Zarr.  This is exactly how she comes from Integrity, including one of the new saddle stands.  She was available at the Integrity Convention this year as a "Direct Exclusive".  Only 300 dolls were produced and she sold out immediately. 

She doesn't have the regular FR body, nor does she have a NuFace body.  This is the "Brides of Dracula" body which has become very popular with collectors.  I saw many of these dolls listed with uneven bangs or wonky eyes, so I was very leary of purchasing one on the secondary market.  A collector offered me choice of three that she had purchased and each one had a different problem.  I am a very picky collector and knew I wouldn't be satisfied unless the hair and eyes were perfect.

I paid premium price for this one, but I knew she was the one.  She is my last purchase of 2011 and definitely one of my very favorites from last year.  She is phenomenal.

Another surprise for me this year are the Stardolls from Mattel.  I do not like the bodies, but the face-ups are cute as can be. They look very nice on NuFace bodies.

I got three of them for Christmas.  ("Chang" was highlighted in the last blog.)  I think I prefer the ones with the closed mouths, and the clothes are quite nice.  This one was my second favorite from the group that has been released.

I put her on a NuFace body and was very pleased with the results.

This doll supports my "Look-alike" feature because she reminds me a great deal of a celebrity:

Do you see a resemblance with Pussycat Dolls lead vocalist Nicole Scherzinger?